pathFinal Fantasy

Bereft of the usual focus on sword skills, and the honour that pervades the culture of Samurai, Dirty Ronin are masters of underhanded combat, dirty trickery and misdirection.

Dirty ronin is an archetype of the samurai class

Underhanded and Empty Handed

Dirty ronin treat unarmed strikes and improvised weapons as though they belonged to the samurai weapon group.

Backroom Brawling (Ex)

At 1st level, a dirty ronin gains unarmed combatant and catch-off guard as bonus feats. A dirty ronin deals more damage with his unarmed strikes as per the following table:

Additionally, starting at 2nd level, a dirty ronin can make an underhanded flurry as a full-attack action, combining weapon strikes with unarmed attacks. When doing so, a dirty ronin has the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, however if his primary attack is made with a manufactured or improvised weapon, his off-hand attack must be an unarmed strike or vice versa.

A dirty ronin applies his full Strength modifier to his damage rolls for all attacks made with underhanded flurry, whether the attacks are made with an off-hand weapon or a weapon wielded in both hands. A dirty ronin can substitute disarm, sunder, and trip combat maneuvers for attacks when making an underhanded flurry. A dirty ronin with natural weapons can’t use such weapons as part of an underhanded flurry, nor can he make natural weapon attacks in addition to his underhanded flurry attacks.
At 8th level, the dirty ronin gains use of the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat when using underhanded flurry. However, he does not get his third attack until his 15th samurai level rather than when he has a base attack bonus of +11.

Like the first off-hand attack, the second and third off-hand attacks must be accompanied by a main hand attack of the opposite “type”, but the unarmed strike or manufactured/improvised weapon attacks can be made in any order (For example at 8th level, if he makes an off-hand unarmed strike and an off-hand manufactured/improvised weapon attack he has to make both a main hand manufactured/improvised weapon attack and a main hand unarmed strike).

Effects that allow the dirty ronin to treat his unarmed strikes as manufactured weapons are ignored when making an underhanded flurry, as are weapons that function “as” both manufactured weapons and unarmed strikes, such as gauntlets or knuckle claws, functioning instead as just unarmed strikes.

[Note] Underhanded flurry plain language version:
At level 2 you can make two attacks, one unarmed strike and one weapon attack, at level 8 you can make four attacks, two unarmed strikes and two weapon attacks and at level 15 you can make six attacks, three unarmed strikes and three weapon attacks. The order you make the attacks in doesn’t matter, just that half of them have to be weapons and the other half unarmed strikes, other than the last attack gained at level 16, that can be either an unarmed strike or a weapon attack at your discretion.

This ability replaces Iaido and Iai Strike.

Bushido (Su)

As they cannot make iai strikes, a dirty ronin has an alternative method of generating bushido points:

Flesh and Steel: Whenever the dirty ronin successfully makes an attack with both an unarmed strike and a manufactured/improvised weapon as part of the same full attack, he gains 1 bushido point.

This ability modifies Bushido.

Dirty Tricks

A dirty ronin relies less on fancy swordplay and more on pragmatic techniques. A dirty ronin loses access to most bushido arts with the exception of: Blade Bash, Further Training, Nethermoon, No Fear, Spare Change, Tachidori, Three Weapon Style and Improved Tachidori.

Instead a dirty ronin may take any of the following bushido arts that are unique to them. Like a normal bushido art, any bushido art with an asterisk (*) requires the samurai to spend a point of his bushido pool to use.

Cloud of Dust (Ex)*: A dirty ronin can use the dirty trick maneuver at a range of 20 feet, targeting up to 3 creatures within 5 feet of one another whenever he uses it. When used in this manner, a dirty trick can only be used to inflict the following conditions (Some conditions listed require other bushido arts): Blinded, Cursed, Fatigued, Exhausted, Sickened, Silenced or Zombie. This ability is activated as a free action as part of a dirty trick roll. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must be at least 6th level and have the trickster’s maneuvers feat before selecting this bushido art.

Deadly Cocktail (Ex): A dirty ronin with this bushido art can apply two doses of poison to a weapon at once. These can be separate poisons, in which case they both affect the target individually, or two doses of the same toxin, in which case the poisons’ frequency is extended by 50% and the save DC increases by +2. This talent is an exception to the rule that injury poisons can only be delivered one dose at a time. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must be at least 10th level before selecting this bushido art.

Deft Ronin (Ex): The dirty ronin gains Deft Maneuvers as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. The dirty ronin is treated as though he had a Dexterity score of 13 for the purposes of qualifying for any feat that requires deft maneuvers or trickster’s maneuvers as a prerequisite.

