**This special class is transcribed from Dragon Magazine #318.

The ninja’s home is the shadow.  In a lethal flash they deftly strike down their prey, only to vanish again without a sound or the merest trace.  Walking where others cannot, they blend their training in stealth and assassination with a disciplined mind.  Their rigorous training sharpens their senses and bodies, giving them supernatural powers of shadow and silence, making them phantoms to even the keenest eyes.  Although ninjas lack the martial prowess of fighters or barbarians, their battles occur on the treacherous ground of their choosing, were they appear when their foe is weakest.

Adventures:  Ninjas adventure for a variety of reasons.  A loyal ninja might adventure at his lord’s orders, using his abilities of stealth and subterfuge to ferret out enemies or to recover powerful treasures.  A mercenary ninja might seek only treasure and fame, selling his blade to any who meet his price and forging a bloody name men fear to whisper.  Or, a more idealistic ninja might seek to thwart a growing evil, becoming a vigilante hero against injustice and revealing hidden evils.

Most ninjas prefer anonymity to fame, and they go out of their way to disguise their profession and abilities.  A rare few, however, revel in the mysterious reputation that surrounds ninjas and their training, making their abilities known and their role in an adventuring group clear.  As ninjas grow in wealth and power, their goals often change, and their ability to uncover secrets and kill stealthily can shape the plans of entire nations.  Rulers both fear and covet the skills of the ninja, and high-level ninjas whose identities are known often find adventures coming to them rather than the reverse.

Characteristics:  Highly skilled spies and assassins, ninjas master a broad range of skills and combat techniques.  Nearly every ninja perfects the arts of moving quietly and remaining hidden, but their secondary skills are often what define their role.  Many ninjas perfect skills that help become better spies, mastering the arts of social interaction and disguise.  Others take on cat-burglar-like roles, practicing those skills that help them find and bypass traps and locks.  Some even focus on their martial skills to become the deadliest of killers, able to strike at seemingly any target from anywhere.

In combat, a ninja can deal devastating blows to an unsuspecting opponent, but he’s not as adept as a rogue at delivering such attacks in a prolonged battle.  Ninjas jump and climb farther and faster than members of other classes, and they are skilled acrobats, but they cannot match the skills of the true acrobat.  They also receive special training in the use of poisons, which they often employ in the midst of combat.

Even with these skills, a ninja’s most dangerous and impressive powers involve the ability to step briefly into the Ethereal Plane.  By focusing his ki, the ninja can vanish from sight, walk through nearly any barrier, and deal devastating attacks even while not physically present in a room.  As a ninja advances in level, he can even turn this ability to defense, causing potentially crippling blows to pass harmlessly through his body.

Alignment:  Although ninjas have a reputation as dangerous assassins and deceptive spies, they follow many different philosophies and ideals, allowing them to be of any alignment.  For every dangerous mercenary who uses his ninja training to kill for money, an honest and loyal ninja stands guard over a just lord.  Most ninjas follow their own beliefs first, rather than the dictates of a noble or magistrate, and therefore ninjas are more chaotic that lawful.

Religion:  A ninja’s religious beliefs follow those of his clan.  Ninjas can follow any god, although most clans devote themselves to gods of stealth or trickery.  Neutral or mercenary ninjas might devote themselves to Olidammara, while evil ninjas often revere Nerull or Erythnul.

Background:  Many ninjas come from isolated clans that train in secret.  They spend many years perfecting the arts of stealth and subterfuge in distant villages and hidden training camps.  These warriors, whether in the service of an honorable lord or hired as mercenary assassins, carefully conceal their identity and origin.  These ninjas weave complicated webs of disguises, strike only from hiding, and deal through intermediaries whenever possible.  Because of their strong ties to their clan, these ninjas must often put aside personal preferences or goals to serve their lord or clan, but in return they gain the support of a powerful political force and access to the clan’s many safehouses and hideouts.

Although most ninjas come from isolated clans, exceptions exist at every turn.  Some ninjas receive specialized training from a single mentor, perhaps even a retired adventurer who wishes to pass along his skills.  Others learn alongside monks and other ascetics in peaceful monasteries.  In some places, far-thinking nobles set up ninja training centers of their own, including anything from a single teacher with a handful of students to full-blown ninja schools where students endure a rigid series of tests and trails.  Ninjas from such diverse backgrounds often find the life of an adventurer appealing.  Without the ties of clan and honor that keep other ninjas tied to a lord or mission, these skilled warriors find adventuring puts their abilities to the test and rewards the skills they hold in highest esteem.

Races:  Humans, halflings, half-elves, and half-orcs often have the combination of adaptability and ambition necessary to master the techniques of the ninja.  Elves, though both graceful and deadly, rarely become ninjas, but those who do often achieve great fame or notoriety.  Such elven ninjas often attain the heights of ninja training, shaping the history of many human generations through their daring expoits.  Dwarves and gnomes seldom train as ninjas.  Not only is their clan structure too open to shelter hidden clans of ninjas, but also their martial instincts run to more straightforward forms of combat.

Other Classes:  Ninjas work best with rogues and rangers.  Although they appreciate the healing power of clerics, the ability of sorcerers and wizards to kill with a word, and the sheer offensive might of fighters and barbarians, ninjas rely too much on stealth to completely embrace the idea of adventuring with other classes.  Conversely, when traveling or not actively adventuring, ninjas who wish to go unnoticed benefit greatly from the presence of other classes—the less subtle and more visible their adventuring companions, the easier it is for the ninja to remain in the background and disguise his own abilities.

