Yakuza

Requirements

Alignment: Any Nonchaotic, Nongood

Skills: Bluff (10 ranks), Gather Information (10 ranks), Hide (7 ranks)

Feats: Dodge

Summary

The yakuzas are many different things, depending on who is asked. Some call them protectors of the common folk, others think of them as thugs and extortionists, still others rely on them as an unofficial police force. They are simultaneously despised and respected, sometimes even supported by the local authorities. On one hand, they represent the shadowy underworld, directing and controlling local activities. On the other hand, they provide protection for the helpless and watch over those in their care. Of course, such care has a price, and that is how the yakuzas make their living. Most yakuzas are rogues. Some rogue/fighters are drawn to the yakuzas' thuggish, enforcer role. Yakuza may be tolerated, condoned, or even recognized by the government, but they are nevertheless criminals, always in danger of arrest and punishment for their crimes. As a result, yakuza families do their best to keep everything running smoothly and quietly in their territories, avoiding any unwanted attention.

Role: DPS Utility

Characteristics: Thuggish enforcers with local knowledge, adept dodging, and leadership abilities

Source: Oriental Adventures

Game Rule Information

The Yakuza has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Dexterity for staying alive, Intelligence for your skill points, and constitution for beefing up that d6 hit die.

Alignment: Any Nonchaotic and Nonlawful

Hit Die: d6

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Yakuza's class skills are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Innuendo (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dec), Open Locks (Dex), Pickpocket (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Yakuza.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Yakuza is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Uncanny Dodge Ex: A yakuza has the ability to react to danger before her senses would normally allow her to even be aware of it. From 1st level, she retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. (She still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.)

At 4th level, the yakuza can no longer be flanked, since she can react to opponents on opposite sides of her as easily as she can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the opportunity to use flank attacks to sneak attack the yakuza. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the yakuza can flank her (and thus sneak attack her).

At 8th level, the yakuza gains an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps.

If the yakuza has another class that grants the uncanny dodge ability, add together all the class levels of the classes that grant the ability and determine the character's uncanny dodge ability on that basis.

Defensive Roll Ex: A yakuza can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it . Once per day, when a yakuza would be reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the yakuza can attempt to roll with the damage. She makes a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt) and, if she's successful, she takes only half damage from the blow. She must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute her defensive roll if she is denied her Dexterity bonus to AC, she can't roll. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the yakuza's evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll.

Improved Evasion Ex: At 2nd level and above, a yakuza can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If the yakuza makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Even if she fails her saving throw, she takes only half damage. The yakuza can use improved evasion only if she is wearing light armor or no armor.

Yakuza Knowledge Ex: A yakuza, if she's doing her job, knows everything that goes on in her "territory," and a lot about what goes on outside it. A yakuza may make a special yakuza knowledge check with a bonus equal to her class level + her Intelligence modifier to see whether she knows some relevant information about local people or places. The yakuza may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of knowledge is essentially random. The DM will determine the Difficulty Class of the check by referring to Table 1-2: below

Leadership Ex: At 5th level, a yakuza gains the Leadership feat for free. Yakuza belong to an adoptive family, and can call on other members of their families for assistance. A yakuza's followers may be rogues as well as warriors, experts, or commoners. If the yakuza already has the Leadership feat, she gains a permanent +2 bonus on her Leadership score.

Slippery Mind Ex: At 10th level, a yakuza gains the ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise control or compel her. If a yakuza with slippery mind is affected by magic and fails her saving throw, 1 round later she can attempt her saving throw again. She only gets this one extra chance to succeed at her saving throw.

Table 1-1: Yakuza Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Uncanny dodge (Dex bonus to AC), defensive roll
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	Improved evasion
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Yakuza knowledge
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Uncanny dodge (can't be flanked)
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Leadership
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2	Uncanny dodge (+1 to traps)
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	Slippery mind

Table 1-2: Yakuza Knowledge

DC	Type of Knowledge	Example
5	Common, known by at least a substantial minority of the local population.	A local mayor's reputation for drinking; a neighborhood's reputation for criminal activity.
15	Uncommon but available, known by only a few people in the area.	A local shaman's shady past; a daimyo's family history.
20	Obscure, known by a few, hard to come by.	A samurai's family history, the location and identity of a reliable purchaser of stolen goods.
25	Extremely obscure, known by very few, possibly forgotten by most who once knew it, possibly known only by those who don't understand the significance of the knowledge.	A mighty wu jen's birth name; key figures in the local underworld.