Combat

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Combat
Cling! Clang!
In the struggle for power and prestige, Shinobi from all over the world train and hone their abilities against organizations of corruption and the ever creeping allure of forbidden strength. In the cruel world of Ninja young children are expected to rise to the occasion, representing the might and dreams of their native villages using a wide array of ninja skills and unique blood line abilities.

This thread details the combat rules, starting with the basics and then looking at some of the more unusual combat strategies characters can employ to reach increasing heights in their Shinobi career.

Combat Sequence
Combat in Nartuo Scrolls of Knowledge is cyclical. Everybody acts in turn in a regular cycle called a round. Generally, combat runs like this:

1. Each combatant starts the battle flat-footed. Once a combatant acts, he or she is no longer flat-footed.
2. Pre-RP circumstances determines which characters are aware of their opponents at the start of the battle. If some but not all combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. The combatants aware of their opponents can act in the surprise round, so they roll for initiative. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action—not both—during the surprise round. Unaware combatants do not get to act in the surprise round. If no one or everyone starts the battle aware, there is no surprise round.
3. Any remaining combatants roll initiative. All combatants are now ready to begin their first regular round.
4. Combatants act in initiative order, taking their normal allotment of actions.
5. When everyone has had a turn, the combatant with the highest initiative total acts again, and steps 4 and 5 repeat until the combat ends.  

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Combat Statistics

This section summarizes the fundamental combat statistics. These are considered the basic functionality of the system and can be referred to as the "Core Mechanics"

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Attack Roll
An attack roll represents a character’s attempts to strike an opponent on the character’s turn in a round. When a character makes an attack roll, he or she rolls 1d20 and adds his or her attack bonus. If the result equals or beats the target’s Defense, the character hits and deals damage. Many modifiers can affect the attack roll.

---Automatic Hits And Misses
A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on the attack roll is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a hit. A natural 20 is also always a threat—a possible critical hit.


---Attack Bonus
A character’s attack bonus with a melee weapon is:
Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size modifier

With a ranged weapon, a character’s attack bonus is:
Base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + range penalty + size modifier

**If the character is not proficient in the weapon he or she is attacking with (the character doesn't have the appropriate Weapon Proficiency feat), that character takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll.**

---Strength Modifier
Strength helps a character swing a weapon harder and faster, so a character’s Strength modifier applies to melee attack rolls.

---Size Modifier
In the Naruto Universe most enemies will be approximately the same size or within one size mod. However, it is important to note that there is a system in place for the invent that a dramatic difference in size should occur. This is most likely to be the case in Missions or Story Events.

Size Modifier
The bigger an opponent is, the easier it is to hit in combat. The smaller it is, the harder it is to hit. Since this same modifier applies to attack rolls a creature doesn’t have a hard time attacking another creature of the same size. Size modifiers are shown on Table: Size Modifiers.

Creature size categories are defined differently from the size categories for weapons and other objects. Since this size modifier applies to Defense against a melee weapon attack or a ranged weapon attack, two creatures of the same size strike each other normally, regardless of what size they actually are. Creature sizes are compatible with vehicle sizes.

---Dexterity Modifier
Dexterity measures coordination and steadiness, so a character’s Dexterity modifier applies when the character attacks with a ranged weapon.

---Range Penalty
The range penalty for a ranged weapon depends on what weapon the character is using and how far away the target is. All ranged weapons and thrown weapons have a range increment (see Table: Ranged Weapons and Table: Melee Weapons). Any attack from a distance of less than one range increment is not penalized for range. However, each full range increment causes a cumulative –2 penalty on the attack roll. A thrown weapon has a maximum range of five range increments. Ranged weapons that fire projectiles can shoot up to ten increments.

**For the sake of most battles generally assume that a ranged attack is one increment away unless actions have been taken in the previous turn to increase said distance. This is something that generally has to be agreed on using a common sense method. In case of disputes a GM will make the final call**

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Damage
When a character hits with a weapon, he or she deals damage according to the type of weapon. Effects that modify weapon damage also apply to unarmed strikes and the natural physical attack forms of creatures.
Damage is deducted from the target’s current hit points.

---Minimum Weapon Damage
If penalties to damage bring the damage result below 1, a hit still deals 1 point of damage.

---Strength Bonus
When a character hits with a melee weapon or thrown weapon, add his or her Strength modifier to the damage.

---Off-Hand Weapon: When a character deals damage with a weapon in his or her off hand, add only half of the character’s Strength bonus.
Wielding a Weapon Two-Handed: When a character deals damage with a weapon that he or she is wielding two-handed, add 1.5 times the character’s Strength bonus. However, the character doesn’t get this higher Strength bonus when using a light weapon two-handed; in such a case, only the character’s normal Strength bonus applies to the damage roll.

---Multiplying Damage
Sometimes damage is multiplied by some factor. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results.
Bonus damage represented as extra dice is an exception. Do not multiply bonus damage dice when a character scores a critical hit.

---Critical Hits
When a character makes an attack roll and gets a natural 20 (the d20 shows 20), the character hits regardless of the target’s Defense, and the character has scored a threat of a critical hit. To find out if it is actually a critical hit, the character immediately makes another attack roll with all the same modifiers as the attack roll that scored the threat. If the second roll also results in a hit against the target’s Defense, the attack is a critical hit. (The second roll just needs to hit to confirm a critical hit; the character doesn’t need to roll a second 20.) If the second roll is a miss, then the attack just deals the damage of a regular hit.

A critical hit multiplies the character’s damage. Unless otherwise specified, the multiplier is x2. (It is possible for some weapons to have higher multipliers, doing more damage on a critical hit.) Some weapons have expanded threat ranges, making a critical hit more likely. However, even with these weapons, only a 20 is an automatic hit. The Critical column on Table: Ranged Weapons and Table: Melee Weapons indicates the threat range for each weapon on the tables.
Bonus damage represented as extra dice is not multiplied when a character scores a critical hit.
Objects (including vehicles) and some types of creatures are immune to critical hits. A 20 is always a successful hit, but deals no extra damage against these targets.

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Defense
A character’s Defense represents how hard it is for opponents to land a solid, damaging blow on the character. It’s the attack roll result that an opponent needs to achieve to hit the character.
The average, unarmored civilian has a Defense of 10.
**This is considered flat defense**

A character’s Defense is equal to: 10 + Dexterity modifier + class bonus + equipment bonus + size modifier

---Dexterity Modifier
If a character’s Dexterity is high, he or she is particularly adept at dodging blows or gunfire. If a character’s Dexterity is low, he or she is particularly inept at it. Characters apply their Dexterity modifier to Defense.
Sometimes a character can’t use his or her Dexterity bonus. If a character can’t react to a blow, that character can’t use his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense.

---Class Bonus
A character’s class and level grant the character an innate bonus to Defense. This bonus applies in all situations, even when the character is flat-footed or when the character would lose his or her Dexterity bonus for some other reason.

---Equipment Bonus
If a character wears armor, it provides a bonus to his or her Defense. This bonus represents the armor’s ability to protect the character from blows.
Armor provides a minimum bonus to anyone who wears it, but a character who is proficient in the use of a certain type of armor receives a larger bonus to Defense.

Sometimes a character can’t use his or her equipment bonus to Defense. If an attack will damage the character just by touching him or her, that character can’t add his or her equipment bonus (see Touch Attacks).


Other Modifiers
Other factors can add to a character’s Defense.
---Feats: Some feats give a bonus to a character’s Defense.
---Natural Armor: Some creatures have natural armor, which usually consists of scales, fur, or layers of thick muscle.
---Dodge Bonuses: Some other Defense bonuses represent actively avoiding blows. These bonuses are called dodge bonuses. Any situation that denies a character his or her Dexterity bonus also denies his or her dodge bonuses. Unlike most sorts of bonuses, dodge bonuses stack with each other.

---Enchantment Effects:This is a broad category of defensive bonuses gained from special circomstances that involve using a jutsu or ability to increase the inherent potential of an item, seal, tattoo etc. Such things offer enhancement bonuses to armor (making it more effective) or deflection bonuses that ward off attacks.

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---Touch Attacks
Some attacks disregard armor. In these cases, the attacker makes a touch attack roll (either a ranged touch attack roll or a melee touch attack roll). The attacker makes his or her attack roll as normal, but a character’s Defense does not include any equipment bonus or armor bonus. All other modifiers, such as class bonus, Dexterity modifier, and size modifier, apply normally.

---Hit Points
A character’s hit points tell how much punishment he or she can take before dropping. Hit points are based on the character’s class and level, and the character’s Constitution modifier applies.

When a character’s hit point total drops to 0, he or she is disabled. When it drops to –1, he or she is dying. When it drops to –10, the character is dead.

---Speed
A character’s speed tells how far he or she can move in a move action. Humans normally move 30 feet, but some creatures move faster or slower. **Wearing armor can slow a character down.**

A character normally moves as a move action, leaving an attack action to attack. The character can, however, use his or her attack action as a second move action. This could let the character move again, for a total movement of up to double his or her normal speed. Another option is to run all out (a full-round action). This lets the character move up to four times his or her normal speed, but a character can only run all out in a straight line, and doing so affects the character’s Defense (see Run).

Saving Throws
Generally, when a character is subject to an unusual or chakra attack, he or she gets a saving throw to avoid or reduce the effect. A saving throw is a 1d20 roll plus a bonus based on the character’s class and level (the character’s base save bonus) and an ability modifier.

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--Automatic Saves
A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a success.

A character’s saving throw bonus is:

Base save bonus + ability modifier

**The Difficulty Class for a save is determined by the attack itself.**

---Saving Throw Types
The three different kinds of saving throws are:

1. Fortitude: These saves measure a character’s ability to stand up to massive physical punishment or attacks against his or her vitality and health such as poison and paralysis. Apply a character’s Constitution modifier to his or her Fortitude saving throws.

