I am ninja, you are ninja[PrC]

[TheOOB]

Ninja Assassin


I slowly walked down the hallway, suppressing a smile as frantic guards ran past me, trying to find the intruder. It seems Lord Hikaru, my mark, was recent informed that the capital had dispatched a ninja to assassinate him this very night. I wasn't worried however, his guards where looking for a man in a black body suit with strange magical powers. It never occurred to them that they had been infiltraited days ago, and that the intruder had been disguised among them for days as the very guard captain who sent all the guards on this wild goose chase to find their lords would be assassin, leaving lord Hikaru along with his most trusted bodyguard.


“With all my men searching for the assassin, I'm glad you of all people stayed to protect me Takao” Lord Hikaru said. I turned to him and smiled “Takao died days ago, the shogun sends his reguards” I slowly drew the dead guard captains katana and slowly advanced to the lord marked for death.
--From the Journal of Katsumi Kimura, Ninja Assassin.


Ninja are skilled assassins who hail from Japanese inspired lands. When you need something done without damaging your honor, you call a ninja, a cold-blooded killer who uses whatever tactics necessarily to find their mark and bring death to them. Ninja are perhaps the best at what they do, able to infiltrate even the most tight security zones, and able to carry out their mission with whatever is available, and escape before anyone even knows of their presence.


Most people see ninja as mystical warriors clad in black with magical powers, that is mostly untrue. Ninja usually don't usually practice magic (though they learn several techniques to fight those who do), and instead rely on planning, skill, and talent to do their job, benefiting from the various legends and falsehoods floating around about their profession.


Of all the classes, rogues are the most likely to take the path of the ninja. The ninja assassins abilities in both stealth and combat are of great use to the rogue, even if they have to give up some skill points to take the class. Rangers and monks both also find their abilities are complimented well by the ninja assassin, gaining some sneakiness and dirty tricks in exchange for some of their combat ability. While most bards are too overt to become ninja assassins, those who do can become powerful indeed, using their magic to great affect, and helping to contribute to the mystical image that most people have of ninja.


Hit Die: d6


Requirements
To qualify to become a ninja assassin, a character must fulfill all the following criteria
Skills: Bluff 4 ranks, Disguise 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Improved Unarmed Strike
Special: Evasion


Class Skills
A ninja assassins class skills(and the key ability for each skill) are Balance(Dex), Bluff(Cha), Climb(Str), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Int), Disguise(Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Forgery(Int), Hide(Dex), Intimidate(Cha), Jump(Str), Listen(Wis), Move Silently(Dex), Open Lock(Dex), Profession(Wis), Search(Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Sleight of Hand(Dex), Spot(Wis), Swim(Str), Tumble(Dex), Use Magic Device(Cha), and Use Rope(Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
NAME OF CLASS
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|Alchemy, Death Attack, Sneak Attack +1d6, Trap Finding

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

|Improvised Weapons, Poison Use, Uncanny Dodge, Trap Sense +1

3rd|

+2

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|Acrobatics, Hidden Agendas, Sneak Attack +2d6

4th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Greater Feint, Improved Evasion, Serpent Strike +1, Trap Sense +2

5th|

+3

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Improved Uncanny Dodge, Silencing Strike, Sneak Attack +3d6

6th|

+4

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Slippery Mind, Stealth Expertise, Trap Sense +3

7th|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Hide in Plain Sight, Sneak Attack +4d6

8th|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|

+2

|Improved Improvised Weapons, Serpent Strike +2, Trap Sense +4

9th|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|

+3

|Perfect Feint, Sneak Attack +5d6

10th|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|Blinding Strike, Empty Mind, Trap Sense +5[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ninja assassin prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ninja assassin is proficient in all simple and martial weapons as well as the shuriken.


Alchemy: Starting at 1st level a ninja assassin can craft items with the craft(alchemy) skill even if they are not a spellcaster.


Death Attack(Ex): This ability, gained at 1st level, functions identically to the assassin ability of the same name.


Sneak Attack(Ex): This ability, gained at 1st level, functions identically to the rogue ability of the same name. If a ninja assassin has sneak attack damage from multiple sources the damage stacks. A ninja assassin deals 1d6 extra damage on a successful sneak attack at first level, and an additional 1d6 every odd level thereafter.


Trap finding(Ex): This ability, gained at 1st level, functions identically to the rogue ability of the same name.


Improvised Weapons: Starting at 2nd level a ninja assassin only takes a -2 penalty when using a weapon with which they are not proficient, including improvised weapons.


