Koga Ninjutsu (EXCLUSIVE)
By Kuseru
Entrance Requirements: Minimum Attributes include P.S.: 10 and P.E.: 8.
Skill Cost: 16 years.

Koga Ninjutsu originated with the Koga Ninja of feudal Japan. The Koga Ninja originated around 938-946 when the Mochizuki clan received land in the Koga region after the war with Taira no Masakado. During the Bunmei period (1469-1487) Koga Ninja were hired by the Sasaki family to fight Ashikaga Yoshizawa. The Koga also fought (alongside the Iga Ninja) against Oda Nobunaga in 1570 but were defeated. While Tokugawa Ieyasu fought at Sekigahara, Koga Ninja were hired to protect his interests at Fushima castle near Kyoto. The last recorded battle where Koga were involved was the infiltration of Shimbara castle during the Christian revolt led by Amakusa Shiro. The last known Koga was Fujita Seiko (1899-1960) who led guerilla units during World War Two.

Costume: White or Camouflage Shinobi Shozoku: The ninja outfit consists of jacket, hakama (loose pants), hand gauntlets, sandals, tabi socks, double belt, leg ties, separate leg and arm pieces, and quilted groin and body protector. Numerous pockets are designed for concealing shuriken and other Ninja items. Also comes with a two-part hood. All of the clothing is relatively loose, with ties around the waist, wrists and ankles. (For just the clothing, A.R.: 8 and S.D.C: 15) For fighting operations on the battlefield there were chain mail jackets and leggings. Chain mail guards for the wrists, hands and neck along with a metal chin guard completed the armor. Armor triples the price of the outfit. (For chain mail armor additions, A.R. 13 and S.D.C. 59) The clothing is traditionally died one of several colors, depending on the environment in which the shinobi is working: the default color is off-black for night and utter blackness, brown for fields and forests, gray for stone and urban settings, and white for snow. True black is not available, the closest being a nearly black, dark red or dark indigo, dark brown or rust colored, due to the available dyes. For more theatrically inclined ninja, the following colors are available; blue for ninja which clumsy, incapable, or poor, red and/or orange for villainous ninja (especially ninja assassins), grey for neutral ninja, white for good ninja and evil ninja attempting to mend their ways, and no color or shinobi shozoku at all for powerful ninja. Reversible forms of shinobi shozoku may be made (or bought), with a second color or even a complete set of faux garb that can be used as a disguise (such as common bonge garb, priests's garb, etc.) when the garb is turned inside out. A second color on the reverse of the garb adds +50% to the listed cost; having a set of faux garb on the reverse doubles the cost of the shinobi shozoku.
Stance: Low, wide legged, side stance, with most of the body centered over the back leg, forward leg resting lightly on the ball of the foot. Forward hand is held out and open, the rear hand is pulled back and out at waist level.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add +1 to P.S.
Add +2 to P.P.
Add +10 to Chi
COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 2
Escape Moves: Air Roll (New!), Breakfall, Handspring (New!), Leap, Maintain Balance, Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
Attack Moves: Handstand.
Basic Defensive Moves: Automatic Parry, Dodge, Parry.
Advanced Defenses: Combination Parry/Attack, Multiple Dodge.
Hand Attacks: Backhand, Knife Hand, Palm Strike, Punch.
Basic Foot Attacks: Shin Kick, Snap Kick, Trip/Leg Hook.
Jumping Foot Attacks: None.
Special Attacks: Choke, Combination Grab/Kick, Death Strike (New!), Elbow, Hip Throw (New!), Knee, Roll/Knockdown, Shoulder Throw (New!), Sweeping Throw (New!).
Holds/Locks: Elbow Lock, Finger Lock, Wrist Lock.
Weapon Kata (Pick Two): W.P. Hanbo (Blunt), W.P. Kusari Fundo (Chain), W.P. Ninja-To (Short Sword), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tanto (Knife).
Modifiers to Attack: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind.
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING
Martial Arts Powers: Select a total of TWO (2) Martial Art Powers from among Arts of Invisibility. Select a total of TWO (2) Martial Art Powers from among Atemi or Martial Art Techniques. If desired, any number of Martial Art Powers can be traded, on a one-for-one basis, for Basic Skill Programs (excluding Physical).
Language: Japanese.
Other Skills: Prowl, Climbing, Ninja Psychological Warfare, Use Ninja Tools,
Weapon Proficiencies: W.P. Bokuto (Blunt), W.P. Chikuto (Blunt), W.P. Hanbo (Blunt), W.P. Kusari Fundo (Chain), W.P. Ninja-To (Short Sword), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tanto (Knife).