2. Reflex: These saves test a character’s ability to dodge massive attacks such as explosions or car wrecks. (Often, when damage is inevitable, a character gets to make a Reflex save to take only half damage.) Apply the character’s Dexterity modifier to his or her Reflex saving throws.

3. Will: These saves reflect a character’s resistance to mental influence and domination as well as to many magical effects. Apply the character’s Wisdom modifier to his or her Will saving throws.

 

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Initiative
Every round, each combatant gets to do something. The combatants’ initiative checks determine the order in which they act, from highest to lowest.

---Initiative Checks
At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check, plus modifiers. Find out what order characters act by counting down from highest total to lowest. Each character acts in turn, with the check applying to all rounds of the combat (unless a character takes an action to change initiative). It helps if someone posts the initiative order with the characters names in order of who goes first to who goes last. Note anyone entering an already started combat goes last in initiative. If two combatants have the same initiative check result, they act in order of highest Dexterity first. If there is still a tie, roll a die, with the highest roll going first.
Initiative Check = d20 + Dex modifier + miscellaneous modifiers
---Flat-Footed
At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed. You can’t use your dodge bonus while flat-footed. The Uncanny Dodge feat allows you to retain your dodge bonus to Defense while flat-footed (see feats).
---Surprise
When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your enemies but they are aware of you, you’re surprised. If you know about your opponents but they don’t know about you, you surprise them.
------Determining Awareness
Sometimes all combatants on a side are aware of their enemies; sometimes none are; sometimes only some of them are. Sometimes a few combatants on either side are aware and other combatants are unaware.
Stealth checks before combat began combined with listen or spot checks against those stealth checks (move silent, disguise, hide, etc, depending what the stealth user was doing) are made as opposed checks.
Some examples:
• Characters enter a seedy bar and immediately spot members of a notorious clan. The clan members notice the characters at the same time. Both sides are aware; neither is surprised. The characters and the clan-members make initiative checks, and the battle begins.
• Characters are tracking a missing ninja, which has fled down a dark alley. They follow, unaware the rouge Shinobi is lurking among them, aware of their presence.When the enemy springs out to attack, the tracking ninja are surprised and do not get to act in the surprise round.
• The Characters infiltrate a an enemy village wearing the uniforms of their Jounin. When they reveal themselves and attack while their target is unaware, they surprise their opponents. The Characters act during the surprise round, but the victim does not.

---The Surprise Round
If some, but not all, of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. The combatants aware of their opponents can act in the surprise round, so they roll for initiative. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action, not both. If no one or everyone is surprised, a surprise round doesn't occur.
---Unaware Combatants
Combatants unaware at the start of battle do not get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants are flat-footed because they have not acted yet. Because of this, they lose any dodge bonus to Defense.  

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Actions in Combat

The fundamental actions of moving and attacking cover most of what a character wants to do in a battle. They’re described here. Other, more specialized options are touched on in Table: Actions in Combat, and covered in Special Initiative Actions and Special Attacks.


---The Combat Round
Each round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. A round is an opportunity for each character involved in a combat to take an action. Anything a person could reasonably do in 6 seconds, a character can do in 1 round.

Each round’s activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds, in order, from there. Each round of a combat uses the same initiative order. When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his or her entire round’s worth of actions. (For exceptions, see Attacks of Opportunity and Special Initiative Actions.)

For almost all purposes, there is no relevance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. A round can be a segment of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last, but it usually means a span of time from a certain round to the same initiative number in the next round. Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.


Action Types
The seven types of actions are actions. Four which are considered normal, and three which are unique to Shinobi; Move actions, full-round actions, and free actions are all normal actions. Instant, Swift, and Quickened are Shinobi action types.


In a normal round, a character can perform an attack action and a move action (or two move actions; a character can always take a move action in place of an attack action), or a character can perform a full-round action. A character can also perform as many free actions as the GM allows.

---Attack Action
An attack action allows a character to do something. A character can make an attack, use a skill or a feat (unless the skill or feat requires a full-round action to perform; see below), or perform other similar actions. During a combat round, a character can take an attack action and a move action. A character can take a move action before or after performing an attack action.


---Instant Actions: A character can use an instant action even when it is not his turn (ie, in reaction to an incoming attack). An instant action can be used to perform a defensive or counter-attack technique such as Kirikaesu no Waza (Hand-to-Hand: Stance - Method of Counter Attack), or Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique). The character only has one instant action per round.


---Swift Action: A character can only use one instant and one swift action per round, but must use a swift action on his turn. It can be used to perform a techniques, or other actions such as making a Chakra Control check to tap one's reserves. A character can also make an attack, use a skill or a feat (unless the skill or feat requires a full-round action to perform; see below), or perform other similar actions.

---Move Action
A move action allows a character to move his or her speed or perform an action that takes a similar amount of time. A character can move his or her speed, climb one-quarter of his or her speed, draw or stow a weapon or other object, stand up, pick up an object, or perform some equivalent action (see Table: Actions in Combat).

A character can take a move action in the place of an swift action.
If a character moves no actual distance in a round, that character can take one 5-foot step before, during, or after the action.

---Full-Round Action
A full-round action consumes all a character’s effort during a round. The only movement the character can take during a full-round action is a 5-foot step before, during, or after the action. Some full-round actions do not allow a character to take a 5-foot step.

---Quickened Actions: A quickened action is not a type of action a character can use normally, but rather an action of a specific type, either a move, attack or full-round actions, that a character can gain through the use of a feat or class ability, such as the Heroic Surge feat or the Ninja Scout's Quicken Technique. A quickened action is taken during a character's turn like a normal action, but the character can only gain one quickened action of any kind per round.

---Free Action
Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort, and over the span of the round, their impact is so minor that they are considered free. A character can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, the GM puts reasonable limits on what a character can really do for free. For instance, dropping an object, dropping to a prone position, speaking a sentence or two, and ceasing to concentrate on a magic spell (if magic is available in the campaign) are all free actions.


Melee Attacks
With a normal melee weapon, a character can strike any enemy within 5 feet. (Enemies within 5 feet are considered adjacent to the character.)
A character capable of making more than one melee attack per round must use the full attack action (see Full-Round Actions, below) in order to make more than one attack.

---Fighting Defensively: A character can choose to fight defensively while making a melee attack. If the character does so, he or she takes a –4 penalty on his or her attack in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to Defense in the same round.

Unarmed Attacks
Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except that an unarmed attack deals nonlethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light melee weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on). The following exceptions to normal melee rules apply to unarmed attacks.


Attacks of Opportunity: Making an unarmed attack against an armed opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from the character attacked. The attack of opportunity comes before the character’s attack. An unarmed attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from other foes, nor does it provoke an attack of opportunity from an unarmed foe.

“Armed” Unarmed Attacks: Sometimes a character or creature attacks unarmed but the attack still counts as armed. A creature with claws, fangs, and similar natural physical weapons such as a clan ability that creates weapons, for example, counts as armed. Being armed counts for both offense and defense—not only does a creature not provoke an attack of opportunity when attacking an armed foe, but a character provokes an attack of opportunity from that creature if the character makes an unarmed attack against it. The Combat Martial Arts feat makes a character’s unarmed attacks count as armed.


Unarmed Strike Damage: An unarmed strike from a Medium-size character deals 1d3 points (plus the character’s Strength modifier, as normal) of nonlethal damage.

A character can specify that his or her unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before the character makes his or her attack roll, but the character takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll because he or she has to strike a particularly vulnerable spot to deal lethal damage.

Ranged Attacks
With a ranged weapon, a character can shoot or throw at any target that is within the ranged weapon’s maximum range and in line of sight. A target is in line of sight if there are no solid obstructions between the character and the target. The maximum range for a thrown weapon is five range increments. For weapons that fire projectiles, it is ten range increments.

A character capable of making more than one ranged attack per round must use the full attack action (see Full-Round Actions, below) in order to make more than one attack.

Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: If a character shoots or throws a ranged weapon at a target that is engaged in melee with an ally, the character takes a –4 penalty on his or her attack roll because the character has to aim carefully to avoid hitting the ally. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies and they are adjacent to one another. (An unconscious or otherwise immobilized character is not considered engaged unless he or she is actually being attacked.)

If the target is so big that part of it is 10 feet or farther from the nearest ally, the character can avoid the –4 penalty, even if it’s engaged in melee with an ally.

Total Defense
Instead of attacking, a character can use his or her attack action simply to defend. This is called a total defense action. The character doesn’t get to attack or perform any other activity, but does get a +4 dodge bonus to his or her Defense for 1 round. The character’s Defense improves at the start of this action, so it helps against any attacks of opportunity the character is subject to while performing his or her move action.


Start/Complete Full-Round Action
The “start/complete full-round action” attack action lets a character start undertaking a full-round action (such as those listed on Table: Actions in Combat) at the end of his or her turn, or complete a full-round action by using an swift action at the beginning of his or her turn in the round following the round when the character started the full-round action.
If the character starts a full-round action at the end of his or her turn, the next action that character takes must be to complete the full-round action.
Start/complete full-round action cannot be used with a full attack, charge, run, or withdraw action.  

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Combat Modifiers
This section covers various maneuvers and situations affecting combat and how it plays out.

Favorable and Unfavorable Conditions
Generally speaking, any situational modifier created by the attacker’s position or tactics applies to the attack roll, while any situational modifier created by the defender’s position, state, or tactics applies to the defender’s Defense. The GM judges what bonuses and penalties apply, using Table: Defense Modifiers and Table: Attack Roll Modifiers as guides.





