Eblanese Ninja
In a time long forgotten, the first ninjas had come into being, starting out as clans and schools of spies and assassins, utilizing sneakiness and their ki to slay their foes. One of these clans, rather than using the craven tactics and discipline of their rivals, chose a more open sort of fighting, unafraid to look their enemies in the eye while they tapped into the chaotic, untamed energy of their souls to drive their swords through their opponent’s gullet. This clan, known as Clan Eblan, soon became a kingdom, their warrior-princes and princesses the stuff of legends.
The Eblanese ninja is an archetype of the ninja class.
Class Skills: The Eblanese ninja gains Spellcraft (Int) as a class skill.
This changes the class skills of the ninja.
Limit Break (Su): At 1st level, the Eblanese ninja receives a limit break.
He Had Ten Thousand Men (Su): This Limit Break spawns a myriad of ghostly doppelgangers of the Eblanese ninja, each of them just as deadly as the one they mimic. The Eblanese ninja may use a full-round action to create one spectre of himself for each point of Wisdom modifier he has (minimum 1). He and the spectres can then engage any enemy within 30 feet + 5 feet for every four levels past 1st of him, immediately moving within range without provoking any attacks of opportunity. Each spectre is given two choices: to either make a full attack upon one enemy, or to initiate a swordskill, as well as a talent that requires no more than a swift action (the talent is optional). The swordskill and talent used are determined once by the Eblanese ninja; he picks a swordskill and a talent, and all of the spectres who would use a swordskill and talent instead of making a full attack use them as well, each of them rolling damage and such individually. The swordskill is then expended for the rest of the encounter, and cannot be recovered until the encounter is over.
This replaces the Missile Barrage limit break.
Swordplay (Su): Though sword saints may claim to be the first to have mastered such abilities, weaponizing the spirit inside themselves and their swords is no longer a jealously-kept secret. An Eblanese ninja takes part in the utilization of swordskills, learning swordskills and readying them as indicated on the table below:
![[Image: oGzBXIK.png?1]](https://i.imgur.com/oGzBXIK.png?1)
The sword is a material focus for all swordskills, though it doesn’t need to be crafted by the Eblanese ninja. The Eblanese ninja can use any swordskill he knows at will, provided he is wielding a sword. As long as he is wielding a sword he forged himself, increase the DCs of all his swordskills by 1.
The three forms of swordskills, in order of their relative power, are basic, advance, and master. An Eblanese ninja begins with knowledge of three swordskills, which must be of the basic form. As an Eblanese ninja gains levels, he can learn new swordskills. At 6th level, an Eblanese ninja can learn advance forms, and at 12th level, he can learn master forms.
An Eblanese ninja’s swordskills are supernatural abilities; using a swordskill is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If a target makes a successful Reflex save against a swordskill, they only take half damage from the swordskill, and all of the swordskill’s other effects are negated. The save DC for a basic form is 10 + ½ the Eblanese ninja’s level + his Wisdom modifier, the save DC for an advanced form is 12 + ½ the Eblanese ninja’s level + his Wisdom modifier, and the save DC for a master form is 14 + ½ the Eblanese ninja’s level + his Wisdom modifier.
An Eblanese ninja can ready his starting swordskills, but as he advances in level and learns more swordskills, he must choose which swordskills to ready. He readies his swordskills by practicing meditating for 10 minutes. Eblanese ninjas do not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready their swordskills; anytime he spends 10 minutes meditating, he can change his readied swordskills. He may not ready any individual swordskill more than once. He begins an encounter with all readied swordskills unexpended, regardless of how many times he may have already used them since he chose them. When an Eblanese ninja initiates a swordskill, he expends it for the current encounter, so each of his readied swordskills can be used once per encounter (until they are recovered, see below).
