Ninjas move through the shadows, striking down the unwary and vanishing again with ease. Ninjas walk where others cannot. They blend their training in stealth and assassination with a focused mind. Their rigorous preparation sharpens their minds and bodies, giving them supernatural abilities of stealth and making them phantoms in the eyes of many. Although ninjas in battle lack the staying power of martial characters such as fighters or barbarians, they excel at making combat occur on their terms—appearing and disappearing seemingly at a whim.
Game Information
Alignment
A ninja may be of any alignment.
Hit Die
- d6
Starting Gold
- 4d4x10 gp
- 150 gp (Sky Islands Campaign Setting)
Skills
The ninja's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hacking (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Table: the Ninja
Class Features
Armor and Weapon Proficiencies
Ninjas are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, kama, katana, kukri, kunai, nunchaku, sai, shortbow, short sword, shuriken, and siangham. Ninjas are not proficient with any type of armor or shield.
AC Bonus (Ex)
A ninja is highly trained at dodging blows, and she has a sixth sense that lets her avoid even unanticipated attacks. When unarmored and unencumbered, a ninja adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her Armor Class. In addition, a ninja gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five ninja levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when a ninja is flat-footed. The character loses these bonuses when she is immobilized or helpless, when she wears any armor, when she carries a shield, or when she carries a medium or heavy load. This ability stacks with the monk’s AC bonus ability to determine the AC bonus, but a ninja with levels of monk does not add her Wisdom bonus twice.
Flurry of Stars (Ex)
Small and Large Ninja Damage
As long as she has at least one point of ki remaining, a ninja may barrage her foes with a flurry of stars at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry Attack Bonus column on Table: the Ninja. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the ninja might make before her next action. When a ninja reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 9th level it disappears. A ninja must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of stars. When using flurry of stars, a ninja may attack only with light throwing weapons, such as shuriken, kunai, sai, throwing daggers, etc. She may attack with such weapons interchangeably as desired. When using a flurry of stars, a ninja applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus ×½) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks. The base damage of such weapons is the damage indicated by the Shuriken Damage column on Table: The Ninja (if she is a medium creature). The ninja can’t use any other types of weapons as part of a flurry of stars. Shuriken she throws, regardless if a part of a flurry of stars attack, are never destroyed as result of being thrown.
Ki Power (Su)
A ninja can channel her ki to manifest special powers of stealth and mobility. She can use her ki powers a number of times per day equal to one-half her class level (minimum 1) plus her Wisdom bonus (if any). Ki powers can be used only if a ninja is wearing no armor and is unencumbered. As long as a ninja’s ki pool isn’t empty (that is, as long as she has at least one daily use remaining), she gains a +2 bonus on her Will saves. A ninja’s ki powers are Flurry of Stars, Ghost Step, Ki Dodge, Fleetfoot, Shadow Body, Speed Climb, Ghost Strike, Shadow Jaunt, Shadow Clones, Greater Flurry, Shadow Tag, Ghost Walk, Shadow Army, Greater Shadow Body, Shadow Walk, Shadow Double, and Shadow Retreat. Each power is described under a separate entry below.
Sudden Strike (Ex)
If a ninja can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Whenever a ninja’s target is denied a Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the ninja deals an extra 1d6 points of damage with her attack. This extra damage increases by 1d6 points for every two ninja levels thereafter. A ninja can’t use sudden strike when flanking an opponent unless that opponent is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, or they are flanked by another ninja. This damage also applies to ranged attacks against targets up to 30 feet away. Creatures with concealment, creatures without discernible anatomies, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are all immune to sudden strikes. A ninja can’t make a sudden strike while striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are out of reach. A ninja can’t use sudden strike to deliver nonlethal damage. Weapons capable of dealing only nonlethal damage don’t deal extra damage when used as part of a sudden strike. The extra damage from the sudden strike ability stacks with the extra damage from sneak attack whenever both would apply to the same target.
Evasion (Ex)
Beginning at 2nd level, a ninja can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Reflex save. (See the monk class feature.) A ninja’s use of evasion differs slightly from a monk’s use in that a ninja can use evasion only if she is wearing no armor and is carrying no more than a light load.
Ghost Step (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, a ninja can spend one daily use of her ki power to become invisible for 1 round. Using this ability is a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
At 10th level, a ninja can become ethereal when using ghost step instead of becoming invisible.
