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SHINOBI
Higure the Still Wind, human shinobi
"I learned from my master that a shinobi's duty is to be enlightened on the laws of nature. There are no battles that do not adhere to these laws. Thus, the warrior who stands against the laws of nature has lost his battle before he even begins to fight. The first priority of the shinobi was to prevail without fighting, and this remains our way."
~Takao Hisatsugu, Headmaster of the Hidden Door
The enigmatic spies and saboteurs of the Sublime Way, shinobi are martial adepts who epitomize the warrior ways of alacrity, misdirection, and subterfuge. Trained in locations made secret to all outsiders, they have inherited martial traditions passed down by word of mouth for countless generations, including the mysterious Hidden Door discipline. Shinobi, also commonly known as sublime saboteurs, are not to be taken as mere thugs or bandits. They have sworn an oath of fealty to clan and homeland --- vowing to give their very lives, if necessary, to ensure the protection of their communities. Those that betray this oath suffer severe consequences and may no longer walk the path of shinobi.
MAKING A SHINOBI
Like the swordsage, a shinobi rarely plays the role of a front-line combatant. Shinobi typically find themselves as the scouts and skirmishers among a party of adventurers, relying on stealth, hit-and-run ambushes, and tactical attrition to win the day.
Abilities: Dexterity is the shinobi's primary ability score, followed closely by Wisdom and Charisma. All three of these scores have a number of vital uses for shinobi both in and out of combat, ranging from augmenting Armor Class and certain weapons' attack rolls to enhancing saving throws and several key skill checks. A high Intelligence score is important also, as the extra skill points it provide enable a shinobi to fulfill the role of expert and specialist when needed. Due to their reliance on avoidance and evasion, Constitution is sometimes ignored by shinobi, but a good Constitution score can often mean the difference between life and death to a shinobi frequently found in battle. Strength is probably the least important ability score to most shinobi, although it can increase their damage potential and bolster their effectiveness with certain skills.
Races: The majority of shinobi are humans. There are a few elves, half-elves, and spirit folk found among their ranks, and even fewer of the other races. However, as the shinobi's traditions themselves originated among human clans, these individuals almost invariably receive their training in human lands. There are rumors of shinobi clans founded by members of other races that studied under human masters, but these may indeed just be rumors.
Alignment: Although a shinobi can be of any alignment, the path he walks often demands discipline, unwavering loyalty, and a willingness to serve the needs of others. As such, chaotic and evil shinobi are very uncommon and their actions are usually looked down upon by their brethren. Because the Hidden Door discipline admonishes balance between extremes and adaptability to changing circumstances, most members of this class lean toward neutral alignments.
Starting Gold: 4d4 x 10 gp (100 gp).
Starting Age: As monk.
Special: For the purposes of feat qualification, a shinobi is considered a swordsage of equal level.
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[SIZE=2][B]TABLE 1: THE SHINOBI HIT DIE: D8
Base Fort Ref Will
[u]Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special [/u][/b]
1st +0 +0 +2 +0 Shinobi path (1st step),
trapfinding, veiled weaponry
2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 AC bonus
3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 Shinobi path (2nd step)
4th +3 +1 +4 +1 --
5th +3 +1 +4 +1 Shinobi path (3rd step)
6th +4 +2 +5 +2 --
7th +5 +2 +5 +2 Shinobi path (4th step)
8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +2 Adaptive stance
9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +3 Shinobi path (5th step)
10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +3 --
11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +3 Shinobi path (6th step)
12th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 --
13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 Shinobi path (7th step)
14th +10/+5 +4 +9 +4 --
15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +5 Shinobi path (8th step)
16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Adaptive stance
17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 Shinobi path (9th step)
18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +6 --
19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +6 Shinobi path (10th step)
20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +6 Veiled counterstrike 3/day[/SIZE]
Code:
[size=2][b]TABLE 2: THE SHINOBI
Maneuvers Maneuvers Stances
[u]Level Known Readied Known [/u][/b]
1st 4 3 1
2nd 5 3 2
3rd 6 4 2
4th 6 4 2
5th 7 4 2
6th 8 5 3
7th 8 5 3
8th 9 5 3
9th 10 5 3
10th 10 6 3
11th 11 6 4
12th 12 6 4
13th 12 7 4
14th 13 7 4
15th 14 7 4
16th 14 7 4
17th 15 8 5
18th 16 8 5
19th 16 8 5
20th 17 9 5[/SIZE]CLASS FEATURES