---Cover
Cover provides a bonus to Defense. The more cover a character has, the bigger the bonus. In a melee, if a character has cover against an opponent, that opponent probably has cover against the character, too. With ranged weapons, however, it’s easy to have better cover than the opponent.
The GM may impose other penalties or restrictions on attacks depending on the details of the cover.

Degree of Cover
Cover is assessed in subjective measurements of how much protection it offers. The GM determines the value of cover. This measure is not a strict mathematical calculation, because a character gains more value from covering the parts of his or her body that are more likely to be struck. If the bottom half of a character’s body is covered, that only gives one-quarter cover, because most vital areas are still fully exposed. If one side or the other of a character’s body is covered, the character gets one-half cover.

Cover Defense Bonus
Table: Cover gives the Defense bonuses for different degrees of cover. Add the relevant number to the character’s Defense. This cover bonus overlaps (does not stack) with certain other bonuses.

Cover Reflex Save Bonus
Table: Cover gives the Reflex save bonuses for different degrees of cover. Add this bonus to Reflex saves against attacks that affect an area. This bonus only applies to attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover.

Striking the Cover Instead of a Missed Target
If it ever becomes important to know whether the cover was actually struck by an incoming attack that misses the intended target, the GM should determine if the attack roll would have hit the protected target without the cover. If the attack roll falls within a range low enough to miss the target with cover but high enough to strike the target if there had been no cover, the object used for cover was struck. This can be particularly important to know in cases when a character uses another character as cover. In such a case, if the cover is struck and the attack roll exceeds the Defense of the covering character, the covering character takes the damage intended for the target.

If the covering character has a Dexterity bonus to Defense or a dodge bonus, and this bonus keeps the covering character from being hit, then the original target is hit instead. The covering character has dodged out of the way and didn’t provide cover after all. A covering character can choose not to apply his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense and/or his or her dodge bonus, if the character so desires.



---Concealment

Concealment includes all circumstances in which nothing physically blocks a blow or shot, but something interferes with an attacker’s accuracy.

Degree of Concealment
Concealment is subjectively measured as to how well concealed the defender is. Examples of what might qualify as concealment of various degrees are given in Table: Concealment. Concealment always depends on the point of view of the attacker.

Concealment Miss Chance
Concealment gives the subject of a successful attack a chance that the attacker missed because of the concealment. If the attacker hits, the defender must make a miss chance percentile roll to avoid being struck. (Actually, it doesn’t matter who makes the roll or whether it’s rolled before or after the attack roll. When multiple concealment conditions apply to a defender, use the one that would produce the highest miss chance. Do not add the miss chances together. ** In other words a rule of 1**)



---Helpless Defenders

A helpless foe—one who is bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise at the attacker’s mercy—is an easy target. A character can sometimes approach a target who is unaware of his or her presence, get adjacent to the target, and treat him or her as helpless. If the target is in combat or some other tense situation, and therefore in a state of acute awareness and readiness, or if the target can use his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense, then that target can’t be considered unaware. Further, any reasonable precaution taken by a target, including stationing bodyguards, placing his or her back to a wall, or being able to make Spot checks, also precludes catching that target unaware and helpless.

Regular Attack
A helpless defender has an effective Defense of 5 + his or her size modifier. If a character is attacking with a ranged weapon and is not adjacent to the target, the character can use a full-round action to make the attack, and gain a +5 bonus on the attack roll. If the character is attacking with a melee weapon, or with a ranged weapon from an adjacent square, the character can use a full-round action to deliver a coup de grace.

Coup de Grace
As a full-round action, a character can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. A character can also use a ranged weapon, provided the character is adjacent to the target. The character automatically hits and score a critical hit. If the defender survives the damage, he or she still must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die.

Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening foes because it involves focused concentration and methodical action.
A character can’t deliver a coup de grace against a creature that is immune to critical hits.

Knockout Blow
As a full-round action, a character can make an unarmed attack or use a melee weapon that deals nonlethal damage to deliver a knockout blow to a helpless foe. A character can also use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage, but the character takes a –4 penalty on any attempt to deal nonlethal damage with the weapon. The target has an effective Defense of 5 + his or her size modifier. If the character hits, he or she automatically scores a critical hit (see Nonlethal Damage).
Delivering a knockout blow provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening foes because it involves focused concentration and methodical action.
A character can’t deliver a knockout blow against a creature that is immune to critical hits.  

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Special Initiative Actions

Usually a character acts as soon as he or she can in combat, but sometimes a character wants to act later, at a better time, or in response to the actions of someone else.

Delay
By choosing to delay, the character takes no action and then acts normally at whatever point in the initiative count the character decides to act. When a character delays, he or she voluntarily reduces his or her own initiative result for the rest of the combat. When the character’s new, lower initiative count comes up later in the same round, the character can act normally. The character can specify this new initiative result or just wait until some time later in the round and act then, thus fixing the character’s new initiative count at that point.

A character cannot interrupt anyone’s action with a delayed action (as a character can with a readied action; see below).

Delaying Limits
The longest a character can delay before taking an action is until after everyone else has acted in the round. At that point, the delaying character must act or else forfeit any action in that round.

If multiple characters are delaying, the one with the highest initiative modifier (or highest Dexterity, in case of a tie) has the advantage. If two or more delaying characters both want to act on the same initiative count, the one with the highest initiative modifier gets to go first. If two or more delaying characters are trying to go after one another, the one with the highest initiative modifier gets to go last; the others must go first or lose their action for the round.

If a character loses an action due to delaying, he or she may act on any count on the next turn. Again, the character cannot interrupt an action.

Ready
The ready action lets a character prepare to take an action later, to interrupt another character. Essentially, the character splits his or her action, taking the move action on the character’s initiative count and the attack action at a later point. On the character’s turn, he or she prepares to take an action later, if a specific trigger is met. Then, later in the round, if the readied action is triggered, the character takes it, acting before the triggering action.

Readying does not provoke an attack of opportunity. (The character’s move action, and the attack action he or she readies, may both provoke attacks of opportunity normally.)

Readying an Action
A character can ready an attack action or a move action. To do so, the character specifies the action he or she will take and the conditions under which the character will take it. Then, any time before the character’s next action, the character may take the readied attack action in response to those conditions. The readied action occurs just before the event that triggers it. If the trigger is part of another character’s actions, the readied action interrupts the other character. The other character continues his or her actions once the readied action is completed.

The character’s initiative count changes. For the rest of the encounter, it is the count on which the character took the readied action, and the character acts immediately ahead of the character whose action triggered the readied action.

A character can take a 5-foot step as part of his or her readied action, but only if the character didn’t otherwise move any distance during the round.

If the character comes to his or her next action and has not yet performed the readied action, the character doesn’t get to take the readied action (though the character can ready the same action again). If the character takes his or her readied action in the next round, before his or her regular turn comes up, the character’s initiative count rises to that new point in the order of battle, and he or she does not get your regular action that round.  

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Special Attacks

This section covers, grappling, explosives, attacking objects, and an assortment of other special attacks.

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----Aid Another
In combat, a character can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If the character is in position to attack an opponent with which a friend of the character is engaged in melee combat, the character can attempt to aid the friend as an attack action. The character makes an attack roll against Defense 10. If the character succeeds, he or she doesn’t actually damage the opponent—but the character’s friend gains either a +2 circumstance bonus against that opponent or a +2 circumstance bonus to Defense against that opponent (aiding character’s choice) on the friend’s next turn.

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----Explosives
An explosive is a weapon that, when detonated, affects all creatures and objects within its burst radius by means of shrapnel, heat, or massive concussion. **An explosive tag placed on the ground for example.** Its effect is broad enough that it can hurt characters just by going off close to them.

Some explosives, **such as an explosive tag attached to a kunai knife**, can be thrown, and they explode when they land. Others are planted, with fuses or timers, and go off after a preset amount of time elapses.

----Thrown Explosives
An attack with a thrown explosive is a ranged attack made against a specific 5-foot area.**Common sense rule applied** (If the target is viable, the target himself can be selected.) Throwing the explosive is an attack action. If the square is within one range increment, you do not need to make an attack roll.

If the target area is more than one range increment away, make an attack roll. The "area" has an effective Defense of 10. Thrown weapons require no weapon proficiency, so a character doesn’t take the –4 nonproficient penalty.

**Note: In order for a thrown explosive to succeed without requiring an attack roll, the targeted area must be no more than one range increment away. In other words, close enough that it would be impossible to miss. This may also subject the throwing character to the explosion themselves.**

If the attack succeeds, the grenade or explosive lands in the targeted area.
If the character misses the target, the explosive lands at a corner of a square nearby in a random direction.

After determining where the explosive landed, it deals its damage to all targets within the burst radius of the weapon. The targets may make Reflex saves (DC varies according to the explosive type) for half damage.

----Planted Explosives
A planted explosive is set in place, with a timer or fuse determining when it goes off. No attack roll is necessary to plant an explosive; the explosive sits where it is placed until it is moved or goes off.
When a planted explosive detonates, it deals its damage to all targets within the burst radius of the weapon. The targets may make Reflex saves (DC varies according to the explosive type) for half damage.

----Splash Weapons
A splash weapon is a ranged weapon that breaks apart on impact, splashing or scattering its contents over its target and nearby creatures or objects. Most splash weapons consist of liquids in breakable containers.
To attack with a splash weapon, make a ranged touch attack against the target. Thrown weapons require no weapon proficiency, so characters don’t take the –4 nonproficient penalty. A hit deals direct hit damage to the target and splash damage to all other creatures within 5 feet of the target.
A character can instead target a specific 5-foot square, including a square occupied by a creature. Use the rules for thrown explosives. However, if a character targets a square, creatures within 5 feet are dealt the splash damage, and the direct hit damage is not dealt to any creature.

