Legendary Ninjutsu:
Legendary Ninjutsu is composed of nine schools (ryuha) of Ninjutsu. These ryuha are the Takagin Yoshin Ryu, Togakure Ryu, Gyokushin Ryu, Gikan Ryu, Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu, Kukishinen Ryu, Kumogakure Ryu, and the Shinden Fudo Ryu. Six are specialized in the combat techniques of Taijutsu. Three are Ninjutsu schools, specializing espionage, sabotage, strategy, intelligence gathering and other related areas of spying. Training focuses on weapon techniques and unarmed combat, philosophy, strategy & tactics and spying. The main areas of teaching are the Bugei Juhappan(18 warrior's arts).
Bugei Juhappan
1. Bajutsu: Horsemanship
2. Bo Ryaku: Strategies
3. Bojutsu: Staff fighting
4. Chimon: Geography
5. Choho: Espionage
6. Hensojutsu: Disguise
7. Intonjutsu: Hiding
8. Kayakujutsu: Gunpowder
9. Kenjutsu: Swordsmanship
10. Kusarigama: Sickle and chain
11. Naginata: Halberd
12. Seishin Teki Kyoyo: Spiritual refinement
13. Shinobi Iri: Infiltration
14. Shurikenjutsu: Blade throwing
15. Suiren: Swimming
16. Taijutsu: Unarmed Combat
17. Tenmon: Meteorology
18. Yari Spear
Entrance Requirements: Limited to those of Honorable Alignments. Minimum Attributes include I.Q.: 9, P.P.: 10, P.S.: 10 and P.E.: 8, and Speed: 8.
Skill Cost: 18 years.
Costume: Black, White, or Camouflage Shinobi Shozoku: The ninja outfit consists of jacket, hakama (loose pants), hand gauntlets, sandals, tabi socks, double belt, leg ties, separate leg and arm pieces, and quilted groin and body protector. Numerous pockets are designed for concealing shuriken and other Ninja items. Also comes with a two-part hood. All of the clothing is relatively loose, with ties around the waist, wrists and ankles. (For just the clothing, A.R.: 8 and S.D.C: 15) For fighting operations on the battlefield there were chain mail jackets and leggings. Chain mail guards for the wrists, hands and neck along with a metal chin guard completed the armor. Armor triples the price of the outfit. (For chain mail armor additions, A.R. 13 and S.D.C. 59) The clothing is traditionally died one of several colors, depending on the environment in which the shinobi is working: the default color is off-black for night and utter blackness, brown for fields and forests, gray for stone and urban settings, and white for snow. True black is not available, the closest being a nearly black, dark red or dark indigo, dark brown or rust colored, due to the available dyes. For more theatrically inclined ninja, the following colors are available; blue for ninja which clumsy, incapable, or poor, red and/or orange for villainous ninja (especially ninja assassins), grey for neutral ninja, white for good ninja and evil ninja attempting to mend their ways, and no color or shinobi shozoku at all for powerful ninja. Reversible forms of shinobi shozoku may be made (or bought), with a second color or even a complete set of faux garb that can be used as a disguise (such as common bonge garb, priest’s garb, etc.) when the garb is turned inside out. A second color on the reverse of the garb adds +50% to the listed cost; having a set of faux garb on the reverse doubles the cost of the shinobi shozoku.
Stance: Low, wide legged, side stance, with most of the body centered over the back leg, forward leg resting lightly on the ball of the foot. Forward hand is held out and open, the rear hand is pulled back and out at waist level.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add +3 to P.S.
Add +4 to P.P.
Add +1 to P.E.
Add +10 to Chi
COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 4
Escape Moves: Back Flip, Leap, Air Roll, Break fall, Handspring, Maintain Balance, Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
Attack Moves: Cartwheel, Handstand, Leap.
Basic Defensive Moves: Automatic Parry, Dodge, Parry.
Advanced Defenses: Combination Parry/Attack, Combination Dodge/Strike, Multiple Dodge, And Automatic Dodge.
Hand Attacks: Backhand, Knife Hand, Palm Strike, Punch.
Basic Foot Attacks: Shin Kick, Kick Attack, Snap Kick, Trip/Leg Hook.
