Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu
By Kuseru
Entrance Requirements: Limited to Honorable Alignments. No Attribute minimums required.
Skill Cost: 15 Years (13 Years as a Secondary Martial Art Style).

This Japanese ninjutsu martial art was founded by Daisuke Togakure (circa 1145-1240), also called Daisuke Nishina, in 1160. The combat techniques of this style are marked by the use of low and wide stances used for strong punches and throws. Weapons studied include Bisento, Bo, Jutte, Katana, Kyoketsu Shoge, Metsubushi, Naginata, Shuko, Shuriken (Senban Shuriken), Tessen, and Tetsubishi. Three items are held to be schools secrets or Sanpo Hiden, the Shuko, Senban Shuriken, and Shinodake (bamboo breathing tube).

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: Shizumi no Kamae: This is a low stance, where a deep step is taken rearwards with the right leg and the body comes down vertically over the right leg. The body is to remain vertical with the left leg fully extended, the left arm comes down parallel to the leg. The right hand remains up protecting the head.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add +5 to Chi
Add +1 to P.S.
Add +1 to P.P.
Add +1 to P.E.
COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 2
Escape Moves: Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
Attack Moves: Somersault
Basic Defense Moves: Automatic Parry, Dodge, Parry
Advanced Defense Moves: Breakfall, Disarm
Hand Attacks: Claw Hand, Fingertip Attack, Palm Strike, Thumb Drive Fist (New!), Two-Finger Strike (New!).
Basic Foot Attacks: Kick
Jumping Foot Attacks: None.
Special Attacks: Death Blow (REVISED!), Death Strike (NEW!), Headbutt, Hilt Strike (New!), Hip Throw (New!), Knee.
Holds/Locks: None.
Weapon Kata (Choose Three): W.P. Bisento (Polearm), W.P. Bo (Staff), W.P. Jutte (Forked), W.P. Katana (Large Sword), W.P. Kyoketsu Shoge (Knife & Chain), W.P. Naginata (Polearm), W.P. Shuko (Forked), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tessen (Fan).
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, and Special Kata. 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.
Physical: Prowl, Swimming
Weapon Proficiencies (Choose Six): W.P. Bisento (Polearm), W.P. Bo (Staff), W.P. Jutte (Forked), W.P. Katana (Large Sword), W.P. Kyoketsu Shoge (Knife & Chain), W.P. Naginata (Polearm), W.P. Shuko (Forked), W.P. Shuriken (Thrown), W.P. Tessen (Fan).
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 then the following other styles can be learned in a shorter time: Gyokko Ryu (6 Years), Gyokushin Ryu (7 Years), Kashima Shin Ryu (3 Years), Koto Ryu (5 Years), Kukishinden Ryu (8 Years), Kumogakure Ryu (6 Years), Shinden Fudo Ryu (7 Years), Suio Ryu (4 Years), Takagi Yoshin Ryu (5 Years), Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-Ryu (4 Years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES
1st: +1 to Strike, +1 to Dodge, Critical Strike from Behind.
2nd: +2 to Parry, +1 to Roll/Knockdown.
3rd: +1 Attack per Melee, +2 to Damage.
4th: Gains the Martial Art Technique of Iai-jutsu.
5th: +1 to Strike, Death Strike on a Natural 20.
6th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
7th: +1 Attack per Melee, +1 to Roll/Knockdown.
8th: Gains the Martial Art Technique of Zanshin.
9th: Death Strike on a Natural 19 or 20.
10th: +1 Attack per Melee, +2 to Parry.
11th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Roll/Knockdown.
12th: Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility or Martial Art Techniques.
13th: +2 to Dodge, Critical Strike on a Natural 18, 19, or 20.
14th: Death Blow (Can be used whenever desired (i.e. No Natural Number required), however, character must announce intentions to use the Attack per Melee, costs two melee attacks).
15th: Select One (1) Additional Martial Art Power from Arts of Invisibility or Martial Art Techniques.
Why Study Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu?
One of the original styles of the true shadow warrior! Flexibility, surprising attacks and deadly moves are all the Ninja's trademarks. This style is noted for the many weapons it brings to the vast ninja arsenal. Also a popular style among kunoichi (female ninja).