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Attack an Object
Sometimes a character needs to attack or break an object

----Strike an Object
Objects are easier to hit than characters because they usually don’t move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow.

Object Defense and Bonuses to Attack: Objects are harder or easier to hit depending on their size and whether they are immobile or being held, carried, or worn by opponents. The base Defense of objects is shown on Table: Size and Defense of Objects.



If a character uses a full-round action to make an attack against an inanimate, immobile object, the character gets an automatic hit with a melee weapon, or a +5 bonus on his or her attack roll with a ranged weapon.

An object being held, carried, or worn has a Defense equal to The above figure + 5 + the opponent’s Dexterity modifier + the opponent’s class bonus to Defense.

Striking a held, carried, or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity from the character who holds it. (If a character has the Sunder feat, he or she doesn’t incur an attack of opportunity for making the attempt.)

Hardness: Each object has hardness—a number that represents how well it resists damage. Whenever an object takes damage, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object’s hit points (see Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points and Table: Object Hardness and Hit Points).

Hit Points: An object’s hit point total depends on what it is made of or how big it is (see Table Substance Hardness and Hit Points and Table Object Hardness and Hit Points).



Energy Attacks:
~Acid and sonic/concussive attacks deal normal damage to most objects. ~Electricity and fire attacks deal half damage to most objects; divide the damage by 2 before applying the hardness.
~Cold attacks deal one-quarter damage to most objects; divide the damage by 4 before applying the hardness.

Ineffective Weapons: The GM may determine that certain weapons just can’t deal damage effectively to certain objects.

Immunities: Objects are immune to nonlethal damage and to critical hits.

Saving Throws: Unattended objects never make saving throws. They are considered to have failed their saving throws. An object attended by a character (being grasped, touched, or worn) receives a saving throw just as if the character herself were making the saving throw.

Breaking Objects
When a character tries to break something with sudden force rather than by dealing damage, use a Strength check to see whether he or she succeeds. The DC depends more on the construction of the object than on the material.
If an object has lost half or more of its hit points, the DC to break it decreases by 2.

----Repairing Objects
Repairing damage to an object takes a full hour of work and appropriate tools. (Without the tools, a character takes a –4 penalty on his or her Repair check.) At the end of the hour, make a Repair check (DC 20). Success restores 2d6 hit points. If damage remains, the character may continue to make repairs for as many hours as it takes to restore all the object’s hit points.

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----Bull Rush
A character can attempt a bull rush as an attack action made during his or her move action, or as part of a charge. (In general, a character can’t make an attack action during a move action; this is an exception.) In either case, the character doesn’t get a 5-foot step before, during, or after the bull rush attempt. When the character bull rushes, he or she attempts to push an opponent straight back instead of attacking the opponent. A character can only bull rush an opponent who is one size category larger than the character, the same size, or smaller.

Initiating a Bull Rush
First, the character moves into the target’s square. Moving in this way provokes an attack of opportunity from each foe that threatens the character, probably including the target.

Second, the character and the target make opposed Strength checks. If the character and the target are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the Strength check of +4 per difference in size category. The character gets a +2 bonus if he or she was charging. The target gets a +4 stability bonus if he or she has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable.

Bull Rush Results
If the character beats the target’s Strength check, the character pushes the opponent back 5 feet. The character can push the target back an additional 5 feet for every 5 points by which the character exceeded the target’s check result, provided the character moves with the target. A character can’t, however, exceed his or her normal movement for that action.

Overrun
A character can attempt an overrun as an attack action made during his or her move action, or as part of a charge. (In general, a character cannot make an attack action during a move action; this is an exception.) In either case, the character doesn’t get a 5-foot step before, during, or after the overrun attempt. With an overrun, the character attempts to move through an opponents area, going past or over the opponent. A character can only overrun an opponent who is one size category larger than the character, the same size, or smaller. A character can make only one overrun attempt per action.

First, the character must move at least 10 feet in a straight line into the target’s square (provoking attacks of opportunity normally).

Then the target chooses either to avoid the character or to block the character. If the opponent avoids the character, the character keeps moving. (A character can always move through a square occupied by someone who lets the character by.) If the opponent blocks the character, make a trip attack against the opponent (see Trip). If the character succeeds in tripping his or her opponent, the character can continue his or her movement as normal.

If the character fails and are tripped in turn, the character falls prone in the target’s square. If the character fails but are not tripped, the character is forced to stop moving, but is not forced prone.

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----Trip
A character can try to trip an opponent, or otherwise knock him or her down, as an unarmed melee attack. A character can only trip an opponent who is one size category larger than the character, the same size, or smaller.

Making a Trip Attack
Make an unarmed melee touch attack against the target. Doing this provokes an attack of opportunity if attacking an armed foe.

If the attack succeeds, make a Strength check opposed by the target’s Dexterity check or Strength check (using whichever ability score has the higher modifier). If the character and the target are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the Strength check of +4 per difference in size category. The target gets a +4 stability bonus on his or her check if he or she has more than two legs or is otherwise exceptionally stable. If the character wins, he or she trips the target. If the character loses, the target may immediately react and make a Strength check opposed by the character’s Dexterity check or Strength check to try to trip the character.

Being Tripped (Prone)
A tripped character is prone (see Table: Defense Modifiers). Standing up from a prone position is a move action.

Tripping with a Weapon
Some weapons, such as the chain and the whip, can be used to make trip attacks. A character doesn’t incur an attack of opportunity when doing so. If the character is tripped during his or her own trip attempt, the character can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.

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Disarm
As a melee attack, a character may attempt to disarm his or her opponent. If the character does so with a weapon, he or she knocks the opponent’s weapon out of his or her hands and to the ground. If the character attempt the disarm while unarmed, the character ends up with the weapon in his or her hand.

If a character is attempting to disarm the wielder of a melee weapon, follow the steps outlined here. Disarming the wielder of a ranged weapon is slightly different; see below.

• Step One: The character provokes an attack of opportunity from the target he or she is trying to disarm.
• Step Two: The character and the target make opposed attack rolls with their respective weapons. If the weapons are different sizes, the combatant with the larger weapon gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category. If the target is using a weapon in two hands, he or she gets an additional +4 bonus. Also, if the combatants are different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category.
• Step Three: If the character beats the target’s attack roll, the target is disarmed. If the character attempted the disarm action unarmed, he or she now has the weapon. If the character was armed, the target’s weapon is on the ground at the target’s feet.
If the character fails the disarm attempt, the target may immediately react and attempt to disarm the character with the same sort of opposed melee attack roll. The opponent’s attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the character. If the opponent fails to disarm, the character does not get a free disarm attempt against the opponent.

Ranged Weapons
To disarm an opponent wielding a ranged weapon, the character makes a melee attack or unarmed attack to strike the weapon in the opponent’s hand (see Attack an Object). If the weapon is held in two hands, it gets a +2 bonus to its Defense. If the character’s attack succeeds, the ranged weapon falls to the ground or winds up in the character’s hands (if the character made the attack unarmed). This kind of disarm attempt provokes an attack of opportunity, but if the character fails, the target does not get to make a disarm attempt against him or her.

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Grabbing Objects
A character can also use disarm to snatch away an object worn by a target. Doing this works the same as a disarm attempt (see above), except for the following.

Attack of Opportunity: If the target’s attack of opportunity inflicts any damage, the attempt to grab the object automatically fails.

Modifiers: If the object is well secured or otherwise difficult to grab from the target, the target gets a +4 bonus. On the other hand, if the object is poorly secured or otherwise easy to snatch or cut away, the attacker gets a +4 bonus. **Objects that are secured to ones back, or inside some sort of pouch are generally considered difficult to grab. Items that hang from a belt, are attatched to the clothing, or generally any sort of trinket would be considered easy to grab. As always consult a GM in the case of disagreement.**

Failed Attempts: Failing an attempt to grab an object doesn’t allow the target to attempt to disarm the character.

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----Grapple
Grappling means wrestling and struggling hand-to-hand.
There are three stages to grappling: grabbing, holding, and pinning.

Grabbing
Normally, a grab is just the first step to starting a grapple. If the character grabs an opponent, but fails to go on to hold him or her, the character doesn’t actually start a grapple. However, sometimes all a character wants to do is grab the target.

Holding
Once a character has established a hold, he or she is involved in a grapple. From a hold, a character can attempt a number of actions, including damaging the opponent or pinning the opponent. A character can’t get a hold on any creature more than two size categories larger than the character. (However, such a creature can get a hold on the character—so while a character can’t initiate a grapple with a creature more than two size categories larger than, a character can still end up in one.)

Pinning
Getting the opponent in a pin is often the goal of a grapple. A pinned character is held immobile.

Grapple Checks
When a character is involved in a grapple, he or she will need to make opposed grapple checks against an opponent—often repeatedly. A grapple check is something like a melee attack roll. A character’s attack bonus on a grapple check is:
Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + grapple modifier

Grapple Modifier
A creature’s size works in its favor when grappling, if that creature is Large or larger in size. Conversely, a creature of Small or smaller size is at a disadvantage because of its size when grappling. Instead of using a creature’s size modifier on a grapple check (as would be done for a melee or ranged attack roll), use the appropriate grapple modifier from Table: Grapple Modifiers.

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----Starting a Grapple
To start a grapple, a character first needs to grab and hold his or her target. Attempting to start a grapple is the equivalent of making a melee attack. If the character gets multiple attacks in a round, he or she can attempt to start a grapple multiple times (at successively lower base attack bonuses). Follow these steps.