Jumping Foot Attacks: None.
Special Attacks: Choke, Combination Grab/Kick, Death Strike, Elbow, Hip Throw, Knee, Roll/Knockdown, and Shoulder Throw, Sweeping Throw, Choke, Death Blow, Death Strike, Hip Throw, and Shuriken Stab.
Holds/Locks: Arm Hold, Elbow Lock, Neck Hold, Finger Lock, Wrist Lock.
Weapon Kata: W.P. Bisento (Pole arm), W.P. Black Powder (or Matchlock), W.P. Hanbo (Blunt), W.P. Jo (Staff), W.P. Jutte (Forked), W.P. Katana (Large Sword), W.P. Kodachi (Short Sword), W.P. Kusari Fundo (Chain), W.P. Kusarigama (Axe & Chain), W.P. Kyoketsu Shoge (Knife & Chain), W.P. Naginata (Pole arm), W.P. Ninja to (Short Sword), W.P. Rokushaku Bo (Staff), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tanto (Knife), W.P. Tessen (Fan), W.P. Yari (Spear).
Modifiers to Attack: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind, Knockout/Stun, Knockout/Stun from Behind, Pull Punch, Deathblow, Deathblow from Behind.
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING:
Martial Arts Powers: Select a total of SIX (6) Martial Art Powers each from among Arts of Invisibility, Body Hardening, Martial Art Techniques, Atemi (including Advanced), and Special Kata(including Chi Katas). If desired, any number of Martial Art Powers can be traded, on a one-for-one basis, for Basic Skill Programs (excluding Physical).
Language: Japanese
Other Skills: Prowl, Climbing, Ninja Psychological Warfare, Acrobatics, Gymnastics, Athletics, Camouflage, Demolitions, Escape Artist, Use Ninja Tools, Wilderness Survival, Swimming: Advanced,.
Weapon Proficiencies: W.P. Bokuto (Blunt), W.P. Chikuto (Blunt), W.P. Hanbo (Blunt), W.P. Kusari Fundo (Chain), W.P. Ninja-To (Short Sword), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tanto (Knife),W.P. Axe, W.P. Black Powder (or Arquebus & Matchlock), W.P. Blunt, W.P. Bow, W.P. Chain, W.P. Fan, W.P. Forked, W.P. Knife, W.P. Large Sword, W.P. Mouth Weapons, W.P. Net, W.P. Pole arm, W.P. Short Sword, W.P. (Demon) Snare, W.P. Spear, W.P. Staff, and W.P. Thrown.
Philosophical Training: Ryobu Shinto, Ninja Code of Honor: The ninja code of honor stresses four areas, motivation towards the mission, loyalty to the clan and ryu, improvisation through awareness, and disguising one's true nature. Motivation to the mission is stressed by accepting missions only from the ninja's chunin, considering the enemies of the employer as one's own enemies, never refusing or questioning a mission, failure not being an option in the mission, putting the mission before oneself, killing in a mission when necessary and avoiding killing when not necessary, escaping when captured, killing one's self when escape is impossible, resisting when suicide is impossible, and taking the life of a comrade rather than allowing them to be captured. Loyalty to the clan and ryu is achieved by never betraying the clan, putting the clan before oneself, not striking another member of the ryu, aiding a genin of the ryu, and not ever leaving the ryu, even to the point of killing ninja who do leave the ryu. Improvising through awareness is achieved by always observing other people and knowing one’s surroundings with the thought that one is always being observed and being mentally and physically alerts enough to make use of anything at hand. Disguising one's true nature is accomplished through maintaining disguises, never revealing one's true self, speaking in circumlocutions and obfuscation while in public, using code words and metaphors which jeopardize neither one’s self nor the mission. Due to the unique requirements of the ninja code of honor, the character does not have to have an alignment with a discipline of honor.
