Dragon Magazine #404

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3 Editorial By Christopher Perkins

Would you like a little chocolate with your peanut butter? This month in Dragon andDungeon, we offer a savory blend of Orientalintrigue and Halloween terror. Also, the maga-zine submissions window is now open.

6 The Seven Styles By Logan Bonner and Derek Guder

These days, every young adventurer fromWaterdeep to Suzail wants to learn the martialarts styles of Kara-Tur, from the wildly impro-visational Mad Monkey to the deadly twin-

blade ghting form of Dragon Claw.

14 Class Acts: The Assassin - Secrets of the Ninjaby Dave Chalker

You have nothing to fear from the shadows,for they are your allies. Learn the ways of theninja, and arm yourself with new powers andweapons.

19 Class Acts: The Runepriest - Runepriests of Kara-Tur

By Claudio Pozas

The shan zi runepriests of Kara-Tur representan ancient tradition. Their written language,handed down by the Celestial Emperor him -self, holds great magical power. Use theseancient runes to spell your enemy's doom.

31 Character Themes: Samurai and Yakuza

By Jeff Morgenroth

Samurai are the elite warriors of Kozakura,

trained from birth to ght in battle for theirnoble masters. The yakuza are the criminalsand folk heroes of Kozakura, challenging themight of the elite for pro t and living by theirown code. Play them in an Oriental Adven-tures campaign, or purloin them for yourhome game.

37 Monk Basics By Jim Auwaerter and Galen Mullins

Throw away those weapons, grasshopper you won't need 'em.

44 The Ecology of the Hengeyokai

By Tim Eagon

In the lands of Kara-Tur, even the animals arenot always what they seem. That dog might bean adventurer in disguise, that rat a spy for the

yakuza, that cat a loyal servant of the Emper -or. Such is the way of the hengeyokai.

25 Character Themes: Fringes of Kara-Tur

By Chris Sims

Ferocious nomads haunt the vast steppe thatseparates Faern and Kara-Tur, while mo-nastic guardians known as sohei protect thesecret temples scattered throughout this un-tamed land. Here's your chance to play thesenever-say-die folk.


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54 Unearthed Arcana: A Matter of Honor

By Chris Sims

Honor can be a tool for greatstorytelling. This article provides a

system for including honor in yourgame, and guidelines for creatingthe codes by which heroes and vil-lains live and die.

60 D&D Alumni By Bart Carroll

Take a trip through past editionsof the D&D game, and see how itsiconic features have evolved overthe decades.

64 Confessions of a Full-Time Wizard

By Shelly Mazzanoble

And now for something truly ter-rifying: D&D's "Player-in-Chief"is back from Oktoberfest and readyto uncork another bottle of D&D

hilarity.

67 Dragonmirth By Various Artists

Get your funny x here .


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TM & 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.

Editorial:

Open Windowby Christopher Perkins Illu strat ion by Howard Lyon

This month in Dragon and Dungeon, we offer asavory blend of Oriental intrig ue and Halloween

terrortwo great tastes that, l ike chocolate andpeanut butter, go great together. The latter makessense given the season, and the former came aboutas a result of resurrecti ng the idea of monthlythemes. Mike Mearls suggested t he idea of a Kara- Tur theme ea rlier this yea r, and severa l freelance writers delivered kick-ass content to back it up. InNovember, we have art icles tied to the theme offey magic (to support Players Opt ion : Heroes of the Feyw ild and the next D&D E season),and in December youll see content tied to a theme we like to cal l touch of evil (in support of The Bookof Vile Darkness ). We have a few themes in mind for early next year(romance & royalty in January, gods & primor-dials in February, and skullduggery in March),and were hoping to build future themes around thearticles and adventures we receive from our con-tributors. In a recent poll, folks expressed interestin themes tied to classic D&D campaign settings(D , R , and P being the three most popular), and were open to

October 2011 | DRAGON 4 0 4 3
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seeing 4th Edition article proposals that hearkenback to classic campaign settings, particularly if t hearticles can be adapted for a DMs home campaign with minimal effort. The ex tent to which we tiecontent to a given theme will vary month to month;

sometimes it might be just three or four articles,and other times (like this month) the theme mightcarry the bulk of the content. Some other themes weve kicked around the off ice include demons &devils, anchors away, war, undeath, and theUnderdark. The themes we choose are ultimatelyinformed by what you send us. Which brings us tothe topic at hand . . . The submission window is now open! Until the window closes on November 30, 2011, we are accept-ing article proposals for Dragon and Dungeon. Thenext submission window doesnt open until March ofnext year, so if youve been sitting on a good idea for aD&D article or adventure, nows the time to write itup and send it to [email protected] . First, besure to check out our submission guidelines . We promise to reply to your email proposal nolater than 60 days after the window closes, althoughchances are good that youll hear back from us beforethen. We reply to email submissions in the order in which we receive them, and its okay to send mul-tiple proposals in a single email; in fact, we prefer toreceive proposals in batches. However, we judge eachpitch on its own merits, so volume is less importantthan quality.

Greg Bilsland and I are the first line of defense when it comes to proposals. It s our job (and plea-sure) to sift through the submissions inbox in searchof gems. We pull out t he shiny ones and set upmeetings with the staff to discuss them. After each

of these meetings, Greg or I condense the groupsfeedback into rejection letters (boo!) or requests forcomplete articles (yay!). Our readership has diverse tastes. Some subscrib-ers prefer rules lite story content, in par ticular worlddevelopment and character-building advice. Othersprefer crunchy mechanical contentfeats, powers,magic items, and the like. Still others favor somethingin between. We urge writers to err toward story-focused content, since heaps of new feats and powersend cluttering up an already cluttered system. Andfrankly, designing a feat or power thats both good and original is a lot harder than most people think . Con-sider articles that tackle a particular subject in greaterdepth than were accustomed to seeing in a print prod-uct, or that takes something that exists in the gamecurrently and recasts it in an interesting way (forexample, an article we published last month took theartificer class out of the E setting and found ahome for it in the F R setting). Pretty much the only thing we dont want to seeare articles chock full of new mechanics with only athin veneer of story to explain away their existencethat, and your 300-page campaign setting! Wereunlikely to accept a proposal for a new class. Giventhe time and resources it takes to playtest a new class

and program it into the D&D Character Builder, weprefer to design classes in-house. Were also waryabout adding new races to the game, but well makean exception if its thematically appropriate; the heng-eyokai, which releases this month, is a good example.

Heres one recipe for a good article proposal: Takean idea youre passionate about. Run the idea pastsome of your gamer friends and see if they think itscool. Do a bit of research to see whether the ideasbeen done before. Find a way to make the idea reso-nate with as many readers as you can. Then submit. The best proposals are short and concise. Youcan usually encapsulate an article or adventure ideain a short paragraph. Be sure to include a title andestimated word count as part of your pitch, and letus know what new mechanical elements the articleincludes. For example:

Title: The Ecology of the ModronEstimated Word Count: 5,000Description: Modrons march to the beat of a dif-ferent drum. This article explores their orderly,clockwork life and the mystery behind roguemodrons. The article also includes statistics for arogue modron NPC companion.

When we read a proposal, were looking for ideas we havent seen before (or in a good long while)or which address a perceived need or demand. Although we rarely have t ime to part icipate inforum conversations, we skim forums and messageboards to see what folks are clamoring for. You canscour the forums, but be warned: You are not alone!Other would-be contributors are doing the samething, and so t he competition is fierce. Six monthsago, after players on our foru ms clamored for morerunepriest class support, we were bombarded byrunepriest article proposals, of which we couldonly hope to publish one or two. If youre the type

Heres one recipe for a good article proposal: Take an idea youre passionate about. Run the idea past some of your gamerfriends and see if they think its cool. Do a bit of research to seewhether the ideas been done before. Find a way to make the

idea resonate with as many readers as you can. Then submit.

Editorial: Open Window

mailto:submissions%40wizards.com?subject=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/submissionshttp://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/submissionsmailto:submissions%40wizards.com?subject=


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of writer who doesnt thrive on competition, yourresearch time is better spent elsewhere. Character themes are the new hotness. The con-cept was introduced in the D ARK S UN CampaignSetting and featured in the Neverwinter Campaign

Setting, and weve published several character themesin Dragon (and have more in the pipeline). If you planto submit a proposal for a new theme or two (or threeor four), be advised that youre not alone. Youll becompeting with lots of other folks for our attention. If youre looking for the path of least resistance,consider submitting an idea for a Backdrop article(which explores a location in one of our publishedcampaign settings), a Bestiary article (new mon-sters tethered to a clever theme), a Bazaar of theBizarre article (thematically linked magic items),a History Check article (mechanics-light, edition-proof recounts of the classic stories of D&D), or oneof our recurring planar articles such as Domains ofDread (all about the darklords of the Shadowfell),Demonomicon of Iggwilv (all about the Abyss),Codex of Betrayal (all about the Nine Hells), Lordsof Chaos (all about primordials), or Court of Stars(all about archfey). We also have a popular seriescalled Channel Divinity, which explores variousgods and their devout worshipers. Although wevepretty much exhausted the core deities at this point, we hope to explore more campaign-specific gods infuture installments. If youre looking for a challenge,try pitching an Unearthed Arcana article (optionalor variant rules). Weve published several good onesof late, including jousting rules and 0-level characterrules, and we have a few more in the works (rulesfor arcane duels, a different take on the Far Realm,and a way to track combat injuries using a print-it- yourself deck of cards). You could also try your handat a Class Acts article (articles that show a familiarclass in a new light). Adventures are harder to write than articles, butour DMs cant get enough of t hem! You need to sell

us on three things: the plot (what the villains are upto), the hook (how the heroes get involved), and thesetting. Were looking for memorable villains andlocations with character, particularly dungeon set-tings. (The magazine is called Dungeon, after all.)