• Step 1. Attack of Opportunity: A character provokes an attack of opportunity from the target he or she is trying to grapple. If the attack of opportunity deals the character damage, the character fails to start the grapple. If the attack of opportunity misses or otherwise fails to deal damage, proceed to step 2.
• Step 2. Grab: The character makes a melee touch attack to grab the target. If the character fails to hit the target, the character fails to start the grapple. If the character succeeds, proceed to step 3.
• Step 3. Hold: Make an opposed grapple check. (This is a free action.) If the character succeeds, the character has started the grapple, and deals damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.
If the character loses, he or she fails to start the grapple. The character automatically loses an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than the character is (but the character can still make an attempt to grab such a target, if that’s all he or she wants to do).
• Step 4. Maintain the Grapple: To maintain the grapple for later rounds, the character must move into the target’s square. (This movement is free and doesn’t count as part of the character’s movement for the round movement.) Moving, as normal, provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening enemies, but not from the target. The character and the target are now grappling.

If the character can’t move into the target’s square, the character can’t maintain the grapple and must immediately let go of the target. To grapple again, the character must begin at step 1.

Grappling Consequences
While a character is grappling, his or her ability to attack others and defend him or herself is limited.

No Dexterity Bonus: A character loses his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense (if the character has one) against opponents the character isn’t grappling. (The character can still use it against opponents he or she is grappling.)

No Movement: A character cannot move while held in a grapple.

If the Character is Grappling
When a character is grappling (regardless of who started the grapple), he or she can attempt any of several actions on his or her turn. Unless otherwise noted, each of these options is equivalent to an attack. (If the character normally gets more than one attack per attack action, he or she can attempt as many of these options as he or she has attacks available, using his or her successively lower attack bonus for each roll.) The character is limited to these options only; he or she cannot take any other actions.

Damage the Opponent: Make an opposed grapple check; if the character succeeds, he or she deals damage as with an un-armed strike.

Pin: Make an opposed grapple check; if the character succeeds, he or she holds the opponent immobile for 1 round. The opponent takes a –4 penalty to Defense against all attacks from other people (but not from the character); however, the opponent is not considered helpless.
A character can’t use a weapon on a pinned character or attempt to damage or pin a second opponent while holding a pin on the first.
A pinned character can’t take any action except to attempt to escape from the pin.

Escape from Grapple: Make an opposed grapple check. If the character succeeds, he or she can escape the grapple. If more than one opponent is grappling the character, the grapple check result has to beat all their check results to escape. (Opponents don’t have to try to hold a character if they don’t want to.)
Alternatively, the character can make an Escape Artist check opposed by the opponent’s grapple check to escape from the grapple. This is an attack action that the character may only attempt once per round, even if the character gets multiple attacks.
If the character has not used his or her move action for the round, the character may do so after escaping the grapple.

Escape from Pin: Make an opposed grapple check. If the character succeeds, he or she can escape from being pinned. (Opponents don’t have to try to keep the character pinned if they don’t want to.) The character is still being grappled, however.
Alternatively, a character can make an Escape Artist check opposed by the opponent’s grapple check to escape from the pin. This is an attack action that the character may only attempt once per round, even if the character gets multiple attacks.

Break Another’s Pin: Make an opposed grapple check; if the character succeeds, he or she can break the hold that an opponent has over an ally.

Draw a Light Weapon: A character can draw a light weapon as a move action.

Attack with a Light Weapon: A character can attack with a light weapon while grappling (but not while pinned or pinning). A character can’t attack with two weapons while grappling.

If the Character is Pinned
When an opponent has pinned the character, he or she is held immobile (but not helpless) for 1 round. (the character can’t attempt any other action.) On the character’s turn, he or she can attempt to escape from the pin. If the character succeeds, he or she is still grappling.

Joining a Grapple
If the target is already grappling someone else, a character can use an attack to start a grapple, as above, except that the target doesn’t get an attack of opportunity against the character, and the character’s grab automatically succeeds. The character still has to make a successful opposed grapple check and move in to be part of the grapple.
If multiple enemies are already involved in the grapple, the character picks one against whom to make the opposed grapple check.

Multiple Grapplers
Several combatants can be in a single grapple. Up to four combatants can grapple a single opponent in a given round. Creatures that are one size category smaller than the character count as one-half creature each; creatures that are one size category larger than the character count as two creatures; and creatures two or more size categories larger than the character count as four creatures.
When involved in a grapple with multiple opponents, the character chooses one opponent to make an opposed check against. The exception is an attempt to escape from the grapple; to escape, a character’s grapple check must beat the check results of all opponents.

 

[ele360]

Combat Exceptions

Many combat situation calls for a particular rule that was altered for the purpose of Naruto d20, explained in detail below.

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Short Rests and Encounter-based Abilities: Some abilities can only be used a certain number of times per encounter. Those abilities become available again as soon as the character rests for 5 minutes, called short resting periods.

The character can rest any number of resting periods in a day as he wishes. During a resting period, the character can perform no strenuous activity that would disrupt normal rest. If interrupted, the character must rest again for a full 5 minutes to complete a resting period.

Afterwards, abilities such as techniques or class abilities that can
only be used a certain number of times per encounter can be used
again.

Up to twice per day, the character may regain his up to one-half his character level (round up) or his Constitution modifier in chakra, whichever is higher, during a resting period. The character's chakra pool cannot be exceeded by this means.

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Action Points: In addition to their standard uses, a character can spend an action point to gain 1d6 points of temporary chakra for 1 minute, which can exceed his maximum chakra pool. More than one action point can be spent, but only the duration is refreshed, the actual chakra gained uses the highest rolled results.

Action points can be applied to Learn checks (see above).

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Reflex Saves: A creature can make a Reflex save at any time except when held, immobilized or unable to move. A creature with a Dexterity score of 1 or higher can move. A creature with no Dexterity score fails all Reflex saves and Dexterity checks, and cannot move.

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Aid Another: A character cannot aid or have someone aid him to perform or identify a technique, though some exceptions, such as Summoning, are possible.

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Bonus Types: There are many ways to gain bonuses to an ability score, checks, saving throws or any number of things, and many come from different sources. Multiple different bonus types stack, but typically only a few named bonus stack with themselves.

For example, a mastercraft bonus to Defense and the Mystical Armor enhancement seal are both enhancement bonus, and do not stack. A brief description of the different bonus types is included below.
Armor: This bonus comes from wearing a piece of non-enhanced armor and increases the character's Defense. It does not apply against touch attacks.
Circumstance: This modifier enters play in a situation that provides a specific advantage or disadvantage, and is sometimes provided by a technique. Multiple circumstance bonus stack with each other, unless they are provided by the same source.
Competence: This bonus increases the character's ability with skills checks and ability checks.
Deflection: This bonus increases the character's Defense by deflecting attacks.
Dodge: This bonus increases the character's ability to dodge and quickly avoid attacks.
Dodge bonuses stack with other dodge bonuses.
Enhancement: This bonus represents an increase in effectiveness of the targeted weapon, armor or the selected ability score.
Inherent: An inherent bonus to an ability score is one granted by training techniques and shinobi drugs. A character is limited to a +5 inherent bonus to any ability score.
Insight: An insight bonus increases the character's ability from a precognitive sense pertaining to the ability itself, such as the Sharingan Eye's ability to perceive movement from reading chakra.
Luck: This bonus represents good fortune for the character.
Morale: A morale bonus or penalty comes from greater hope, courage and determination or from moments of despair and helplessness.
Natural Armor: A natural armor bonus increases Defense, typically from hardened skin, tough scales or chitinous armor. Natural armor does not apply to touch Defense.
Racial: A racial bonus is typically granted to a skill check, based on the race or species of the creature.
Resistance: A resistance bonus increases the character's ability to defend from harm and chakra techniques. It is usually applied to saving throws.
Shield: A shield bonus increases the Defense through wearing a shield in combat, or sometimes through force techniques. Shield bonus do not apply to touch Defense.
Size: This modifier applies when a creature or character increases or decreases in size.
Typically applies to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution scores as well as Defense, Hide checks, Grapple checks and attack rolls.

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Chakra Created Objects and Creature: A chakra created creature or object only has as much chakra as was spent during their creation, based on the technique or effect cost, unless otherwise specified in its description. For example, a standard Kage Bunshin has 2 point of Chakra, while a Tajuu Kage Bunshin only has one.

When an object's chakra pool is reduced to 0, it is automatically destroyed, regardless of its physical condition. The fact that a creature or object has a Chakra Pool doesn't mean it can use technique or perform chakra-demanding activities, however.

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Losing an eye: When a character loses one eye, or covers one of his eyes, he suffers a -2 penalty to Spot and Search checks, and the penalty from distance is doubled. Flanking creatures gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls when flanking a one-eyed character.

A character used to this condition may remove or alleviate some or all of the
disadvantages of the condition (GM's discretion.)

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Massive Damage Threshold (MAS): The massive damage threshold entry has been excluded from the characters' statistics entries because it cannot be triggered from damage. A massive damage save is always a Fortitude save (DC 15) to avoid being reducing to -1 hit points and dying.

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New Conditions: Following standard conditions, these states describe ill effects and ailments a character may encounter:

Dazzled: The creature is unable to see well because of over-stimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks.

Fascinated: A fascinated creature is entranced by a technique or supernatural effect. The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks.
Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, performing a technique, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature’s ally may shake it free of the condition as a standard action.

Invisible: An invisible creature is visually undetectable and gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against creatures that rely on sight and ignores its opponent's Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any).

Paralyzed: A paralyzed character cannot move, speak, or take any physical action. He is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless. Not even friends can move his limbs. He may take purely mental actions, such as performing a technique requiring only concentration (some limitations may apply). Paralysis works on the body, and a character can usually resist it with a Fortitude saving throw (the DC is given in the creature’s description). Unlike hold person and similar effects, a paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round.
A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it becomes paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can’t swim and may drown.

