Class - The Ninja | GM Binder

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# Ninja
A *crimson tiefling wearing armor sneaks past the guards of a castle, disguising themselves as a knight of the castle's king. The tiefling quickly approaches the throne room, removing the disguise of armor when no eyes are on them, and swings the throne room's door wide open. In a split second, two daggers are thrown at the king, piercing his throat, and the tiefling flees, as guards pursue him.*

*A wood elf is surrounded on all sides by a group of savage orcs, each one wielding a giant axe and grinning viciously. The elf quickly consumes a pill from a satchel by their side, dipping their blade in a poison contained inside the satchel, and then leaps twenty feet into the air. Before the orcs can react, each one of them is sliced with the blade, and their insides rapidly melt, causing each one to collapse to the ground.*

*A tabaxi with a large scroll on their back is running from a pack of wolves. Suddenly, the tabaxi turns around, and opens the scroll, reading the text off of the parchment, conjuring forth blades around their body. They rush back into the wolves, and slash at each one of them, cleaving them all to pieces.*

These few powerful people are examples of ninjas, warriors who have learned how to harness the secret techniques of ninjutsu, using tools, traps, and tactics passed down from their teachers.

### Masters of Espionage
Ninjas are masters of stealth and deception, using special tools and traps to gain the upper hand against their foes. They are adept at fading into the shadows without a trace, and appearing to be friends of their targets, only revealing their true nature when its already too late.

Some ninjas choose to use the powers of darkness itself to aid them in their efforts, while others create powerful pills and poisons that cripple their foes. Others still use a largely secret art of ninjutsu, one that relies on storms of blades summoned by magic.

### Ninja Clans
The ways of ninjutsu are passed down from one ninja to another, similarly to how conventional martial arts would be from master to student. Different clans teach different styles of ninjutsu, known as Shinobi Arts, and are what make one clan of ninja recognizable from another.

Rarely, some ninjas in a clan might learn a different Shinobi Art than the rest of their clan, breaking the traditions held by that clan. Typically, when this happens, that ninja is either exiled from their clan, or even executed, although the culprit may gain enough followers to create a new clan of their own.

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### Creating a Ninja
When creating a ninja character, think about the clan that trained your character. Was your character born into the clan, or did they choose later in life to join it? Were they always aware that they would be shedding blood for their clan, or did they only learn this later on? Ask your GM how powerful noble families and clans are in your campaign world, and if there are any specific clans you could be a part of.

#### Quick Build
You can make a ninja quickly by following these suggestions. First, put your highest ability score in Dexterity, followed by Intelligence. Second, choose the acolyte or criminal background. Finally, choose a rapier, a hand crossbow & 20 bolts, and a burglar's pack.

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##### The Ninja
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Tools |
|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| 1st | +2 | Ninja Tools, Truthseeker  | 2 | 
| 2nd | +2 | Escape Artist, Fighting Style | 2 | 
| 3rd | +2 | Shinobi Arts | 2 | 
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 2 | 
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 
| 6th | +3 | Focusing Technique | 3 | 
| 7th | +3 | Art Feature | 3 | 
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 
| 9th | +4 | Evasion | 4 | 
| 10th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 
| 11th | +4 | Art Feature | 4 | 
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 
| 13th | +5 | Thrown Weapon Master | 5 | 
| 14th | +5 | Substitution | 5 | 
| 15th | +5 | Strike of Wind | 5 | 
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 
| 17th | +6 | Superior Ninja Tools | 6 | 
| 18th | +6 | Art Feature | 6 | 
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 
| 20th | +6 | Ultimate Evasion | 6 | 
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## Class Features
As a ninja, you gain the following class features.
#### Hit Points
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- **Hit Dice:** 1d8 per ninja level
- **Hit Points at First Level:** 8 + your Constitution modifier
- **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per ninja level after 1st

#### Proficiencies
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- **Armor:** Light armor
- **Weapons:** Simple weapons, martial weapons
- **Tools:** Disguise kits
- **Saving Throws:** Dexterity, Intelligence
- **Skills:** Choose 3 from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Perception, Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Religion, and Persuasion.

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#### Starting Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted to you by your background.
* (*a*) a rapier or (*b*) two shortswords
* (*a*) a hand crossbow & 20 bolts or (*b*) a simple weapon
* (*a*) a burglar's pack or (*b*) a diplomat's pack
* Leather armor and 20 daggers

### Ninja Tools
You have a collection of devices and tools that you can use to get the upper hand against your foes.

You have two ninja tools of your choice, and gain more as you gain levels in this class, as shown on the Tools column of the Ninja table. Furthermore, when you gain a level in this class, you can replace one ninja tool you have with another ninja tool.

You have a number of tool usages equal to your ninja level. When you use a ninja tool, you expend one of these uses. You regain all expended uses at the end of a short or long rest, provided you spend at least 30 minutes of the rest creating and fixing your tools.