Were looking for adventures of all levels, and if youreally want to get our attention, take something thatsfamiliar to D&D players, like goblins, and put a cleverspin on it. Goblins riding behemoths, for example,is something weve never seen before. Sim ilarly, youmight think bandits are boring, but thats probablybecause youve never considered a gang of treantbandits (when nature attacks!) or a tiefling bandit whos stealing paintings of the Nine Hells for somefell purpose. A clever spin can do wonders. We could use more Side Treks, which are single-encounter scenarios that DMs can use as interludesbetween longer adventures. If youre new to adven-ture writing, a Side Trek is a nice way to get yourfeet wet. That said, if you have an awesome idea fora longer adventure (between 5,000 and 15,000 words), pitch it. When it comes to adventures, theonly proposals we dont want to see are for adventureseries. Please, just send us one-off ideas. If we publishan adventure that turns out to be very popular, wemight commission a sequel, but dont try to sell us ona 45,000-word adventure broken into three 15,000- word parts. Weve had great success with series inthe past, but we prefer to come up with those ideasourselves and assign series adventures to freelance writers weve worked with before. If the past is any indication, we expect to receivebetween 1,500 and 2,000 unique proposals overthe next two months. Compare that number to thenumber of freelance articles we publish in a typical year (around 100 to 120), and you get a sense of thecompetition. The two most common reasons for rejec-tion are (1) your idea is similar to another idea weliked better or (2) weve explored that idea to our sat-isfaction. For example, we dont need and cant afford

to publish three different articles about runepriests inone year. If someone proposes a really cool runepriestarticle and we end up requesting a first draft, thatdoesnt bode well for the other runepriest proposals inthe submissions inbox. We still read every proposal,

because who knowswe might stumble upon a secondrunepriest article thats different enough from the firstone and cool enough on its own to warrant publica-tion. This did, in fact, happenwhich is why we havea runepriest article th is month and another one tenta-tively planned for December. But that probably means we wont be publishing any runepriest support in2012, given the number of other classes in the game. The realities of the publishing business aside, Ilook forward to seeing your article and adventureideas over the next two months. Im also anxious toflesh out next years themes and pack the schedulefull of articles and adventures that will surprise anddelight our readers. Dragon and Dungeon remain,after all these years, the best ways to break into theRPG publishing industry. We pay well for the arti-cles we publish, and we take pride in helping ourfreelancers develop as writers. If youre a strugglingperfectionist like me, who sees rejection as an oppor-tunity for improvement rather than a barrier, then youll succeed one way or another. Best-case scenario, you might end up becoming one of our most prolificcontributors if not a future employee. As someone who kick-started his gaming career by writ ing adven-tures for Dungeon, I know what Im talking about. If youre not interested in submitting article andadventure proposals but have opinions about thismonths theme or issue themes in general, wed loveto hear from you. Feel free to drop us a quick note [email protected] .

Editorial: Open Window

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September 2011 | DRAGON 403 TM & 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.

The Seven Styles By Logan Bonner and Derek Guder Illustration by Chad King

The empire of Shou Lung is home to many dojos, tem-ples, and sparring halls. Practitioners of rival martialstyles compete in tournaments and on the battlefield,seeking prestige for their schools. The seven stylespresented here are some of the largest and most nota-ble martial arts styles in Kara-Tur. The schools described here are not limited to

monks. Martial arts schools welcome any who are willing to learn and dedicated enough to train. Anyclass and any power source might be found in anygiven school, though some combinations are morenatural than others.

D RAGON C LAW

Other martial arts schools warn that practicingDragon Claw will pollute ones spirit. They say itsleader is a demon that desires power in order tospread his evil throughout the land. If that truly is

the case, the demons plans have worked. DragonClaw began as a small order in the wild nation of TuLung, but has since grown into the second-largestschool in Shou Lung. The name Dragon Claw has three meanings, donedeliberately to confuse the orders enemies and garbleany divination magic that tries to discern the ordersambitions and history. Dragon Claw is the martialart, Dragon Claw is the leader of the school, anddragon claws are the two hooked blades used by eachmember.

GRANDMASTER TRAINING

An adventurer who trains in one of the sevenstyles described here learns new battle tech-niques unlike any practiced outside Kara-Tur. These techniques appear he re a s grandmastertraining, a type of alternative reward that firstappeared in Dungeon Masters Guide 2. Thesetechniques might be learned directly from aschools grandmaster or picked up from otherexperienced members of the school. Typically, an alternative reward lasts for fivelevels of play and then fades. (This rule appliesbecause characters normally sell or replaceitems as they gain levels. Alternative rewardsoccupy the same space in the game, so a similarprocess applies to them.) If a character wants to

retain the skills learned from a school after fivelevels of play, you can skip assigning a magicitem of a higher level and instead increase thepower of the alternative reward. A charactercan also seek out training to gain another alter-native reward from the same school. Training inmore than one school is usually frowned uponin Shou Lung.

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September 2011 | DRAGON 403

Style: There seem to be no teachers in the DragonClaw school. Instead, recruits are given two hookedswords (their dragon claws) and forced to fight. After a few battles they know how to use the swords,but seem somehow diminished. They no longer care

about any goals they previously had, but believe wholeheartedly in the tenets of the Dragon Claw. When they fight, their movement is rigid; it doesntflow like many other styles do. Most maneuvers takeadvantage of both weapons, but one of the styles trulydistinctive techniques goes beyond weapon use: Apractitioner of Dragon Claw can steal the very lifeforce from people nearby. Master: A portly man known as Lung Jua leadsthe order and holds the title of Dragon Claw. His pastis shrouded in lies and rumors. Some believe thatLung Jua was once a chamberlain for the true Lung

Jua, and murdered his master to assume his identity.Others say the chamberlain was truly Lung Jua allalong, pretending to serve a decoy in order to con-found assassins. Some scholars claim to have foundancient texts that depict Lung Jua as a four-armed,dragon-headed demon. But despite warnings of themasters evil, the school still grows. Temples: The school calls two places home. Thefirst is the exalted ancient temple known as TheSunken City of Many Doors. It lies beneath the cityof Durkon in Tu Lung, and only the most favoredamong the Dragon Claws can enter. The other,public temple of the school stands in the capitol onthe grounds of a powerful school that was destroyedlong ago by the Dragon Claws. The victors rebuiltthe main temple and filled much of the surroundinggrounds with slums, gambling dens, and brothels. Atthe front of the temple stands a monument of a drag-ons head resting atop human shoulders. It appearsto have once been part of a larger statue, the rest ofit now smashed. Lung Jua forbids anyone to touchthis statue. Dragon Claw students speak of some who

broke this rule on a dare, only to scream and dieinstantly, reduced to desiccated husks. Goals: Lung Jua does not reveal his plans. Theonly clue about his goals is the pilgrimage all newrecruits must take, when they test the martial art-

ists of other schools. In the early days many smallerschools were crushed by the Dragon Claws, whoseized their holdings. The schools remaining todayare large enough to give Lung Jua a fight, and hehasnt expanded for many years. Any time he senses weakness, he might pounce. Tests and Trials: A recruits untrained swordbattles are his or her initiation into the Dragon Clawschool. After that, a new student undertakes a pil-grimage to test other martial artists. After ten battlesat different schools, the student is either victoriousor dead. Once this pilgrimage is complete, a student

lives a debauched life, only occasionally being sentout to do Lung Juas dirty work.

Dragon Claw Techniques The schools techniques can be used by classes thatrely on two-weapon fighting, such as the scout rangerand the tempest fighter from Martia l Power. Strik-ers and defenders are most common, dependingon whether the student uses the two weapons forlighting-quick strikes or to attack and parry simulta-neously. The Dragon Claws could be represented bya heavy blade, but the scimitar or the khopesh (from Adventurers Vault ) work best. Take Two-WeaponFighting, Weapon Focus, and other feats that make your weapon attacks more powerfu l. Suggested Skill Powers: diehard, inspiring forti-tude, ominous threat, reactive surge.

Dragon Claw Level 6 Uncommon Life-Thief StrikeYour claws cut deep, as you drink life from those around you.

Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 3,400 gpUtility Power (Healing) Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You shift up to 2 squares. If your next meleeweapon attack this turn hits, you regain 5 hit points.You can instead regain 10 hit points if a willing allywithin 5 squares of you takes 5 damage when you hit.(This damage cannot be prevented in any way.)

Dragon Claw Level 16 Uncommon Fangs and MawThe bite of the blades makes you stronger, the better to cullthe weak.

Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 45,000 gpUtility Power (Healing) Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You shift up to 2 squares. If your next melee weaponattack this turn hits, you deal 2d6 damage to each enemyadjacent to you that wasnt a target of the attack. Youregain hit points equal to the total damage dealt this way.

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F IVE S TARS

Five Stars is a pragmatic, eclectic school that encour-ages experimentation. Many of its students havetraveled to the far west and seen things that few in

Kara-Tur can imagine. Emphasizing speed and accu-racy over raw power, the school has att racted manyfemales as students because it gives them great power without requiring great physical strength. Style: The Five Stars school teaches that thereare five types of movement: speed, leaping, missiledeflection, feinting, and stillness. By mastering eachmode, students become highly specialized in handstrikes, able to snatch arrows out of the air and landa multitude of blows before foes have a chance toreact. Stories of advanced techn iques (often calledthe Seven Stars Path) speak of two additional modes

that masters of the style strive to perfect: movementthrough time, and movement through life. Master: Lojih te Chu, a slight man whose brightred hair and piercing blue eyes reveal his foreignancestry, is the undisputed master of the style. Hishands are never still, and he is said to frequentlytravel disguised as a woman to avoid notice. Dojo: The location of the Five Stars dojo changes when a new master ascends to lead it, or when theschool draws too much unwanted attention fromrivals. Humble, unassuming places such as bath-houses and inns are always chosen for a new location. The current dojo is in a restaurant, where studentsare expected to serve as cooks and staff while learn-ing the style. Goals: Students of the Five Stars school strive tobe inconspicuous and inoffensive, but they are rarelyable to avoid becoming involved in the communit iesthey live in. They seek to fight injustice and improvethe lives of those around them, but have a tendency toget into situations they dont completely understand.

Tests and Trials: To join the school, a prospectivestudent must convince another member to sponsor

him or her, but there is no other trial. The final test fora student is to snatch an ancient blue stone from thehand of a master. This is a deceptively difficult taskthat many must attempt dozens of times before theysucceed.

Five Stars TechniquesClasses that emphasize multiple attacks and mobility work well with the Five Stars style. Strikers and con-trollers are part icularly appropriate, especially onesemphasizing Dexterity or Intelligence over Strength. There is no preferred weapon, though students tendto favor lighter weapons such as light blades. Any featthat improves accuracy is perfect for the style. Suggested Skill Powers: anticipate maneuver, agilerecovery, battle feint, bounding leap, dirty tricks, dodge

step, drop and roll, graceful maneuver, incredible stride,insightful riposte, mighty sprint, perfect balance, reflexivedodge, sudden leap, tumbling dodge.

Five Stars Level 3 Uncommon Arrow Deflection Do not be fast . Do not be quick. Become the arrow before itstrikes your flesh.

Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 680 gpUtility Power Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You move up to your speed. If you keep one hand free, you gain a +4 power bon us to all defenses agains t

ranged weapon attacks until the end of your next turn. Ifsuch an attack misses you while you have this bonus, youcan redirect it to another creature within 5 squares ofyou as an immediate reaction.

Five Stars Five Strikes Level 13 Uncommon Do not stop mov ing simply because you have stru ck yourtarget; let one strike blossom into five.

Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 17,000 gpUtility Power Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You move up to your speed. If your next meleeattack this turn hits, roll four extra attack rolls (usingthe same modifier as the initial attack roll) and deal 1d8extra damage to the creature you hit for each of the extraattack rolls that hits.

I RON H AND

The body is weak, but can be made impervious.Studying the Iron Hand style means enduring painand discomfort to become as hard as iron. Style: Practitioners of Iron Hand absorb crushingattacks and respond with heavy fist, knee, and elbowstrikes. The Iron Hand style teaches that conditioningthe body leads to personal betterment, and that per-sonal betterment is the true goal of martial arts. AnIron Hand student attacks only as a last resort, whenother methods of resolving conflict have failed. The school frequently competes in tournamentsagainst other schools, and a friendly rivalry existsbetween Iron Hand and Five Stars students. Thiscompetitiveness leads to contests in which speedand quick strikes are pitted against durability andstrength.

Master: The elderly Ling Li Te Hsi continuesto practice and teach his familys signature style. Though his body has grown frail, he can walk calmlythrough a fierce hailstorm or split an anvil with asingle strike. More than two decades ago the mastermade an oath never to fight a living person again,and he has not broken it. When hes not practicingIron Hand style, he writes scrolls detailing his longfamily historybut he does not write about the IronHand style. When an Iron Hand grandmaster dies, by tradi-tion a male heir of the Ling Li family assumes the

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role. However, despite having as large a family as anyformer grandmaster, Ling Li Te Hsi has no male heirs. To make sure the Ling Li familys style survives, thegrandmaster opened the doors to many more stu-dents than the school has ever taught before. Instead

of three to nine students, the school has dozens at atime. Ling Li Te Hsi plans for the dojo to close whenhe dies, but his youngest daughter, Shengyin, intendsto keep the school open despite her fathers wishesand the dictates of tradition. Dojo: The heavy timbers and iron fittings of theIron Hand dojo make the school as sturdy as its stu-dents. Every exercise serves to make students moreresilient and fierce, and the structure of the dojooffers no softness or protection. Iron statues line thehalls, and the air is filled with the din of studentsstriking statues to toughen their bodies. When they

spar with each other and are knocked down, they fallonto iron plates that cover the floor. The quarters ofthe Ling Li family surround the dojo. The family, oncequite large, now occupies only a few buildings. Goals: Ling Li has no greater goal than to teachthe Iron Hand style to any who are willing to learn. To the master, political aspirations and a lust for wealth or power prevent one from perfecting the self.Ling Li desires to train as many students as he canbefore he dies, and some believe he has gone too farin the expansion of his school. His daughter Shengyinin particular thinks that too many students have beenlet in, and that her father is risking teaching the styleto those who are not worthy. Tests and Trials: The three Iron Spirits haveguarded the school since its creation. These oni,armed with massive iron clubs, provide the schoolsfinal test: the Iron Challenge. Only by withstandingthe might of all three oni in a ceremonial combat cana student truly be called a master of the Iron Hand.

Iron Hand Techniques Adventurers from the Iron Hand school usuallybecome defenders or strikers. Feats from the Endur-ing Stamina category provide benefits that suit IronHand students. Suggested Skill Powers: diehard, endure pain,inspiring fortitude, third wind, walk it off .

Iron Hand Anvil Breaker Level 2 Uncommon Move slowly to center the body. Find the weakness in yourtarget that will cause it to crumble, and then strike.


Effect: You move up to half your speed. The next meleeattack you make this turn deals 1d6 extra damage.

Iron Hand Level 12 Uncommon Unbreakable Form Be heavy as the iron bell, stu rdy as the bar red gate. Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 13,000 gpUtility Power Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You move up to half your speed. The next time youmake a melee attack this turn, you gain 20 temporary hitpoints if you hit or 10 temporary hit points if you miss.

M AD M ONKEY

Only a few martial artists know the Mad Monkeystyle, so it can hardly be called a school. Its fame farexceeds its size, though: Stories abound of strangemonks fighting off brigands while falling-downdrunk. Those who seek to learn this style soon dis-cover that its master is impossible to find. If a MadMonkey student is asked about old Hu Sen, the stu-dent replies that one who is meant to learn MadMonkey will someday, somehow, arrive in the pres-ence of the master. Style: The erratic, unpredictable movements ofthe Mad Monkey style combine dodging, misdirec-tion, and improvisation. Students appear intoxicated

or incompetent when fighting, but these tricks put

them in a mind-set that makes their movementseffortless. The style utilizes a naginata, a long pole-arm with a curved blade equivalent to a glaive orlongspear. Attacks with the naginata swing wide,and are meant to throw a foe off balance rather than

strike home every time. The polearm can also be usedto lean on, to vault with for high leaps, to duck behindfor defense, or to prop up the body when the practitio-ner is pretending to be drunk (or really is). The styledoesnt have formalized moves or stances. Instead,students learn a few skills that practically becomeinstinctual over time, and weave them together in themoment. Master: Old Master Hu Sen must be more thanhuman. For example, his home, Mad Monkey Island,doesnt appear on any map because Hu Sen can magi-cally move it where he pleases, and he has no desire

to leave it in one place and thus make him easierto find. Is he the mischievous demigod known asMonkey? When the question comes with the prom-ise of free drink or praise, he says he is. But if thequestioner asks for a blessing or help with a difficulttask, he says he isnt. Hu Sen is wise and foolish, calmand temperamental, brave and cowardly. Only threethings about him are certain: He is old, he is a martialarts master, and he always carries wine. Dojo: Mad Monkey Island is less a dojo or atemple than it is a proving ground, a series of trialsin the form of a small landmass. The old master is itsonly resident, and the cave where he lives is off limitsto anyone else. An extinct volcano rises on the island, with a path leading up to its mouth. A few small hutsprovide shelter for the students Hu Sen brings here toendure weeks of training. Goals: Hu Sens goals are as contradictory as heis. He wants to teach his style to worthy warriors, buthe doesnt want anyone to seek him out. He fightsfor what he sees as good, but refuses to form alli-ances and insists on doing things his own way. If all

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these eccentricities add up to some overall plan, itsincomprehensible to anyone but the old master. Tests and Trials: To learn Mad Monkey, a war-rior undergoes a long, torturous, bizarre series oftrials under Hu Sens tutelage. The old man likesto sleep late and get raucously drunk at night, andgenerally sets a terrible example when it comes todiscipline. His orders seem contradictory or non-sensical. One of his most aggravating habits is thathe constantly repeats his rule number one to stu-dents, but keeps changing what that rule is. Still,all this oddness does reinforce the teachings of theMad Monkey style, and former students consider itan invaluable part of the training. Over the course of weeks, Hu Sen runs in itiates through ten t rials, eachteaching a part of Mad Monkey style in some pecu-liar fashion. The training culminates in a f inal test

within Hu Sens cave. No student who has undergonethis test will reveal its nature.

