Hi-Den Noble - Kinetic Shinobi Archetype

# Hi-Den Noble

Many nobles are content to sit on their golden thrones and live out their lives of peace. For the Hi-Den this was never a choice. The Hi-Den is an ancient organization, the true purpose of which is unknown to most. Even the Hi-Den have little idea of their original goal, only of their current beliefs.

## Class Skills

A Hi-Den noble gains Appraise, Knowledge (nobility), and Linguistics as class skills. This ability alters the Hi-Den Noble’s class skills.

## Limited Jutsu

Hi-Den nobles can only choose an element with their elemental basics class feature that provides a energy simple blast, and can only choose energy blasts with their elemental basics class feature or with the advanced jutsu shinobi talent. They do not gain the physical jutsu form infusion. This ability alters elemental basics and jutsu basics.

## Hidden (Ex)

A Hi-Den noble gains a vigilante’s dual identity and seamless guise class features. Their vigilante identity is considered their shinobi identity and their social identity is considered their noble identity. Among the HiDen both their identities may be know. Even if a rival clan discovers the identity of a Hi-Den, they will often keep it secret to hide their shadow war. This ability replaces the shinobi talent gained at 1st level.

## Hi-Den Nobility

While most have never heard of the HiDen, those that have tend to think of them as a singular organization. The truth is though, that the Hi-Den are a few different clans. Long ago dissonance broke out out of displeasure with the Hi-Den ruler. From that moment, the three first clans entered into their never ending war. They seek control over the higher echelons of society, and from there all of the people

Hi-Den usually wear the colors of one of the three first clans. Green with black accents for the Jade Dragons; silver with red accents for the Hi-Den Tiger Rebels; or jet black for the True Hi-Den, or as other clans call them Hi-Den Major. However, a minor clan may wear colors expressing a more individual loyalty. Most minor clans still keep relations with one of the three first. Lately some have converted to following a fourth major clan in the form of the Enlightened Dragons, a splinter from the Jade Dragons following a truly evil path and replacing their green and black for purple and blue.

A Hi-Den noble must be born, or otherwise raised, into the Hi-Den. Though other Hi-Den exist, it is the job of the HiDen noble to maintain an identity as an influential noble for their clan. If they fall from grace, they lose their sociable and charming class features unless they reestablish themselves in nobility or successfully disguise as a noble.

A Hi-Den noble gains bonuses based on their clan affiliation.

### Mask of the Jade Dragon

A Hi-Den noble connected with the Jade Dragons treats all Perform skills as class skills. They can choose one Perform skill. While in their shinobi identity a Jade Dragon’s add their shinobi class level to their Perform skill ranks. If this exceeds their maximum number of ranks they add ½ their remaining shinobi levels to their skill checks with that specific Perform check. While in their shinobi identity they can also always take 10 on Perform checks. A Jade Dragon’s shinobi identity usually also serves a public role as a mysterious performer.

### Tiger’s Fury

A Hi-Den noble connected with the boisterous Hi-Den Tiger Rebels add Intimidate to the skills that gain a bonus from Charming.

### True Hi-Den

A Hi-Den noble born to the inbred True HiDen adds Disguise to the list of skills that gains a bonus from Charming. This can be used to protect their vigilante identity in public.

### Enlightened Knowledge

A Hi-Den noble serving the Enlightened Dragon chooses one other Knowledge skill and adds it to their Knowing class feature

Players from minor clans may work with their GM to work out another bonus based on their Hi-Den affiliation. Alternatively, they can choose to gain the bonus from a clan served by their own.

## Knowing (Ex)

A Hi-Den noble adds a bonus equal to ½ their class level to Knowledge (nobility) checks and can make such checks untrained. At 10th level they are considered to possess a bard’s lore master class feature as a bard of their HiDen noble level, but only for the purposes of skills granted a bonus by this ability.

## Charming (Ex)

A Hi-Den noble adds a bonus equal to 1/3 their Hi-Den noble level to Bluff and Diplomacy checks made in a social setting. This ability replaces no trace.

## Sociable

At 2nd level and every 4 levels thereafter, a Hi-Den noble gains a social talent as a vigilante of their Hi-Den noble level, treating their Hi-Den noble level as their vigilante level. These social talents cannot be ones that require the shinobi to have a background other than noble. A Hi-Den noble can select a social talent in place of a shinobi talent. This ability replaces the metajutsu class feature.

## Hidden Strike (Ex)

At 2nd level, Hi-Den noble can make hidden strikes. This allows them to deal +1d8 points of precision damage on melee attacks (or ranged attacks from within 30 ft.) against foes who are unaware of their presence or who consider them an ally. This extra damage increases by +1d8 at 5th level and every 3 Hi-Den noble levels thereafter. A Hi-Den noble can also deal hidden strike damage to a target that they are flanking or that is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, but in these cases, the damage dice are reduced to d4s. They can deal hidden strike damage against targets with concealment (but not total concealment). Shinobi talents and class features that affect sneak attack can be used with this ability. This ability replaces sneak attack.