Compared to swordsages and warblades, shinobi learn from a relatively small number of martial disciplines. However, shinobi differ from other martial adepts in that they strive not only to master the forms and maneuvers of their disciplines, but also to internalize and embody the very principles that make up the essence of these schools. A shinobi of diamond clarity, for example, has taken steps to embody the principle teachings of the Diamond Mind discipline while a shinobi of shrouded midnight has followed suit with the Shadow Hand discipline. There are a few purists to be found among the shinobi clans who focus on mastery of only one school, but the majority adopt a more eclectic approach that draws upon the principles of several disciplines.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a shinobi, you are proficient with the following weapons: blowgun, club, dagger, gauntlet, jitte, kama, katana, naginata, nekode, ninja-to, quarterstaff, shikomi-zue, shortbow (normal and composite), shortspear, short sword, shuriken, unarmed strike, and wakizashi. You are also proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of four martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Diamond Mind, Hidden Door, Setting Sun, and Shadow Hand.
Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by shinobi is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description. Your maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you initiate one.
You learn additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on Table 2: The Shinobi. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. See Table 3-1 on page 39 of Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords to determine the highest-level maneuvers you can learn.
Upon reaching 4th level and at every even-numbered shinobi level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. You can choose a new maneuver of any level you like, as long you observe your restriction on the highest-level maneuvers you know; you need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. For example, upon reaching 10th level, you could trade in a single 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, or 4th-level maneuver for a maneuver of 5th level or lower, as long as you meet the prerequisite of the new maneuver. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.
Maneuvers Readied: You can ready three of your four maneuvers known at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more maneuvers, you are able to ready more, but you must still choose which maneuvers to ready. You ready your maneuvers by training for 5 minutes. The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to train again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready your maneuvers; any time you spend 5 minutes in training, you can change your readied maneuvers.
You begin an encounter with all your readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have already used them since you chose them. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (until you recover them, as described below).
Because a shinobi's effectiveness in combat is dependent on his ability to deceive and outmaneuver his opponents, you refresh your maneuvers somewhat differently than other martial adepts. Whenever you attack a target that is flat-footed or otherwise denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, you can recover one expended maneuver with an immediate action. You cannot initiate a maneuver or change your stance while you are recovering your expended maneuver, but you can remain in a stance in which you began your turn.
Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one stance from any discipline open to shinobi. At 2nd, 6th, 11th, and 17th level, you can choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you do not have to ready them. All the stances you know are available to you at all times, and you can change the stance you currently use as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description.
Unlike with maneuvers, you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one you already know.
AC Bonus: Beginning at 2nd level, you gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to your Charisma bonus. You lose this bonus if you wear medium or heavy armor, carry a medium or heavy load, or if you use a shield. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when you are flat-footed. However, you lose this bonus when you are immobilized or helpless. This bonus does not stack with the AC bonus gained by the monk and swordsage.
Shinobi Path: To the shinobi, study of the Sublime Way goes beyond technical proficiency in the maneuvers of their schools. The forms serve as vehicles to illuminate the formless essence hidden within each of the shinobi's disciplines. As part of this approach, a shinobi who adopts a stance from one of his disciplines also seeks to embody this concealed essence and gains special abilities related to that school's teachings. Such an emphasis on studying the veiled and unseen aspects of the Sublime Way is unique to shinobi philosophy and is what distinguishes them from other martial adepts.
At 1st level and every odd-numbered shinobi level thereafter (3rd, 5th, 7th, and so on), you take a step along one of four such paths of study known to shinobi. Each step grants you special abilities whenever you adopt a stance from that path's discipline. As you increase in level and take more steps along the same path, your mastery of the school's principles grows and you acquire more abilities while in one its stances. You may take steps in more than one path, but to reach a higher step in any path you must take all of its lower steps beforehand. As an example, a 3rd level shinobi could take the 1st and 2nd steps along a single path (such as dawn's eclipse) or he might take the 1st step along two different paths (such as diamond clarity and shrouded midnight). At higher levels, it is even possible to take steps among all the shinobi's paths at the cost of specialization in a smaller number of paths.