Mad Monkey TechniquesStrikers and controllers choose Mad Monkey tomake up for their lower defenses. Leaders who prac-tice the style tend to be underestimated, giving theparty a psychological advantage over their foes. Featsfrom the vigilant reflexes and quick reaction catego-ries make you a tricky opponent to pin down. Choosea glaive or a longspear as a weapon, or pick up the

Staff Expertise feat to gain reach with that inconspic-uous weapon. Suggested Skill Powers: agile recovery, battle feint , confus ing b lath er, dodge st ep, d rop and roll , fal sebravado, rapid escape, reflexive dodge, stall tactics, tum-bling dodge.

Mad Monkey Wobbles Level 4 Uncommon Rule number one is to not get h it. Stop gettin g hit! Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 840 gpUtility Power Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You move up to your speed and gain a +4 powerbonus to AC and Reflex during this movement. If thenext melee attack you make this turn hits, you can usethe attack result as your defense against the next att ackmade against your AC or Reflex before the end of yournext turn.

Mad Monkey Falls Down Level 14 Uncommon Rule number one is that you will fa ll down if you are stru ck.So just fall down and skip being struck.


Effect: You shift up to your speed and fall prone at the endof that movement. If the next melee attack you make this

turn hits, you can push the target 1 square and knock itprone.

N IMBLE H UNTER

As much a religious order as a mart ial ar ts st yle,the Order of the Nimble Hunter trains its monksbodies, minds, and hearts. The school emphasizeslearning in literature and the arts as much as it doesphysical training. Students are skilled debaters,known for being clever and well versed in a varietyof topics. Its mastery of theological lore is second to

none among the priesthoods. The order has a largenumber of female monks, more than any othersect, and reveres Ai Ching (the M istress of Loveand Fidelity, Goddess of Love and Marriage) as itspatron immortal. T he Order of the Nimble Hunterholds beauty to be divine, and grace as the g reatestof virtues. Style: Speed, mobility and elegance are empha-sized in the orders catlike style of kung fu. Studentsmovements are fluid and graceful. They are trainedto move in, strike, and retreat so they can strike again,all the while maintaining elegant poise. Students are

constantly in motion in combat, impossible to pindown, and are stationary only in the instant beforethey strike. Detractors accuse Nimble Hunter monksof fighting the way they talk, but students take that asa compliment. Master: The beautiful Huangchin Chichchu is thecurrent master of the Order of the Nimble Hunter.However, she spends so much of her t ime in thehalls of the Imperial Court that day-to-day activities(including training) are overseen by Szu Chan, animmaculately dressed, elderly sage. His exacting stan-dards demand that all students embody the ideals ofgrace and elegance. Temple: Life within the order is organized aroundits opulent Temple of Persistent Grace. Every monkspars under the golden boughs of the halls, meditatesin the meticulously tended gardens, and debates in

the enormous Hall of Silk and Stone. The temple isrenowned for its hospitality, and visiting dignitariesfrom across the land enjoy sumptuous feasts. Goals: Students of the style consider themselvesmonks first and martial artists second, and striveto show the faithful the beauty of the Path ratherthan seek out opportunities for combat. The elegantmonks are well spoken, well read, and highly soughtafter as advisors and court officials. The orderexpertly plays the games of politics, dancing its waythrough social circles and always working to increaseits inf luence. Tests and Trials: Only those who can appreciatethe beauty around them are allowed into the order,and a debate against three sitting monks is requiredfor induction. All masters must contribute to the loreof the order by presenting a dissertation while simul-taneously sparring against three other masters.

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Nimble Hunter TechniquesMobility is paramount for the Nimble Hunter style.Strikers work well, but more stationary roles such asdefenders are a tougher fit. Leaders work very wellalso, but can require careful building to emphasize

mobility. Characters should also be trained in socialskills (especially Bluff, Diplomacy, and/or Insight),and the order places a high value on Intelligenceand Charisma. Consider social feats or Skill Focus,supplemented by feats boosting mobility (speed ordefenses against opportunity attacks). Suggested Skill Powers: befriend, confusingblather, cry for mercy, incredible stride, indomitable ally,insightful comment, insightful counter, insightful riposte, false bravado, fas t talk, fau lty memory, haggle, mas terdiplomat, noble sacrifice, serpents tongue, soothing words,stall tactics, stirring speech, sudden leap.

Nimble Hunter Pounce Level 7 Uncommon Do not hesita te. Grace is simplicity and focus. Step in, strik e,step out.


Effect: You jump a number of squares up to your speed.After the next melee attack you make this round, you canshift up to half your speed.

Nimble Hunter Level 17 Uncommon

Grace of EloquenceWords cannot be blocked. There is no defense against thebeauty of logic.


Effect: You jump a number of squares up to your speed. Ifyour next melee attack this turn hits, each ally within 10squares of you who can hear you gains 10 temporary hitpoints.

N ORTHERN F IST

Few in number but broad in scope, t he students ofthe school of the Northern Fist protect the commonpeople. Should the empire ever collapse, the North-ern Fist will make sure that the laws are followed andhonor upheld. Style: Northern Fist students prefer to capturetheir foes and turn them over to the authorities ratherthan kill them. As such, the style focuses on striking vital areas with the intent to incapacitate or paralyze.Students learn the pressure points of the body andcan read the ki of their opponents. More so than other schools, the way of the North-ern Fist extends beyond merely learning to fight.Its philosophy exalts stewardship of the empireor,more precisely, the people of the empire. A North-

ern Fist student should be willing to die protectingeven the lowliest person, as long as that person doesno evil. Master: The small dojos of the Northern Fist haveno central great school to link them. Each sensei oper-ates independently and sends messages to the othersonly when there is news of victory or impendingdanger. The closest thing to a master the school has isShouchang, and she is more a spiritual leader than acombat trainer. Her voice guides the school, keepingit on the correct path. She faces little opposition, forthe way of the Northern Fist is clear. Temple: Dojos of the Northern Fist are scat-tered throughout Shou Lung. These small dojosrarely advertise their presence; most operate fromthe back rooms of shops or out of caves. Only onelocation unites the dojos of the Northern Fist: TheHall of the Great Masters belongs to no one master,and no students train there. Two events bring dis-ciples of the Northern Fist to the sacred hall: whena student becomes a master, and when the statueof a new master is placed within it to join those of

previously inducted masters. The halls location is asecret known only to the masters of t he school. Goals: Every student of the Northern Fist schoolswears to protect the common people. If the Empireshould collapse, these students are duty-bound toensure that the people of Shou Lung follow the lawsand honor one another. Until such a timemay itnever comethey go where the law fails to reach,stopping bandit attacks, covertly deposing corruptadministrators, and defending the weak against thestrong and privileged. Tests and Trials: In the first of two tests, the Testof the Great Masters, the student enters the Hall ofthe Great Masters. It is rumored that one of the stat-ues within then comes to life, animated by the spiritof one of the great masters, and the student mustbattle it in a fight to the death.

A victorious student must then complete the Testof the Inner Soul, in which another master poses amoral choice. There is no one answer, but the choicelays bare the true nature of the student. If the masterbelieves that this nature fits the way of the NorthernFist, the student joins the ranks of the masters.

Northern Fist TechniquesBecause they protect the people, most Northern Fistpractitioners are defenders. Their abilities also work well for controllers who use primarily nonlethal

attacks. Leaders, too, follow the Northern Fist, butthey get more out of its philosophy than they do itscombat techniques. The Northern Fists prefer weap-ons that can be used to subdue, such as quarterstaffs,clubs, hammers, and bare fists. The Disciple of Justicefeat, and feats from the steadfast willpower category,fit Northern Star students. Suggested Skill Powers: anticipate maneuver, con- viction , insight ful comment, insightful counter, miraculoustreatment, physicians care, prescient defense.

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Northern Fist Level 8 Uncommon Paralyzing PointStrike like the scorpion defending its den from the predator,and block the ki to stop your foes movement.

Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 3,400 gp

Utility Power Encounter (Move Action)Effect: You move up to half your speed. If the next meleeattack you make this turn hits, the target is immobi-lized until the end of your next turn, and you can shift 1square.

Northern Fist Level 18 Uncommon Distant Pain Just as the wind ripples the waves, your extend ed ki disru pts your foe. Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 85,000 gpUtility Power Encounter (Move Action)

Effect: You move up to your speed or shift up to half yourspeed. The next melee attack you make this turn has arange of 5 instead of its normal range, and one target hitby it takes ongoing 10 damage (save ends).

