DC Heroes RPG – Stock ninja stats

DC Heroes RPG

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Some generic ninja foes are deadly night assassins. Others are disposable mooks in pyjamas.

As was observed by the now-cliché “inverse ninja power law”, a horde of ninja will usually feature individually weak opponents, whereas one or two ninja often are genuinely dangerous. And small groups lie somewhere in-between.

The following profiles are thus presented in order of competence :

Disposable ninja mook

Functionally, these are street thugs with additional training and better melee weapons. They can threaten ordinary NPCs, but cinematic or heroic fighters will mow through them.

This is the default power level for large numbers of ninja.

Skills:

Acrobatics (Climbing): 03, Martial Artist: 03, Thief (Stealth): 03, Weaponry (Ninja weapons): 03

Advantages:

Familiarity (Ninja lore), possibly a Language.

Connections:

Their ninja clan (Low).

Drawbacks:

Usually none.

Equipment:

Generic ninja melee weapon [BODY 04, EV 04]. Usually a sword, but might be a pair of kama (hand sickles), a one-metre long weighted chain, a pair of sai, a pair of butterfly swords or somesuch. Don’t bother with fancy WORG-style stats for the weapons, a fixed EV is sufficient for these guys.

Ninja footsoldier

Competent, well-trained fighters, prowlers and athletes.

They can engage and defeat even armed police and soldiers, though they will take casualties from gunfire. But such footsoldiers are not going to threaten master fighters and superhumans under most circumstances.

This is the default power level for a small commando or hit team of ninja.

Powers:

Ultra-vision: 02

Bonuses and Limitations:

Ultra-vision is Night Vision Only (-1) and a Skilled Power.

Skills:

Acrobatics (Athletics, Climbing): 04, Martial Artist: 04, Thief (Stealth): 04, Weaponry (Ninja weapons): 04

Advantages:

Familiarity (Ninja lore), possibly a Language.

Connections:

Their ninja clan (Low).

Drawbacks:

Usually none.

Equipment:

• Generic ninja melee weapon [BODY 04, EV 04 (05 w/Martial artist)] – usually a sword, but might be a pair of kama (hand sickles), a one-metre long weighted chain, a pair of sai or a pair of butterfly swords. More exotic weapons are possible but those are the recurrent ones.
• Plus one among these three :
  • Self bow [BODY 02, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 03), Enhance (Range): 02 (cap is 04), Ammo: 01, Recommended STR: 02, R#03, Limitation: Low Penetration, Descriptor: Piercing].
  • Enough shuriken [BODY 01, EV 02, Note : thrown weapons].
  • Kusari-Gama (Skilled Use) [BODY 04, Enhance (EV): 02 (cap is 05), Enhance (Wrestling/Grappling EV): 01 (cap is 07), Enhance (Disarming AV): 02 (cap is 11), Enhance (Disarming EV): 02 (cap is 07), Stagger (No Range): 04, Stretching (No Fine Manipulation): 00, Note: OV/RV when using the Block Manoeuvre is 1 AP when Blocking most melee weapons, and 2 APs when blocking swung melee weapons]. A long weighted chain with a kama at one hand.

Ninja hitperson

An operative working alone (more rarely in pair) and capable of inflicting significant damage.

Heroes will be able to take on a ninja hitman. But conventional security will be outclassed by the dreaded power of ninjutsu.

A character at this level of expertise is normally a “named” character rather than a generic extra. But ninja have a silent, faceless, nameless quality to them. ”He’s a ninja” can explain almost any power level without raising an eyebrow.

Powers:

Ultra-vision: 03

Bonuses and Limitations:

Ultra-vision is Night Vision Only (-1) and a Skilled Power.

Skills:

Acrobatics: 05, Martial Artist: 04, Military science (Camouflage): 05, Thief (Security systems, stealth): 05, Weaponry (Ninja weapons): 05

Advantages:

Familiarity (Ninja lore), Iron Nerves, possibly a Language.

Connections:

Their ninja clan (Low).

Drawbacks:

MIA toward the Ninja Code (whatever that is).

Equipment:

• Generic ninja melee weapon [BODY 04, EV 04 (05 w/Martial artist)] – usually a sword, but might be a pair of kama (hand sickles), a one-metre long weighted chain, a pair of sai or a pair of butterfly swords. More exotic weapons are possible but those are the recurrent ones.
• SILENT CHAINMAIL [BODY 03, Blunting: 02, Damage capacity: 01, Enhance (Slashing and Piercing RV): 01 (cap is 05), Miniaturisation: 02, Stealth penalty 1/1, Partial Coverage (Jacket), Bonuses & Limitations:
  • Blunting only vs Piercing and Slashing.
  • Damage Capacity has the Full Recovery Bonus.
  • Miniaturisation is Encumbrance Only]. Light, tightly-assembled chainmail hidden under clothing.
  • Enough shuriken [BODY 01, EV 02, Note : thrown weapons]
  • Flash-smoke mini-grenade (x2) [BODY 01, Flash: 02, Fog: 04, Bonus: Flash and Fog are Combined, Drawback: Grenade Drawback]
  • Climbing claws on hand and feet [BODY 04, Prehensile Feet Advantage]
  • Plus one among these three :
    • Bow [BODY 03, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 04), Enhance (Range): 03 (cap is 06), Ammo: 01, Recommended STR: 03, R#02, Limitation: Low Penetration, Descriptor: Piercing].
    • Kusari-Gama (Skilled Use) [BODY 04, Enhance (EV): 02 (cap is 05), Enhance (Wrestling/Grappling EV): 01 (cap is 07), Enhance (Disarming AV): 02 (cap is 11), Enhance (Disarming EV): 02 (cap is 07), Stagger (No Range): 04, Stretching (No Fine Manipulation): 00, Note: OV/RV when using the Block Manoeuvre is 1 AP when Blocking most melee weapons, and 2 APs when blocking swung melee weapons].
    • Blowgun [BODY 01, Poison touch: 05, Range: 03, Ammo: 01, Thief (Stealth): 04, Drawback: Long Reload Time, Limitations: Range requires blowing in the tube, Thief only to muffle the shot, Poison touch cannot penetrate any sort of armour (or natural RV 7+ against piercing attacks)].