Sickened: The character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls and damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.

Staggered: A staggered character cannot run or charge.

 

[ssAntonio]

Shinobi Skills

Ninja have abilities most mundane character cannot even fathom. These ability include the ability to detect hostility and read thoughts, sense chakra signatures or even see chakra. Although they may not often come into play, these are also critical elements of the Naruto d20 system, and are described in detail below.

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Detect Emotions (Su): Some ability may grant a character the
ability to sense a sentient creature's mood and emotions, as long as the creature has an Intelligence score and is capable of sentient thoughts.

If a character is aware of a creature that is within 30 feet, he may make a Sense Motive check (DC 20) to determine whether or not the creature is hostile or its current mood without having to interact with it. Targets of this ability must have an Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma score of at least 1.

By concentrating further, the character is able to detect surface thoughts of a creature, providing it is sufficiently weak willed.
Further concentration requires an attack action and focuses on
one creature at a time.
1st round: Character is able to determine whether the creature is capable of sentient thoughts.
2nd round: Character detects emotions on a basic level, such as anger, frustration, contentment, relief or happiness.
3rd round: Character is able to probe into the creature's surface thoughts and read them, providing that the character's level or sense motive bonus is higher than the creature's Will save modifier. This is a gaze attack with a range equal to the Detect Emotions ability's range, and has a Will save DC of 10 + ½ character's level + character's Wis modifier. Succeeding the save prevents the character from reading the target's thoughts for 24 hours.

Surface thoughts can be read and will show the character certain images, but will not be able to determine complicated and structured sentences, such as "the enemy will attack from the seventh door to the west at midnight, and will come in small numbers, with a captain." Creatures of animal intelligence have simple, instinctual thoughts that the character can also pick up.

A creature that realizes its thoughts are being read may attempt a new save every round. The character is only able to read the thoughts of a struggling creature for 1 minute per day, though there is no limit if the creature is willing or unaware.

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See Chakra (Su): The character is able to see chakra being used, chakra auras and lingering chakra and allows him to attempt to identify the effect of the lingering chakra, though usually not precisely unless he is particularly familiar with the technique.

The character can use the Spot skill instead of making a Genjutsu check or a Wisdom check to detect Genjutsu or see chakra activity (see Sense Chakra for detail). In addition, he can focus his sight to examine a creature or object to detect traces of lingering chakra from it with a Spot check. Those traces are the result of an active effect that was placed on the target from a technique or ability that required the use of chakra. Success allows the character to make a second check to identify the effect to get a rough idea of the source, but requires him to have a clear line of sight to the target. The check difficulty is based on the amount of chakra used to create the effect and requires the target to be within 30 feet.


The character can also see a creature's chakra pool and can determine the strength of the chakra signature, but does not gain a bonus to Spot checks to detect a creature regardless of the strength of its chakra aura. Each chakra signature has an individual color to it, but it is typically not plausible for the character to remember each one. This ability depends on sight and does not function when blinded. Chakra is normally invisible to a character
without this ability or See Through Chakra.

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See Through Chakra (Su): This ability functions like See Chakra, but the character gains a +4 circumstance bonus to Spot checks to detect lingering chakra, genjutsu and see chakra activity, and a +2 resistance bonus to Will saves to disbelieve Genjutsu techniques.

The character knows whether a creature is a noncorporeal chakra construct or a physical entity, and can tell most summons and clones by sight, though some exceptions exist (such as Kage Bunshin no Jutsu). Furthermore, the character can see internal uses of chakra such as active bloodline abilities and strength or speed ranks as lingering chakra (see above).

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Sense Chakra (Su): The character can sense lingering chakra in places and chakra signatures. The ability is something of a sixth sense, but it isn't visual nor does it depend on other senses like touch, or hearing.

To manifest the ability, the character must concentrate for an attack action. He will be able to sense chakra for as long as he concentrates, plus 1d3 rounds. Unless otherwise specified, the character's Sense Chakra ability has a range of 5 feet per level or hit dice.

Chakra Activities: The source comes from a technique that was just used or that has a lasting effect on the target. To detect chakra activity, the character must make a Wisdom check (DC 15–chakra spent). The strength of the aura is based on the chakra cost of the technique used.

Chakra Signature: The source of this Chakra comes from a creature directly. A character able to detect Chakra Signatures can easily identify the source of the chakra and remembers chakra signatures just as normal humans do sight, though it may take quite some time for a creature to get used to a specific Chakra Signature. The strength of the source is based on the creature's current Chakra Pool.

Suppressed: A suppressed Chakra Signature is undetectable and cannot be identified. It always counts as Chakra Pool 0.

Faint: The source is very weak and barely detectable at all. It can be identified if the character is intimately familiar with the signature, but the character cannot pinpoint its location nor the distance which it is at.

Moderate: The source is easily detectable and decently strong. The character can identify it easily and gains a +2 bonus to checks made to detect its physical presence.

Strong: The chakra source is powerful and can easily be picked apart from the rest. It can be identified and the character gains a +4 bonus to checks to detect its approach, even in low lighting and concealment.

Overwhelming: The source is overwhelmingly powerful and whole, and can be instantly picked apart even in a room packed with Strong signatures. The character gains a +10 bonus to checks to detect it even without lighting and in total darkness or concealment, even if he is blind. Miss chance due to lack of sight is not affected.

Dormant Sense: The character is able to sense chakra instinctively when he touches a living creature, even if he is not concentrating on Sensing Chakra. The character will be able to determine how strong the chakra signature was, but will not be able to recognize if it is familiar—only that it is. This ability does not work of the character is fatigued or exhausted.

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Suppress Chakra (Su): The characters puts a hold on his chakra and burrows it within himself until, with enough skill, it is completely snuffed out.

The ability requires a full-round action to manifest. At this point, the strength of the character's chakra signature is decreased by 1 category (for example, from Strong to Moderate). If the character's chakra pool changes, or if he uses a technique whose chakra cost was not concealed, he must make a Concentration or Chakra Control check (DC 10+chakra lost or gained) or lose control and end the effect prematurely.

The character is able to lower his chakra signature further by 1 additional category every 5 level or hit dice, by spending 5 full-round actions concentrating.

The character can suppress his chakra for as long as he concentrates (as a swift action when not stressed or endangered, or an attack action otherwise) plus 10 minutes/level, or until cancelled.

Sealing Tenketsu: Dealing tenketsu damage forces a progressive paralyzation of the chakra coil system on the target, making it difficult to utilize techniques to a certain degree. The paralysis impedes the target's ability to perform Chakra Control, Genjutsu and Ninjutsu techniques of a progressively higher rank, starting from Rank 1, and also implies a penalty to perform checks.

When performing a technique after suffering tenketsu damage, the character must check to see if the technique's rank is equal to or lower than the technique rank relevant to the amount of tenketsu damage taken (see table below). If so, he must make a Chakra Control check to see if he can perform the technique; on a failed check, the character automatically fails his perform check.

If the character succeeds or the technique's rank is higher than the rank impeded by the tenketsu damage, he performs the technique normally but suffers a penalty to his Perform checks (see table below).

The penalties increase with the tenketsu damage (sealed tenketsu) taken, starting from 2, to 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 and every additional 8 from then on. Refer to the table below to determine the penalties for the amount of tenketsu damage taken.

Tenketsu Damage: This entry relates to the amount of tenketsu damage taken by the character. The penalties are not cumulative.

Chakra Control DC: The difficulty of the chakra control check the character must succeed to perform a technique of a rank impeded by tenketsu damage (see below).

Technique Rank: The rank of techniques impeded by tenketsu damage, for which the character must succeed a Chakra Control check in addition to a perform check. If the performed technique's rank is equal to or lower than this entry, it is impeded.

Check and Threshold Penalty: The penalty to the character's effective skill threshold and perform checks in Chakra Control, Genjutsu and Ninjutsu suffered from tenketsu damage. This penalty does not apply to the chakra control check made to tap one's reserves, but it does apply to Chakra Control checks made to perform a Chakra Control technique (assuming the check was a success or the technique is not affected by tenketsu damage).

128 or more tenketsu damage: A character with 128 or more tenketsu damage is fatigued until tenketsu damage taken is reduced to 127 or lower.
Healing Tenketsu: Recovering from tenketsu damage outside of techniques is done while the character rests.
The character heals his character level or hit dice in tenketsu damage every evening of rest.
Tenketsu damage is healed twice as fast during bed rest. Complete bed rest triples the amount of tenketsu damage healed.

 

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Strength Ranks and Speed Ranks

When a character performs certain types of speed and strength training, his body develops enhanced muscles. This translates in mechanic as Strength ranks and Speed ranks.

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Temporary Speed or Strength Ranks: If the character gains temporary Speed or Strength ranks, the ability cannot be suppressed and is always active, but costs no chakra. If the character already has a Speed or Strength rank, the abilities do not stack, use whichever is highest.

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Speed or Strength Rank Bonus: When the character gains a bonus to Speed or Strength ranks, such as from the Speed or Strength armor seals, this bonus increases the efficiency of the ability, but not the cost.

For example, a +2 bonus to Speed ranks allows Speed rank 0 to function as Speed rank 2, but the ability can be suppressed to Speed rank 1 or 0 as normal.

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Activation: During an encounter, or when a character is threatened or stressed, he must choose to consciously suppress his Strength and Speed ranks to conserve energy, otherwise the ability is automatically active.

The opportunity comes into play as soon as the ability activates when the character is no longer flat-footed, at the start of his turn, or at the start of the battle following a surprise round taken against the character, even if he did not win the initiative, as a free action.