Shadow Blade (Ex)
At 2nd level, ninjas gain the ability to wield a katana with the same finesse that they can other weapons. Ninjas may add the katana to the list of weapons that are affected by the Weapon Finesse Feat.
Trapfinding (Ex)
Beginning at 2nd level, a ninja can use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20, and she can use Disable Device to bypass a trap or disarm magic traps. See the rogue class feature.
Ki Dodge (Su)
At third level and higher, a ninja can spend one daily use of her ki power to become exceedingly nimble. She gains a +2 dodge bonus to her AC until her next turn. She may use this ability preemptively on her turn as a free action, but may also use this ability reactively as an immediate action.
Poison Use (Ex)
At 3rd level and higher, a ninja never risks accidentally poisoning herself when applying poison to a weapon.
Ability Boost
At 4th level, a ninja may increase an ability score by +1. An ability score can not be raised past 20 using this class feature. At 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level a ninja may increase another ability score. The ability score increased need not be different each time, as long as it is not raised past 20. The bonuses gained from this ability stack with those gained regularly by characters every 4 levels, and with similar class features.
Great Leap (Su)
At 4th level and higher, a ninja always makes Jump checks as if she were running and had the Run feat, enabling her to make long jumps without a running start and granting a +4 bonus on the jump. This ability can be used only if she is wearing no armor and is carrying no more than a light load.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, a ninja can react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to do so. She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a ninja already has uncanny dodge from a different class she automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Fleetfoot (Ex)
A ninja is exceptionally light on her feet. As long as she has at least one point of ki remaining, she may ignore difficult terrain. She may also use the Move Silently skill while moving at her full speed, as well as while running or charging, without penalty.
Acrobatics (Ex)
At 6th level, a ninja can take 10 on Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so. She gains a competence bonus equal to 1/2 her level on these skill checks.
Shadow Body (Su)
At 6th level and higher, a ninja can spend one daily use of her ki power to cause an attack against her to miss when it might otherwise hit. When a ninja activates this ability, her outline shifts and wavers, granting her concealment (20% miss chance) against all attacks for 1 round. Using this ability is a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. See invisibility has no effect on concealment granted by the ki dodge ability, but true seeing negates the miss chance. This concealment does not stack with that caused by other effects that grant concealment or by spells such as blink or displacement.
Speed Climb (Ex)
A ninja of 7th level or higher can scramble up or down walls and slopes as if under the effects of the Spider Climb spell. If she has at least one point of ki remaining, she can climb at her full land speed. A ninja needs only one free hand to use this ability. This ability can be used only if a ninja is wearing no armor and is carrying no more than a light load.
Ghost Strike (Su)
At 8th level and higher, a ninja can spend one daily use of her ki power to strike incorporeal and ethereal creatures as if they were corporeal. She also can use this ability to strike foes on the Material Plane normally while ethereal (for example, while using her ghost step ability). Activating the ghost strike ability is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It affects the next attack made by the ninja, as long as that attack is made before the end of her next turn.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
A ninja of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has ninja levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
Improved Poison Use (Ex)
Starting at 9th level, a ninja can apply poison to a weapon as a free action. (Normally, applying a poison is a standard action, like applying an oil.) Furthermore, the DC's of poisons she applies to her weapons are increased by +2.
Shadow Jaunt (Su)
At 9th level and higher, a ninja can spend one daily use of her ki power to disappear and reappear suddenly behind an enemy. She may jaunt up to half her movement speed and may pass through solid objects or other creatures, but must end her jaunt adjacent to a creature. The creature she appears behind is caught flat-footed. Using this ability is a swift action.
Shadow Clones (Su)
A 10th level ninja can spend two daily uses of her ki power to create shadowy illusory duplicates of herself. She shrouds herself in shadow, and she and her duplicates receive the benefits of her Shadow Body ability. This ability functions much like the Mirror Image spell with a caster level equal to her ninja level, however the clones can move up to 30 ft apart from each other. A ninja's shadow clones can provide flanking bonuses for her, and they are treated as ninjas (allowing her to use her sudden strike). Once per turn, a ninja may expend a daily use of her ki power to switch places with one of her shadow clones.