Philosophical Training: Ninja Code of Honor: The ninja code of honor stresses four areas, motivation towards the mission, loyalty to the clan and ryu, improvisation through awareness, and disguising one's true nature. Motivation to the mission is stressed by accepting missions only from the ninja's chunin, considering the enemies of the employer as one's own enemies, never refusing or questioning a mission, failure not being an option in the mission, putting the mission before oneself, killing in a mission when necessary and avoiding killing when not necessary, escaping when captured, killing one's self when escape is impossible, resisting when suicide is impossible, and taking the life of a comrade rather than allowing them to be captured. Loyalty to the clan and ryu is achieved by never betraying the clan, putting the clan before oneself, not striking another member of the ryu, aiding a genin of the ryu, and not ever leaving the ryu, even to the point of killing ninja who do leave the ryu. Improvision through awareness is achieved by always observing other people and knowing one's surroundings with the thought that one is always being observed and being mentally and physically alert enough to make use of anything at hand. Disguising one's true nature is accomplished through maintaining disguises, never revealing one's true self, speaking in circumlocutions and obfuscation while in public, using code words and metaphors which jeopardize neither one's self or the mission. Due to the unique requirements of the ninja code of honor, the character does not have to have an alignment with a discipline of honor.
Shugendo: The first Japanese mountain ascetics, Shugyosha or Hijiri, were thought to attain great power by meditating and performing austerities on mountain peaks. The best known of these was En-no-Gyoja (En the practitioner or ascetic) also known as En-no-Ozuno or En-no-Ubasoku (En the laic). He is an ascetic who primarily wandered the mountains in Yoshino and Kumano south of Kyoto and Nara. Enno is credited with converting many mountains from Shinto to Buddhism and the founding of Shugendo (Shu=search, ken=powers, do=way; therefore Shugendo would be the "way of supernatural powers"). By practicing ascetic rituals they empowered themselves with Holy and mystical powers to use for the benefit of the community. The maintain these holy powers, Yamabushi often had to perform these rituals with frequent regularity often doing things like chanting the Lotus sutra hundreds of times in a day. they made regular pilgrimages to holy mountains once a season-often in difficult to reach places. When the esoteric Buddhist schools (Tendai and Shingon) came to the mountains of Japan, they brought with them the idea of military prowess. The Yamabushi embraced this idea and begin to train themselves in the martial ways. Stories often circulated of Yamabushi performing extraordinary feats such as walking across burning fires and climbing up ladders of swords as well cutting stones in half by prayer alone or jumping great distances.
If this is your Primary Martial Art Style then the following other styles can be learned in a shorter time: Araki Ryu Kusarijutsu (3 Years), Asayama Ichiden Ryu (3 Years), Enmei Ryu (3 Years), Fudo Ryu (4 Years), Fukushima Ryu (4 Years), Fuma Ryu (5 Years), Ganritsu Ryu (2 Years), Gyokko Ryu (6 Years), Hakko Denshin Ryu (4 Years), Kashima Shin Ryu (3 Years), Kogusoku (3 Years), Kukishinden Ryu (8 Years), Masaki Ryu Kusarijutsu (4 Years), Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-Ryu (4 Years), Togakure Ryu (7 Years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES
1^st: +1 to Strike, +1 to Initiative, +1 to Maintain Balance, Critical Strike from Behind.
2^nd: +1 to Parry/Strike, +1 to Dodge, +1 to Parry.
3^rd: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Initiative, +2 to Strike.
4^th: +2 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +2 to Maintain Balance, +2 to Breakfall, +2 to Leap, +2 to Handspring, +2 to Air Roll.
5^th: +1 to Strike with Ninja-To, Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques.
6^th: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Leap.
7^th: +2 to Breakfall, Critical Strike on a Natural 19 or 20.
8^th: +2 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Handspring.
9^th: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Parry/Strike.
10^th: Knockout/Stun on a Natural 20, Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques.
11^th: +1 to Leap, +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
12^th: +1 to Hand Spring, +1 to Parry.
13^th: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, Death Strike on a Natural 20.
14^th: +1 to Air Roll, Select One (1) Zenjorke.
15^th: +1 to Initiative, +1 to Leap, gains W.P. Paired-Ninja-To.
WHY STUDY Koga Ninjutsu?
This form of Ninjutsu emphasizes stealth and cunning thought, perfect for espionage agents. Decent mystic abilities and fairly strong attacks with good escape moves round out this martial art.