Level Base Attack
Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 Inari’s Pledge, human prestige, fox magic (1st power)
2 +1 +3 +0 +3 Fox magic (2nd power)
3 +2 +3 +1 +3 Shared shrine, A Nose For Trouble (magic)
4 +3 +4 +1 +4 Fox magic (3rd power), additional tail
5 +3 +4 +1 +4 Turn undead, art of healing 1d8
6 +4 +5 +2 +5 Fox magic (4th power), A Nose For Trouble (creatures)
7 +5 +5 +2 +5 Additional tail, art of healing 2d8
8 +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 Fox magic (5th power, A Nose For Trouble
(supernatu-ral)
9 +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 Art of healing 3d8
10 +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Fox magic (6th power), additional tail, Sense Destiny
detect magic and detect evil, and, in fact, it makes use of tables associated with those spells.
• At 3rd level, the myobu can detect the presence, strength, and lingering effect of magic auras as per the detect magic spell, except that the duration and area of effect are as noted above. In addition, this ability detects spellcasters within the area of effect. Use the table for the detect evil spell to determine aura power, with clerics, druids, wizards, and sorcerers treated as “evil clerics” and other spellcasters as “evil outsiders.” The lingering auras of spellcasters can be detected in the same way that those of dissipated spells and destroyed magic items are by the detect magic spell.
• At 6th level, the myobu can sense the presence of fey, undead, and outsiders, although she can only focus on one type per use of this ability. This detection ability includes beings possessing or inhabiting other bodies. Treat fey as “evil creatures” and all outsiders as “evil outsiders” for the purpose of determining the strength of their auras on the detect evil aura power table. The lingering auras of these creatures can be detected in the same way that those of evil creatures are by the detect evil spell.
• At 8th level, the myobu can sense disturbanc-es in the flow of magic, enabling her to detect incorporeal, invisible, and ethereal creatures as well as the elements of geomantic arrays and shrines (see the Character Options and Magic chapters). Treat incorporeal, invisible, and ethereal creatures as “magic items” (with the creature’s HD taking the place of caster level) for the purpose of determining the strength of their auras on the detect magic aura power table. The lingering auras of these creatures can be detected in the same way that those of magic items are by the detect magic spell.
Additional Tail: At 4th, 7th, and 10th level, the myobu gains an additional tail regardless of her Prestige score. The additional tails she gains from the myobu class don’t affect the target Prestige score at which she can gain additional tails. (See the Character Options chapter for more information about prestige.)
Turn Undead (Su): A myobu gains the power to channel Inari’s will to repel the undead. She can turn undead as a cleric of the same level as her myobu
level. Unlike monks who have the Exorcism ability, the myobu’s ability only functions against undead.
Art of Healing (Sp): A myobu gain a special power from Inari that allows her to heal wounds. At 5th level, the myobu can cure 1d8 points of damage by expend-ing one use of fox magic. This amount increases to 2d8 per use at 7th level and 3d8 per use at 9th level. In other respects, this ability works the same as the cure light wounds spell.
Sense Destiny (Su): An extension of the detecting abilities of the myobu, sense destiny is a unique gift awarded only to the most accomplished foxes. It has no mechanics in and of itself. The myobu gains the ability to sense the importance of any object or person she touches (intentionally or accidentally) in the grand scheme of things. She has only a vague idea of what that destiny will be and no real clue as to when it will manifest (though she’ll sense the urgency of immediately impending destinies), only that the subject is worth keeping an eye on. This ability allows myobu to recognize the future shogun when patting a peasant boy’s head, know that a seemingly worth-less statuette will save the world if placed on the steps to trip an evil priest, and the like. This ability would potentially allow characters to recognize that an NPC they meet will play an important role in an adventure, but not precisely which adventure. The Game Master determines who or what inspires these impressions, and under what circumstances, so that players don’t have their characters go about touching everything they encounter.
Of the two paths available to kitsune that explore their spiritual nature to the fullest, the way of the nogitsune offers the most freedom and personal gratification, yet dark perils also await some who follow it. The nogitsune are fully aware of their place in the spiritual world, but they owe allegiance to no one but themselves, pursuing no goal save those their own ambitions dictate.
These heathen foxes exist for themselves and run the gamut from charming and playful pranksters to evil
tormenters. What they have in common is a selfish streak that colors their actions, for almost everything they do is for their own gain. Even those nogitsune that do favors for humans and for others ultimately have a selfish goal. They accept shrine offerings as down payments on future bribes, as strokes to their egos, or as ways to place people in their debt.
The legends of evil kitsune stem mostly from the actions of the nogitsune, among whose numbers are true demons, though it’d be wrong to label all nogitsune as agents of darkness.
The nogitsune have little to no organization. A single powerful fox or a pack of such individuals will claim a territory (sometimes contending with the myobu) and will keep all other kitsune away. The largest nogitsune clans are formed by a half-dozen such packs and are ruled through a brutal meritocracy in which pack leaders continually vie for the title o f lord of their little patch of land.
Adventures:
Nogitsune lead a life of adventure by choice.
Naturally curious and unbound by any stricture or divine mandate, they are free to stick their noses anywhere and everywhere, and they do so at their whim. The wandering foxes as well as those who establish dens are always looking for the next big thrill, targeting humans for pranks or undertaking great missions that will bring them amusement.
It’s not rare for nog-itsune to join human adventurers in their missions, often spicing things up by making situations more dif-ficult behind their companions’ backs.
