Inja

Tables

Inja (not ninja!) are hermits, accustomed to wandering the rugged peaks and isolated valleys of the Asia. If minute in stature, they are mystical in power. Inja possess powers that derive from their understanding of the natural world, as well as abilities that help them survive there.

Most inja are good in spirit, although they shun civilization for the community of the wilderness. Some adopt a large area such as a mountain range as a "roam," in which they call home, though they meander throughout. Others never seem to settle down even to this minimal extent, and have become some of the most widely traveled persons in legend.

Wu jen and shugenja, with their itinerant lifestyles, are particularly fit to becoming inja. Likewise, any class that has access to wu jen or shugenja spells, such as the sohei or ninja also benefit from the inja's abilities in the wilderness. These spellcasting classes will find that they can actually still advance in their spellcasting abilities. Characters that have concentrated more on their martial careers can also enjoy the abilities of an inja, especially when circumstances demand they travel far or alone.

While known for their reclusiveness, an inja is not always untowardly with company. Some are sought out by seekers of wisdom, and others will gladly join a small band of other travelers for a time.

    Hit dice: d6

Requirements

Race Most inja are humans, though members of any race may become a wise hermit. Korobokuru rarely take levels in this prestige class; they simply lack the... wisdom.

Alignment Any non-lawful

Skills Knowledge (Nature) 12 ranks, Wilderness Lore, 6 ranks; Intuit Direction, 4 ranks

Feat Skill Focus (Knowledge: Nature)

Spell-casting abilities Must be able to cast 4th-level wu jen, shaman, or shugenja spells OR manifest 4th-level psionic powers.

Experiences Must spend at least three months living in the wilderness alone and traveling while without significant contact from civilization.

Class features

Skills: Inja class skills are as follows: Animal Empathy (Exclusive skill, Cha), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Knowledge (Nature, Psionics; Int), Listen (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). Using the Climb, Jump, and Hide skills while armored imposes an armor check penalty. Swimming characters also suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of gear carried.
    Skill points 4 + Int modifier / level

Proficiencies: An inja gains proficiency with all simple weapons but no armor or shields.

Wilderness ken: The inja's experiences in the wilderness have taught him a great deal about taking care of himself when conditions are rough. He may add his inja level to Wilderness Lore and Intuit Direction checks. This ability is gained at level one.

Warning (Su): Another ability gained at first level, the inja can detect nearby danger before it even shows its hoary head. The inja is affected as if under the influence of the warning whenever he is alone. In this case, an inja who is "alone" may also be accompanied by a familiar, animal companion, or any other creature with the monster type Animal.

Warning makes the recipient hyper-aware of his environment. He gains a +2 enchantment bonus to his Spot and Listen skill checks when using these skills on objects or creatures within 10'. He can also use his Spot skill to detect traps within the area (like a rogue uses Search), though this may be performed only once per trap (i.e., the character can't take 10 or 20). He also cannot be flanked, and is also not susceptible to sneak attacks make within a 10' radius. This is a supernatural ability.

Spellcaster/Manifester Levels: As the inja advances, he not only retains his spellcasting or psionic abilities but also increases them as if he were still a wu jen, shugenja, shaman, or the like. Each level of inja increases his spellcasting or psionic abilities in his previous class by one level. This does not grant him any other special abilities a character might earn by advancing in the previous class, just the number of spells cast per day or power points available per day and new spells or powers learned or made available each level.  Effective caster or manifester level is his previous spellcasting level plus his inja class level.

Psionic inja increase in power points as if they were advancing as members of their psionic core class.  They can also obtain bonus power points.  An inja who was a  psychic warrior can choose a discipline and gain bonus power points, as well.

If a character has two (or more) classes, both of which fulfill the spellcasting or psionic requirement for this class, the character must choose in which class to advance his abilituies as he gains experience as an inja. Once this decision is made, it cannot be changed. For example, a Shugenja 8/Wu jen 7 can cast fourth level spells of from the shugenja and wu jen spell lists. If he becomes an inja, he can advance his spellcasting abilities as either a wu jen or a shugenja, but not both. As a first-level inja, if the character chooses to augment his wu jen spells, he would then have the spellcasting capabilities of a eighth-level wu jen. All of his wu jen spells would then be cast as if he were a eighth level. From then on, he can only advance his wu jen spellcasting abilities with the inja class, although he could take further levels of shugenja to develop his shugenja spells.

First Prestige Domain: At first level the inja gains access to a domain associated with the natural world from the list of domains available to a shugenja (see Oriental Adventures). The spells granted through this domain are cast at the character's inja level. They are made available as shown in the table below, Inja Domain Spells. These spells are treated as divine spells if the inja's effective spellcaster level is a shugenja-, shaman-, or psionic-related class, or as arcane if his effective spellcaster level is an arcane-spellcasting class.

The inja also gains the ability to cast one more spell per day for every spell level he can cast.  The bonus spell must come from this domain.

Freedom of Movement: At second level, the inja gains the ability to act as if under a freedom of movement spell whenever outdoors. This is a supernatural ability that is constantly in effect, although the inja can "suppress" it if he wills.

Air Walk: At third level, the inja can cast the air walk (cf.) spell at a level equal to his effective caster level. This spell can be cast once per day.

Sustain: Once per month, an inja can operate for a number of days equal to his overall character level as if he were under the influence of a sustain spell.  See p. 115 of OA.

Resistance to Poison: At fifth level the inja enjoys a +4 bonus to saving throws against all natural poisons.

Speak with Animals: At sixth level the inja can understand and speak with animals. This ability does not grant any special influence over animals, but allows him to simply communicate with them. The creature must be of the type Animal as described in the MM.

Second Prestige Domain: At sixth level the inja can select another domain among those listed under the Wilderness Domain ability described above. It cannot be a domain to which he already has access either through this class or any other.  He gains the ability to cast an addituional spell per day for each spell level he can cast, though the bonus spell must be from this domain.

Endure Elements: At seventh level, the inja operates as if he were under the influence of an endure elements spell whenever he is outside. The elements to which this supernatural ability grants protection are fire, cold, and electricity. This ability can be "suppressed" by the inja at will.

Wind Walk: At eighth level, the inja can cast the spell wind walk once per day at an effective level equal to his inja level.

Speak with Plants: The penultimate level of the inja prestige class brings the ability to speak with plants.

Hermit's Wisdom: At tenth level the inja's warning ability is not dependent on him being alone; it operates even when he is with companions. Others are still dependent on him to instruct them of dangers they don't perceive.

The Inja

Inja Domain Spells

Author's note: Inja does indeed mean "hermit" in Japanese.

The Wu Jen