Shikon - Kinetic Shinobi Archetype

# Shikon

While the kinetic shinobi’s ki is typically what fuels their power, shikon are empowered by an intelligent weapon called a kyouki that imbues them with great strength for its own mysterious purposes. Though incapable of true spellcasting, they have enough knowledge of magic to get by with special implements, and it’s thought that their mixture of kinetic powers, magical aptitude, and martial prowess is what leads kyouki to choose them. The shikon treats their blade as much as a valued companion as a trusty weapon.

## Jumon Knack (Ex)

The shikon chooses one of the following classes: bard, hunter, inquisitor, magus, mesmerist, spiritualist, or warpriest. They are treated as having caster levels equal to their shikon level in the chosen class as well as having that class’s spell list for the purpose of using scrolls and spell trigger items. In addition, they receive a luck bonus equal to ½ their shikon level to all Use Magic Device checks and to Spellcraft checks to identify spells, and can make those checks untrained. Shikon add Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), and Spellcraft to their list of class skills. This ability replaces the basic utility wild talent normally gained through elemental basics and alters the kinetic shinobi’s class skills.

## Singular Hadou (Su)

The shikon does not gain the dual jutsu hadou technique. This ability alters hadou techniques

## Kyouki (Ex)

At 3rd level, the shikon forms a bond with a mystical sentient weapon called a kyouki, which takes the form of a weapon of the shikon’s choice and are thought to contain the soul of a long-dead samurai or general. A shikon cannot take on a familiar of any kind, even from another class. The shikon only has a number of points in their ki pool equal to ⅓ their class level + their Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

A kyouki is functionally similar to the black blade from the bladebound magus archetype except as follows:

• The kyouki begins with 10 Charisma and 6 Intelligence and Wisdom, with each mental ability score increasing by 1 for every 2 shikon levels possessed.

• The kyouki does not gain additional languages beyond the one language known by the shikon (chosen at the time the kyouki is acquired; this language does not need to be Common), and gains ranks in Knowledge (planes), using its Charisma score as that skill’s associated ability score instead of Intelligence.

• A kyouki does not need to be a one-handed slashing weapon; it can instead be any one-handed or two-handed melee weapon with which the shikon is proficient except for double weapons. Holding a kyouki does not interfere with using kinetic blasts or gather power.

• Kyouki Ki Pool: Rather than an arcana pool, a kyouki gains a ki pool with a number of points equal to 1 + its Charisma modifier. Abilities that would spend points from or otherwise affect a bladebound magus or black blade’s arcane pool instead spend points from or affect the shikon’s or kyouki’s respective ki pools.

• Kyouki Boon (Su): Rather than gaining the black blade strike ability, a kyouki empowers its master’s kinetic blasts, adding its enhancement bonus to damage rolls. However, kinetic blasts must be made through the kyouki by sheathing it in elemental power (much like the way telekinetic blast works when used with kinetic blade) to gain this benefit.

• Wand Eater (Sp): At 3rd level a shikon can cast weaponwand as a spell-like ability at will, using their shikon level as their caster level. This can only target the shikon’s kyouki.

• Energy Attunement (Su): The shikon must choose a damage type that can be dealt by a kinetic blast they possess, even if it is not among those that could normally be chosen for this ability. This always costs 1 point from the kyouki’s ki pool, regardless of the type of damage selected.

This alters ki pool and replaces no trace

## Arcane Ki (Su)

At 3rd level, the shikon gains the ki arcana magus arcana as a bonus magus arcana, ignoring its prerequisites, and is treated as having the magus arcana class feature. Starting at 3rd level, a shikon can choose to gain a magus arcana in place of a shinobi talent, treating their shikon level as their magus level to determine what level they would qualify and using their Charisma modifier in place of their Intelligence modifier to determine the magus arcana’s effects. Magus arcana which affect spells can only be used to modify those in the spell list of the class chosen with the shikon’s jumon knack ability. A shikon cannot select any of the following magus arcana: arcane dealer, bane blade, broad study, close range, devoted blade, distant spellstrike, enduring blade, familiar, ghost blade, natural spell combat, planar hunter, pool ray, rakshasa’s fortune, reach spellstrike, spell blending, spell trickery, throwing magus, and wand wielder. Other magus arcana could be included or excluded at the GM’s discretion. This alters the shinobi talents

## Sneak Attack (Ex)

The shikon gains this class feature at 4th level, and it deals additional damage with their sneak attack every 4 levels beyond 4th. This alters sneak attack.

## Spellstrike (Su)

At 5th level, whenever the shikon casts a spell with a range of “touch” from a scroll or spell trigger item from the spell list of the class chosen with their jumon knack class feature, they can deliver the spell through their kyouki as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a shikon can make one free melee attack with their weapon (at their highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. This ability can be made in concert with a kinetic blast with the physical jutsu or elemental jutsu form infusion applied to it, but not with the kinetic kunai hadou technique. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range, but the spell effect only deals x2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier. This replaces the shinobi talent normally gained at 5th level

## Shinobi Talents

A shikon cannot select the following shinobi talents: double toxin art, hadou admixture (titangrip technique and twin stars), and hadou expert (twinblade fury).