Poison Use(Ex): This ability, gained at 2nd level, functions identically to the assassin ability of the same name.


Uncanny Dodge(Ex): This ability, gained at 2nd level, functions identically to the rogue ability of the same name.


Trap Sense(Ex): This ability, gained at 2nd level, functions identically to the rogue ability of the same name. The bonus starts at +1 at 2nd level, and increases by an additional plus one every even level thereafter.


Acrobatics(Ex): Starting at 3rd level a ninja assassin gains a +4 competence bonus on climb, jump, and tumble checks and may take 10 on those skills even when distress or distractions would otherwise prevent them from being able to.


Hidden Agendas(Ex): As a ninja starts learning their trade, the web of plots and agendas within them becomes so complex that it becomes difficult for magic to decipher it. Starting at 3rd level a ninja assassin constantly benefits from an Undetectable Alignment spell with a caster level equal to their class level. They may suppress or resume this ability as a free action.


Improved Evasion(Ex): This ability, gained at 4th level, functions identically to the rogue special ability of the same name.


Serpents Strike(Ex): Starting at 4th level, the fortitude save DC of any poison applied to a weapon and delivered with a sneak attack improves by +1. The DC bonus increases to +2 at 8th level.


Greater Feint(Ex): Starting at 4th level a ninja assassin can feint as a swift action.


Improved Uncanny Dodge(Ex): This ability, gained at 5th level, functions identically to the rogue ability of the same name.


Silencing Strike(Ex): Starting at 5th level when a ninja assassin sneak attacks a flat-footed opponent they must make a fortitude save(DC 10+ninja assassin level+int mod) or be unable to speak for 1d4 rounds.


Stealth Expertise(Ex): Starting at 6th level a ninja assassin gains a +4 competence bonus of disguise, hide, and move silently checks and may take 10 on these checks even when stress or distractions would otherwise prevent them from being able to.


Slippery Mind(Ex): This ability, gained at 6th level, functions identically to the rogue special ability of the same name.


Hide in Plain Sight(Ex): This ability, gained at 7th level, functions identically to the shadowdancer ability of the same name.


Improved Improvised Weapons: Starting at 8th level a ninja assassin takes no penalty when using a weapon with which they are not proficient, including improvised weapons.


Perfect Feint(Ex): Starting at 9th level a ninja assassin can perform a perfect feint. A perfect feint is resolved just like a normal feint attempt except that the ninja assassin recieves a -5 penalty to their bluff check, and if the ninja assassin wins the opposed check the target is instead considered flat-footed until the targets next action. Performing a perfect feint is a swift action.


Blinding Strike(Ex): Starting at 10th level when a ninja assassin sneak attacks a flat-footed opponent they must make a fortitude save(DC 10+ninja assassin level+int mod) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds.


Empty Mind(Ex): Starting at 10th level a ninja assassin learns to clear their head to ward off attacks of the mind. They constantly benefit from a Mind Blank spell with a caster level equal to their class level. They may suppress or resume this effect with a free action.

[Fireball.Man.Guy.]

Ummmm, I think ninjas might also take this class.

[TheOOB]

Ummmm, I think ninjas might also take this class.

I know, theres lots of classes that could go into this class, the prereqs arn't hard, I just avoided mentioning non-core classes.

This really is designed not only to be a slightly more historically correct ninja, but as a good assassin/dirty fighter in general. There is nothing in the class that precludes it from existing in a western setting other then it's name.

[Halcyon_Dax]

Short post: Like it.

Might want to correct

All of the following are class features of the phoenix fire warrior prestige class.

[TheOOB]

Ack, fixed. Normally it does save time using an old PrC to template your new one.

[Mewtarthio]

Perfect Feint(Ex): Starting at 9th level a ninja assassin can accept a -5 penalty to their bluff check for a feint, if their feint succeeds then their target is considered flat-footed until their next action.

When you say "their next action," do you mean the target's or the ninja's?

My font seems so small and insignificant next to yours...

[TheOOB]

The targets next action, following standard rules for being flat-footed. I'll go and clarify it.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Ack, fixed. Normally it does save time using an old PrC to template your new one.

Yeah, but it's better to use make a Prc Template that has nothing written in it to template your new one and your old ones.

The class is okay, it just looks too much like a rogue. All those rogue abilities mean that there's little point in taking rogue over it apart from skill points.

[TheOOB]

Well, theres little reason to go 20 rogue anyways, but those 4 skill points and special abilities you lose do add up in the long run.

Besides, I don't really see a problum with giving your party skill-monkey extra stealth and combat effectiveness.