For an Eblanese ninja to recover swordskills, he must either expend one point of animus as a standard action, or do so as a full-round action. Spending the point of animus as a full-round action grants him a deflection bonus to his AC equal to his Wisdom modifier for one round, and surrounds him in a cloak of energy of the same element he is attuned to for one round; any enemies that make an attack against him or are adjacent to him while the aura is in place take 1d6 + Wisdom modifier damage of his current element. The damage dice increase to 2d6 at 8th level, and 3d6 at 16th level. Doing either of these recovers a number of swordskills of his choice equal to his Wisdom modifier (minimum of 2). Alternately, he may use a standard action to recover one swordskill he chooses.
This replaces sneak attack.
Animus (Su): An Eblanese ninja’s martial prowess is in part fueled by a reservoir of barely controlled spiritual energy, and the passion and danger of combat causes this energy to overflow outwards. This power, called animus, waxes and wanes with an Eblanese ninja’s use of his swordskills and talents in battle. Outside combat, an Eblanese ninja has no animus to spend, but his inner power can still be used for more subtle arcane arts. His levels in Eblanese ninja count as caster levels for the purposes of qualifying for prerequisites (such as those of item creation feats or the Arcane Strike feat), and if an Eblanese ninja ever develops spellcasting from another class, he may add his Eblanese ninja level to his levels in that class to determine his overall caster level for the purposes of item creation feats.
When an Eblanese ninja enters combat, he gains an animus pool equal to 1 + his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) at the start of his first turn, and adds one point of animus to his animus pool at the start of each turn thereafter. His animus pool persists for one minute after the last enemy combatant is defeated or the encounter otherwise ends. At the end of any round in which the Eblanese ninja initiates a swordskill or uses a talent, he adds an additional point of animus to his pool. Certain abilities require the Eblanese ninja to expend points of animus to use.
The primal power of animus can be used in several ways – the foremost of which is the augmentation of swordskills and talents. Many talents available to Eblanese ninjas can be augmented by spending points of animus (see the talent descriptions for more details), and the Eblanese ninja can augment swordskills and talents in additional ways as well.
Starting at 1st level, an Eblanese ninja may spend a single point of animus to augment a swordskill or talent as part of its required action to apply one of the following effects to it (if applicable):
Elemental Attunement (Su): An Eblanese ninja contains incredible elemental power within his body, surging energies that constantly flow through his blood and muscle. Bringing these energies to bear is as easy as breathing for an Eblanese ninja, shifting the flow of power with the subtle movements of his battle stances. An Eblanese ninja can change his active element by taking a standard action to focus inwards, or by expending one point of animus as a free action when activating a talent. Whenever he initiates a swordskill, he may spend one point of animus as part of its initiation action to change all damage the swordskill deals to his active element’s associated energy type. For example, if an Eblanese ninja whose active element is currently lightning initiated the Raging Inferno swordskill, he could spend one point of animus to change his swordskill’s damage from his weapon’s normal damage type to lightning damage.
Stamina Pool (Ex): At 1st level, an Eblanese ninja gains a reservoir of stamina that he can draw upon to fuel his talents that he gains below. This stamina pool has a number of points equal to 5 x his Constitution modifier and this pool increases by 5 + his Constitution modifier per level. The pool refreshes once per day when the Eblanese ninja rests for a full 8 hours. Sustained modes take up a static amount of stamina points from the Eblanese ninja’s current and maximum stamina pool and most sustained modes stack. If he already has a stamina pool from another class, he only increases his pool by 5 + his Constitution modifier per level instead.
By spending 5 stamina points, the Eblanese ninja can do one of the following:
These replace ki pool.
Eblanese Ninja Talents (Su): As an Eblanese ninja gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and his allies. Starting at 1st level, an Eblanese ninja gains one Eblanese ninja talent from any talent tree. He gains an additional Eblanese ninja talent for every 2 levels of Eblanese ninja attained after 1st level. An Eblanese ninja cannot select an individual talent more than once. These are considered sword saint talents when determining the prerequisites and effects of the Extra Sword Saint Talent feat, following all rules thusly.
This replaces ninja tricks, light steps, cloaked in shadows, master tricks, and shadow step.