Abilities:  Ninjas benefit from high Dexterity, as many of their abilities require that they wear no armor, and it affects many of their most important skills.  A high Dexterity also helps a ninja to act first in initiative and take advantage of his sudden strike ability.

Hit Die:  d6

Restrictions/Requirements:  none.

Skill Points/Level:  At first level: (6+INT mod) x4 (+4).  Thereafter: 6+INT mod (+1) per level.

Skills:  Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble.

Starting Gold:  5d4 x 10.  (The magazine article does not give starting gold.)

Armor & Weapon Proficiency:  Ninjas are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, kama, nunchaku, sai, shortbow, short sword, shuriken, and siangham.  Ninjas are not proficient with armor (except the bodywuit) or with shields.

The Ninja’s Table

AC Bonus:  A ninja is highly trained at dodging blows and has sixth sense that lets him avoid even unanticipated attacks.  When unarmored and unencumbered, the ninja adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his Armor Class.  In addition, a ninja gains a bonus to AC at 4^th level.  This bonus increases by 1 for every four ninja levels thereafter (+2 at 8^th, +3 at 12^th, +4 at 16^th, and +5 at 20^th).  These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the ninja is flat-footed.  He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.  (This is slightly improved over the version in the magazine.)

Ki Power:  The ninja can channel his ki to manifest special powers of stealth and mobility.  The ninja may use his ki powers a total number of times per day equal to one-half his level plus his Wisdom bonus (if any).  Ki powers may only be used if the ninja is wearing no armor and is unencumbered.  As long as the ninja’s ki pool isn’t empty (that is, as long as he has at least one daily use remaining), he gains a +2 bonus on his Willpower saves.

Sudden Strike:  If a ninja can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from the ninja’s attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.  This ability works like the rogue’s sneak attack, with the exception that ninjas using the sudden strike ability do not deal extra damage to opponents that they flank, but only to creatures that are denied their Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (whether the target has a Dexterity bonus to AC or not).  Sudden strike’s extra damage dice stack with those from sneak attack whenever both would apply to the same target.  This extra damage is +1d6 at 1^st level and increases by +1d6 every two levels (+2d6 at 3rd level, +3d6 at 5th level, etc.).  Ranged attacks count as sudden strikes only if the target is within 30 feet.  A ninja can’t strike with deadly accuracy from beyond that range.  A ninja can only use sudden strike against living creatures with discernable anatomies.  As with sneak attacks, certain creatures are immune to this extra damage.

Ghost Step:  At 2^nd level, the ninja can spend one daily use of his ki power to become invisible for 1 round.  Using this ability is a swift action (see sidebar) that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.  At 10^th level, the ninja can become ethereal for 1 round when using ghost Step instead of becoming invisible.

Poison Use:  Beginning at 3^rd level, a ninja no longer risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a weapon.  At 9^th level, he can apply poison to a weapon as a move action, and at 13^th level, he can apply poison to a weapon as a swift action.

Great Leap:  At 4^th level and higher, ninjas always make Jump checks as if they were running.  This ability can only be used if the ninja is wearing no armor and is unencumbered.

Acrobatics:  At 6^th level, ninjas gain a +2 bonus to Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks.  This bonus increases to +4 at 12^th level and +6 at 18^th level.

Ki Dodge:  At 6^th level and higher, a ninja can spend a daily use of his ki power to cause attacks against him that might otherwise hit to miss.  When he activates this ability, the ninja’s outline shifts and wavers, causing some attacks to miss.  This distortion grants the ninja concealment (20% miss chance) against all attacks for 1 round.  Using this ability is a swift action.  See invisibility has no effect on the miss chance caused by the ki dodge ability, but true seeing negates it.  The miss chance caused by this ability does not stack with that caused by concealment or spells like blink or displacement.  This ability can be used only if the ninja is wearing no armor and is unencumbered.

Speed Climb:  At 7^th level and higher, a ninja can scramble up or down walls and slopes with great speed.  He may climb his full base speed as a move action with no penalty; however, he must begin and end the round on a horizontal surface. (such as the ground or rooftop).  If he does not end his movement on a horizontal surface, he falls, taking falling damage as appropriate for his distance above the ground.  The ninja also needs only one free hand to use this ability.  When climbing normally, he requires both hands free.  This ability can be used only if the ninja is wearing no armor and is unencumbered.

Ghost Strike:  At 8^th level and higher, a ninja can spend a daily use of his ki power to strike incorporeal and ethereal creatures as if they were corporeal.  The ninja can also use this ability to strike foes on the Material Plane normally while he is on the Ethereal Plane (for example, while using his ghost step ability).  Activating the ghost strike ability is a swift action.  It affects the next attack made by the ninja, as long as that attack is made by the end of the next round.

Evasion:  A ninja of 12^th level of higher can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility.  If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), he instead takes no damage.  Evasion can be used only if a ninja is wearing no armor and is unencumbered.  A helpless ninja (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Ghost Mind:  At 14^th level and higher, a ninja gains a special resistance to spells with the scrying descriptor.  To detect or see a ninja with such a spell, the caster must succeed at a caster level check against a DC of 20 + the ninja’s class level.  In the case of scrying spells that scan the area that the ninja is in, such as arcane eye, a failed check indicates that the spell works but the ninja simply isn’t detected.  Scrying attempts targeted specifically at the ninja do not work at all if the check fails.

Ghost Sight:  At 16^th level and higher, a ninja can see invisible and ethereal creatures as easily as he sees material creatures and objects.

Greater Ki Dodge:  At 18^th level, the miss chance caused by the ninja’s ki dodge ability increases to 50%.