Activating a previously suppressed strength or speed rank during an encounter, after the first round of combat, is a free action on the character's turn.

Outside of an encounter, a character has to concentrate for a full-round action to call upon his strength and speed. Suppressing strength and speed ranks is a free action on the character's turn.

The character may choose to activate or suppress his strength and speed ranks to any degree he desires. A character with 2 strength ranks and 2 speed ranks can choose to suppress his speed rank fully (speed rank 0) but only suppress 1 strength rank, or suppress them both fully if he desires. Activating strength and speed ranks outside of an encounter works in the same manner, in that the character may choose to call upon some of his
strength but none of his speed, or vice-versa.

The chakra cost from strength and speed ranks is spent the moment they are activated—if the character moves from one strength or speed rank to a higher one before he has to pay the chakra cost again, he must still immediately pay the higher rank's chakra cost in full.

If a character's chakra pool would be reduced to 0 or below from strength or speed ranks, the ability is immediately suppressed and cannot be reactivated until the character recovers chakra, unless it can be activated at no cost. When inactive during combat, the ability is referred to as suppressed; outside of combat, it is simply dormant.

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Penalties: When a character suffers a penalty to strength or speed rank, his maximum strength or speed rank is immediately lowered until the effect ends (see effect's description for details). A permanent strength or speed rank penalty can only be removed by medical techniques. Strength and Speed ranks cannot go below 0.

If the character's strength or speed ranks are lowered to 0 because of a penalty, it immediately counts as suppressed and costs no chakra. The chakra cost of strength or speed rank with a penalty is equal to the actual rank, not what the effective rank should be without the penalty.

An encumbered character suffers a -1 strength and speed rank penalty, increasing to -2 if heavily encumbered. A fatigued character suffers a -1 strength and speed rank penalty, increasing to -2 if exhausted.

A character wearing medium armor suffers a -1 speed rank penalty, and a character wearing heavy armor suffers a -3 speed rank penalty. An entangled character suffers a -4 penalty to speed ranks, while helpless, paralyzed, immobilized, grappled or pinned creatures are automatically treated as having speed rank 0. Penalties from fatigue, encumbrance, armor and conditions stack.

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Speed Ranks: The speed ranks are numbered from 0 to 10, where an untrained character has a speed rank of 0 and a fully trained character has a speed rank of 5. Some highly specialized, epic characters may gain Speed ranks of up to 10, but such a thing is extremely rare.

Kawarimi Defense: An attack that gains kawarimi defense means a character cannot use defensive maneuver or the 'avoid an attack' maneuver against that attack unless he is moving at a certain speed rank (for example, a character with 4 speed ranks cannot avoid an attack with a kawarimi defense 4 if he is suppressing any of his speed ranks).

High Speed Sight (Ex): A character with the high speed sight ability negates any speed bonus to Hide checks a character gains by having speed ranks up to a certain degree mentioned in the character's statistic block, but only for his person. A character with high speed sight 3 spotting against a character with speed rank 5 would negate +3 of the character's +5 speed bonus to Hide checks.

– Speed Rank 0 (Ex): The character moves at normal speed and gains no benefits from this speed rank. When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 0 costs no chakra.

– Speed Rank 1 (Ex): The character gains a +2 bonus to Jump checks, a +1 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves. The character's land speed increases by 10 feet, and gains a +1 speed bonus to Hide checks. A character loses his dodge bonus to Defense when caught flat-footed.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 1 costs 1 point of chakra every 5 rounds. The speed bonus to Hide only applies to situations where fast movement would help.

– Speed Rank 2 (Ex): The character gains a +3 bonus to Jump checks, a +2 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +1 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 15 feet, and gains a +2 speed bonus to Hide checks..

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 2 costs 2 points of chakra every 5 rounds.

– Speed Rank 3 (Ex): The character gains a +4 bonus to Jump checks, a +3 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +1 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 20 feet, and gains a +3 speed bonus to Hide checks.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 3 costs 3 points of chakra every 5 rounds.

– Speed Rank 4 (Ex): The character gains a +5 bonus to Jump checks, a +4 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +2 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 25 feet, gains a +4 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 1.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 4 costs 4 points of chakra every 5 rounds.

– Speed Rank 5 (Ex): The character gains a +6 bonus to Jump checks, a +5 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +2 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 30 feet, gains a +5 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 2.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 5 costs 1 point of chakra every round.

– Speed Rank 6 (Ex): The character gains a +7 bonus to Jump checks, a +6 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +3 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 35 feet, gains a +6 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 3. He gains an additional attack when making a full-attack action, at his highest attack bonus but at a -5 penalty.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 6 costs 3 points of chakra every 2 rounds.

– Speed Rank 7 (Ex): The character gains a +8 bonus to Jump checks, a +7 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +3 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 40 feet, gains a +7 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 3. He gains an additional attack when making a full-attack action, at his highest attack bonus.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 7 costs 2 points of chakra every round.

– Speed Rank 8 (Ex): The character gains a +9 bonus to Jump checks, a +8 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +4 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 45 feet, gains a +8 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 4. He gains an additional attack when making a full-attack action, at his highest attack bonus.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 8 costs 5 points of chakra every 2 rounds.

– Speed Rank 9 (Ex): The character gains a +10 bonus to Jump checks, a +9 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +4 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 50 feet, gains a +9 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 5. He gains an additional attack when making a full-attack action, at his highest attack bonus.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 9 costs 3 points of chakra every round.

– Speed Rank 10 (Ex): The character gains a +10 bonus to Jump checks, a +10 dodge bonus to Defense and Reflex saves, and a +5 bonus to attack rolls. The character's land speed increases by 60 feet, gains a +10 speed bonus to Hide checks, and his attacks have a kawarimi defense 6. He gains an additional attack when making a full-attack action, at his highest attack bonus, and a second additional attack at a -5 penalty.

When not suppressed or dormant, speed rank 10 costs 5 points of chakra every round.
The character cannot activate the Speed rank 10 ability if he is fatigued, exhausted, or suffers from Dexterity or Constitution damage.

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Strength Rank: As with speed ranks, strength ranks are numbered from 0 to 10 and untrained character stand at strength rank 0, while only truly epic characters ever reach strength rank 10.

The bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls granted by Strength rank is treated as a bonus granted by the Strength score for the purpose of multiplying or dividing it, and deciding whether to use the Strength or Dexterity score with attack rolls.

– Strength Rank 0 (Ex): The character gains no particular benefits from enhanced strength. When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 0 costs no chakra.

– Strength Rank 1 (Ex): The character gains a +1 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls (if he is able to apply his Strength modifier to damage for that weapon—for example, to a katana or shuriken attack, but not a throwing needle).

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 1 costs 1 points of chakra every 5 rounds. Whether active or dormant, strength rank 1 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +1.

– Strength Rank 2 (Ex): The character gains a +1 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +2 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity increases by one-half (round down). In addition, a character with Strength Rank 2 ignores hardness from objects with 2 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 2 costs 2 points of chakra every 5 rounds.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 2 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +2.

– Strength Rank 3 (Ex): The character gains a +2 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +4 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity doubles. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 3 ignores hardness from objects with 4 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 3 costs 3 points of chakra every 5 rounds.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 3 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +3.

– Strength Rank 4 (Ex): The character gains a +2 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +6 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity doubles. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 4 ignores hardness from objects with 6 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 4 costs 4 points of chakra every 5 rounds.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 4 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +4.

– Strength Rank 5 (Ex): The character gains a +3 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +8 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity is multiplied by 2.5 (round down). In addition, a character with Strength Rank 5 ignores hardness from objects with 8 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 5 costs 1 point of chakra every round.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 5 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +5.

– Strength Rank 6 (Ex): The character gains a +4 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +10 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity is multiplied by 2.5 (round down) and he gains a damage reduction 2/dark iron. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 6 ignores hardness from objects with 8 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 6 costs 3 points of chakra every 2 rounds.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 6 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +6.

– Strength Rank 7 (Ex): The character gains a +4 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +10 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity triples and he gains a damage reduction 3/dark iron. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 7 ignores hardness from objects with 8 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 7 costs 2 point of chakra every round.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 7 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +7.

– Strength Rank 8 (Ex): The character gains a +5 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +11 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity triples and he gains a damage reduction 5/dark iron. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 8 ignores hardness from objects with 8 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 8 costs 5 points of chakra every 2 rounds.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 8 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +8.

– Strength Rank 9 (Ex): The character gains a +5 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +11 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity is multiplied by 3.5 (round down) and he gains a damage reduction 6/dark iron. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 9 ignores hardness from objects with 8 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 9 costs 3 point of chakra every round.
Whether active or dormant, strength rank 9 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +9.

– Strength Rank 10 (Ex): The character gains a +6 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls, and a +12 bonus to opposed disarm, trip, grapple, bullrush or overrun checks, strength checks and Break, Climb, Jump and Swim checks. His carrying capacity quadruples and he gains a damage reduction 8/dark iron. In addition, a character with Strength Rank 10 ignores hardness from objects with 10 or less hardness.

When not suppressed or dormant, strength rank 10 costs 5 point of chakra every round.
The character cannot activate the Strength rank 10 ability if he is fatigued, exhausted, or suffers from Strength or Constitution damage. Whether active or dormant, strength rank 10 increases the character's effective Strength score to determine his carrying capacity by +10.

 

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Variants

There are many variant rules offered to enhance gaming experience in Naruto d20, from the Simplified Chakra Pool to the Elemental Affinities. These variants are all completely optional and should be considered carefully with both the players' and GM's best interest in mind before using them in a campaign.

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Empathic Learning Variant: This variant allows the character to learn techniques on the spot by spending points which he has earned in combat or by distinguishing himself.

