Brutal Assassin - Kinetic Shinobi Archetype

# Brutal Assassin

While the majority of kinetic shinobi would prefer to use their abilities with stealth and subtlety, brutal assassins make no such attempts to hide their nature, reveling in the fame that is piled upon their names along with their evergrowing body count.

## Weapon and Armor Proficiencies

Brutal assassins are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, plus the butterfly knife, kama, katana, kusarigama, kyoketsu shoge, meteor hammer, nunchaku, rope dart, sai, spiked chain, tekko-kagi, tetsubo, and wakizashi. They are proficient with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).

This replaces the kinetic shinobi’s weapon and armor proficiencies.

## Jutsu of Violence (Ex)

At 1st level, the brutal assassin chooses either the dual jutsu or kinetic katana hadou technique. They only have access to the chosen hadou technique and must always apply it to their kinetic blast, but receive its benefits at 1st level and it functions even if they have no points remaining in their ki pool or do not possess the ki pool class feature.

Brutal assassins can only choose an element with their elemental basics class feature that provides a physical simple blast, and can only choose physical blasts with their elemental basics class feature or with the advanced jutsu shinobi talent. They do not gain the elemental jutsu form infusion.

In addition, the brutal assassin uses their Strength modifier instead of their Charisma modifier to determine damage dealt by kinetic blasts.

This ability alters hadou techniques, elemental basics, jutsu basics, and the kinetic shinobi’s key ability scores and replaces the basic utility wild talent and elemental jutsu form infusion gained from jutsu basics.

## Sneak Attack (Ex)

A brutal assassin is more practiced with their kinetic abilities, allowing them to strike their foes’ vital points more accurately. Whenever a brutal assassin spends 1 or more ki points, increase the size of their sneak attack damage die one step (from d6s to d8s) until the beginning of their next round. At 8th level, if they deal this sneak attack damage during the surprise round, it instead increases two steps (from d6s to d10s) if the brutal assassin has spent 1 or more ki points within 1 round. This ability alters sneak attack and replaces the ninjutsu training class feature gained at 12th level.

## Threatening Presence (Ex)

At 3rd level, whenever a brutal assassin deals sneak attack damage, they can attempt an Intimidate check to demoralize any creature dealt by their kinetic blast as a swift action. They receive a +1 bonus on this check at 6th level and for every 3 levels thereafter.

This ability replaces no trace.

## Combat Focused (Ex)

At 4th, 10th, and 16th levels, brutal assassins can choose between gaining ninjutsu specialist as normal or gaining a bonus combat feat. They count as a fighter of their brutal assassin level for the purpose of bonus feats chosen this way.

This ability alters ninjutsu specialist.

## Brutal Metajutsu (Su)

At 6th level, the brutal assassin can spend 1 point from their ki pool to increase any damage rolls made with their kinetic blast by half, as if using Empower Spell. This does not affect precision damage (such as sneak attack).

At 14th level, the brutal assassin can spend 3 points from their ki pool to increase the critical range of their kinetic blast by 1. They apply this effect after other effects which would multiply or increase their critical range (such as the Improved Critical feat or razor jutsu shinobi talent), and it stacks with these effects.

This ability replaces metajutsu (extend) and metajutsu (persistent).

## Evasion (Ex)

A brutal assassin receives this class feature at 12th level rather than 7th. This alters evasion.

## Shinobi Talents

A brutal assassin cannot select the following shinobu talents: bomb blast, deadeye jutsu, extended kunai, hadou admixture, hadou expert (kunai grenade), kinetic yeoman, starbound technique, or starstorm art. A brutal assassin cannot select hadou expert (heavy katana) unless they can access kinetic katana, and cannot select hadou expert (twinblade fury) unless they can access dual jutsu.