Whenever a ninja tool calls for a saving throw, you use your Intelligence to calculate the saving throw DC:

- **Ninja Tool save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

### Truthseeker
Your perception of the world and its people is heightened. You add your Intelligence modifier as a bonus to your Wisdom (Perception and Insight) checks (a minimum of +1).

### Escape Artist
Beginning at 2nd level, when you use your action to use a ninja tool, you can use your bonus action to take the Disengage action.

### Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

##### Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

##### Throwing
You gain a +2 bonus to to ranged attack rolls you make with a thrown weapon. Whenever you make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, you can immediately draw another weapon as part of the attack.

##### Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier.

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### Shinobi Arts
Starting at 3rd level, you take on a mystical art of the ninja. Choose from the Art of Shadow, the Art of the Brewmaster, and the Art of the Swordmaster.

Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels.

### Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two Ability Scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

### Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the attack action on your turn.

### Focusing Technique
Starting at 6th level, you can center yourself with the world around you, enhancing your tracking abilities to superhuman levels. As an action, may expend one of your hit dice to gain advantage on all Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception and Survival) checks, and tremorsense with a range of 30 feet, for the next hour.

### Evasion
By 9th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an *ice storm* spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

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### Thrown Weapon Master
At 13th level, when you take the Attack action to throw a weapon, you can throw two as part of the same action. In addition, you can tie a piece of ninja thread to a weapon with the *thrown* property. When you throw that weapon, you can use an item interaction to pull it back to you.

### Substitution
Beginning at 14th level, you can use your reaction when you are hit with an attack to interpose a substitute between yourself and the attack. You immediately move up to half of your speed without provoking opportunity attacks, dodging the attack, and the attacker takes 2d8 piercing damage.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of 1), and regain all expended uses after a long rest.

### Strike of Wind
Starting at 15th level, you can quickly attack while you use your tools. As part of the action you take when you use a ninja tool, you can make one weapon attack.

### Superior Ninja Tools
At 17th level, your ninja tools become far more powerful. All of your ninja tools gain their Superior effect.

### Ultimate Evasion
By 20th level, you are able to dodge almost anything. While wearing light or no armor, you can add your proficiency bonus to your armor class and as a bonus to your Dexterity saving throws, even if you are already proficient in Dexterity saving throws.
  
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## Ninja Tools
When you use a ninja tool, you can either use it as a tool or as a trap. Either way, you expend one of your ninja tool uses to use the tool. If you place down a trap, the trap remains active for a number of minutes equal to your ninja level, at which point it will deactivate until you use your action while within 5 feet of it to reactivate it. The ninja tools are in alphabetical order.

#### Bola
**Tool.** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks to throw a bola at a creature you can see, treating it as a ranged weapon attack you are proficient in with a range of 20/60 feet. On a hit, if the target is Large or smaller, it is knocked prone. 
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**Trap.** The bola trap takes one action to set up, and takes up a single 5-foot space within 5 feet of yourself. When a creature of size Large or smaller steps on the trap, it must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

***Superior Ninja Tools.*** This tool can affect creatures of size Huge or smaller.

#### Explosive Tag
**Tool.** As an action, you can plant this tag on a creature you can touch. If the target is a creature and it is unwilling, it can make a Dexterity saving throw against the effect, avoiding the tag on a success.

At any time within the next minute, you can use your reaction to make the tag explode in a 15-foot sphere centered on the target. All creatures within the sphere must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed saving throw.

**Trap.** As an action, you can plant this tag on an object or surface you can touch. This tag functions exactly the same as the tool version.

The fire damage for both the tool and the trap form of this tool increases by 2d6 at 5th (4d6), 11th (6d6), and 17th (8d6) levels.

***Superior Ninja Tools.*** The radius of the sphere increases to be 30 feet.

#### Flash Powder
**Tool.** When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can forgo one of your attacks to throw a bomb filled with flash powder at a creature you can see, treating it as a ranged weapon attack you are proficient in with a range of 20/60 feet. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 fire damage, and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn.
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***Trap.*** The flash powder trap takes one action to set up, and takes up a single 5-foot space within 5 feet of yourself. When a creature steps on the trap, it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of your next turn.

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#### Makabishi
**Tool and Trap.** As an action, you can throw down spikes in a 10-foot square within 5 feet of yourself. That square becomes difficult terrain, and for every 5 feet a creature moves in the square, it takes 1d4 piercing damage. This tool can deal this damage a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, after which point it is nullified.

***Superior Ninja Tools.*** The square's radius increases to be 20 feet, and the piercing damage increases to be 1d8.
#### Ninja Thread
**Tool.** As an action, you can throw one end of this thread towards a creature you can see, treating it as a ranged weapon attack you are proficient in with a range of 20/60 feet. On a hit, if the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained.

The creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The effect also ends early if you do not hold the thread in at least one of your hands, or if you move further than 60 feet away from the creature.
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***Trap.*** The ninja thread trap takes one action to set up, and takes up a single 5-foot space within 5 feet of yourself. When a creature steps on the trap, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained until the end of your next turn.

***Superior Ninja Tools.*** The range of the ranged weapon attack, and the distance you can be from a creature you have restrained before the thread's effect is nullified, are doubled.

#### Smoke Pellets
**Tool.** As an action, you can throw a pellet of smoke at a point within 10 feet of yourself. Smoke clouds the area within 20 feet of the pellet until the end of your next turn, heavily obscuring everything in the area. You ignore the effects of the obscuring area.
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***Trap.*** The smoke pellet trap takes one action to set up, and takes up a single 5-foot space within 5 feet of yourself. When a creature steps on the trap smoke immediately covers the area within 20 feet of the trap with smoke until the end of your next turn, heavily obscuring everything in the area. You ignore the effects of the obscuring area.

***Superior Ninja Tools.*** The range of the smoke cloud's obscuring is doubled.

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## Shinobi Arts
Ninjas have many differing methods and teachings on the ways of ninjutsu, from using their powers to aid them in stealth and the ways of darkness, to creating powerful drugs and tinctures, or even creating magical effects from scrolls.

### Art of Shadow
You become privy to the unique arts that allow you to manipulate the shadows themselves to do your bidding. The darkness follows you wherever you go, and works in tandem with you to accomplish your goals, whatever they might be.

#### Shadow Slash
When you choose this art, at 3rd level, you embrace the will of darkness, allowing shadows to dance around your weapons. Once per turn, when you deal damage to a creature with a weapon attack or ninja tool while in dim light or darkness, you can deal an additional 1d6 psychic damage to the creature.

This bonus increases to 2d6 at 7th level, 3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 18th level.

#### Living Shadow
Starting at 7th level, you have learned how to manipulate the shadows themselves to do your bidding. As a bonus action, you can expend one of your ninja tool uses to have your shadow mimic your movements and your attacks, for the next minute. When you deal damage to a creature with a melee weapon attack, you deal an additional die of damage as psychic damage to the target.

Your shadow can be destroyed to end this effect early. The shadow can be targeted by attacks, and has an AC equal to 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Intelligence modifier. If a creature attacks your shadow and hits, then the shadow is dispelled.

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#### Shroud of Darkness
Beginning at 11th level, you can protect yourself using a veil of darkness. While you are in dim light, you benefit from 1/2 cover, and while you are in darkness, you benefit from 3/4 cover.

#### Death Mark
By 18th level, you have learned the ultimate technique of the Art of Shadow.

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may choose to mark them for death, for the next minute. Every time you hit the creature with a weapon attack for the minute, the creature gains one stack. At any time before the duration ends, you can use your reaction to force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. When the duration ends, the creature must make this saving throw without you using your reaction to do so.

On a failed saving throw, the creature takes 1d10 psychic damage for every stack it has, taking half of the psychic damage on a successful saving throw.

After using this feature, you must take a long rest before doing so, again.

### Art of the Brewmaster
You become knowledgeable in the creation of unique pills and toxins. You become a wielder of herbs and brews that take your abilities to inhuman levels, becoming a paragon of consumed power.

#### Brewing
When you choose this art, at 3rd level, you learn how to brew powerful pills and potent toxins. You know one pill and one toxin of your choice, and learn an additional pill and toxin at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. Also, when you gain a level in this class, you can replace one pill or toxin you know with another one you could learn at that level. You cannot replace a pill with a toxin, or a toxin with a pill.

When you use a pill or toxin, you expend one of your ninja tool uses to do so, and if one of your pills or toxins uses a saving throw, the DC is your ninja tool DC.

Also, you gain proficiency with brewer's supplies and poisoner's kits.

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#### Brewmaster's Botany
Beginning at 7th level, your study of natural poisons and drugs grants you proficiency in Nature and Survival. Also, whenever you make an Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check to forage--either for food or for supplies for more toxins or pills--you can double your proficiency bonus for that check.

#### Improved Brewing
By 11th level, your brewing has become far more potent. Your toxins ignore resistance to damage, and you can take two pills at once without suffering a level of exhaustion, however taking three or more pills will grant you a level of exhaustion for each additional pill, as per normal.

#### Perfect Poison
At 18th level, you have learned the ultimate technique of the Art of the Brewmaster. Whenever you brew one of your toxins, you can choose for the toxin to become a perfect poison, and change the effects of the toxin to be the following:

***Injection.*** This toxin is blood stream based. As a bonus action, you can apply this poison to one melee weapon or piece of ammunition. When you hit a creature with this toxin, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, taking 10d10 damage on a failed saving throw, or half the damage on a successful save. If the creature fails the saving throw while having 100 hit points or fewer, they immediately die. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw while having 50 hit points or fewer, they immediately are reduced to 0 hit points.

