Protean System

**Protean system**: There are limitations inherent in the human form. How fast one can run, how far they reach, how deadly their attacks. But not everyone is bound to such a definite shape, some are able to evolve, adapt, and overcome. The protean system reflects the various shapechangers present in the Naruto setting, and there are many paths that lead to its abilities. The most common of which is the Protean starting benefit, but there are other ways, including jutsu and archetypes that will grant access to these abilities as well.

Regardless of how they are accessed, the protean system works the same way. By spending chakra as a free action the protean Is able to affect some sort of change in their body that lasts until their next turn. These abilities can be activated even during someone else’ turn but still end when their own turn begins. Unless noted otherwise the only limit to how many changes can be caused at once is the user’s chakra. The powers presented here are sorted into categories to make them easier to sort through. At the GM’s discretion, they may devise other benefits and powers for protean characters.

Permanent changes: Optionally a protean character may gain access to a permanent version of the changes below. These reduce a character's maximum daily chakra by ten times the normal chakra cost, but in exchange are always treated as being active.

**Movement abilities**:

Burrowing body: The protean gains a 5 ft burrow speed and increases that speed by 5 ft per point of chakra spent beyond that. They may choose whether or not to leave a useable tunnel behind them.

Climbing pads: The protean gains a climb speed of 5 ft for 1 chakra and increases that speed by 5 ft per additional chakra spent. This comes with all the normal benefits of having a climb speed but does not allow the protean to breathe underwater.

Enhanced Speed: The protean increases their base land speed by 5ft per point of chakra spent

Fins: The protean gains a swim speed of 5 ft for 1 chakra and increases that speed by 5 ft per additional chakra spent. This comes with all the normal benefits of having a swim speed but does not allow the protean to breathe underwater.

Jet flight: The protean emits a stream of chakra that propels them forward at great speed. The user gains a fly speed of 5 ft per 2 chakra spent with perfect maneuverability.

Superhuman leaping: The protean increases their acrobatics by +4 per chakra spent

**Offensive abilities**:

Chakra bolts: The protean gains the ability to expel a blast of pure chakra. As an attack action, they may make a ranged touch attack and on hit deal 1d6 damage per 4 chakra spent to make the attack. Each attack must be paid for separately and the cost is paid before the attack roll is made. This can be used with iterative attacks and is treated as a light ranged weapon. The damage from this attack is untyped, but if desired they may change it based on their elemental nature. Fire nature allows fire damage, wind nature allows slashing or bludgeoning, water nature allows bludgeoning, earth nature allows bludgeoning or piercing, lightning allows electric. Kekei genkai may allow even more esoteric uses such as ice release dealing cold damage or boil release dealing acid. The GM is the final arbiter of such niche cases.

Chakra blast: The protean uses their standard action to create a large scale blast of chakra. This blast deals 1d6 damage per 4 chakra spent and affects either a 15 ft cone or 30 ft line for every 8 chakra spent. Thus 16 chakra creates a 30 ft cone or 60 ft line of 4d6 damage. A reflex save is allowed for half with a save DC of 10+1/2 level+user’s cha bonus. The damage from this attack is untyped, but if desired they may change it based on their elemental nature. Fire nature allows fire damage, wind nature allows slashing or bludgeoning, water nature allows bludgeoning, earth nature allows bludgeoning or piercing, lightning allows electric. Kekei genkai may allow even more esoteric uses such as ice release dealing cold damage or boil release dealing acid. The GM is the final arbiter of such niche cases.

Enhanced Strength: The protean increases their strength score by 1 per 3 points of chakra spent

Explosive power: The protean increases their CMB and CMD by +1 per 2 points of chakra spent

Extra limbs: The protean sprouts one or more extra arms. Each limb costs 8 chakra and functions exactly like the protean’s normal limbs. Even if they can grow enough limbs a protean cannot generally manage to actually use more than 2 extra limbs at a time for anything more complex than holding items. Each additional head they grow allows them to utilize up to 2 additional arms effectively.

Lacerating: The Protean may grant one of their natural attacks or organic weapons the ability to deal bleeding damage. The attack deals 1 bleed by spending 2 chakra. If used on a natural weapon the protean may increase the bleed by 1 for every 2 extra chakra spent, This bleed damage stacks with itself and other bleed.