S OUTHERN S TAR

The mystical Southern Star school emphasizes thepower of ki. Students shape their inner strength intodeadly long-range strikes, defeating their enemies without physical contact. The Southern Star temple was destroyed generations ago, so the school hasadapted to train in the empty places away fromcivilization. Style: Students of the Southern Star are taughtthat the hardest target to hit is the one that cannot bereached, and the deadliest weapon is the one that thetarget cannot escape the reach of. They learn to focustheir ki in their strikes, then to focus just beyondthem, then further and further yet, until their attackscan reach distant foes. It takes a powerful will topunch beyond the physical reach of a fist, and South-ern Star practitioners are often quiet, focused, andintent.

Master: The master of the Southern Star is amysterious figure. Grandmasters reportedly have asecret technique to remove themselves from memory,and as such little is known about them, not eventheir gender. Long white hair flowing in the wind isthe only image that remains in the minds of those who have met the master of the Southern Star. Mostassume that this extreme secrecy is a reaction to thedestruction of the schools ancient temple, but othersclaim that it is to conceal the fact that the school hasnot one master, but many. Temple: The Southern Star school has no centraltemple or dojo. Its grand temple was destroyed andthe Great Bell shattered long ago, and since then theschool has lived like the wind, blowing all across

Kara-Tur. Students practice in the forests and themountains, far from civilization. Training groundsand dojos of the earth and sky are marked withboulders that have been split in two without any signof tools or impact. Goals: The master of the Southern Star is myste-rious and aloof, and if he or she has any goals, theyare unclear. However, other prominent membersof the school are pushing for change. Huamu, whois said to be able to bend the winds to his will, ca llsfor the creation of a new temple. His students travelthe land looking for a suitable location. His detrac-tors say that settling down in a t emple again will just make the school a ta rget for at tack. Make a

USING MARTIAL ARTS OUTSIDE KARA-TUR

These styles originated in Kara-Tur, but can be usedelsewhere, including more traditional D&D settings.Feel free to adapt the flavor of a style to suit yoursetting, even if it does not have a strong Asian influ-ence. Some ideas on how to do this are presentedbelow, but you can change the details to suit yourparticular campaign. The Dragon Claw school could be an ancienttiefling or drow fighting art, closely related to war-lock traditions. Halflings or gnomes might have created the FiveStars school to counter the advantages of the stron-ger races. Or perhaps it originated among half-elveswho had to be pragmatic and learn what they could,where they could. Iron Hand could be an ancient dwarven martialart developed during the dwarves struggle for free-dom from the giants, or it could have been inventedby goliaths or half-orcs in a mountaintop retreat.

Mad Monkeys first student could have been ahalfling, or a dwarf that shared his brothers love ofale but not their foolhardy bravery. The Order of the Nimble Hunter could be amonastic order of elves and eladrin dedicated toCorellon. Perhaps it includes some prominent devasas well. Dragonborn could have created the NorthernFist style to maintain order as their empire fell. Ordoes the style keep alive the codes of honor that theancient dwarf forefathers first ar ticulated? Did half-orcs invent it to civilize their fellows? The Southern Star school also fits well with half-lings or gnomes trying to avoid making themselvesa target for conquest, but its mystical associationscould have been born of eladrin experimentation ordeva enlightenment.

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bell and someone will ring it is a common sayingamong the Southern Star. Tests and Trials: The tests of the Southern Starfocus on action at a distance. Students move pebbles,then stones, then boulders. Their first trial is the tra-ditional Test of No Wind, where they must snuf f acandles flame without moving. Masters must cleave aboulder as tall as themselves without touching it.

Southern Star Techniques The Southern Star style focuses on ranged attacks,so almost any ranged class is thematically appropri-ate. Classes that do not use weapons, such as psionsand sorcerers, could use their inner ki to focus theirpowers. Powers that enable melee attacks at a dis-tance, such as masterful spiral, also suit the style well.Martial artists are usually in the middle of fightsrather than at the edges, so feats that allow you tomake ranged attacks without provoking opportunityattacks and feats that boost your defenses will helpkeep you alive there. Suggested Skill Powers: far sight, focused sight, guided shot , perfect sight, spot weakness.

Southern Star Level 4 Uncommon Ring the Bell Dont d eceive yourself into think ing your reach ends with your fists. Strike further, from within. Alternative Reward: Grandmaster training 840 gp

Utility Power Encounter (Move Action)Effect: You move up to your speed or shift up to half yourspeed. Your reach increases by 1 for all melee attacksyou make before the end of your next turn.

Southern Star Level 14 Uncommon Cleave the Boulder You raise a fist and strike an enemy far from your reach.


Effect: You move up to your speed or shift up to half yourspeed. All melee attacks you make until the end of your

next turn can be made as ranged 10 attacks instead.

About the AuthorLogan Bonners credits include The Slaying Stone and Monster Vault . He lives in the Seattle area and works as afreelance game designer, writer, and editor. You can followhim on Twitter, where hes @loganbonner.

Derek Guder is the event programming manager at GenCon, where he does his best to juggle thousands of events.He has written a handful of articles for D&D Insider, includ-ing The Fraternal Order of the Inner Vault. He is vocal and vulgar on Twit ter @frequentbeef.

Editor Wade Rockett

Developer Jeremy Craw ford

Managing EditorKim Mohan

ProducersChristopher Perkins, Greg Bilsland

Art DirectorsKate Irwin, Jon Schindehette

IllustratorChad King

Graphic ProductionErin Dorries

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October 2011 | D R A G O N 4 0 4 TM & 2011 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All rights reserved.

Class Acts: Assassin

Secrets of the Ninja By Dave Chalker Illustration by Kerem Beyit

Look into my eyes as your life slips away.You may be lled with terror. You may want to cry out, but nd you cannot. Youmay be wondering what happens next.You probably hate me for bringing youto this point. But you are about to learnthe ultimate secret, and go where eventhe gods fear to tread. You are about toexperience the mystery that we spend our whole lives trying to understand; and inthese nal seconds, I wish to share it with you, as I have with hundreds of others.

The Ninja AssassinOf all the warriors in the realm to draw steel incombat, the ninja is the most mysterious. The streetsare full of whispered rumors about these silent spiesand killers, who seem able to appear anywhere atany time. Some say that ninja can alter their appear-ances so skillfully that one of them can stand beforea victim in the guise of a lifelong friend or trustedretainer, and awaken no suspicion; and that they cankill with a single sword stroke. Even mighty warlordsin their castles are careful to never offend a ninja

NINJA IN D&D The ninja appeared in the 1st Edition Oriental

Adventures as a fully playable class for the Kara- Tur campaign setti ng. Such charac ters wererequired to have a dual class of ninja and a coverclass to hide their true nature, and divided their XP between the two. In 2nd Edition AD&D, TheComplete Ninjas Handbook presented the ninjaas a complete class, with a variety of kits to further customize the ninjas abilities (while alsoopening up the option of an all-ninja campaign).A full ninja class appeared in the 3rd EditionOriental Adventures handbook, for playing sucha character in the world of Rokugan. This articlebrings the Kara-Tur ninja to 4th Edition D&Das an option for the executioner assassin fromPlayers Option: Heroes of Shadow. Most modern historians in the real worldagree that the images of ninja in popular cultureare pure fiction, from their style of dress to theirchoice of weapons and their purported abilities.In the mythical world of D&D, however, this mayall be fact. And besides , what better way for theninja to hide than to be dismissed as invention?

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clan, lest their offending tongues be silenced swiftlyand permanently.

These rumors only touch on the truth, thoughthe ninja make no effort to correct any falsehoods.Indeed, the mysteries that surround the ninja arepart of their power. The secret of how one comes tobe a ninja is guarded so closely that any who discoverit without the consent of a ninja clan find them-selves hunted. This and other secrets of the ninja arerevealed here once and for all, for those who wish to join their ranks and adventure in Kara-Tur.

Origins of the NinjaBefore the forging of the Empire of Shou Lung, would-be warlords and conquerors warred against eachother in constant struggle. Mercenary spies and assas-sins soon found that if they were good at discoveringsecrets and assassinating enemy leaders, they wouldbe well rewarded by those in power. These originalshadow men formed small companies for mutualprotection, sold their talents to the highest bidder,and ensured that it would be well known when anassassination was their work. Had this state of affairs continued, the shadow men would have become little more than a highly special-ized variety of mercenary f ighter. However, somethingchanged with every assassination they performed. Theassassins began to see something in t he eyes of those

they killed: a glimpse of what lay beyond the veil ofdeath. As each life slipped away, the assassins met their victims dying gaze and felt something reach out tothem from beyond. A cold and powerful force seemedto draw away a portion of the assassins soul, and inreturn gave a portion of shadow power to the assassin. The assassins began to discover that the powerthey received from these deaths allowed them tomanifest new abilities: commanding the darkness,enhancing their natural prowess, and allowing themto fade from sight. The mercenary assassins weregone. The ninja had arrived.

