Subjects / Lessons and Benefits

[Zyraen]

NOTES

- Each player character can choose +1 to Fort Reflex or Will at the start (as per the Spending Upgrade Points post)

- The following benefits are usually Racial Traits, of which each UB character usually starts with two, but Naruto characters do not. Since they are picked up during lessons, we call them "Lesson Benefits" (LB) below.
- Some lessons grant more than one LB, in such a case choose only one. You cannot re-take a class you already passed (although you can re-take one in which you failed)
- If you gain access to a 2nd LB, you can replace your +1 to FRW with a different LB, but in any case, no more than two LBs at any one time.

- Next to each class is also a list of character names in brackets. These are characters that can take these classes to gain a free Multiclass feat as it is related to their main tree. Anyone may also gain this free Multiclass feat, to access a new tree focusing on that lesson.
- If you gain a free Multiclass feat, you do not gain the extra Skill points associated with the feat (it is provided from the class). You can never gain more than one free Multiclass feat in this way.

- Completing each class also grants bonus skill points in a skill. Note the +4 is not a numerical gain, it is effectively just added to your skill point pool. So it can increase +1 to +5, or +4 to +7.
- For avoidance of doubt, you can retrain your skill points when you pass the class.

- RP wise everyone learns all the subjects/lessons, but in practice each character can take the exams for two subjects/lessons to specialise in, but there will of course be some time lapse between. A character can fail the exam the first time and still pass on the second try, but this also means that character cannot take a second subject/lesson

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EXAMS

To complete each subject/lesson, both the following "exams" must be passed
- Test (Int check) : DC 12. Spending 1 WP before the test automatically passes, or up to 2 WP during the test.
- Skill to Pass : DC 20. Spending 3 WP (1 for reroll, 2 for Resurgence) automatically passes. Some subjects/lessons have more than one skill, in which case passing any one of them works. All skills are performed in the usual armor you wear

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SUBJECTS / LESSONS

SHURIKENJUTSU (Kyuket, Seijun)
Skill to Pass : Acrobatics, Thievery
Lesson Benefits
A) Combat Readiness: You gain +2 bonus to Initiative.
B) Surefooted Shift: You ignore difficult terrain when shifting
Bonus Skill Points : +4 to either Acrobatics, Stealth or Thievery

FUINJUTSU ( Kyuket )
Skill to Pass : Form Seals, Identify Seals/Jutsus
Lesson Benefits
A) +1 to all saving throws
B) +2 to saving throws against effects that daze, stun or dominate
C) +2 to saving throws against effects that immobilise, entangle or slow
Bonus Skill Points : +4 to either Form Seals or Identify Seals/Jutsus

GENJUTSU ( Kikyo )
Skill to Pass : Stealth, Foresight
Lesson Benefits
A) +2 to saving throws against effects that daze, stun or dominate
B) Resist 5 Psychic (increases by 5 at levels 11, 21)
Bonus Skill Points : +4 to either Foresight, Form Seals, or Insight

TAIJUTSU ( Choshoku, Seijun)
Skill to Pass: Athletics, Endurance
Lesson Benefits
A) Stand Fast : You ignore 1 square of forced Movement (pull, push, slide). When an Attack would knock you prone, you can make a Saving Throw to avoid falling prone.
B) +5 to Athletics Checks to Climb, Jump or escape
Bonus Skill Points : +4 to either Athletics, Endurance or Acrobatics

IRYONINJUTSU ( Choshoku )
Skill to Pass: Heal
Lesson Benefits
A) Ample Reserves: +4 to Reserve Value, does not stack with feats
B) +2 to stabilise saves (ie death saving throws)
Bonus Skill Points : +4 to either Heal or Survival

KATONJUTSU ( Kazuya, maybe Seijun)
Skill to Pass: Endurance, Form Seals
Lesson Benefits
A) Resist 5 Fire (increases by 5 at levels 11, 21)
B) +2 to saving throws against Ongoing Damage
Bonus Skill Points: +4 to either Endurance or Form Seals

DOTON JUTSU ( Seijun )
Skill to Pass: Athletics, Form Seals
Lesson Benefits
A) Ample Reserves: +4 to Reserve Value, does not stack with feats
B) Bloody Resilience : You gain 5 THP when first Bloodied. This increases by 5 at levels 11 and 21.
Bonus Skill Points: +4 to either Athletics, Perception or Survival

BUNSHIN JUTSU ( this is generally more for those who have an interest in the multiclass )
Skill to Pass: Stealth, Performance
Lesson Benefits
A) You halve your attack penalties due to concealment
B) Nimble: +2 to all defenses against opportunity attacks
Bonus Skill Points: +4 to either Stealth, Insight or Performance

( FOLLOWING ADDED BASED ON INTEREST )

TRAP SETTING (this lesson/subject does not grant a multiclass feat)
Skill to Pass : Thievery, Foresight
Lesson Benefits
A) +2 bonus to escape checks (ie Athletics, Acrobatics)
B) Awareness: may reroll Perception (only) to avoid being surprised, does not stack with feats
Bonus Skill Points : +4 to either Acrobatics, Thievery, Foresight or Perception

[Zyraen]

Thought Process / GM Explanation

Theory wise, normal process is pretty much, a character should take classes/lessons/subjects and then learn the ability tree. So say Kikyo has to take Genjutsu classes and then get Genjutsu tree, and until she does so, she only has basic attacks available to her.

This makes start of campaign a bit dry/slow/boring as no action, and also fluff wise it will take many classes to turn the ability into "combat ready". Also it really stalls things for the PC if he/she fails his/her subject exam.

So now that the PCs have the ability trees *before* taking the classes, it then raises the question of why bother taking any classes at all?

The most obvious reason for taking classes unlocks access to that tree. So taking say Bunshin classes grants a free Multiclass - but only into a Bunshin tree and related techniques. However, this means most PCs still have no reason to attend any classes related to their original ability trees. Some PCs have their own advanced tree/kekkei genkai, they may not want Bunshin (it costs UP to learn the techniques too), and since advanced trees are never taught in classes anyway, so classes would still be useless for them.

Hence I settled on the classes related to your *starting* tree are taken to grant a free Multiclass, representing theoretical grounding/foundation to move on to other types of techniques, especially for those with advanced trees. But for those who dont have such ideas and want to multiclass (or have the option to eventually do so) into a more mainstream ability can take the other classes, like Bunshin.

The other perks like Lesson Benefits and extra skill points are just icing on the cake and also a logical way to give out what would normally be Racial traits. By design, it is assumed that everyone passes at least one class, passing the second should have a fairly insignificant effect on power balance between PCs, mainly the extra skill points and the option to trade out the +1 to FRW for a second Lesson Benefit.