Good for Your Soul (Ex): At 4th level, an Eblanese ninja can utilize the power of his spirit to fuel his abilities, even when his body would object. When activating talents that cost stamina to use, the Eblanese ninja may replace some or all of the cost with points of animus instead, at a rate of 5 points of stamina for 1 point of animus. This does not allow him to utilize animus to use any of the functions of the stamina pool aside from the activation of talents, e.g. he may not spend 1 point of animus as a swift action to increase his speed by 10 feet for 1 round. He is also barred from spending animus to pay for sustained modes outside of battle; when in combat, he may activate sustained modes with animus, but as soon as 1 minute has passed after combat has ceased, the sustained modes fueled by animus end, and he is fatigued for 1 hour. At 8th level, his animus pool at the start of battle is increased to 2 + his Wisdom modifier, and at 16th level, his animus pool at the start of battle is increased to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.
This replaces poison use and ninjutsu.
Prince of Eblan (Ex): At 20th level, an Eblanese ninja has reached his peak in mastery of the roiling spiritual energies inside him, ruling over his soul’s powers like the true prince he is. He may treat one swordskill or talent he activates per round as though he has already augmented it with a point of animus, and when reattuning his current element, he is cloaked in an aura of energy, functioning exactly as though he had spent a point of animus as a full-round action, although he does not recover maneuvers when reattuning his current element in such a manner.
This replaces hidden master.
In a time long forgotten, the first ninjas had come into being, starting out as clans and schools of spies and assassins, utilizing sneakiness and their ki to slay their foes. One of these clans, rather than using the craven tactics and discipline of their rivals, chose a more open sort of fighting, unafraid to look their enemies in the eye while they tapped into the chaotic, untamed energy of their souls to drive their swords through their opponent’s gullet. This clan, known as Clan Eblan, soon became a kingdom, their warrior-princes and princesses the stuff of legends.
The Eblanese ninja is an archetype of the ninja class.
Class Skills: The Eblanese ninja gains Spellcraft (Int) as a class skill.
This changes the class skills of the ninja.
Limit Break (Su): At 1st level, the Eblanese ninja receives a limit break.
He Had Ten Thousand Men (Su): This Limit Break spawns a myriad of ghostly doppelgangers of the Eblanese ninja, each of them just as deadly as the one they mimic. The Eblanese ninja may use a full-round action to create one spectre of himself for each point of Wisdom modifier he has (minimum 1). He and the spectres can then engage any enemy within 30 feet + 5 feet for every four levels past 1st of him, immediately moving within range without provoking any attacks of opportunity. Each spectre is given two choices: to either make a full attack upon one enemy, or to initiate a swordskill, as well as a talent that requires no more than a swift action (the talent is optional). The swordskill and talent used are determined once by the Eblanese ninja; he picks a swordskill and a talent, and all of the spectres who would use a swordskill and talent instead of making a full attack use them as well, each of them rolling damage and such individually. The swordskill is then expended for the rest of the encounter, and cannot be recovered until the encounter is over.
This replaces the Missile Barrage limit break.
Swordplay (Su): Though sword saints may claim to be the first to have mastered such abilities, weaponizing the spirit inside themselves and their swords is no longer a jealously-kept secret. An Eblanese ninja takes part in the utilization of swordskills, learning swordskills and readying them as indicated on the table below:
The sword is a material focus for all swordskills, though it doesn’t need to be crafted by the Eblanese ninja. The Eblanese ninja can use any swordskill he knows at will, provided he is wielding a sword. As long as he is wielding a sword he forged himself, increase the DCs of all his swordskills by 1.
The three forms of swordskills, in order of their relative power, are basic, advance, and master. An Eblanese ninja begins with knowledge of three swordskills, which must be of the basic form. As an Eblanese ninja gains levels, he can learn new swordskills. At 6th level, an Eblanese ninja can learn advance forms, and at 12th level, he can learn master forms.