The Way of Secrets The age of war in Shou Lung ended with the comingof the imperial dynasty. Though conflict did not end with the arrival of the empire, the ninja knew thattheir services as spies and assassins would not be as

needed in the new age as t hey had been before.Still, there were those who needed secrets uncov-

ered and enemies removed; and the n inja wished tocontinue their shadowy way of life, especially theirquest to draw power from the dying. Thus the ninjatransitioned into civic life, dissolving their formermercenary companies and re-forming into clans.

The clans became central to a ninjas life, han-dling the business end of spying and assassinationand providing protection from retribution. Secrecy was paramount, both for avoiding the clans enemiesand for making sure that no one would discover thesource of their power. Some clans hid within busi-nesses, others within remote monasteries in themountains, and some within temples. Legend speaksof a shrine where a tithe given to the priest along witha slip of rice paper bearing a persons name marksthat person as a target for the ninja.

The Honor of the NinjaMost samurai believe that the ninja have no honor.Indeed, the code that governs the rigid life of a samu-rai has no meaning to a ninja. Instead, the ninja keeptheir own code that revolves around what they valuethe most: keeping secrets. The most important tenet to a ninja is to keep thesecrets of all ninja. Revealing anything about howthe ninja came to be or the source of their power isthe highest form of disgrace for a ninja. A ninja whodrinks too much sake and reveals one of the ninjassecrets is likely to find himself hunted by all ninjaclans, as well as putting in danger all those who were within earshot.

The secrets of ones clan are also sacrosanct. The location and operations of a clan are to be kepthidden, even under torture or in times of great need. Anyth ing that threatens to expose the clan threatensall clan members, their allies, and their families. Sac-rificing yourself to keep the clan hidden is consideredhonorable among the ninja, even when the clans areoperating at cross purposes. Additionally, any missionundertaken by a ninja is considered to be an exten-sion of the clan itself, so its details should be held tothe same standard. Finally, as a valued agent of a clan, each ninja isexpected to keep the secret of his identity safe. Thismeans performing most missions in the dark gar-ments ( gi ) by which they are usually identified. Justas often (but not as widely known), a ninja will use adisguise to complete a mission. The only restriction

in either case is that a ninja should never cover hiseyes. The ability to see into the soul of the dying wasthe ninjas first gateway to power and thus needs to bepreserved on every mission.

Becoming a NinjaNinja are recruited from all ages, races, and socialclasses. From the street urchin who has a knack forbeing in the right place to overhear important gossip,to the old man who runs the noodle house where thenobility like to eat, each has value in the eyes of the

ninja clans. Some clans distinguish themselves byrecruiting from certain races, while others recruitfrom certain geographical areas. There is even a clandedicated solely to battling the yakuza, which recruitsthose who have shown themselves to be enemies oforganized crime. Joining a ninja clan usually happens in one of two ways. First, an individual might show promise in frontof a ninja. Usually the individual does not realize thathe is being observed by a ninja while performing anact of great skill or cleverness, or uncovering a valu-able secret.

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Then there are those who seek to become ninja. Whether such an individual is fascinated by the leg-ends or is one of the rare few who have seen a ninjain action and lived, these would-be assassins set outin search of one of the ninja clans. It is said that onesfirst trial in becoming a ninja this way is discoveringthe identity of a n inja who could accept you into theclan: any who can do this are worthy, for one whocan find a ninja is capable of finding an assassinationtarget no matter where he hides. In either case, the other members of the clan willabduct a promising would-be ninja in the dead ofnight, delivering a mild poison that knocks the recruitout so that the clan can bring him to the first train-ing ground without revealing its location. There, theapplicant undergoes a series of tests in a variety ofenvironments, from the slopes of treacherous moun-

tains to the high ledges above the city streets. Successon these tests proves that the applicant is worthy toreceive the secrets of the ninja and willing to obey theclans orders. The applicant is then instructed to killa living being that has a soul and stare into its eyes,so as to see beyond death itself and begin to gain thetrue power of the ninja. If the applicant survives thisprocess with his sanity intact, he is inducted into theclan, though it takes years of training in various weap-ons and techniques before he becomes a full ninja.If he fails, the applicant might find himself turnedover to the city guards for murder, to be locked awayforever babbling about phantom ninja. If the appli-cant proves especially unreliable, he may find himselfseeing death firsthand.

Ninja Adventurers The life of a ninja, with its strict clan obligations,might seem incompatible with many adventur-ing parties. However, a variety of ninja archetypesdo fit well with an adventuring party in Kara-Tur(and beyond), though they often come from unusualbackgrounds.

While many ninja missions of espionage orassassination tend to be short, some require a morelong-term approach. Because of this fact, some ninja work toward a goal that requires many steps toachieve. Not all assassination targets are powerlessor even humanoid, after all. A mighty lich lord mightrequire extensive study in order to find his phylac-tery, disable his magical defenses, and undermine hisundead empirenot a task that can be accomplishedin a single evening. A ninja might find an adventuringparty with a similar goal and join them in performingall of these steps, along with meeting whatever otherchallenges come up along the way. A ninja on such along-term assignment will likely adopt a cover iden-tity for the entire time he works with a party. Oncethe mission is complete, the ninja might petition theclan to remain with the party if the characters have

proven useful. Otherwise, the ninja may vanish intothe night, leaving no clue for his former companionsas to his true intentions. Some clans prefer to take a more proactiveapproach rather than receiving missions from those who can afford to pay. They seek knowledge in allits forms, addicted to secrets that no one else pos-sesses. Some ninja are charged with discovering asmany secrets as they can, no matter where the questtakes them. These seekers will join up with adventur-ing parties, especially those who do a great deal ofexploration and traveling. The ninja reports secretsdiscovered back to his clan by means of trained car-rier pigeons or other agents of the clan that he met while abroad. If anything particularly important isfound, the ninja might be instructed to try to keep itsexistence hidden. This dictate might lead him intoconflict with other adventurers, who are inclined toboast about what they discover. These seekers mayeven let on to their companions that they are ninja,though they still likely maintain a secret identity fortraveling purposes.

The most dangerous type of ninja is the renegade,one who is hunted by his ninja clan (or all clans) forbetrayal or disobedience. Such a ninja posses thedeadly powers of his brethren but uses them to sur- vive. Cut off from his resources with no one he cantrust, a renegade ninja might join up with an adven-turing party, offering his skills in exchange for mutualprotection. Bringing to bear the powers of a ninja without their attendant obligations, a renegade ninjamight find new challenges in the world beyond theclan. However, a life on the run can end in only oneof two ways: Either the ninja will be caught and killedby the clan, or he will find a way to destroy the clan

NINJA OUTSIDE K ARA-TUR

In Kara-Tur, ninja might be mysterious, but theyare known to exist. In other settings, they mightbe spoken of only in the most obscure of urbanlegends. Other assassins might even regard themas myth. A ninja characters clan might be the onlyclan that exists, and so the ninjas reach might notbe as extensive. In such a case, they must make up for their limited influence with deadliness. In the D&D core setting, consider makingninja followers of Vecna who saw the MaimedGod of Secrets in the eyes of the dying, and

forged a pact with him in order to gain theirshadow magic. In return, Vecna might haveinstilled in them the desire to discover newsecrets to feed to him, as well as an urge to addmore living beings to the ranks of the dead. There may also be ninja clans who follow Ioun,providing her with knowledge in return formagical power. They are less concerned withoperating as paid assassins, though they are still fascinated by death in all its forms.

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that hunts him. Successfully escaping from a group ofhighly trained assassins is very difficult, and thus thestory of the renegade ninja usually ends in tragedy.

Alternative Class FeaturesInstead of one of the guilds discussed in PlayersOption: Heroes of Shadow, you can select the Way ofthe Ninja as your guild.

The Way of the Ninja teaches that secrets arepower. Use the secrets you have learned to strikein an unexpected way. Utilize all that you know todefeat your target, and to accomplish your mission.Keep safe the secrets of your clan, even if it means your death. Mixing melee, reach, and ranged weap-ons means that you will never be caught off guard nomatter the situation, but your opponents will. You gain the powers ninja-to rush, poisonou sshuriken, and whirling kusari-gama. In addition, youhave proficiency with shuriken and the kusari-gama, your Attack Finesse class feature also applies tokusari-gama and shuriken, and your assassin poi-sons that can be applied to ammunition can also beapplied to your shuriken.

Ninja-to Rush Assassin Attack Coming from an unexpected direction, surprise and momen-tum combine to form a powerful strike.

At-Will F Martial, Weapon

Standard Action Melee weaponRequirement: You must use this power with a shortsword.

Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. AC. If you have jumped, fallen, or

flown this turn, you gain combat advantage against thetarget for this attack.

Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.Level 21: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.

Special: When charging, you can use this power in placeof a melee basic attack.

Poisonous Shuriken Assassin Attack Your foes barely feel it when the sharp metal pierces theirskin. They certainly feel it after that.

At-Will F Martial, WeaponStandard Action Ranged weaponRequirement: You must use this power with shuriken.

Target: One, two, or three creatures Attack: Dexterity vs. ACHit: 1[W] damage. Level 21:2[W] damage.Special: If you deliver an assassin poison with this attack,

it applies to each target hit by this attack, even if thepoison would normally be applied to only a single pieceof ammunition.

