The Rogue Ninja
an OGL 3.x Prestige Class

Copyright D. Andrew Ferguson ©2001

Edited by Jamie Revell for The Guild Companion

Rogue Ninja Prestige Class

Unlike most Ninja, the Rogue Ninja is not associated with a clan or guild. Although this gives rogue ninjas the freedom to pursue their own agenda, they lack the protection that a group affords. The Rogue Ninja could just be a free agent or may actually be on the run from the authorities or their former masters. The only thing that is certain is that any guild of assassins will not like having the Rogue Ninja in their area. If the Rogue Ninja joins any kind of assassins' guild they retain their abilities but can no longer progress in this class.

Hit Dice: 1d6

Base Attack Bonus: +6

Move Silently: 8 ranks

Hide: 8 ranks

Climb: 3 Ranks

Jump: 3 ranks

Tumble: 3 ranks

Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Initiative, Blind Fight, Dodge.

The rogue ninja's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Tumble (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis).

Skill Points as Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Rogue Ninja are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, but not armour, or shields.

Monk like armour bonus: A Rogue Ninja adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to AC, in addition to his normal Dexterity modifier. This Wisdom bonus is lost whenever the Rogue Ninja wears any kind of armour.

Poison Use: Rogue Ninjas are trained in the use of poison and never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when applying poison to a blade.

Sneak Attack: Any time the Rogue Ninja's target would be denied her Dexterity bonus to AC (whether she actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), the Rogue Ninja's attack deals +1d6 points of damage. This extra damage increases by +1d6 points every second level (+2d6 at 4th level, +3d6 at 6th level, and so on). Should the Rogue Ninja score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied.

It takes precision and penetration to hit a vital spot, so ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target is 30 feet away or less.

With a sap or an unarmed strike, the Rogue Ninja can make a sneak attack that deals subdual damage instead of normal damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals normal damage to deal subdual damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty, because he must make optimal use of his weapon in order to execute the sneak attack.

A Rogue Ninja can only sneak attack living creatures with discernible anatomies—undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures lack vital areas to attack. Additionally, any creature immune to critical hits is similarly immune to sneak attacks. Also, the Rogue Ninja must also be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach a vital spot. The Rogue Ninja cannot sneak attack while striking at a creature with concealment or by striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

If a Rogue Ninja gets a sneak attack bonus from another source (such as rogue or assassin levels), the bonuses to damage stack.

Uncanny Dodge: At 3rd level and above, the Rogue Ninja retains a Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) if caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. If a Rogue Ninja gets an uncanny dodge ability from another source (such as rogue or assassin levels), stack the abilities to determine the effective defence.

Saving Throw Bonus vs. Poison: Rogue Ninjas train with poisons of all types and slowly grow more and more resistant to their effects. This is reflected by a natural saving throw bonus to all poisons gained at 2nd level that increases by +1 for every three levels the Rogue Ninja gains (+1 at 3rd level, +2 at 6th level, +3 at 9th level). If a Rogue Ninja gets a saving throw versus poison bonus from another source (such as assassin levels), the bonuses to the saving throw stacks.

Fast Movement: The Rogue Ninja has a speed faster than the norm for his race by +10 feet when wearing no armour, light armour, or medium armour (and not carrying a heavy load).

Death Attack: If the Rogue Ninja studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack has the additional effect of possibly either paralyzing or killing the target (Rogue Ninja's choice). While studying the victim, the Rogue Ninja can undertake other actions so long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the Rogue Ninja or recognize the Rogue Ninja as an enemy. If the victim of such an attack fails her Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + the Rogue Ninja's class level + the Rogue Ninja's Intelligence modifier) against the kill effect, she dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis effect, the victim's mind and body become enervated, rendering her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the Rogue Ninja. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. Once the Rogue Ninja has completed the 3 rounds of study, he must make the death attack within the next 3 rounds. If a death attack is attempted and fails (the victim makes her save) or if the Rogue Ninja does not launch the attack within 3 rounds of completing the study, 3 new rounds of study are required before he can attempt another death attack. (Assassin levels may be added when calculating the victim's Fortitude saving throw.)

High Initiative: The Rogue Ninja gains a +2 bonus to initiative.

Appendix A

This article: "The Rogue Ninja, an OGL 3.x Prestige Class", Copyright © 2001 by D. Andrew Ferguson, is an OGL 3.x article.

This article is covered by the Open Gaming License. The title "The Rogue Ninja, an OGL 3.x Prestige Class" is Product Identity, all other material in this article is Open Gaming Content. Portions of this work are derived from the System Reference Document, Copyright © 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, and are used with permission.

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System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

"The Rogue Ninja, an OGL 3.x Prestige Class", Copyright © 2001 by D. Andrew Ferguson, first published by The Guild Companion (http://www.guildcompanion.com)

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