An Eblanese ninja’s swordskills are supernatural abilities; using a swordskill is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If a target makes a successful Reflex save against a swordskill, they only take half damage from the swordskill, and all of the swordskill’s other effects are negated. The save DC for a basic form is 10 + ½ the Eblanese ninja’s level + his Wisdom modifier, the save DC for an advanced form is 12 + ½ the Eblanese ninja’s level + his Wisdom modifier, and the save DC for a master form is 14 + ½ the Eblanese ninja’s level + his Wisdom modifier.
An Eblanese ninja can ready his starting swordskills, but as he advances in level and learns more swordskills, he must choose which swordskills to ready. He readies his swordskills by practicing meditating for 10 minutes. Eblanese ninjas do not need to sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready their swordskills; anytime he spends 10 minutes meditating, he can change his readied swordskills. He may not ready any individual swordskill more than once. He begins an encounter with all readied swordskills unexpended, regardless of how many times he may have already used them since he chose them. When an Eblanese ninja initiates a swordskill, he expends it for the current encounter, so each of his readied swordskills can be used once per encounter (until they are recovered, see below).
For an Eblanese ninja to recover swordskills, he must either expend one point of animus as a standard action, or do so as a full-round action. Spending the point of animus as a full-round action grants him a deflection bonus to his AC equal to his Wisdom modifier for one round, and surrounds him in a cloak of energy of the same element he is attuned to for one round; any enemies that make an attack against him or are adjacent to him while the aura is in place take 1d6 + Wisdom modifier damage of his current element. The damage dice increase to 2d6 at 8th level, and 3d6 at 16th level. Doing either of these recovers a number of swordskills of his choice equal to his Wisdom modifier (minimum of 2). Alternately, he may use a standard action to recover one swordskill he chooses.
This replaces sneak attack.
Animus (Su): An Eblanese ninja’s martial prowess is in part fueled by a reservoir of barely controlled spiritual energy, and the passion and danger of combat causes this energy to overflow outwards. This power, called animus, waxes and wanes with an Eblanese ninja’s use of his swordskills and talents in battle. Outside combat, an Eblanese ninja has no animus to spend, but his inner power can still be used for more subtle arcane arts. His levels in Eblanese ninja count as caster levels for the purposes of qualifying for prerequisites (such as those of item creation feats or the Arcane Strike feat), and if an Eblanese ninja ever develops spellcasting from another class, he may add his Eblanese ninja level to his levels in that class to determine his overall caster level for the purposes of item creation feats.
When an Eblanese ninja enters combat, he gains an animus pool equal to 1 + his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) at the start of his first turn, and adds one point of animus to his animus pool at the start of each turn thereafter. His animus pool persists for one minute after the last enemy combatant is defeated or the encounter otherwise ends. At the end of any round in which the Eblanese ninja initiates a swordskill or uses a talent, he adds an additional point of animus to his pool. Certain abilities require the Eblanese ninja to expend points of animus to use.
The primal power of animus can be used in several ways – the foremost of which is the augmentation of swordskills and talents. Many talents available to Eblanese ninjas can be augmented by spending points of animus (see the talent descriptions for more details), and the Eblanese ninja can augment swordskills and talents in additional ways as well.
Starting at 1st level, an Eblanese ninja may spend a single point of animus to augment a swordskill or talent as part of its required action to apply one of the following effects to it (if applicable):
- Enhance Talent: For each point of animus spent, the Eblanese ninja adds a cumulative +2 insight bonus to all d20 rolls made (including attack rolls, CMB rolls, and skill checks) when activating that talent (maximum of three animus may be spent on this augmentation); if the talent allows the user to make multiple attacks, then this bonus only applies to the first attack.
- Increase DC: For each point of animus spent, the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against that swordskill or talent increases by 1.
- Anima Burn: The Eblanese ninja adds ½ his class level to damage rolls made with that swordskill or talent. This augment costs two points of animus, and can only be applied once to a given swordskill or talent.
- Increase Potency: For each point of animus spent, he may ignore 10 points of energy resistance or 5 points of damage reduction.
