Chakra and Jutsu

Chakra: Chakra is the foundation of all ninjutsu, and more basic than that it is made of the foundation of all life. Chakra is a blend of two things. The first is Spiritual energy, derived from will and a sound mind, represented by a creature's wisdom score. The Second is Physical energy, stamina, personal health and fitness, and the energy contained within a sound body, represented by one's constitution score.

A creature's total amount of chakra, commonly referred to as "Maximum chakra" is equal to Their level multiplied by a "chakra multiplier" given by their class, multiplied by the sum of their constitution and wisdom bonus (Minimum 1). Each class includes this formulae and their multiplier for ease of use.

Even the most talented ninja however is not able to Meld all of the chakra they are capable of creating at once. That would be far too much energy for them to contain. Instead a Ninja "Melds" chakra by combining their physical and spiritual energy and then uses that Melded chakra to use jutsu. The Ninja can use any jutsu they know freely, so long as they can pay the chakra cost for it.

A Ninja has the ability to Meld up to 25% of their maximum chakra at once, rounded down. Doing so requires time to breathe, focus, and most often eat. Usually taking about 10 minutes or so. After this rest the Ninja is able to draw points from their maximum chakra until their Melded chakra is 25% their maximum. (Provided that enough remains that is). The Act of Melding chakra also ends all of the Ninja's currently active jutsu unless otherwise stated, regardless of their remaining duration.

For example we'll look at a 5th level Jutsu collector. Their class has a chakra multiplier of x3, and they have 16 wis and 12 con. This means their Maximum chakra will be: 5x3x(3+1). Or 60 in this case. In preparation for a battle, or just at the start of the day our ninja melds their chakra. Since they can meld up to 25% of their maximum that gives them 15 chakra melded, and their other 45 chakra in reserve. In a bit of a rush to get to the academy they decide to take a short cut, up a wall. The Ninja knows the "Wall climbing" jutsu and so they can pay 1 chakra and for the next 10 minutes they can freely travel up walls. After that 10 minutes is up the ninja has arrived but is worried they may need every ounce of melded chakra they can muster and so they take a break to meditate and have a snack, taking 1 chakra from their reserve and bringing them to their 15 point cap once again, leaving 44 points left in reserve.

Depleted chakra:  A ninja who has run entirely out of melded chakra is not completely without recourse. A ninja with no melded chakra left has an emergency reserve of chakra that they may call on without needing to meld it first. For every 2 points of chakra drawn from this emergency reserve the ninja takes 1 point of constitution damage that does not begin to heal naturally until the ninja has completely regained their chakra. It is possible a ninja can even die from drawing on all of this chakra, if the total emergency chakra reserve reaches 0 the ninja falls unconscious at the end of its turn and dies at the end of the next round if it still has no chakra remaining.

Chakra refunds: May techniques, abilities, and situations can provide a Ninja the ability to be refunded chakra. This is commonly expressed as a percentage and is always rounded down. Any chakra refund the ninja may have occurs after the chakra has been expended. As such a Ninja who spends their last 30 chakra and has a 10% refund would get back 3 chakra after it's paid, but could not just pay 33 chakra and remain at 0. Many jutsu have recurring costs that can be paid to extend their duration, this lost chakra too can be refunded, however it is usually in amounts too small to be even 1 chakra.

Jutsu overview:

All Technique's and Jutsu have similar information presented regarding them that helps explain how they work.

Name: This line explains what the Jutsu or Technique is called. It can also have one of a few Tags associated with it.

[Technique]: A technique is a special ability or quality. It is not itself a jutsu, usually it won't have any kind of range or weaving requirements of its own and often has no chakra cost. A technique is not normally used on its own but instead provides a passive benefit or an effect that modifies another jutsu or ability.

(Metajutsu): A Metajutsu is a special kind of technique that modifies how another jutsu works. Most Metajutsu can be applied to any jutsu that meets specific criteria, but a few must be taken seperately for individual jutsu. A Ninja chooses to apply a metajutsu when they weave it and it's very common for this to modify the chakra cost. For an explanation on how that works see the chakra cost section.

[Taijutsu style] : A Taijutsu style is a specific way of fighting. it influences how the user stands, moves, and attacks. A ninja may use only one Taijutsu style at a time and switching styles is a free action that can be done up to once per round. A ninja is not assumed to be using a taijutsu style out of combat, they do not for example walk around town in a fighting stance. A taijutsu style functions identically to a style feat  and as such cannot be used at the same time as a style feat, another taijutsu style, or other martial stance like abilities.

Technique cost:  This section can hold a few pieces of information, Firstly it will display a technique cost. This cost explains how many technique points are required to learn a Jutsu. This cost will also determine how long a Jutsu takes to learn or develop.

