Ninja (FiD)

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As a ninja you are a stealthy shadow, rarely revealing your powers except to your inner circle. Trying to conceal your ninja identity from your crew is a bad idea, as trust relies on openness.

A ninja uses magic inversely to most other magicians. Instead of channeling power through themselves into the world, they create a magical emptiness which ambient magic will seek to fill. This method is very discreet, emphasizing the ninja's stealthy mindset.

Ninja and Chi are opposite sides of the same coin, ninja are the Yin to the Yang of Chi. The two traditions are similar in their focus on the self, but different in outlook and code of honor. Where Chi is direct and strive to be ideals, ninja obfuscate themselves and seek inner balance.

Many ninja operate in clans serving different masters and often in conflict. Such clans have different ranks. Genin (下忍) – Literally “lower ninja.” This is often the entry-level or “operative” rank. Chūnin (中忍) – Literally “middle ninja.” This is typically an “officer” rank or mid-tier leadership. Jōnin (上忍) – Literally “upper ninja.” This is the highest standard rank, often a senior or “leader” role. As a ninja that is a part of an adventuring group that operates independently of a clan, you may be an intendent adventurer, a rebel against your clan, on a long mission for some distant goal, or fulfilling a duty or debt of your clan.

Many fictional ninja have abilities from other playbooks, a ninja focusing on gadgets might be a Savant and a ninja focusing on personal combat might be a Weapon Master in addition to the role as ninja. In a campaign focusing on a ninja clan, such specialists might forego the ninja playbook at the start to focus on their specialized roles, just picking up the Prowl action to be able to join operations.

This playbook is inspired by fictional ninja with mystic powers. As a ninja you might be known as an assassin, lin kuei, shadow warrior, or shinobi.

Touchstones: Ninja Scroll (1993), Naruto (2002–2007), Daredevil (2003), Doctor Strange (2016).

Trauma Condition—Void

To utilize ninja arts, your presence must melt away, creating a void that magic can fill. You constantly minimize your own presence—this soon becomes second nature—making any magic you cast on yourself quick and silent. Hand signs and meditation are sufficient to invoke magic on yourself without a sound.

Creating a magical void outside yourself takes more time and requires a spoken word of activation. This word, typically the name of the Form you are using, must be loud enough for the target to hear.

Affecting something by touch takes only a few seconds and a whispered word, which is stealthy but risky in combat. Affecting a distant target takes a full minute, making it nearly useless unless your opponent remains entirely unaware. You can release your power at range just as you speak the final word, so you can open an ambush using a Power.

Special Abilities

When a special ability refers to Area, Duration, or Range, these are based on your tier, see page 221.

1. Motion Veil: You may expend your Special Armor to resist a consequence that would allow others to notice you, or to push yourself for a feat of speed or acrobatics.
2. Power Veil: You and your powers are difficult to detect, and you are difficult to detect using powers. This reduces effect or improves your position by two steps against supernatural detection. This has no effect on mundane observation.
3. Reaching Veil: You use powers and special abilities as if you were touching any target within a number of meters equal to your tier +1.
4. Shadow Veil: Create an illusory duplicate within Range, taking level 1 harm "Shadow Drain." This harm only affects ranged powers but can knock you out with repeated use. The clone acts as a Cohort expert (trickster) (p 96), cannot attack or interact physically, and lasts for the Duration or until dispelled, defeated, or struck by sunlight. Common uses:
   • Assist (p 134) on stealth, misdirection, or sneak attacks, potentially taking consequences.
   • Protect (p 135) someone, sacrificing its existence.
5. Shroud Veil: You can touch an item affected by a Power, Ritual or that is an Alchemical, Gadget or Magic item to suppress its operation for a minute. This is mainly useful to bypass locks and alarms created by powers, but can also weaken powers and potent weapons used against you. Improves your position when confronting the powers of things you can reach out to touch.
6. Sound Veil: Anyone you attack in melee is momentarily silenced, the sounds they make swallowed by the void within you. This improves position in connection with sneak attacks and changes the type of consequences you suffer with such an attack, reducing the chance of alarm.
7. Vision Veil: At the start of an encounter, you can begin in hiding if concealment is within Range. When resisting an enemy attack, you can move within the Area, leaving behind a token like a hat or coat. If you reach concealment, you become hidden.
8. Powers: Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, and Water.

Influential Shadows

˄ ˅ Daiyu, an informant.

˄ ˅ Jian, a wandering monk.

˄ ˅ Kazuo, a rival shadow warrior.

˄ ˅ Lin of many faces, a spy.

˄ ˅ Yun Wei, a schemer.

Inventory

◯, ◯, ◯ Darklight Goggles.

☐ Darklight Lantern.

☐ Fine Burglary Gear.

☐ Light Camping Gear.

• Darklight Goggles ◯: Goggles that let you see in the invisible light of a Darklight Lamp. Vision is sepia-tinted. Gadget.
• Darklight Lantern ☐: A lantern that emits invisible light. Gadget.
• Fine Burglary Gear ☐: A set of lockpicks. A small pry-bar. Vials of oil to silence squeaky hinges. A coil of wire and fishing hooks. A small pouch of fine sand. Refined for your use to give increased effect.
• Light Camping Gear ☐: Bedroll, cooking pot, tarpaulin, fishing line, snares, all personalized and chosen to be lightweight. This gear allows a single downtime action when camping. Lacking camping gear does not allow any effective rest.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge with stealth or stillness.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Finesse 1

Prowl 2

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one.