Ronin

A ronin has a poor Fortitude save and a good Reflex and Will saves.

A ronin adds Deception and Streetwise to his list of class skills but loses Academics.

Ronin follow their own personal code of ethics and honor. As such, their edicts are extremely flexible and subject to change. Each ronin should determine his own edicts, which should include at least three provisions. These edicts are subject to GM approval.

A ronin’s edicts often relate more directly to himself rather than his interactions with others the way a traditional samurai’s edicts do. They also often are based on the ronin’s goals or personal views. For example, a ronin who seeks to regain honor might have an edict to remain calm and poised in all situations, appearing serene, regal, and emotionally unmoved as befitting the most noble individuals while a ronin who seeks revenge might possess an edict to spill the blood of anyone he meets from his former clan as soon as possible.

As a former member of a clan, sect, or family, you have great insight into their traditions, training, habits, and interests, giving you an advantage when opposing them.

At 2nd level, you gain a +2 bonus on Deception, Insight, Natural Lore, and Perception checks as well as any skill check to Recall Knowledge (regardless of the skill) when using these skills against members of your former clan. Likewise, you gain a +2 bonus to armor class and a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against them.

In addition, you add your rival clan bonus to the save DC of any challenge made against members of your former clan.

At 6th level and every four levels thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th level), the rival clan bonus increases by 1.

This ability counts as the ranger’s Favored Enemy ability for the purposes of meeting prerequisites; however you cannot use rival clan to gain additional favored enemies. If a specific creature is subject to both rival clan and favored enemy, the bonuses do not stack; you simply use whichever bonus is higher.

Starting at 2nd level, if you can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from your attack, you can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

Your attacks deal 1d6 extra precision damage any time your target is flat-footed or when you flank your target. This extra damage increases by 1d6 every three ronin levels after 2nd. Should you score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within precision range (normally 30 feet).

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), you can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. You cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

You can sneak attack only creatures with discernible anatomies. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. You must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. You cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.

At 3rd level, you choose a specific focus for your training, exactly as a Fighter. This functions exactly as the combat focus ability of the fighter using your samurai level as your fighter level.

If you have at least 3 levels in fighter and choose the same combat focus with both classes, your samurai and fighter levels stack to determine the benefits of your combat focus.

At 4th level, you learn to rely solely on yourself, even in the most difficult of times. Whenever you fail a Will saving throw against an effect with a duration greater than 1 round, you can attempt another saving throw at the end of the second round of the effect. If you make this second saving throw, it has the same effect as if you had made the original save (negating part or all of the effect).

In addition, whenever you are brought below 0 hit points, you can roll twice to stabilize, taking the better result.

At 8th level, your fierce independence allows you to overcome staggering odds. You can spend 1 point of zeal as an immediate action to gain one of the three following benefits.

• Whenever an attack would reduce you to 0 or fewer hit points, you are instead reduced to 1 hit point and conscious.
• After failing to confirm a critical hit, you can reroll the confirmation roll. Against a member of your rival clan, you automatically confirm the critical hit instead of rerolling.
• You can take 10 on a skill check during combat, even if the situation or the skill would not normally allow you to take 10.

You can use this ability once per encounter.

At 11th level, a ronin can make a desperate stand, deciding to fight the target of his challenge to the bitter end, no matter the cost. He can make a desperate stand once per day at 11th level, plus one additional time per day at 16th level. Declaring a desperate stand is a swift action.

While making a desperate stand, the ronin does not fall unconscious while his hit point total is below 0, and he can spend one point of zeal to reroll a saving throw after the first roll is made. He must take the result of the second roll, even if it is worse.

If a ronin making a desperate stand ever retreats from battle against his challenged foe, he becomes dishonored until the end of the encounter.

At 20th level, you have forged your own path forward, becoming the master of your own destiny. No one else can determine your path, causing you to become immune to charm and compulsion effects.

Once per encounter, you can spend 1 point of zeal to treat any one d20 roll as if the result were a natural 20 but must use this ability before the roll is made.

While you have an active challenge, you can spend zeal to continue fighting even when your wounds should claim your life. You can spend 1 point of zeal as a free action to remove 10 damage from your delayed damage pool and may spend multiple points in this way on your turn.

In addition, you gain zeal points each day based on your total samurai level rather than only half.