Any Jutsu or technique has a Technique cost which denotes how many technique points must be spent to learn it. A technique can be learned through many means, learning at the hands of a mentor, carefully watching someone else learning the jutsu, or finding a scroll or other depiction of how to use a jutsu. Regardless of the method, the time taken to learn the technique does not usually change. The exception is when a Ninja creates a new jutsu from scratch, in which case the trial and error experimentation involved causes the jutsu or technique to be learned one step slower than normal.

Technique ranks: These Ranks provide an easy shorthand for recognizing how hard a technique is to learn, the ranks ascend from E to S rank. A "day" in the context below means 12 hours of training.

E- Very Basic Techniques, 1 or 2 Technique cost. Can learn after one example or lesson. An hour or less

D- Basic techniques, 3-5 Technique cost. Can learn within a day.

C- Mid level techniques, 5-8 Technique cost. Can take several days, up to a week to learn.

B- Advanced techniques, 9-12 Technique cost. Can take several weeks, or up to a month to learn.

A- Highly advanced techniques- 13-16 Technique cost. Can take Months to learn or as long as a year.

S- Master level techniques, 16+ Technique cost. There is no limit to how long a technique like this could take to learn but almost always takes at least a year, but some could take decades or centuries.

Style: In addition to the technique cost most jutsu will list a specific element that is associated with the jutsu like "Fire Style" Or "Yang Style". This is important for certain techniques that affect specific elemental styles, and to help easily recognize what kind of Jutsu is being looked at. It also Determines what jutsu can counter or augment each other (explained below). Some Jutsu may not list a style which means they are untyped, anyone could learn them regardless of their elemental natures and they are not normally countered by any element.

Kinjutsu: Some jutsu or techniques will also list the Term "Kinjutsu" This has two main purposes. The first is to denote that in most common settings the use of this technique is considered taboo, evil, or illegal. More important it also denotes an ability that the GM should consider carefully before allowing. Kinjutsu often have very powerful effects that can have a huge impact on a campaign or setting and they should be handled with some extra thought. Kinjutsu are always at the GM's discretion and are often very hard to learn or locate.

Origin: In place of a numerical cost, a technique may have the Origin descriptor. This almost always denotes a Kekei Genkai. A jutsu with this descriptor can never be learned through technique points, though some may be acquired after character creation through certain methods such as gaining levels in certain classes or having specific starting benefits.

Pre-requisites: These are the requirements for learning a Jutsu. Generally they are self explanatory. You must meet all the requirements in order to learn the technique or jutsu.

Any jutsu or techniques required must be known. If for some reason a ninja somehow looses access to the pre-requisites for a technique or jutsu they may usually still use the ability unless the GM rules otherwise. This is because the knowledge of a technique usually isn't lost even if the user finds them self impaired.

Chakra cost: This is the amount of chakra that must be expended in order to use the technique or Jutsu. Most of the time there will be ways in which more or less can be expended, the full description will have a complete explanation.

Many Techniques have an effect for a certain duration, at the end of which the ninja may pay more chakra in order to extend the jutsu, usually for another increment of its full duration. A Ninja may continue paying this chakra to extend a jutsu as long as they desire. Unless otherwise noted this takes no concentration, no hand signs, and has no range limit. The only thing that can usually prevent the ninja's ability to extend their jutsu is if they lose consciousness.

It should be noted that often times there are effects that change an amount of chakra used for a technique, and these will often times reference "Base Chakra cost" Base chakra cost is the total amount of chakra spent on a jutsu before modifiers. For example: Fireball jutsu costs 1 chakra in order to make a tiny blast of 1d4 fire damage, but more can be paid to make it bigger. If the user spent 13 chakra to make a bigger stronger blast then the base chakra cost is 13. Once that is determined then all effects based on chakra cost are added together and applied at once and then rounded up.

As an extension of the example above let's add some Metajutsu. if our above fireball were modified by Blaze release (which multiplies the cost by 10) It would cost 130 chakra. And if the user had used The "memorized jutsu weaving" technique to use the jutsu with only 1 hand (increased chakra cost by x1.1) it would instead cost 14 since it's rounded down. And if the user applied both the cost would be 131. (13 x 10.1 rounded down)

If a technique requires both continually paying chakra and increasing its multiplier then the increase applies to all payments. Thus a jutsu requiring 2 chakra per minute, that has been used with a metajutsu to increase the cost my 20% would cost 3 chakra per minute (since the cost is always rounded up)

Weaving: This section explains the type of action and other requirements for using a jutsu. Unless otherwise stated the default weaving for a jutsu is a standard action. A jutsu that requires "Breath" means the user must be able to breathe in order to use the jutsu. A jutsu stating "1 round", as opposed to Full, indicates that it requires continuous weaving until the beginning of the user's next turn at which point it takes effect. Unless otherwise noted the ninja is flat footed while weaving this type of jutsu though they may abandon weaving in order to apply their dex against an incoming attack, but their chakra used for the jutsu is lost.