Dirty Technique (Ex): Choose one combat maneuver. Whenever the dirty ronin successfully makes an attack with both an unarmed strike and a manufactured/improvised weapon as part of the same full attack, he can attempt that combat maneuver as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity. He can choose this Bushido Art again at 6th level, 10th level and 14th level. Each time it must be for a different combat maneuver. Once you perform the combat maneuver with this ability, regardless of success or failure, you cannot gain the benefit again for 1d3 rounds.

Expose Weakness (Ex): The dirty ronin is able to use sneaky tricks to make it easier to damage a foe, whether it is throwing a bit of fine dust of cold iron over a fey creature or melting a glob of silver onto a lycanthrope’s hide. The dirty ronin can add the ability to reduce a creature’s damage reduction or hardness by 10 to the list of options when attempting a dirty trick combat maneuver check. This does not stack with itself, and it does not work against creatures with DR/-. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the tricksters maneuvers feat before selecting this bushido art.

Gravedust (Su)*: The dirty ronin may use a dirty trick to inflict the Cursed or Zombie condition.This ability is activated as a free action as part of a dirty trick roll. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must be at least 8th level and have the trickster’s maneuvers feat before selecting this bushido art.

Flick Of The Wrist (Ex): A dirty ronin can throw a tiny item such as a coin, mug or other hand-held item in such a way as to momentarily distract an opponent, effectively acting as a feint. Unlike a normal feint, the dirty ronin can choose another ally to gain the benefits of the feint.

Lasting Poison (Ex): A dirty ronin with this talent can apply poison to a weapon in such a way that it is effective for a number of successful attacks equal to his Dexterity modifier (minimum two) instead of one. This poison has a reduced effect, however, and saves made against the poison gain a +2 circumstance bonus. Applying poison in this way is a full-round action, or a standard action if the dirty ronin has the swift poison bushido art.

Leave An Opening (Ex): The dirty ronin’s sneak attack leaves an unbalancing opening in a foe’s defenses, setting up the foe to be attacked again. At the beginning of the foe’s next turn, if the dirty ronin threatens the foe, the foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the dirty ronin. Multiple attacks against the same foe don’t create multiple attacks of opportunity in the same round (but attacks against several foes can cause each to provoke one attack of opportunity). Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the sneak attack ability before selecting this bushido art.

Masterful Strike (Ex): A dirty ronin with this bushido art can apply up to two sneak attack talents (See the sneak attack talent bushido art) to his sneak attack that add effects which are normally limited to one talent per individual sneak attack. At 10th level, he can apply up to three such talents to each sneak attack.

Mien of Despair (Su): When a dirty ronin with this bushido art successfully demoralizes an opponent using the Intimidate skill or performs a successful feint against an opponent, the opponent loses any morale bonuses and cannot benefit from any morale bonuses for 1d4+1 rounds.

Poison Hand (Ex): A dirty ronin can apply injury or contact poisons to his hands or other unarmed strikes without risk of exposing himself to the poison. When a contact poison is applied to an unarmed strike, he can make an unarmed strike as a touch attack to expose an opponent to the poison but otherwise does not deal damage.

Ronin’s Reputation (Ex): A dirty ronin gains a bonus on intimidate checks equal to half his class level.

Silver Powder (Su)*: A dirty ronin may use a dirty trick to inflict the Silence or Slow conditions.This ability is activated as a free action as part of a dirty trick roll. Prerequisite: A dirty ronin must be at least 6th level and have the trickster’s maneuvers feat before selecting this bushido art.

Sneak Attack Talent: A dirty ronin may take any thief talent (But not advanced talent) that modifies a sneak attack (Any talent marked with an asterisk) in place of a bushido art. A dirty ronin may take this bushido art more than once, choosing a different talent each time. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the sneak attack ability before selecting this bushido art.

Sneak Attack Talent, Advanced: A dirty ronin may take any advanced thief talent that modifies a sneak attack (Any talent marked with an asterisk) in place of a bushido art. A dirty ronin may take this bushido art more than once, choosing a different talent each time. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the sneak attack ability and be at least 10th level before selecting this bushido art.

Sticky Tricks (Ex): Whenever an opponent spends the action required to remove a dirty trick, the condition is not removed immediately. Instead, the condition is removed at the start of their next turn. A condition “removed” in this manner cannot be made worse via the Dirty Trick Master feat. At the dirty ronin’s 12th and 19th levels, the condition lasts for one additional round after being “removed”, to a maximum of its normal duration. (For example, if the dirty trick would only have lasted for one more round, this bushido art does not add two rounds to the duration). Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the trickster’s maneuvers feat and be at least 6th level before selecting this bushido art.

Swift Hand (Ex): The dirty ronin gains the quick dirty trick or quick steal feats as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A dirty trick/steal can be performed as part of an underhanded flurry. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the trickster’s maneuvers feat and be at least 6th level before selecting this bushido art.

Swift Poison (Ex): A dirty ronin with this bushido art can apply poison to a weapon as a move action, instead of a standard action.