Shugendo: The first Japanese mountain ascetics, Shugyosha or Hijiri, were thought to attain great power by meditating and performing austerities on mountain peaks. The best known of these was En-no-Gyoja (En the practitioner or ascetic) also known as En-no-Ozuno or En-no-Ubasoku (En the laic). He is an ascetic who primarily wandered the mountains in Yoshino and Kumano south of Kyoto and Nara. Enno is credited with converting many mountains from Shinto to Buddhism and the founding of Shugendo (Shu=search, ken=powers, do=way; therefore Shugendo would be the "way of supernatural powers"). By practicing ascetic rituals they empowered themselves with Holy and mystical powers to use for the benefit of the community. The maintain these holy powers, Yamabushi often had to perform these rituals with frequent regularity often doing things like chanting the Lotus sutra hundreds of times in a day. they made regular pilgrimages to holy mountains once a season-often in difficult to reach places. When the esoteric Buddhist schools (Tendai and Shingon) came to the mountains of Japan, they brought with them the idea of military prowess. The Yamabushi embraced this idea and begin to train themselves in the martial ways. Stories often circulated of Yamabushi performing extraordinary feats such as walking across burning fires and climbing up ladders of swords as well cutting stones in half by prayer alone or jumping great distances.
.
If this is your Primary Martial Art Style then the following other styles can be learned in a shorter time: Araki Ryu Kusarijutsu (3 Years), Asayama Ichiden Ryu (3 Years), Enmei Ryu (3 Years), Fudo Ryu (4 Years), Fukushima Ryu (4 Years), Fuma Ryu (5 Years), Ganritsu Ryu (2 Years), Gyokko Ryu (6 Years), Hakko Denshin Ryu (4 Years), Kashima Shin Ryu (3 Years), Kogusoku (3 Years), Kukishinden Ryu (8 Years), Masaki Ryu Kusarijutsu (4 Years), Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-Ryu (4 Years), Gyokko Ryu (6 Years), Gyokushin Ryu (7 Years), Koto Ryu (5 Years), Kukishinden Ryu (8 Years), Kumogakure Ryu (6 Years), Shinden Fudo Ryu (7 Years), Takagin Yoshin Ryu (5 Years), Togakure Ryu (7 Years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES:
1st: +3 to Strike, +1 to Initiative, +1 to Maintain Balance, +1 to Dodge, Knockout/Stun on a Natural 20, Critical Strike from Behind.
2nd: +3 to Parry, +1 to Parry/Strike, +1 to Dodge, +1 to Roll/Knockdown, Death Strike on a Natural 20.
3rd: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Initiative, +2 to Strike, Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Body Hardening, Martial Art Techniques, or Special Kata.
4th: +2 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +2 to Maintain Balance, +2 to Break fall, +2 to Leap, +2 to Handspring, +2 to Air Roll, +1 to Strike, +2 to Damage.
5th: +1 to Strike with Ninja-To, Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques, Critical Strike on a Natural 18 thru 20.
6th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +2 Attack per Melee, +1 to Leap.
7th: +2 to Break fall, Critical Strike on a Natural 17 thru 20.Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Body Hardening, Martial Art Techniques, or Special Kata.
8th: +2 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Handspring, +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Roll/Knockdown.
9th: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Parry/Strike, Death Strike on a Natural 19 or 20.
10th: +1 Attack per Melee, +2 to Parry, Knockout/Stun on a Natural 19, Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques..
11th: +1 to Leap, +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Body Hardening, Martial Art Techniques, or Special Kata.
12th: +1 to Hand Spring, +1 to Parry, +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Roll/Knockdown.
13th: +2 to Attack per Melee, , +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, Death Blow (Can be used whenever desired (i.e. No Natural Number required), however, character must announce intentions to use the Attack per Melee, costs two melee attacks).
14th: +2 to Dodge, +1 to Air Roll, Select One (1) Zenjorke, Knockout/Stun on a Natural 19 or 20.
15th: +1 to Initiative, +1 to Leap, gains W.P. Paired-Ninja-To.Select One (1) Zenjorike.
WHY STUDY Legendary Ninjutsu?
Classical Ninjutsu at its best, this form of Ninjutsu emphasizes stealth and cunning thought, embodies the spirit of the legendary shadow warriors of Japan, perfect for espionage agents. Decent mystic abilities and fairly strong attacks with good escape moves round out this martial art.