Whirling Kusari-gama Assassin Attack Though your foe is watching the chain, it really should be watching the sick le.

At-Will F Martial, WeaponStandard Action Melee weaponRequirement: You must use this power with a kusari-

gama. Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. ReflexHit: Dexterity modifier damage, and the target falls

prone. You can shift 1 square and make the secondaryattack with the secondary end of the kusari-gama.

Secondary Target: One creature Secondary Attack: Dexterity vs. AC Hit: 1[W] damage. Level 21: 2[W] damage.

Assassin Utility Powers This section includes utility powers for the assassin,designed especially for ninja characters.

Smoke Bomb Assassin Utility 2With an alchemical concoction mixed with a bit of shadowmagic, you conjure a wall of smoke to cover your escape.Encounter F Shadow, ZoneImmediate Reaction Close burst 1

Trigger: An enemy enters a square adjacent to you.Effect: The burst creates a lightly obscured zone that

lasts until the end of your next turn. You can then shiftup to your speed.

Feathery Tread Assassin Utility 6 Even the sea cannot keep you from your target.Encounter F Shadow

Minor Action PersonalEffect: Until the start of your next turn, you float an inchabove the ground. You ignore difficult terrain and canboth move across liquid and stand on it as if it weresolid ground.

Veil of a Thousand Faces Assassin Utility 10You shed your identity as easily as you shed your clothes.

At-Will F Illusion, ShadowStandard Action PersonalPrerequisite: You must have the Flawless Disguise class feature.

Effect: You craft a new disguise. You gain a +2 powerbonus to the Bluff checks made to prevent detection.

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Tools of the Ninja While the ninja pride themselves on being able touse a variety of weapons specific to the job they areundertaking, they have developed several tools thatsee widespread use.

Manual of Ninjutsu Level 3+ UncommonThe most basic manual of the ninja teaches the secret of using the shadows as a weapon .Lvl 3 +1 680 gp Lvl 18 +4 85,000 gpLvl 8 +2 3,400 gp Lvl 23 +5 425,000 gpLvl 13 +3 17,000 gp Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000 gpImplement: Ki focusEnhancement Bonus: Attack rolls and damage rollsCritical: +1d6 damage per plusProperty When you use assassins strike on a target granting combatadvantage to you, you can reroll any of the powers damagedice that come up as a 1. Continue until all the dice rollhigher than a 1.

Level 13 or 18: Reroll 1s or 2s; result higher than a 2.Level 23 or 28: Reroll 1s, 2s, or 3s; result higher than a 3.

There exists a single tome that details how the firstninja gained their power, and how best to use theshadow power granted from the dying. Only theeldest ninja masters even know of its existence, and itis said that those who read it are allowed to recite itscontents only in the minutes before their death.

The Ineffable Secret of Death Level 15+ RareThe original masters penned this tome with the intent that itbe read in a time of dire need. It holds the secret of how to usethe power of the dying as a weapon against the living.Lvl 15 +3 25,000 gp Lvl 25 +5 625,000 gpLvl 20 +4 125,000 gp Lvl 30 +6 3,125,000 gp

Implement: Ki focusEnhancement Bonus: Attack rolls and damage rollsCritical: +1d10 necrotic damage per plusProperty Any attack you make with this implement against a targetgranting combat advantage to you deals extra necroticdamage to that target. The damage equals to this itemsenhancement bonus.

Attack Power F Daily (No Action)Trigger: You use assassins strike on a bloodied target .Effect: The damage from assassins strikeis maximized.

Utility Power F Encounter Utility ( Free Action)Trigger: You reduce a creature adjacent to you to 0 hit

points with an attack using this implement.Effect: You are insubstantial and phasing until the end of

your next turn.Utility Power F Daily (Minor Action)

Effect: Your next attack this turn is made against the tar-gets lowest defense.

New Weapon: Kusari-gamaOriginally a tool used by farmers and peasants totend crops and for a variety of other mundane uses,the kusari-gama was adopted as a weapon by theninja because of both its flexibility and its ability topass unnoticed as a common item. This weapon features a sickle (or kama) on oneend of a chain and a heavy weight on the other, withthe weight swung with great force and used to eitherentangle or trip a foe, and the kama used to slice at a vital part of the body.

About the AuthorDave Chalker is a freelance game designer and editor-in-chief of the award-winning blog Critical-Hits.com. His recent work includes the Rumble in t he Valley adventure in Dun- geon 193, co-writing the Choose Your Fortunes Wiselyarticle for the D&D website, designing for the Dragon Brigade Roleplay ing Game from Margaret Weis Productions, and cre-ating the board game Get Bit! from Mayday Games. This is hisfirst article for Dragon.

Developer Tanis OConnor

Editor Wade Rockett

Managing Editors Jeremy Crawford, Kim Mohan

Producers

Greg Bilsland, Christopher PerkinsArt DirectorsKate Irwin, Jon Schindehette

IllustratorKerem Beyit

Graphic ProductionErin Dorries, Angie Lokotz

SUPERIOR MELEE WEAPONDouble Weapon Weapon Prof. Damage Range Price Weight Group PropertiesKusari-gama +2 1d8 10 gp 3 lb. Flail Defensive, reach Secondary end +2 1d6 Light blade Off-hand

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The lands of Kara-Tur hold wonders that includethe Great Dragon Wall and the Impossible Palaceof Silver Domes. They also hold mysteries, such asthe Ruins of Nanayok and the Temple of Saigai. Yetno place in all of Kara-Tur is wondrous or mysteri-ous enough to rival the cliffs of Tanghai, becausethis holy site is the living symbol of the CelestialHeavens existence. The cliffs of Tanghai are great black basalt wallsoverlooking the mighty Hungtse River, which cutsthrough central Shou Lung. In ages past, red light-ning sent from the Celestial Heaven inscribedthree-foot-high words upon the cliffs rough surface,proclaiming the teachings of the Path of Enlighten-ment. For centuries, pilgrims, monks, and scholarshave endured an arduous journey so that they canmeditate within sight of the cliffs and study theintricate script that decorates the walls. Over time,monastic orders were formed to focus on the words

inscribed by the Celestial Emperor. Travelers fromother lands call anyone within these orders rune-priests, and the natives of the lands of Kara-Tur callthem shan zi, or the words of lightning. The shan zi embody the importance placed uponthe written word by the average inhabitant of Kara-Tur.Reverence for the past, one of the leading principlesetched upon the cliffs of Tanghai, has also led to wide-spread literacy. Every province in Shou Lung hasschools sanctioned by the central government, with t hehope of finding new recruits for its bureaucracy. Muchof the burden of teaching falls upon wandering monks

and priests, who follow the Path of Enlightenment andthe philosophy known as the Way. Tu Lung and moredistant lands, such as Koryo, Kozakura, and Wa, havegoals similar to t hose of Shou Lung.

R UN E M AGIC

IN K AR A -T UR

Common folk in Kara-Tur are more accustomed torune magic than those who live in other lands. Tinysutra scrolls bearing symbols of good luck adorn mosthomes. Runepriests are sought out to give these smalltalismans a more practical effect. These enchantedscrolls range in size from small strips of parchment tolarge hanging decorations. When one is focused on orread aloud, it burns with red lightning as the magiccontained in the words is released (see the ScribeSutra feat, below). In most large cities of Kara-Tur, shan zi scribescrolls for a fee. This activity serves as one of the mainsources of income for temples and monasteries thattrain runepriests. Although most of these runepriestsare junior acolytes, a few true masters can craft morepowerful, and larger, sutra scrolls. As a rule, thesemasters live in distant monasteries. Though theyaccept payment for their craft, they work only forthose they deem worthy to receive such a blessing.Many an upstart noble has failed at securing the services of a runepriest master, regardless of how muchgold she offered in return.

Class Acts: Runepriest

Shan Zi of Kara-TurWritten and illustrated by Claudio Pozas




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R UNIC A RTISTRY T RADITIONS

All t raditions of Runic Artist ry exist throughoutthe lands of Kara-Tur. Although any runepriest

can follow the path most comfortable to him orher, some generalizations apply when it comes tothe overall organization of these traditions. Mostrunepriests have a y in-and-yang symbol displayedsomewhere on themselves, representing the twobasic rune states that a shan zi masters: destructionand protection. As with most ordained priests and monks ofthe Path of Enlightenment, Kara-Turs runepriestsgarb themselves in red, be it a sash or a full set ofrobes, to represent the red lightning that carved thecliffs of Tanghai. The style of a runepriests cloth-ing and armor, as well as ones choice of weapons, varies based on the Runic Artis try tradition thecharacter follows. The three traditions discussed here are Defiant Word and Wrathful Hammer, both described in Players Handbook 3, and Serene Blade, a new form ofRunic Artistry detailed later in this article.