***Ingestion.*** This toxin is digestion based. When a creature ingests this toxin they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or immediately fall comatose. At the beginning of each dawn for the next three days they must make the saving throw again, ending the effect on a success. If the creature fails this saving throw three times, the creature dies.

After using this feature, you must take a long rest before doing so, again.

#### Pills
The pills you can brew are listed in alphabetical order. Only you can take a pill, and if you take more than one pill at the same time, you suffer a level of exhaustion, though you still keep the effects of the pills.
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***Climbing.*** You gain the benefits of the *spider climb* spell.
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***Dragonbreath.*** You gain the benefits of the *dragon's breath* spell.
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***Escape.*** You gain the benefits of the *expeditious retreat* spell.
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***Leaping.*** You gain the benefits of the *jump* spell.
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***Swiftness.*** You gain the benefits of the *longstrider* spell.
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***Transformation.*** You gain the benefits of the *alter self* spell.

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#### Toxins
The toxins you can brew are listed in alphabetical order.

A single weapon, piece of ammunition, or consumable item cannot have more than one toxin applied to it at once. You can apply a toxin to a weapon or piece of ammunition as a bonus action, or place it in a piece of food or drink as an action, and it remains potent for the next minute. The first time you hit a creature with that weapon or piece of ammunition, or the first time a creature eats or drinks the poisoned food or drink, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or suffer the effects of the toxin for the next minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
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***Blood Tiger Bloom.*** At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes 1d6 necrotic damage. This improves by 1d6 at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. Additionally, the creature cannot regain hit points for the duration.
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***Death Adder Venom.*** At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes 1d6 poison damage. This improves by 1d6 at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. Additionally, the creature is poisoned for the duration.
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***Gigong Root.*** At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes 1d6 acid damage. This improves by 1d6 at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. Additionally, the creature is affected by the *bane* spell for the duration.
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***Godseer Mushroom.*** At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes 1d6 psychic damage. This improves by 1d6 at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. Additionally, the creature can only take an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both, for the duration.
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***Icelily.*** At the start of each of the creature's turns, it takes 1d6 cold damage. This improves by 1d6 at 7th, 11th, and 18th levels. Additionally, the creature's speed is halved for the duration.

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### Art of the Swordmaster
You become a master of the use of sealing scrolls. You create a storm of blades on the battlefield that can turn the tides in an instant, and you control it with vicious efficiency.

#### Field of Blades
When you choose this art, at 3rd level, you can conjure forth a magical field of blades around yourself, using sealed weapon scrolls. As a bonus action, you can activate a sealed weapon scroll to summon a field of blades around you, for the next minute.

While you have a field of blades activated, you gain a new resource, known as momentum points. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack or a ninja tool, you gain 1 momentum point. For each momentum point you have, your movement speed increases by 5 feet, and you can have a maximum amount of momentum points equal to your proficiency bonus.

When you hit a creature with a weapon attack while you have momentum points, you can expend any number of them to deal an additional 1d4 damage per momentum point you expend.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (a minimum of once), and regain all expended uses after a long rest.

#### Blade Juggling
At 7th level, you have learned the technique known as blade juggling. When you have your field of blades activated, you can use your action to begin blade juggling, until the end of your current turn. While blade juggling, you can make one melee weapon attack on any creature within 5 feet of yourself as part of your movement by expending 10 feet of your speed, and you can only attack the same creature once per turn when blade juggling.

#### Improved Blade Juggling
Starting at 11th level, you can juggle blades even more efficiently. You only expend 5 feet of your speed when you make an attack while blade juggling, and once per turn, you can attack a creature twice instead of once when you attack it through blade juggling.

#### Storm of Blades
By 18th level, you have learned the ultimate technique of the Art of the Swordmaster. While you have a field of blades activated, you may use your action to end the field early, sending all of the blades flying towards any number of creatures of your choice within 30 feet of yourself. Each creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, or take 8d10 slashing damage and be knocked prone, taking half the amount of damage without being knocked prone on a successful saving throw.

After using this feature, you must take a short or long rest before doing so, again.

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## Credits
Made using [GMBinder](https://www.gmbinder.com/)

Mechanics by [/u/Dingo_Chungis](https://www.reddit.com/user/Dingo_Chungis), aka [Blackbando](https://blackbando.wordpress.com/).

Additional mechanics and main theorycrafting by [/u/Emperorsnek](https://www.reddit.com/user/Emperorsnek).

All art by [Aleksey Bayura](https://www.artstation.com/aleksey_bayura).