Weaving a jutsu that requires a standard action or greater provokes an attack of opportunity. A ninja struck while weaving must make a concentration check to maintain the jutsu. The DC is 10+The damage taken. Concentration is calculated using the characters level+charisma bonus. Other situations may arise that require the ninja to concentrate while weaving and in such cases the DC is 15+The jutsu's technique cost unless it is otherwise specified. Any failure to concentrate on a jutau causes the attempt to fail but does not expend the chakra that would have been used since the melded chakra never leaves the body.

Taijutsu: A Jutsu that designated "Taijutsu" for its weaving can be made as part of a melee attack, including attacks of opportunity, charge, cleave or vital strike and including attacks made as part of an offhand or full attack, some may even be made as part of a combat manoeuvre, though only those that specify such in their description. It is very common for Taijutsu techniques to grant the user some kind of movement. The total amount of movement a ninja is granted by Taijutsu techniques cannot exceed their total land speed in a  turn, after any adjustments to land speed are factored in.

Range:  A jutsus range functions exactly as the categories for spells. Touch range jutsu function as touch spells, Close, Medium, and long ranges are exactly as they are for spells but replacing caster level with character level. 

Special Descriptors: 

Genjutsu: Genjutsu are illusory techniques that affect the Prosencephalon region of a foe's brain. All Genjutsu are mind affecting abilities and almost all of them require some kind of sensory input on the part of their target. Ordinarily a Genjutsu specifies which senses it affects, anyone able to access an unusual sense is generally able to penetrate the Genjutsu and may make a new save immediately. Additionally a target who takes damage from a source other than a genjutsu is immediately snapped out of any illusion they are currently under.

Countering and Augmenting:

Jutsu's can be used to counter and combine with eachother. This happens when two Jutsu of different elements meet by having their area of effects or targets overlap. Various effects can come into play and the result won't always be known ahead of time.

Counter: If an effect is countered then the jutsu fails, but it's chakra is still used up. A jutsu using more than twice as much chakra as the move being used to counter it will not be countered, it's power is simply too overwhelming. Barring unusual circumstances only the area of overlap is negated. Thus a creature standing in a 5 ft pillar of water created by a jutsu counters only one square of a massive 60 ft cone of fire directed in their general area, it would not stop the entire jutsu.

Augment: If a technique is augmented then it's damage increases by one die size and any save DC increases by +4 and the area of effect of the augmenting jutsu is added to the jutsu it is augmenting. Augmenting is usually done by one ninja delaying their action until they can use a jutsu on the same turn as another. The Jutsu that has more chakra is augmented, while the jutsu with less chakra has it's effect negated.

Water:  A water Jutsu will Counter Fire Style Jutsu. Conversely Earth jutsu will counter a water technique. Water can be used to augment the power of lightning attacks or wind attacks and can itself be augmented by the power of wind jutsu.

Fire: Fire Is augmented by wind Jutsu and countered by water Jutsu. Unlike other instances of augmenting, Fire style can be augmented done even if the wind style user did not intend it, and it also counters the wind style. Because augmenting a jutsu increases it's area of effect it's possible for a fire style user to accidentally catch them self in their own fire style if the augmenting wind jutsu included them in its area of effect.

Wind: Wind Jutsu can Augment fire Jutsu, and is also countered by it, and it can counter lightning style. Wind can also be used to augment or can be augmented by water and can be augmented by earth style.

Lightning style: Lightning Jutsu can counter earth style Jutsu and can be augmented by water style. Lightning style can be augmented by water style even if the water style user did not intend it, however unlike with fire style this does not counter the water jutsu, which means the lightning style user may still find themselves at the mercy of a water style attack.

Earth style: Earth style can be countered by lightning style and serves as a counter to water style. Earth style can be used to augment Wind style.

The Above system is the most accurate and dynamic method of elemental interaction. However it is also somewhat difficult to remember and somewhat more complex. As a variation, remove Augmenting altogether and instead use the following:

Fire counters wind and is countered by water

Water Counters fire and is countered by earth

Earth counters water and is countered by lightning

Lightning counters earth and is countered by wind

Wind counters lightning and is countered by fire.

Ninjutsu and negative levels:

A ninja exposed to negative levels does not lose access to any techniques they know, but the loss of vital life energy does reduce their chakra. For every negative level the character gains they lose 1 chakra per character level. This chakra loss comes from the user's maximum chakra but proportionately affects their melded chakra as well. Thus a 8th levle ninja with 1 negative level would lose 6 maximum daily chakra and 2 melded chakra. If they had the "deep chakra well" starting benefit they would instead lose 4 melded chakra and 4 from their maximum daily pool.