Tiring Trick (Ex)*: A dirty ronin may use a dirty trick to inflict the Fatigued condition, or worsen an already existing Fatigued condition to Exhausted (excluding a fatigued condition maintained by the Sticky Tricks bushido art). Unlike with normal fatigue or exhaustion the condition ends as soon as the dirty trick does (the fatigued condition returns if it wasn’t caused by a dirty trick). This ability is activated as a free action as part of a dirty trick roll. Prerequisite: A dirty ronin must have the trickster’s maneuvers feat before selecting this bushido art.

Toxic Breath (Ex)*: A dirty ronin with this bushido art can inhale an inhaled or contact poison as a standard action and suspend it within his body. He is not affected by the poison while it is suspended within him, and he doesn’t need to attempt saving throws against it. While suspending an inhaled poison in this manner, the dirty ronin is treated as holding his breath. If the dirty ronin holds his breath for too long and fails the Constitution check to continue holding his breath, the poison is expelled harmlessly.

At any time while the poison is suspended within him, the dirty ronin can exhale the poison as a standard action, affecting a single target within 5ft. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The target is then exposed to the poison as if they had entered an area containing an inhaled poison. After making the first saving throw, the target then immediately makes a second, as if it had been exposed to two doses consecutively. (Note: Because of how poison stacking works, the saving throws have to be consecutive). If he suspends a new poison, any older suspended poison immediately affects him as normal.

Other aerosolized items (Such as a chemist’s mix that is using the suspending musk catalyst) can also be inhaled in the same way, at no risk to the dirty ronin, though in such a case the target is only exposed once, not twice.

Turnabout (Ex)*: A dirty ronin with this bushido art can capitalize on any opportunities in combat. Whenever a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the dirty ronin by attacking or casting a spell, the dirty ronin can attempt a dirty trick combat maneuver check in place of the attack of opportunity. If he succeeds at the check, the dirty ronin can redirect the attack or spell to a new target or area the foe could have chosen. Prerequisite: The dirty ronin must have the trickster’s maneuvers feat before selecting this bushido art.

Twisting Fear (Ex)*: Whenever the dirty ronin causes an opponent to gain the shaken, frightened, or panicked condition, that opponent takes an amount of nonlethal damage equal to the dirty ronin’s sneak attack damage, as the stress wears upon its body. A creature can’t take damage from twisting fear more than once per round. Panicked creatures that take damage from twisting fear are too winded even to scream as they flee in terror.

This ability modifies bushido arts

Poison Use (Ex)

At 2nd level, a dirty ronin is trained in the use of poison and can’t accidentally poison himself when applying poison to a weapon.

This ability replaces samurai training.

Ronin’s Eye (Ex)

At 3rd level, whenever the dirty ronin successfully uses the Intimidate skill to demoralise an opponent, the opponent is demoralised for an additional number of rounds equal to his Focus modifier. Additionally, if the dirty ronin’s Focus modifier is not Charisma, he may use his Focus modifier instead of Charisma when making intimidate checks.

This ability replaces third eye.

Pocket Sand (Ex)

At 4th level, a dirty ronin gains trickster’s maneuvers as a bonus feat. He does not need to meet the prerequisites to gain the feat. If the dirty ronin already has trickster’s maneuvers, he may instead take any other combat feat he qualified for at the level he gained trickster’s maneuvers.

In addition, a Dirty Ronin gains a +1 bonus on checks with the dirty trick combat maneuver, as well as a +1 bonus to his Combat Maneuver Defense when an opponent attempts to use a dirty trick against him, which stacks with the benefits provided by trickster’s maneuvers/greater dirty trick. These bonuses increase by an additional +1 at 8th level and every 4 levels thereafter. A dirty ronin can always use the dirty trick maneuver to attempt to blind an opponent.

This ability replaces Zanshin

Sneak Attack (Ex)

At 4th level, If a dirty ronin can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from his attack, he can strike a vital spot for extra damage.

The dirty ronin’s attack deals extra damage anytime his target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the dirty flanks his target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 4th level, and increases by 1d6 every 4 dirty ronin levels thereafter. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. This additional damage is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit.

With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (such as a sap, unarmed strike, or whip), a dirty ronin can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. he cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack—not even with the usual -4 penalty.
The dirty ronin must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A dirty ronin cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with total concealment.

This ability replaces blade and body.

Dirty Counter (Ex)

At 5th level, whenever an opponent with any of the following conditions makes a melee attack against a dirty ronin, the opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from the dirty ronin. Only one attack per round per opponent can be provoked in this manner. The list of conditions are: Blinded, Dazzled, Entangled, Exhausted, Fatigued, Frightened, Slowed or Staggered.

Creatures with the Improved Blind Fight feat or who can otherwise ignore the miss chance from fighting an opponent they cannot see do not provoke attacks of opportunity from this ability due to being blinded.