Defiant WordDefiant Word runepriests are common in Koryo, Tu Lu ng, and Tabot. They favor heav y armor withred accents, and they prefer to w ield longspearsand halberds decorated with red tassels. Most rune-priests of this tradition who leave their monasterieseither join the standing army of their homeland orremain in a monastery in t he role of temple guard. The general populace of Kara-Tur highly respectsDefiant Word runepriests, and, of all the tradi-tions, this one most commonly deals with thenobles. People see these runepriests as more reli-able than those of the Serene Blade traditionand better behaved than those of the Wrathful

Hammer. Their skill at arms is called upon to defendborderland villages. The immortal associated with the Defiant Wordshan zi is Chih Shih, lord of sages and patron ofhistory, lore, and tradition. Following his lead,runepriests try to assemble the lore of the past intoperfectly executed scrolls and books, which helps toensure that knowledge is not lost.

Serene BladeSerene Blade runepriests are the epitome of the rune-priests devotion to the words and sigils bestowedupon mortals by the Celestial Emperor, and they arethe most commonly encountered runepriests in Shou

Lung. Dressed in red robes, a Serene Blade runepriestgravitates toward the longsword or the glaive as hisor her weapon of choice, and decorates that weapon with red ideograms and tassels. Most Serene Bladerunepriests adopt the life of the wandering priest,spreading literacy and teaching the tenets of the Pathof Enlightenment to the peasants of Kara-Tur. A Serene Blades flashy style and penchant for set-tling quarrels by dueling in the street makes theserunepriests beloved by the common people. Thesesame traits do nothing to endear them to most nobles, who see them as wild cards and troublemaking vagabonds.

CALLIGRAPHY AND ENLIGHTENMENT

All lands of Kara-Tur use a variation of Shou Chiang,a 24-character alphabet that many claim was

handed down to the first residents of Shou Lungby the Celestial Emperor. Written from top tobottom and left to right, it has intricate charactersthat writers can tailor to change the meaning andintonation of the words they form. The numerals inShou Chiang are transported easily to the abacus,which is a vital tool in the day-to-day running ofthe bureaucracy. Written communication in Shou Chiang is asmuch a work of art as it is a learned discipline.Presses that employ movable type exist, but theyare used only for technical texts, such as those cre-ated by bureaucrats. For important declarations orworks of verse, calligraphy is a must, and so it hasbecome one of the most respected skills a nativeof Kara-Tur can have. A readers reaction to a writ-ten message is greatly influenced by the beauty ofthe writing, and a capable poet who has superior

artistic skills can defeat a more eloquent poet incalligraphic competitions.

Calligraphy in Kara-Tur is not only the art of writ-ing beautiful ideograms. Although precise brushstrokes are an essential part of calligraphy, the truemaster must decide which color to use, how muchto dilute the ink, how fast to move the brush, andwhich paper to employ. All these factors depend onthe intended use of the writing. Masters in calligra-phy use red ink only for important scrolls , becausethe color symbolizes the red lightning that struckthe cliffs of Tanghai. A master scribe often becomes lost in the act,letting the words of the Celestial Heaven flow fromthe body and onto the writing surface. Masteryof calligraphic techniques enables a runepriest ofKara-Tur to reach enlightenment, which in turnaffects all aspects of the runepriests life, frompersonal behavior to combat prowess. This mastery forms the basis of a runepriests magic.

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The immortal associated with the Serene Bladeshan zi is Chen Hsiang, inspiration of poets andpatron of poetry, music, and literature. Honoring histeachings, runepriests seek out the most beautifulof ancient works of art, especially written art forms,and they try to create ideograms that are not onlyperfectly reproduced, but that reflect the emotions ofthe scribe.

Wrathful Hammer These hammer-toting runepriests are in the outskirtsof Shou Lung, the Plains of Horses and Northern Wastes, and the hilly regions of Kozakura and Wa. A Wrathful Hammer runepriest often carries a redtetsubo (greatclub) or maul, and his or her armor islacquered in deep crimson. Wrathful Hammer runepriests have earned areputation as boisterous hunters of the supernatu-ral, traveling the countryside in search of evil spiritsto banish and evil humanoids to beat. Some hopeto inspire the commoners with their prowess, andothers see each new threat as another rung in theladder toward the Celestial Heaven. The immortal associated with the WrathfulHammer shan zi is Chan Cheng, mighty lord ofheroes and patron of war, martial arts, combat, andbravery. Runepriests of the Wrathful Hammer sculptenormous stone shrines or forge huge metal bells

decorated with the words of the Path of Enlighten-ment. Emulating this patron, runepriests seek outlegends of brave heroes to inspire the common folkand carve these heroes into stone markers that willlast for eternity.

P LAYING A S HA N Z I

Kara-Turs runepriests are an educated lot. Unlikeother runepriests, who seek out divine runes for thepower they impart, shan zi are devoted to wordsthat shape the lives of nearly all people in their land.

Being immersed in the teachings of the Path ofEnlightenment, runepriests of Kara-Tur find it hardto be as unceremonious toward the source of theirpower as their foreign counterparts. If you want to reflect this devotion, you should tryto create a character trained in the skills that reflectthe teachings of the Path of Enlightenment: Diplo-macy, History, Insight, and Religion (which everyrunepriest already receives). A shan zi should nothave training in Bluff and should follow a lawful goodalignment. Recommended feats include Scribe Sutraand Heavenly Halberdier (both described below),Disciple of Lore ( Heroes of the Fallen Lands ), and anyrunepriest feat. Skill powers based on Diplomacy,History, and Insight are also good choices, showing adeeper understanding of the past and a more harmo-nious nature.

Although you gain no mechanical penalty fordisregarding these guidelines, they present an inter-esting roleplaying challenge for those willing toreflect the philosophies of Kara-Tur.

Runic Artistry Although most shan zi in Kara-Tur follow the twomajor traditions of rune magic, Defiant Word and Wrathful Hammer, a sizable minority practices thetradition of the Serene Blade. When creating a rune-priest, you can choose the following Runic Artistry

option instead of those in Players Handbook 3. Serene Blade: You gain proficiency with allone-handed and two-handed military heavy blades. While you are not wearing heavy armor, you canuse your Wisdom modifier in place of your Dexter-ity or Intelligence modifier to determine your AC.Once per round immediately after an enemy dealsdamage to you with an attack, you gain temporary hitpoints equal to your Wisdom modifier. The numberof temporary hit points increases to 5 + your Wisdommodifier at 11th level and 10 + your Wisdom modi-fier at 21st level.

THE PATH OF

ENLIGHTENMENT

As inscribed upon the cliffs of Tanghai by redlightning, the Path of Enlightenment focuses

upon honoring ones ancestors and upholding astable and fair system of government that reflectsthe Celestial Empire. One of the main beliefs ofthe path is the concept of li, or righteousness,which must be upheld throughout ones life. Theinscriptions of Tanghai are as follows:F Honor that which has gone before you,

because the past is eternal.F Honor and respect your elders and the ances-

tors. Show honor in word, thought, and deed.F Speak not false words, nor engage in false

acts, because these are not righteous.F Do honor to he who rules you, because the

world is the Mirror of Heaven, and the Son ofHeaven is the mirror of the Celestial One. Beobedient to your lord.

F Engage in no base activity, nor commitmurder, because to strike another in thename of anger is not righteous.

F Do honor and be fair to those you must rule,because under the eye of Heaven, they areyour equals.

F Know that all things are One under Heaven,

even the lowliest of creatures. The Path of Enlightenment is the official statereligion in Shou Lung, and lords throughout Kara- Tur have used these precepts as a justification fortheir own status and power. Many runepriests,being devoted to the words of the Path, becomeguardians of these precepts, and they mightturn against a ruler whom they do not considerrighteous. This sort of zealotry has made themandarins of Shou Lung and the daimyos ofKozakura and Wa wary of runepriests.




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N EW R UNEPRIEST P OWERS

A runepriest of the appropriate level can choose fromthe following new powers.

Level 3 Encounter PowerBy weaving your weapon around you, you can useit to scribe words that remove afflictions from yourallies and strike terror into your enemies hearts.

Words of Bravery Runepriest Attack 3You move your weapon as a brush, batting enemies asideand strengthening one of your comrades.Encounter F Divine, Fear, Runic, WeaponStandard Action Close burst 1

Target: Each creature in the burst Attack: Strength vs. ACHit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage, and you can

push the target 1 square.Effect: You and one ally within 5 squares of you can make

a saving throw.Rune of Destruction: The first ally who hits the target

before the end of your next turn can push the targetup to a number of squares equal to your Wisdommodifier.

Rune of Protection: You and the ally each gain a powerbonus to the saving throw equal to your Wisdommodifier.

Level 6 Utility PowerMoving your thumb quickly, you inscribe a mercifulmantra upon thin air. Those words also appear on theforehead of a wounded ally, easing that persons pain.

Words of Compassion Runepriest Utility 6You write words that heal your ally with their inner warmth.Daily F Divine, Healing Standard Action Close burst 5

Target: You or one ally in the burstEffect: The target regains hit points equal to his or her

healing surge value. In addition, the target gains a +2power bonus to saving throws until the end of his orher next turn.

Level 9 Daily PowerMany who follow the Path of En lightenment spreadknowledge of righteousness but also teach aboutkarma, which can be simply if incompletely describedas the idea that one reaps what one sows. With a widearc of your weapon, you scribe words of karma upon your enemies, so they know that whatever violencethey use will be visited upon them.

Words of Refle

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