Shinobi paths are described in full detail in the section below.
Trapfinding (Ex): A shinobi can use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20, and he can use Disable Device to bypass a trap or disarm magic traps. See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player's Handbook.
Veiled Weaponry: Shinobi are highly skilled in unarmed combat and the use of easily concealed weapons. You gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat at 1st level. In addition, you gain the benefit of the Weapon Finesse feat with the dagger, gauntlet, nekode, and unarmed strike.
Adaptive Stance (Ex): At 8th level, your mastery of a single discipline's principles allows you to fluidly assume its stances with almost no conscious effort. Choose one of the four shinobi disciplines. Once per round, you may adopt a stance from that school as a free action. At 16th level, you can choose a second discipline to which this ability applies.
Veiled Counterstrike (Ex): When you reach 20th level, you can immediately followup a counter with a strike. If you initiate a successful counter maneuver against an opponent, as a free action you can also initiate any strike maneuver against him that you have readied. To initiate a strike in this manner, you must still meet all the conditions for using the maneuver (such as its specified range and target type). Both maneuvers are expended normally. You can use this ability three times per day.
Code of Honor: As a shinobi, you have sworn an oath of fealty to your clan and homeland. If you ever deliberately betray this oath, you bring dishonor to yourself and your family. Depending on the severity of your actions, this may result in expulsion from the clan, banishment from the clan's territory, or even execution. In addition, any such betrayal effectively cuts you off from future training in the clan's traditions and you may no longer take levels in the shinobi class (although you retain all your class features).
SHINOBI PATHS
Each section below details one of the four shinobi paths.
Dawn's Eclipse
As a shinobi of dawn's eclipse, you have taken steps to embody the principles of the Setting Sun discipline. While you are in a Setting Sun stance and wearing light armor or no armor, you gain the following abilities.
- 1st Step - Dawn's Shield (Ex): If you move at least 10 feet on your turn, you gain a +1 insight bonus to your Armor Class for 1 round.
- 2nd Step - Evasion (Ex): You can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage.
- 3rd Step - Dawn's Shield (Ex): Your insight bonus from dawn's shield increases to +2.
- 4th Step - Dawnstrider (Ex): You can move at your normal speed with no penalty to your Balance and Tumble checks.
- 5th Step - Dawn's Shield (Ex): Your insight bonus from dawn's shield increases to +3.
- 6th Step - Improved Evasion (Ex): You gain the benefit of improved evasion. You still take no damage if you make a successful Reflex save against an attack, and even if you fail the Reflex save, you take only half damage from the attack. If you are helpless, you do not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
- 7th Step - Dawn's Shield (Ex): Your insight bonus from dawn's shield increases to +4.
- 8th Step - Dawn's Rise (Ex): If you make a successful Reflex save against a harmful attack or effect, you can take an immediate 5-foot step as a free action. Moving in this manner consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the current round. You cannot move in this manner if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
- 9th Step - Dawn's Shield (Ex): Your insight bonus from dawn's shield increases to +5.
- 10th Step - Dawn's Release (Su): As long as you are not flat-footed, you are considered permanently under the effect of a freedom of movement spell.
As a shinobi of diamond clarity, you have taken steps to embody the principles of the Diamond Mind discipline. While you are in a Diamond Mind stance and wearing light armor or no armor, you gain the following abilities.
- 1st Step - Diamond Will (Ex): As long as you are not flat-footed, you gain a +1 insight bonus on your Will saves.
- 2nd Step - Uncanny Dodge (Ex): You gain the ability to react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if you are immobilized. See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player's Handbook.
- 3rd Step - Diamond Will (Ex): Your insight bonus from diamond will increases to +2.
- 4th Step - Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): You can no longer be flanked; you can react to opponents on opposite sides of you as easily as you can react to a single attacker. See the rogue class feature, page 50 of the Player's Handbook.