This ability replaces Iaido: Glint

Tricky Retaliation (Ex)

At 7th level, when making the attack of opportunity granted by retaliate, a dirty ronin may instead use the dirty trick, steal or reposition combat maneuvers in place of making an attack.

When making a combat maneuver that can already be performed as an attack of opportunity (usually Disarm or Trip; feats and abilities that let you make other combat maneuvers as attacks of opportunity such as Fox Trickery also “stack” to gain the benefit of this ability) as the attack of opportunity granted by this ability, the dirty ronin gains a +4 bonus to the combat maneuver check. .

This ability modifies retaliate.

Debilitating Injury (Ex)

At 8th level, whenever a dirty ronin deals sneak attack damage to a foe, he can also debilitate the target of his attack, causing it to take a penalty for 1 round (this is in addition to any penalty caused by a thief talent or other special ability). The dirty ronin can choose to apply any one of the following penalties when the damage is dealt. If the dirty ronin has levels in another class that grants debilitating injury (Such as thief), the two classes stack to determine the total penalty using the faster of the two’s progressions, using the dirty ronin’s samurai level -4 (For example, a 10th level Dirty Ronin/4th level Thief would be treated as a level 10 Thief to determine the total penalty).

• Bewildered: The target becomes bewildered, taking a –2 penalty to AC. The target takes an additional –2 penalty to AC against all attacks made by the dirty ronin. At 14th level and 20th level, the penalty to AC against attacks made by the dirty ronin increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8).
• Disoriented: The target takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls. In addition, the target takes an additional –2 penalty on all attack rolls it makes against the dirty ronin. At 14th level and 20th level, the penalty on attack rolls made against the dirty ronin increases by –2 (to a total maximum of –8).
• Hampered: All of the target’s speeds are reduced by half (to a minimum of 5 feet). In addition, the target cannot take a 5-foot step.

These penalties do not stack with themselves, but additional attacks that deal sneak attack damage extend the duration by 1 round. A creature cannot suffer from more than one penalty from this ability at a time. If a new penalty is applied, the old penalty immediately ends. Any form of healing applied to a target suffering from one of these penalties also removes the penalty.

This ability replaces Fatal Impact

Poisonous Ronin (Ex)

At 9th level, whenever a dirty ronin exposes a single target to a poison directly (Such as by using a contact or injury poison or by using the toxic breath bushido art), the poison uses either its normal saving throw DC or a DC of 10 + half the dirty ronin's samurai level + his Focus modifier, whichever is higher.

Dirty ronin can take Ability Focus (Poisonous Ronin) to increase the saving throw DC by +2, provided this ability is actually modifying the save DC.

This ability replaces Iaido: Ianuki

Staredown (Ex)

At 10th level, the dirty ronin can attempt to demoralise an opponent as part of rolling initiative. If the dirty ronin succeeds, that opponent gains the impaired condition for 1 round in addition to the normal effects of demoralise unless it succeeds on a Will save (DC 10 + Half the dirty ronin’s samurai level + his Focus modifier).

This ability replaces Merciful Eyes.

Powerful Trick (Ex)

At 11th level, when a dirty ronin attempts a dirty trick combat maneuver check and spends 4 bushido points, if the maneuver is successful, the target must succeed at a Will save (DC = 10 + half the dirty ronin's samurai level + his Focus modifier) to remove its dirty trick condition.

This ability replaces Greater Zanshin

Extreme Fear(Ex)

At 13th level, the dirty ronin gains Signature Skill (Intimidate) as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites, which grants him the skill unlocks for the Intimidate skill. If he already had this feat, he gains any other feat he would have qualified for at the level he gained Signature Skill (Intimidate).

This ability replaces Unstoppable Iaijutsu

True Toxicity (Ex)

At 18th level, the dirty ronin’s skill with poison allows him to poison even the most resilient targets. Whenever a dirty ronin exposes a single target to a poison directly (Such as by using a contact or injury poison or by using the toxic breath bushido art), the target’s interaction with poison is reduced by one step, to a minimum of normal (Immune->Strong->Normal).

This ability replaces Inspirational Presence.

Improved Staredown (Ex)

At 19th level, a dirty ronin’s mere glance can stall an opponent’s aggressive intent. The impaired condition inflicted by staredown now lasts a number of rounds equal to the dirty ronin’s Focus modifier (Minimum 1 round).

This ability replaces Bushido Master

Master Trickster (Ex)

At 20th level, whenever an opponent spends the action to remove the dirty trick condition, they instead reduce the duration by half of its total duration (In other words, a target must spend two actions to remove a dirty trick, not just one). If the dirty ronin has made this a powerful trick, the opponent must make a seperate Will save for each attempt. A dirty trick that has been “removed” at least once cannot be made worse via the Dirty Trick Master feat.

This ability replaces Master Samurai