Life of a Shinobi

Shinobi, also known as ninja, are found throughout the large region of Nippou. In the not-so-distant past, the land was in the midst of the Warring States Period, a time when smaller states were constantly battling each other for land and power. To fight these battles, countries hired one or more clans of mercenary shinobi to represent their interests, with the shinobi's loyalties ultimately going to the highest bidder. The constant warfare led to constant death, shortening a shinobi's average lifespan to only thirty years.

That all changed, however, when 2 powerful shinobi clans made peace with one another. Together they made a pact with a nearby country and established a shinobi village within its borders. Other shinobi clans quickly banded together and created their own villages in response. This created a system of several large, powerful nations that each housed their own powerful shinobi villages. However, peace was only temporary, as these villages and nations quickly went to war with one another, on a scale that had never before been seen.

Chakra

Chakra is essential to even the most basic shinobi technique. Through various methods chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water or exhaling fire.

Chakra circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", a system akin to the cardiovascular system. Those known as Shinobi have learned to release it outside their bodies to perform Jutsu.

Chakra is created when one molds their physical and spiritual energy together. Physical energy is collected from the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience.

At any given time, a shinobi will have a "maximum" amount of chakra that they can use before it runs out and they need to rest to replenish it. With training this maximum can be increased, but knowing when and where to use chakra is key to any shinobi strategy.

Hand seals are used to execute even the most basic jutsu, as they allow a shinobi to manipulate the chakra inside them. Chakra can also be used to augment a shinobi's physical abilities, most often by sending chakra into key parts of the body, usually the hands or feet. Certain shinobi are able to rely on this skill to improve natural endurance, raise their awareness, and gain superhuman agility.

Creating a Shinobi

Think about how you became a shinobi. Were you taught in a shinobi academy inside a Hidden Village? Or raised by your clan during the Warring States Period? Did you family flee Nippou and raise you in a foreign land, teaching you how to use your abilities?

Additionally, why are you where you are today? Did you escape the country looking for a better life, or were you exiled for breaking the law? Did you undertake a secret mission in a far-off land?

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per shinobi level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per Shinobi level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons and Short Swords
Tools: Choose two from Poisoner’s Kit, Thieves' Tools, Herbalism Kit, Forgery Kit, Disguise Kit
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth

Equipment

You start with the following items, plus anything provided by your background.

• (a) 10 kunai (dagger) or (b) 1 simple Melee Weapon
• (a) 5 kunai or (b) 20 shuriken (darts)
• Leather Armor and Tools you are proficient in
• 5 smoke bombs (smoke grenades) and 2 scrolls

Martial Arts

Your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use unarmed strikes and Shinobi Weapons, which are weapons you are proficient in. When unarmed or using shinobi weapons, you can use dexterity for your attack rolls and damage. You can roll a d4 in place of your unarmed strike or shinobi weapon. This die changes as you gain shinobi levels, as shown in the Martial Arts column of the Shinobi table.

When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike or a shinobi weapon on Your Turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a Bonus Action. For example, if you take the Attack action and Attack with a kunai, you can also make an unarmed strike as a Bonus Action, assuming you haven't already taken a Bonus Action this turn.

Jutsu

You can spend these points to fuel various chakra features and Jutsu. As you gain levels, you gain access to Jutsu of higher magnitude. They are split into 2 different types, the Jutsu List for basic techniques, and the Jutsu Pathway for secret techniques. Each Jutsu uses up a precise amount of Chakra, which can be found in the Jutsu description. The jutsu you know are always prepared.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your shinobi Jutsu, since their power derives from your precise chakra control. You use your Intelligence whenever a jutsu refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a shinobi jutsu you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Some of your chakra features require your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

Jutsu save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.

Jutsu Attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spellcasting Focus

You need no focus to cast jutsu, but both of your hands must be free in order to weave hand seals.

Running out of Chakra

A shinobi with 0 chakra can still fight, although they cannot use skills that require chakra. At great risk, you can cast a jutsu that uses up more chakra than you currently have, but at the end of your turn you drop to 0 Hit Points and you immediately make a death saving throw. If the amount of chakra you have goes below 0, the DC of the death saving throws are increased by that amount. If you regain hit points, they immediately are used to bring your chakra back to 0 instead of increasing your hit points.

Rank D (Level 2)

Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu

You gain the ability to cast conjure barrage at the cost of 5 chakra points.

Summoning Technique

You gain the ability to cast conjure animals at the cost of 5 chakra points. Additionally, when you upcast this jutsu, the challenge rating of the 1 beast option of the spell increases by 1 for every spell level above 3rd.

Clone Technique

You gain the ability to cast the spell Mirror Image at the cost of 3 chakra points.

Substitution Jutsu

When an attacker that you can see hits you with a melee Attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you at the cost of 2 chakra points.