- 5th Step - Diamond Will (Ex): Your insight bonus from diamond will increases to +3.
- 6th Step - Immovable Spirit (Ex): If you succeed on a Will save against an attack that would normally produce a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will partial), you instead negate the effect.
- 7th Step - Diamond Will (Ex): Your insight bonus from diamond will increases to +4.
- 8th Step - Greater Immovable Spirit (Ex): You still suffer no effect if you make a successful Will save against an attack, and even if you fail the Will save, you incur only a partial effect.
- 9th Step - Diamond Will (Ex): Your insight bonus from diamond will increases to +5.
- 10th Step - Diamond Sight (Su) As long as you are not flat-footed, you are considered permanently under the effect of a true seeing spell.
As a shinobi of shrouded midnight, you have taken steps to embody the principles of the Shadow Hand discipline. While you are in a Shadow Hand stance and wearing light armor or no armor, you gain the following abilities.
- 1st Step - Opportunity's Edge (Ex): Whenever your target's current hit points are less than 1/2 of its full normal hit points, you gain a +1 insight bonus to your melee attack and damage rolls.
- 2nd Step - No Trace (Ex): You can add 1/2 your shinobi level to the DC of Survival checks made to track you.
- 3rd Step - Opportunity's Edge (Ex): Your insight bonus from opportunity's edge increases to +2.
- 4th Step - Nightstrider (Ex): You can move at your normal speed with no penalty to your Hide and Move Silently checks.
- 5th Step - Opportunity's Edge (Ex): Your insight bonus from opportunity's edge increases to +3.
- 6th Step - Camouflage (Ex): As long as you are in a low-light environment, you can use the Hide skill even if you don’t have cover or concealment.
- 7th Step - Opportunity's Edge (Ex): Your insight bonus from opportunity's edge increases to +4.
- 8th Step - Hide In Plain Sight (Ex): As long as you are in a low-light environment, you can use the Hide skill even while under observation.
- 9th Step - Opportunity's Edge (Ex): Your insight bonus from opportunity's edge increases to +5.
- 10th Step - Shifting Midnight (Su): Oncer per encounter, if an opponent makes a melee or ranged attack against you, as an immediate action you can magically slip between spaces as if using the spell dimension door. Your caster level for this effect is equal to your shinobi level.
As a shinobi of truth and falsehood, you have taken steps to embody the principles of the Hidden Door discipline. While you are in a Hidden Door stance and wearing light armor or no armor, you gain the following abilities.
- 1st Step - Hidden Strike (Ex): Whenever your target is flat-footed or otherwise denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, you gain a +1 insight bonus to your melee attack and damage rolls.
- 2nd Step - Improved Misdirection (Ex): You can make a Bluff check to feint in combat or to create a diversion to hide as a move action. If you have both this ability and the Improved Feint feat, then you also gain a +4 bonus on Bluff checks made to feint in combat.
- 3rd Step - Hidden Strike (Ex): Your insight bonus from hidden strike increases to +2.
- 4th Step - Swift Misdirection (Ex): You can make a Bluff check to feint in combat or to create a diversion to hide as a swift action.
- 5th Step - Hidden Strike (Ex): Your insight bonus from hidden strike increases to +3.
- 6th Step - Patient Assault (Ex): Once per encounter, if you choose to delay your initiative count by at least one turn, then any foe becomes flat-footed against your next melee attack. You cannot use this ability if you have the last turn on the initiative count.
- 7th Step - Hidden Strike (Ex): Your insight bonus from hidden strike increases to +4.
- 8th Step - Feinting Counter (Ex): If an opponent makes a melee attack against you and misses, you can make a Bluff check to feint him in combat as a free action. Feinting in this manner consumes one of your attacks of opportunity in the current round. You cannot feint in this manner if you have no attacks of opportunity remaining.
- 9th Step - Hidden Strike (Ex): Your insight bonus from hidden strike increases to +5.
- 10th Step - Master of Deception (Su): Once per encounter, if an opponent makes a melee attack against you and misses, as an immediate action you can become invisible and create an illusory double of yourself as if using the spell mislead. Your caster level for this effect is equal to your shinobi level.
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