Mighty hand: The protean may increase the power of one arm allowing them to wield weapons easier. The affected arm counts a 2 handed weapon as a 1 handed weapon or counts a 1 handed weapon as a light weapon. This costs 3 chakra per round or they may increase the cost to 6 per round to treat a 2 handed weapon as light.

Natural attack: The protean creates one natural attack that deals normal damage based on their size. They may have only up to one natural attack per limb or head they possess. This costs 1 chakra per natural attack. By spending 6 chakra instead of 1 they can make the attack deal damage 1 size larger than normal.

Organic Weapon: The protean may shape a limb into an organic equivilant of any weapon that limb could wield, usually a 1 handed or light weapon. This costs 1 chakra. These weapons cannot be sundered as they are part of the protean’s body. If choosing to create a ranged weapon like a bow or crossbow they must expend 1 chakra per attack rather than per round as they create their own ammunition and propellant out of chakra. By spending 6 chakra instead of 1 they can make the attack deal damage 1 size larger than normal.

Piston: After scoring a hit with a weapon or natural attack the protean may spend 10 chakra to have that attack deal damage a second time. This is a free action that can be used multiple times per round but only once per attack.

Reach: The protean increases their reach by 5 ft per 2 points of chakra spent.

Size up: The protean may choose to increase it’s size by 1 category. This provides a +4 size bonus to strength, +2 to fortitude saves, +10 ft to all movement speeds, as well as increasing reach by 5 ft along with the other benefits of being large sized. This powerful transformation costs 14 chakra per round.

**Defensive abilities**:

Adaptation: The Protean gains +1 to a saving throw of their choice for every 2 chakra spent. This ability must be used before the saving throw is called for. The protean could do it in response to identifying, or failing to identify, a jutsu, but not in response to the jutsu actually targeting them and forcing a save.

Enhanced Dexterity: The protean increases their dexterity score by 1 per 3 points of chakra spent

Hardened shell: The protean re-enforces their body increasing their natural armor by 1 per 4 points of chakra spent

Regeneration: The protean can heal their own wounds, restoring 1 hp for every 4 chakra spent. This can be used even when the protean is not conscious, their body acting instinctively. But it cannot be used in response to receiving lethal damage.

Resistance: The protean gains 2 points of resistance to one kind of energy damage for every 1 chakra spent.

**Utility abilities**:

Acute awareness: The protean primes their nerves and reaction time gaining +1 on initiative per chakra spent. This can be used in response to initiative being rolled.

Blending: The protean gains +2 to stealth for every point of chakra spent as long as they remain still. If they pay at least 5 chakra they maintain this bonus even while moving and gain a 20% miss chance. If the protean pay at least 10 chakra per round the miss chance increases to 50% and they gain all the benefits of being invisible to normal vision.

Chakra transfer: The protean may pour their chakra into someone else. The Protean touches a creature and may transfer any amount of their own chakra to the target. They may give as much as they see fit and the target receives the given chakra. Any chakra above the targets normal maximum is lost 1 full round after it is received. This chakra must always come from the Ninja's actual melded chakra and cannot benefit from any form of cost reduction, temporary chakra, or free chakra.

Enhanced senses: The protean may briefly gain a sense they do not normally possess. They may choose one form of detection: Electrical activity, water content, heat, chakra, mass, breathing, or scent. The Protean gains the ability to see the chosen attribute within 10 ft for every 1 chakra spent. By spending 4 chakra for example they could gain thermal vision within 40 ft.

Extra head: The protean gains another head for every 4 chakra spent. Each head gives +8 to perception checks and doubles the rnage of any dark vision, scent, blindsense or blindsight they have. A second head also provides the benefit of improved uncanny dodge. This cannot be used to gain uncanny dodge in response to an attack that has already been made that would catch the protean flat footed.

Gills: The protean may breathe underwater by spending 4 chakra per round.

Liquidus: The protean gains +1 on security (or escape artist if using classic skils) checks per chakra. This bonus appliesonly for the purpose of escsaping bonds or slipping through small areas. For every 4 chakra spent they count as 1 size category smaller for the purpose of determining what kind of spaces they can fit and squeeze through.

Organ shifting: The protean gains a 5% chance to negate critical hits and sneak attacks per chakra spent.

Shapeshifting: The protean gains +2 on disguise checks for every chakra they spend. In addition no disguise kit is required and they can make disguise checks instantly. Once the protean changes their appearance it remains changed until they choose to revert it or they regain chakra, so this ability does not require continuously spending chakra every round.