- Increase Range: The Eblanese ninja may target a creature within 30 feet with a swordskill or talent that normally uses a melee attack. Resolve the swordskill or talent normally, as if the targeted creature was within the Eblanese ninja’s melee reach. This augmentation costs two points of animus.
- Animus Rush: The Eblanese ninja may move up to his base movement speed as part of the initiation of the swordskill or activation of the talent before initiating or activating the ability. This is a teleportation effect and the Eblanese ninja must clearly see his destination. This augmentation costs three points of animus.
Elemental Attunement (Su): An Eblanese ninja contains incredible elemental power within his body, surging energies that constantly flow through his blood and muscle. Bringing these energies to bear is as easy as breathing for an Eblanese ninja, shifting the flow of power with the subtle movements of his battle stances. An Eblanese ninja can change his active element by taking a standard action to focus inwards, or by expending one point of animus as a free action when activating a talent. Whenever he initiates a swordskill, he may spend one point of animus as part of its initiation action to change all damage the swordskill deals to his active element’s associated energy type. For example, if an Eblanese ninja whose active element is currently lightning initiated the Raging Inferno swordskill, he could spend one point of animus to change his swordskill’s damage from his weapon’s normal damage type to lightning damage.
Stamina Pool (Ex): At 1st level, an Eblanese ninja gains a reservoir of stamina that he can draw upon to fuel his talents that he gains below. This stamina pool has a number of points equal to 5 x his Constitution modifier and this pool increases by 5 + his Constitution modifier per level. The pool refreshes once per day when the Eblanese ninja rests for a full 8 hours. Sustained modes take up a static amount of stamina points from the Eblanese ninja’s current and maximum stamina pool and most sustained modes stack. If he already has a stamina pool from another class, he only increases his pool by 5 + his Constitution modifier per level instead.
By spending 5 stamina points, the Eblanese ninja can do one of the following:
- Increase his speed by 10 feet for 1 round
- Delay and suppress his fatigue or exhaustion for 1 round
- Increase one saving throw by +1 for 1 round
These replace ki pool.
Eblanese Ninja Talents (Su): As an Eblanese ninja gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him and his allies. Starting at 1st level, an Eblanese ninja gains one Eblanese ninja talent from any talent tree. He gains an additional Eblanese ninja talent for every 2 levels of Eblanese ninja attained after 1st level. An Eblanese ninja cannot select an individual talent more than once. These are considered sword saint talents when determining the prerequisites and effects of the Extra Sword Saint Talent feat, following all rules thusly.
This replaces ninja tricks, light steps, cloaked in shadows, master tricks, and shadow step.
Good for Your Soul (Ex): At 4th level, an Eblanese ninja can utilize the power of his spirit to fuel his abilities, even when his body would object. When activating talents that cost stamina to use, the Eblanese ninja may replace some or all of the cost with points of animus instead, at a rate of 5 points of stamina for 1 point of animus. This does not allow him to utilize animus to use any of the functions of the stamina pool aside from the activation of talents, e.g. he may not spend 1 point of animus as a swift action to increase his speed by 10 feet for 1 round. He is also barred from spending animus to pay for sustained modes outside of battle; when in combat, he may activate sustained modes with animus, but as soon as 1 minute has passed after combat has ceased, the sustained modes fueled by animus end, and he is fatigued for 1 hour. At 8th level, his animus pool at the start of battle is increased to 2 + his Wisdom modifier, and at 16th level, his animus pool at the start of battle is increased to 3 + his Wisdom modifier.
This replaces poison use and ninjutsu.
Prince of Eblan (Ex): At 20th level, an Eblanese ninja has reached his peak in mastery of the roiling spiritual energies inside him, ruling over his soul’s powers like the true prince he is. He may treat one swordskill or talent he activates per round as though he has already augmented it with a point of animus, and when reattuning his current element, he is cloaked in an aura of energy, functioning exactly as though he had spent a point of animus as a full-round action, although he does not recover maneuvers when reattuning his current element in such a manner.
This replaces hidden master.