Body Flicker Jutsu

When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to spend 2 chakra points to instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Expansion Jutsu

You gain the ability to cast Enlarge/Reduce at the cost of 3 chakra points.

Shadow Clone Jutsu

You gain the ability to summon up to 3 shadow clones of yourself, at the cost of 3 chakra points per clone. They are equipped with only 1 kunai, and can take the Attack, Help, and Search actions. The clones do not have bonus actions, reactions, any items you have, and do not benefit from any other shinobi abilities such as extra attack, with the exception of your Ninja Agility ability. They have hit points equal to your constitution modifier (minimum of 1). These clones disappear after 10 minutes. If a clone is destroyed, you gain access to any information gained by that shadow clone.

Kamui

You gain the ability to cast, at the cost of 6 chakra points, both dimension door and banishment.

Shadow Strangle Jutsu

You gain the ability to cast Black Tentacles at the cost of 6 chakra points.

Flying Thunder God

You gain the ability to cast Steel Wind Strike at the cost of 7 chakra points.

Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence

You gain the ability to cast Wrath of Nature at the cost of 7 chakra points.

Sealing Technique

By spending 11 chakra points, you can cast Power Word Stun. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is stunned. Otherwise, the jutsu has no effect. The stunned target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this stunning effect ends.

Genjutsu

Those proficient in the Genjutsu arts are skilled in supporting other shinobi. They cast their jutsu in creative ways, catching their enemies in complex illusions or sensing the chakra of others.

Taijutsu

Those proficient in Taijutsu take martial arts to its limit. They are extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat, able to overwhelm their opponents with either their incredible speed and strength, or with chakra enhanced blows.

You can only choose one of the following paths

Rasenshuriken

4th level Conjuration
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You create a massive whirling chakra shuriken and fling it at one creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 8d6 magical slashing damage. Hit or miss, the Rasenshuriken then explodes. The target and each creature within 20 feet of the point where the Rasenshuriken exploded must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 magical piercing damage.

When upcasted, the magical piercing damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.

Discharging Smite

1st level Evocation
Casting time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (A weapon or your hand)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

The next time you hit a creature with a weapon attack or unarmed strike before this spell ends, the attack becomes charged with intense blue lightning. The attack deals an extra 2d6 lightning damage to the target and it can't take reactions until the start of its next turn.

When upcasted, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Lightning Blade

2nd level Evocation
Casting time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You evoke a blue blade made of lightning in your hand. The blade is similar in size and shape to a scimitar, and it lasts for the duration. If you let go of the blade, it disappears, but you can evoke the blade again as a bonus action. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the blade. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 lightning damage. The electrical blade sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet.

When upcasted, the damage increases by 1d6 for every two slot levels above 2nd.

Tenketsu Strike

When you hit another creature with an unarmed attack, you can spend 2 chakra points to attempt to strike their chakra points. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

8 Trigrams: 64 palms

When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 6 chakra points to destabilize their entire chakra network. Within 1 minute you can use your action to force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage. You can have only one creature under the effect of this feature at a time.

Leaf Whirlwind

Once per turn, when you hit an opponent with an unarmed strike, you can spend 1 chakra point to impose one of the following effects:

1. It must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.
2. It must make a Strength saving throw. If it fails, you can push it up to 15 feet away from you.
3. It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn.

Inner Whirlwind

While not blinded, deafened, or incapacitated, you gain advantage on initiative rolls and Dexterity saving throws against effects that you can see, such as traps and spells.

Water Shark Bullet

3rd level Evocation
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You conjure up a massive shark that crashes down on an area within range. The area can be up to 30 feet long, up to 10 feet wide, and up to 10 feet tall. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone. The water then spreads out across the ground in all directions, extinguishing unprotected flames in its area and within 30 feet of it, and then it vanishes.

When upcasted, the damage increases by 1d8 for every slot level above 3rd.

Water Dragon Missile

7th level Evocation
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

A gargantuan water dragon appears above you and crashes down upon a location you choose within range. The area of the attack consists of up to ten 10-foot cubes, which you can arrange as you wish. Each cube must have at least one face adjacent to the face of another cube. Each creature in the area must make Dexterity saving throw. It takes 7d10 magical bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Jinchuriki

At level 20+, you become allies with the tailed beast within yourself, giving yourself access to its chakra. Double your base chakra amount, and you passively heal 5 hit points per round. Additionally, you can spend a bonus action to cloak yourself in the tailed beast’s chakra at a cost of 10 chakra points per round. Until you run out of chakra or use a bonus action to cancel the cloak, you gain access to the following features: your AC raises by 5, your martial arts die doubles, your speed and jumping distance double, and you can enter sage mode with 1 round of meditation, which lasts until the tailed beast cloak is no longer active.