In fast-paced action, the characters don't always have time to train. In fact, a warrior's best teacher is the field of battle. This variant comes into play when the players overcome a challenge, and when the need strikes for a dramatic or well-timed display of creativity and awesome power.

As the players progress through a story or defeat a challenge, they earn empathy points. Empathy points can be spent during a battle or in a situation where gaining a specific ability will serve the character well.

Awarding Empathy Points: As a general rule, follow the table below to determine when to award the player empathy points. In other situations, when the player is particularly clever or when the character shines, empathy points should also be awarded.


Spending Empathy Points: In dramatic situations, such as an encounter or during pursuit, the player can spend empathy points to instantly learn a technique that is relevant to his situation in only the time it takes to perform the action. Outside of dramatic situations, it takes 1 minute to learn a technique by spending empathy points.

To learn a technique, the player must spend a number of empathy points equal to the technique's skill threshold (see Perform Requirements.) The character cannot gain mastery in a technique by spending empathy points.

It can be helpful for the GM to set a list of a limited number of technique that can be renewed or updated every adventure or everytime a character gains a level, and enforce that specific list for each player outside of very dramatic situations.

Optional: In dramatic situations, the GM may determine that the character may spend the normal amount of ETP to perform a technique he already knows without spending chakra chakra, and halve the chakra spent to empower it, if at all.

In certain situation, the GM may decide that empowering the technique has no chakra cost.

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Hostage Maneuver Variant: When a character is holding a creature hostage, it is able to react quickly and deal critical damage, which is primarily what makes hostage situations so tricky.

The hostage can serve as a shield against anyone who dares to direct their attack the character. To qualify as a hostage, the creature must be helpless, prone, grappled or pinned, and be up to two size category smaller than the character, or up to two size category larger and prone.

The hostage maneuver is a full-round action each round that may provoke an attack of opportunity. If the hostage is willing or simply not resisting, holding it is an attack action.

Taken Hostage: When a creature is taken hostage, it may take an attack of opportunity against the character if it retains its Dexterity bonus to Defense. If the attack hits, the hostage attempt has 50% chance to fail.

While taken hostage, the creature can still take any action (see The Certain Death Rule, below.)

The Certain Death Rule: The certain death rule dictates that the character is able to react with an attack of opportunity against the hostage against any action it takes, including speaking or dodging from an attack, before it is able to complete the action. In addition, the character is able to take an attack of opportunity against the hostage at any time he wishes to.

That attack is always considered a coup de grace. A creature immune to critical hits and sneak attacks is also immune to the effects of a coup de grace.

Staggered: If the character takes more than 1 point of damage per level per round while maintaining the hostage maneuver, it will become staggered and unable to make attacks of opportunity against the hostage for 1 round. If the hostage was grappled or pinned, it may make an opposed Grapple check (as a free action) to break the hostage maneuver.
Doing so will also break the grapple.

Hostage Shield: Each attack directed at the character has a 75% chance of hitting the hostage instead during the hostage maneuver, unless the attack would miss by 10 or more (this penalty is reduced to 25% if the character is not aware of the attack.) The attack does not check against the hostage's defense unless it attempts to dodge (see The Certain Death Rule, above.)

Some conditions might lower or negate the chance of hitting the hostage entirely (at the GM's discretion).

At Sword Point: Initiating the hostage maneuver against an unaware opponent requires a touch attack against the creature who is denied its Dexterity modifier to Defense and a successful level check (DC is the target's level +11). Performing the hostage maneuver in this manner does not result in the target being grappled or hindered and is a full-round action.

Grappled Hostage: Initiating the hostage maneuver during a grapple requires a successful Grapple check against the creature, which provokes an attack of opportunity if the target is carrying a light weapon, has a natural attack or if its unarmed attacks are treated as armed. If the attack hits, the hostage maneuver has a 50% chance to fail.

The character gains a +4 bonus to his Grapple check if the creature is pinned.

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Reflex Saves and Movement Penalties Variant: For increased realism, some conditions may reduce a character's ability to dodge attacks. All of these penalties stack.
Cowering: Character takes a -2 penalty to Reflex saves.
Dazed: Character cannot use evasion or improved evasion.
Disabled: Character takes a -1 penalty to Reflex saves.
Flat-footed: Character takes a -4 penalty to Reflex saves (Uncanny Dodge negates).
Grappled: Character takes a -2 penalty to Reflex saves and cannot use evasion.
Panicked: Character takes a -1 penalty to Reflex saves.
Staggered: Character takes a -2 penalty to Reflex saves and cannot use evasion; improved evasion works as evasion.
Stunned: Character takes a -2 penalty to Reflex saves and cannot use evasion or improved evasion.

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Save Scores Variant: This variant differs from the normal rules in that when a character uses a technique or an effect that, the players must roll against the opponent's save scores.In effect, this means the attacker makes most of the rolls and thus relieves a good deal of pressure from the game master.

Anytime a character casts a spell, manifests a power, performs a technique, or uses an ability or item that provokes a saving throw, the attacker rolls a save check against the defender's save score. If the result of the save check exceeds or equals the defender's save score, the defender is affected as though it had failed its save. If the result is lower than the save score, the defender is affected as though it had succeeded its save.

A natural roll of 1 is always considered a successful save, and a natural roll of 20 is always considered a failed save.

Save check: 1d20 + technique rank + ability modifier + other modifier.
Fortitude score: 11 + Fortitude save modifier.
Reflex score: 11 + Reflex save modifier.
Will score: 11 + Will save modifier.
Abilities and Items: If an ability or a specific item has a saving throw DC, the attacker rolls a save check with a bonus equal to the ability or item's DC minus 10. A firecracker tag would have a +5 save check modifier.

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Simplified Chakra Variant: With the Chakra Control system being understandably complicated, the Naruto: d20 supplement offers an optional rule to greatly simplify and quicken gameplay for inexperienced players.

The Chakra Pool of a character is calculated as such: 2 plus the character's Constitution modifier (minimum 1) every level (therefore, a level 2 character with a Constitution of 13 would have 6 points of Chakra, while a level 10 character with a Constitution score of 16 would have a Chakra Pool of 50). Ordinaries still have half that amount.

Learning Genjutsu and Ninjutsu techniques now requires 1 rank of Chakra Control per rank of the technique the character seeks to learn (4 ranks for a Rank 4 technique).

Furthermore, Soldier Pills grant a bonus to Chakra Pool of 2d6+2 instead of 2d4+1.

Trump Card Variant: The player characters gain abilities called trump card under this variant. A trump card is a special technique known by the character held in reserves for dramatic situations. The trump card variant enables the character to use that technique for free in certain situations.

Gaining a Trump Card: The character gains a trump card ability when reaching certain levels. Each time, he selects a class ability or technique he learned previously and applies the trump card to that ability or technique. A technique the GM judges is too commonly used should not be allowed to be made a trump card.

Alternatively, the GM may allow a technique or ability that is commonly used to become a trump card when used in very specific circumstances. Techniques that can call summon creatures must be targeted at a specific summon creature (see Kuchiyose no Jutsu variants).

Trump Card (Sp): Once per day, you may use the trump card at no cost to yourself if it was not used before during the encounter.
A technique trump card costs no chakra to perform or empower, and a class ability that requires an action point or chakra costs none.
A technique or class ability with a limited number of uses per day or encounter is not expended.
Trump Card (Lesser): This trump card is earned at 5th level and is a technique of rank 4 or lower, or a class ability obtained from any class obtained with 4 or fewer levels in that class.
Trump Card (Superior): This trump card is earned at 10th level and is a technique of rank 9 or lower, or a class ability obtained from any class obtained with 7 or fewer levels in that class.
Trump Card (Greater): This trump card is earned at 15th level and is a technique of rank 14 or lower, or a class ability obtained from any class obtained with 10 or fewer levels in that class.

Retraining a Trump Card: The character can retrain any existing trump cards each time he obtains a new trump card or when he reaches 21st level. In effect, this allows the character to apply a trump card spell-like ability to a different technique or class ability.

Unarmed Lethal Damage Variant: As an optional rule, all heroic shinobi are able to deal lethal damage and count as armed when making an unarmed attack. The shinobi still deals 1d3 point of damage, though, unless he has a special feat increasing that amount (such as combat martial arts). This rule does not change the benefits of Brawl, as it still deals non-lethal damage.

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Power Units (PU): Power units functions in such a way to allow a character greater freedom within a game. They serve to make the inexperienced prodigy stronger and still somewhat of a challenge to the seasoned veteran. A character with more power units is capable of greater prowesses, both mental and physical, but distinctly has less experience
than a character of higher level.

The only true way to acquire a power unit is for the GM to give one or to benefit from a non-permanent effect that increase one's power unit. One should always be mindful of game balance when considering using power units, and they are a completely optional portion of the Naruto: d20 system. Nevertheless, implementing them can add distinct flavor to a game and add that edge combat needs to be just that much more interesting.

Power Units add up to each other and all bonuses listed below stack:
– +0.5 dodge bonus to Defense (rounded down)
– +0.5 hit points per level (rounded down)
– +1 to his Learn checks
– +2 bonus to Chakra Pool
– +1 bonus to attack rolls
– +1 bonus to saving throws
– +2 bonus to Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Swim and Tumble checks
– +2 bonus to Initiative
– +2 feet movement increase (rounded to the nearest 5-feet unit)

For example, a character with 3 Power Units (PU) would gain the following: a +1 dodge bonus to defense, +1 hit points per level, +3 bonus to his Learn checks, +3 bonus to his Chakra Pool, attack rolls, saving throws, +6 bonus to Initiative and Balance, Climb, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Swim and Tumble checks as well as a 5 feet movement increase.