Ghost Mind (Su)
At 11th level, a ninja gains a special resistance to spells of the scrying subschool. To detect or see a ninja with such a spell, the caster must make a caster level check (DC 20 + the ninja’s class level). In the case of scrying spells (such as arcane eye) that scan the ninja’s area, a failed check indicates that the spell works but the ninja simply isn’t detected. Scrying attempts targeted specifically at the ninja do not work at all if the check fails.
Greater Flurry (Ex)
When a ninja reaches 11th level, her Flurry of Stars ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of stars, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus.
Ghost Sight (Su)
At 12th level and higher, a ninja can see invisible and ethereal creatures as easily as she sees material creatures and objects.
Shadow Tag (Su)
At 13th level and higher, a ninja can easily stick to her target. As long as she has at least one point of ki remaining, she may move with her opponent should they retreat in any way (including a 5ft step). She gains a +4 dodge bonus to her AC while pursuing her opponent, and may move up to twice her movement speed. This does not count against her movement in any way. If her opponent teleports, blinks away, or otherwise moves to another plane, she may follow by expending a daily use of her ki power. Using this ability is a non-action.
Ghost Walk (Su)
An 14th-level ninja can spend two daily uses of her ki power to enter the Ethereal Plane for an extended period of time. This ability functions as the Ethereal Jaunt spell with a caster level equal to the ninja’s class level.
Shadow Army (Su)
At 15th level, the shadow clones a ninja creates do more than just confound the enemy. By expending a daily use of her ki power, when her clones mimic her attack actions they each deal 1/4th of the damage that she deals with melee attacks, or 1/8th the damage she deals with ranged attacks. Because the ninja and her clones attack in sync, the defender cannot tell which are the clones based on the damage received.
Greater Shadow Body (Su)
Starting at 16th level, a ninja’s shadow body ability grants total concealment (50% miss chance).
Shadow Walk (Su)
At 17th level, a ninja becomes perfectly attuned to the Plane of Shadow. She gains the supernatural ability to transport herself great distances via shadows. By expending two daily uses of her ki power as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, she can seamlessly enter any shadow and pass any distance to another shadow on the same plane in a single round, regardless of the distance separating the two. A ninja merely designates a direction and distance (“twenty miles due west of here”), and the shadow walk ability transports her to a destination as close as possible to the desired location. She can’t specify the endpoint unless she can see the target location (through regular vision, scrying, or the like). A ninja cannot use her own shadow to shadow walk.
Shadow Double (Su)
At 18th level, a ninja's shadow can manifest into quasi-physical form. She must perform the forbidden shadow ritual, giving a mockery of life to her own shadow. The effect is similar to that of the Simulacrum spell, though with many differences. It does not require ice or snow, it can only duplicate the ninja, she need not make a disguise check (it will look just like her at the moment of creation), it can function autonomously (though she can still command it), she cannot telepathically communicate or control it but can sense its emotions, it can heal damage naturally (as she would have at that level), and upon death it disappears into a puff of smoke (instead of melting).
Like with her shadow clones, she may spend a daily use of her ki power to switch places with her shadow double. Her shadow double may not use the Shadow Clones ability, even if she would have been able to at its level. She may only have one such shadow double at a time, but should it be destroyed she may make another. The ritual requires the same material components that the Simulacrum spell does. After completing the ritual, the ninja no longer casts a shadow while her duplicate lives.
Shadow Retreat (Su)
At 19th level, a ninja can use her power of subterfuge to seemingly evade death. As long as she has at least one point of ki remaining, when she is struck to or below 1/4th of her maximum hit points she immediately is placed under the effects of the Time Stop spell (at a caster level equal to her ninja level). She may only use this ability once per encounter.
Shadow Warrior (Su)
In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a ninja can disappear into the shadows, giving her total concealment (50%). Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability. Full daylight (or similar effects) can only reduce the effectiveness of this ability to concealment (20%). Her shadow clones are more effective in combat, and instead deal 1/2 damage (for melee attacks) or 1/4 damage (for ranged attacks). Furthermore, her type becomes an outsider with the extraplanar subtype (native to the Plane of Shadow), though she retains any subtypes she may have had. Additionally, the ninja gains damage reduction 15/epic and silver, which allows her to ignore the first 15 points of damage from any attack made by a non-epic non-silver weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn’t have similar damage reduction. Unlike other outsiders, the ninja can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.
Variants
- Dragon Ninja (elemental ninja)
- Kei Senshi (light ninja)
House Rules
- All ninjas do the naruto run.
| Base Classes |
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