Ninja

Overview & Creation

The ninja is a hybrid between the monk and rogue classes.

Class Features

Sneak Attack

Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a ninja weapon.

You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The amount of damage increases by 1d6 at 3rd level and every three levels after that as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Ninja table.

Lethal Strikes

At 1st level, your practice of martial arts gives you mastery of combat styles that use ninja weapons, which are longswords, shortswords and any simple melee weapons that don’t have the two-handed or heavy property.

While wielding a ninja weapon in one hand or two ninja weapons, one in each hand, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength for attack and damage rolls. Additionally, you can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your ninja weapon. This die changes as you gain ninja levels, as shown in the Lethal Strikes column of the Ninja table.

Chakra

Starting at 2nd level, your training allows you to harness the mystic energy of chakra. Your access to this energy is represented by a number of chakra points. The number of chakra points you have is equal to your ninja level.

You can spend these points to fuel various chakra features. You start knowing three such features: Blade Rain, Patient Defense, and Slip into Shadow. You learn more chakra features as you gain levels in this class.

When you spend a chakra point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you draw all of your expended chakra back into yourself. You must spend at least 30 minutes of the rest meditating to regain your chakra points.

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:

Blade Rain. When you take the Attack action on your turn and make an attack with a ninja weapon, you can spend 1 chakra point to make two attacks with a ninja weapon that has the light property as a bonus action.

Patient Defense. You can spend 1 chakra point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

Slip into Shadow. You can spend 1 chakra point to take the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. When you take the Hide action in this way, you have advantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) check.

Swift Steps

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 5 feet while you are not wearing medium or heavy armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain ninja levels, as shown in the Ninja table. Additionally, you can use your bonus action on your turn to take the Dash or Disengage action.

At 5th level, whenever you take the Dash action you can spend 1 chakra point to ignore difficult terrain and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.

At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.

Shinobi Style

When you reach 3rd level, you commit yourself to a ninja style from the following options: Crow Style, Shadow Style, or Spirit Style. The options are detailed at the end of the class description. Your style grants you features at 3rd level and again at 6th, 13th, and 17th level.

Gentle Footfalls

Starting at 3rd level, you no longer leave footprints when walking. In addition, your steps do not trigger traps and you do not need to make checks or saving throws to avoid falling on slippery surfaces.

At 9th level, you can walk across hazardous surfaces such as spikes or magma without taking damage. If you end your move on the hazardous surface, you take damage as normal.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 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.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

Slow Fall

Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your ninja level.

Extra Attack

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

Strike Nerve

Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of chakra in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 chakra point to attempt to strike a nerve. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Evasion

Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ancient 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.

Still Spirit

Starting at 10th level, as long as you have at least 1 chakra point you are immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.

Reliable Talent

By 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Heighten Senses

At 14th level, you can spend 2 chakra points to gain blindsight with a range of 20 feet for 1 minute. You cannot use this blindsight if you are deafened.

Empty Presence

Beginning at 15th level, you can use your action to spend 4 chakra points to become invisible for 1 minute.

Elusive

Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren’t incapacitated.

Centered Spirit

At 20th level, whenever you roll for initiative you regain 1 chakra point. Additionally, whenever you hit a creature with an attack that deals sneak attack damage, you can spend up to 5 chakra points to deal an additional 1d6 damage per chakra point spent.

Starting Equipment

• (a) a longsword or (b) a shortsword or (c) any simple weapon
• (a) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a shortsword
• (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• Leather armor, 10 darts, and a poisoner's kit

Subclass Options

Crow Style

Ninjas who practice Crow Style are skilled in maneuvering through the shadows and the battlefield.

Find Perch

At 3rd level, when you choose this style you gain a climbing speed equal to your base walking speed. Additionally, you can make out fine details including writing from up to 60 feet away.

Soar on Shadowed Wings

At 6th level, whenever you fall you fall at a rate of 100 feet per round and may move horizontally 5 feet for every 10 feet that you fall. When you reduce falling damage using Slow Fall, you can spend 1 chakra point to reduce the damage further by an amount equal to your Dexterity score.

Bad Omen

At 13th level, your very presence draws forth feelings of dread in your targets. You can spend 3 chakra points to cast the hex spell at 1st level. In addition to its normal effects, you are always treated as having advantage against the target of your hex for the purposes of your sneak attack. If you reduce the target of your hex to 0 hit points, you regain 1 chakra point and can choose another creature to be affected by your hex.

Gift of Shadowed Wings

At 17th level, you gain the ability to sprout a pair of shadowy wings from your back. As a bonus action, you can grow wings that grant a 60 foot flying speed. The wings last until you dismiss them as a bonus action.