Takagi Yoshin Ryu Ninjutsu
By Kuseru
Entrance Requirements: No Alignment or Attribute restrictions.
Skill Cost: 12 Years (10 Years as a Secondary Martial Art Style).

The Japanese ninjutsu martial art of Takagi Yoshin Ryu gets it's beginning with a priest called Unryu or Sounryu (Cloud Dragon) of the Abe family, who was skilled in Bojutsu, Naginatajutsu, Shurikenjutsu, Sojutsu, and Taijutsu. Unryu taught these techniques ot the famous martial artist Ito Kii Sukesada, a samurai from Katakura Kojuro in Fukushima Province. Ito added Hanbo, Kenjutsu and Kodachi to the teachings of Unryu. Ito then passed these skills on to Takagi Oriuemon Shigenobu (1625-1711), a young samurai from Tohoku-Shiroishi Han in Oku. Shigenobu added some techniques of Takenouchi Ryu Jujutsu.

In addition to choking, grappling and throwing techniques derived from Jujutsu, this style also emphasizes Dakentaijutsu (striking techniques) used very quickly at short combat distances. Basic skills include breakfalls, blocks, counter-striking techniques, and hold releases, as well as disarms against armed opponents. This style emphasizes chokes, nerve strikes, pain holds, surprise attacks, tripping leg kicks, and throws. Weapons Taught include Bo, Hanbo, Katana, Kodachi, Naginata, Shuriken, Tanto, and Yari.

Costume: 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: Kosei no Kamae: In this stance, the left leg forward, right leg back (taking 80% of body weight) with foot at 90 degrees to the body. The right hand is clenched into a fist and raised level with the temple with the forearm rising at approximately 60 degrees into the air. The left hand is clenched into a fist and points to the right elbow as if shielding eyes from the sun.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add +2 to P.P.
Add +1 to P.E.
Add +4 to Spd.
COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 2
Escape Moves: Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
Attack Moves: None.
Basic Defense Moves: Automatic Parry, Dodge, Parry.
Advanced Defense Moves: Breakfall, Circular Parry, Disarm.
Hand Attacks: Fingertip Attack.
Basic Foot Attacks: Tripping/Leg Hook.
Jumping Foot Attacks: None.
Special Attacks: Combination Grab/Slash, Death Strike (New!), Hand Throw (New!), Joint Throw (New!), One-Hand Choke (New!), Reverse Hold/Throw (New!), Snap Strike (This attack can be used with will all hand strikes EXCEPT Backhand, Chuk, Duo-Claw Strike, Duo-Knuckle Strike, Lau, Overhead Fore-Knuckle Fist, Power Punch, Push Open Hand, Rotary Palm Strike, Roundhouse, Sticky Hand, Two Palm Push, and Uppercut. This is a hand strike can only be performed at Grappling (Combat) Range and allows the attacker to perform a hand strike which the opponent has trouble rolling with. If the strike successfully hits, the opponent can still attempt to reduce damage, but does so with no bonuses and at a -2 penalty to the roll.), Sweeping Throw (New!), Two Handed Choke (New!).
Holds/Locks: Elbow Lock, Wrist Lock, Neck Hold/ Choke.
Weapon Kata (Pick Two): W.P. Bo (Staff), W.P. Kodachi (Short Sword), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tanto (Knife), and W.P. Yari (Spear).
Modifiers to Attacks: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind.
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING
Martial Art Powers: Select a total of TWO (2) Martial Art Powers from among Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, and 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).
Languages: Japanese, Japanese: Takagi Yoshin Ryu diealect.
Physical: Acrobatics, Prowl.
Survival: Wilderness Survival.
Temple: Meditation.
Weapon Proficiencies: W.P. Bo (Staff), W.P. Hanbo (Blunt), W.P. Katana (Large Sword), W.P. Kodachi (Short Sword), W.P. Naginata (Polearm), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tanto (Knife), and W.P. Yari (Spear).
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.
If this is your Primary Martial Art then the following other styles can be learned in a shorter time: Gyokko Ryu (6 Years), Gyokushin Ryu (7 Years), Hakko Denshin Ryu (4 Years), Hontai Yoshin Ryu (5 Years), Kashima Shin Ryu (3 Years), Koto Ryu (5 Years), Kukishinden Ryu (8 Years), Kumogakure Ryu (6 Years), Maniwa Nen Ryu (4 Years), Shinden Fudo Ryu (7 Years), Shinmuso Hayashizaki Ryu (5 Years), Tatsumi Ryu (5 Years), Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-Ryu (4 Years), Togakure Ryu (7 Years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES
1st: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Strike, +1 to Disarm, Critical Strike from Behind.
2nd: +1 Parry/Dodge, +2 to Breakfall.
3rd: +1 to Initiative, +1 to Body Flip/Throw (includes all throws).
4th: +1 Attack per Melee.
5th: Critical Strike on a Natural 18, 19 or 20.
6th: Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques.
7th: +1 to Strike, +2 to Disarm.
8th: +2 Parry/Dodge, +1 to Breakfall.
9th: +1 Attack per Melee.
10th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
11th: Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques.
12th: Death Strike on a Natural 20.
13th: +1 to Strike, +2 to Body Flip/Throw (includes all throws)(Throws do an extra die of damage for a total of two dice of damage).
14th: +1 to Disarm, +1 to Initiative.
15th: Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility, Atemi, or Martial Art Techniques.
Why Study Takagi Yoshin Ryu Ninjutsu?
Derived from jujutsu instead of taijutsu unarmed techniques, this style is considered somewhat more conventional than other ninjutsu styles, but it still gets the job done.