Black Nokizaru (Ninja/Witch)

Through the union of stealth and witch magic, a unique brand of assassin has emerged from the dark of night. Ritualistically bonded to a spirit that is sealed within a mystical blade, black nokizaru combine ki and dark magicks to silence her foes and inflict deadly wounds with disturbing precision. These enigmatic assailants are a force to be reckoned with, for those they fail to slay are often left with cruel curses and horrific wounds. (Original Concept by Taco Man)

Primary: Ninja.

Secondary: Witch.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The black nokizaru may select three witch skills to add to her class skills in addition to the normal ninja class skills. The black nokizaru gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The black nokizaru is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the kama, katana, kusarigama, sai, nunchaku, shortbow, short sword, shuriken, siangham, and wakizashi. The black nokizaru is not proficient with light armor, but not with any type of shield. Like other spellcasters, medium or heavy armor interferes with the black nokizaru's gestures, which can cause her spells with somatic components to fail.

Athame Bond (Su): At 1st level, a black nokizaru forms a close bond with a weapon called an athame, and begins play with one at no cost. An athame acquired at 1st level is not made of any special material, and must be one of the following weapons: dagger, dagger (punching), kama, katana, sai, short sword, sickle, wakizashi. An athame is a sentient weapon that, like a witch’s familiar, teaches her magic and helps to guide her along her path. An athame also aids a black nokizaru by granting her skill bonuses, additional spells, and help with some types of magic. This functions like the witch’s familiar class feature, except as noted below.

A black nokizaru selects one type of familiar (a badger, rat, etc.), and once chosen, it cannot be changed. The athame grants the same skill bonus as the chosen familiar. The athame has the Intelligence and special abilities of a familiar of the black norizaru’s level. However, the athame loses the improved evasion, share spells, and deliver touch spells abilities, and gains the following abilities instead.

Spellhex Strike (Su): If a black nokizaru is 3rd level or higher, her athame can be used to deliver touch spells or hexes for her. Whenever a black nokizaru casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the black nokizaru spell list, or uses a hex, she can deliver the spell through her athame that she wielding as part of a melee attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, or the standard action to deliver a hex, a black nokizaru can make one free melee attack with her athame (at her highest base attack bonus) as part of casting the spell or using the hex. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell or hex. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

All other special abilities granted to a familiar instead function for the athame.