Sometimes nogitsune will target a person or group that annoys them,
making it their goal in life to bring them to ruin, or at least make them miserable for a little while.
Characteristics: Nogitsune are artisans of chaos, rogues with supernatural tools with which to wreak havoc and satisfy their smallest impulses. They have the power to confound people not only with fox magic but also with their own developed powers that allow them to strike from the shadows and return to them to avoid capture, which just serves to augment the legends of their exploits. Since they lack the support of a large group like the myobu, the nogitsune have learned to employ covert combat tactics, utilizing their magic and trickery to deceive and harm their victims.
Alignment: A nogitsune has no allegiance save to herself. While some nogitsune prefer to be left alone and venture out to have a little harmless fun, a few are truly evil and exist only to bring grief to everyone around them, deriving their
fun from the suffering of others.
A nogitsune must have a non-lawful alignment.
Religion: These foxes are not called heathens for nothing.
Their selfishness extends to their
spirituality, and they recognize no gods or spirits as real authorities. A few do revere spirits
of chaos and destruction like the god Susano-o, but most of them rely only on their own strength.
Background: A kitsune can become a nogitsune at any point after attaining her second tail; she just needs to acknowledge the desire to embrace the strife inherent
in her blood. There’s no initiation, no ritual,
and no recognition
necessary. The nogitsune is the natural path for most kitsune, one that is often solitary but nonetheless highly satisfactory for the foxes.
Other Classes: Nogitsune will most likely associate with bards, courtiers, rogues, sorcerers, and fighters and steadfastly avoid clerics, especially if they are human. They find the discipline of monks, paladins, wizards, and good-aligned clerics incomprehensible and sometimes even repulsive. They treat druids, bar-barians, and rangers as curiosities and a good chal-lenge.
The Myobu: The nogitsune believe their cousins to be mere dogs in the service of Inari, slaves to alien ideals and, in general, self-deluded fools. However, they’re still family, and they must be made to see that subservience isn’t the way of the kitsune.
A nogitsune can’t gain levels in the myobu class unless she becomes one. A nogitsune that repents and seeks enlightenment can decide to convert and pledge to Inari. When she becomes a myobu, an ex-nogitsune loses all her class benefits other than fox magic and also loses the tails she gained at 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, if applicable. She retains her base attack bonus, hit points, skill points, and save bonuses. She becomes a myobu of the same level as she was a nogitsune, gaining all the myobu class features corresponding to her level, except fox magic powers and additional tails. She begins progressing as a myobu from that point on.
Role: Nogitsune have a wide selection of skills and abilities that make them best suited to being scouts for the party. They also mimic many of the stealthy and covert aspects of a rogue, allowing them to take on the roles a rogue would in an ordinary party. Their combat ability relies on stealth, so they are most effective using their sneak attack ability rather than wading directly into melee. Nogitsune also make ideal infiltrators and investigators in social situations.
Game Rule Information
Nogitsune have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity and Charisma are the most useful abilities for the nogitsune due to their life of trickery and deceit, which demands that they be able to fool others and escape when their tricks go sour. Like all kitsune, nogitsune use Charisma to determine the DCs of their fox magic. Dexterity complements their roguish pursuits and aids them in combat.
Alignment: Nogitsune can have any non-lawful alignment.
Hit Die: d6
Class Skills
The nogitsune’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (spirits) (Int)*, Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
* Knowledge (spirts) is a new skill described in the Character Options chapter.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the nogit-sune.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Nogitsune are proficient with all simple weapons as well as the following: kunai, nekode, ninja-to, shuriken, and war fan. Nogitsune are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Fox Magic (Su): At 1st level and at every even-numbered level (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th), the nogitsune gains one fox magic power of her choosing, but it must be an illusion or enchantment power.
The character must meet all the prerequisites of the power before gaining it, including number of tails.
Alternately, if she qualifies, she can choose any one of the three Kyubi powers. A nogitsune can use fox magic a number of times per day equal to her class level; in addition, she may give up one or more uses of bardic music, if she has any, for an equal number of extra uses of fox magic. (See the Magic chapter for a discussion of fox magic.)
Master Trickster (Su): The nogitsune are masters of trickery and acquire magic that only furthers their
learned talents. By spending one use of fox magic, a kitsune can achieve one of the following effects, gained at different levels:
• Distraction: Beginning at 1st level, a nogit-sune can momentarily distract a single target who fails a Will save (DC 10 + nogitsune’s level + nogitsune’s Cha modifier). The target is fascinated for a number of rounds equal to the nogitsune’s Charisma bonus (minimum of 1). In other respects, this ability functions as the bardic music ability of the same name.
• Distant Fingers: Starting at 3rd level, a nogitsune can perform a Sleight of Hand check to lift an object from a person without actually having to touch her target. She can perform this check at a distance equal to 2 feet per nogitsune level. Taking something
from another creature requires the nogitsune to make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check. The opponent makes a Spot check to detect the attempt, opposed by the same Sleight of hand check result the nogitsune achieved when she tried to grab the item. An opponent who succeeds on this check notices the attempt, regardless of whether the nogitsune got the item. However, the opponent’s Spot check suffers a –1 penalty for every 2 feet of distance the nogitsune is from her opponent.
• Touch of Chaos: Beginning at 5th level, a nogitsune can open a lock as a free action simply by touching it, provided that the DC to open the lock is no higher than 20 plus the character’s nogitsune level.