A shinobi gains “Unique Abilities” at every rank. There are five different types of Unique Abilities; Aspects, Gambits, Styles, Downtime, and Modes. They increase in power in the order they are listed; an Aspect should ALWAYS be weaker than a Downtime or a Style for example. Unique Abilities are open ended in their nature, but a Kage is advised to keep a close measure on their power so as to not let a character get out of control. To help with that, here are a list of sample Unique Abilities for each rank and type.
Aspects are Unique Abilities that are always on and are almost like miniature Traits or Perks.
They require no Grit to activate. They are the weakest of the Unique Abilities.
Downtimes are Unique Abilities that modify or give new choices for a shinobi during their Downtime. This includes new Skills that can be trained as usual, and new Traits or Perks you can purchase or acquire. They require no Grit to activate.
Gambits are Unique Abilities that represent a single attack or move that invests your energy and your Grit into a single moment. When you design a Gambit you must designate a Skill that your Gambit is based on. Your Gambit deals base damage as a basic attack using that skill, or if it uses an Elemental Skill it deals the base Elemental Damage and your Ninjutsu damage. If you have the Chakra Coils Disorder Trait you may instead pay 8 Injury for each point of Chakra you would otherwise spend. A Gambit Costs (UA Level+3X) Grit to activate as well as Chakra equal to your Rank.
Styles are Unique Abilities that function off of a trigger of some sort. Examples may include a certain technique you use, a status effect being applied, or even your Injury reaching a certain threshold.
Styles require an amount of Grit in your pool to activate equal to the level of the (UA*3), but you don’t have to spend it.
Desperation UAs trigger when you enter either Injured or Wounded, at your designation. In this sense, they are akin to a Style (Enters Injured Pool). However, a Desperation UA is more powerful than a Style, however it can only be triggered once per encounter. A Desperation UA triggers immediately upon the condition being met. Unlike all other UA's, by default, a Desperation UA grants Grit equal to (UA Level*2) when it triggers if it triggers when put into “Injured Pool” or (UA Level*3) when it triggers if triggered by being put into “Wounded Pool”.
Drive UAs represents a temporary boost granted after an expenditure of Grit and a number of requisite successes. In essence, a Drive UA is a "Follow-Up" of your own designation. It must require an amount of Grit equal to the number of successes you deem it worthy of requiring. You must designate whether the Drive activates on "Attack", "Defend", "Counter", or any combination thereof. A Drive UA that triggers off all three conditions would be very weak relative to one that triggers off "Counter" (which is deemed the most difficult to use). A Drive costs (UA Level+X) Grit to activate where X is the requisite successes to activate it.
Combos represent your training extensively with a single shinobi to combine two of your best abilities into a single well focused attack. To gain this UA both parties must have a Life Bond with one another and must take this UA at the same time. To use a Combination Attack with another shinobi the two shinobi must be adjacent to one another and must delay their action until the very end of the Round, where they will remain for the remainder of combat. In all other ways this is treated like a Gambit, but has a power-level equivalent to that of a mode due to the Chakra cost, the penalty of reducing speed, and the specificity of needing a comrade. It costs both members the same amount of Grit as it would to for both of them to activate a Gambit. They must both select the same value for X.
Synchs are a Unique Ability that features a state of increased teamwork between two shinobi. To take a Synch UA both shinobi must have at least a Life Bond with the other and must both take this UA at the same time. To activate a Synch UA both shinobi must be in Formation with one another and adjacent with the other at the end of the round. However, a Synch UA is extremely powerful. It is a Mode-level UA,
but focuses on specific elements of both the user's skill set and their partners. Additionally, a Synch UA costs Grit to activate like a mode, but does not put you in Grit Lock. Finally, if the shinobi are ever removed from Formation with one another their Synch ends and they cannot activate it again during the encounter, even if they return to Formation and have the requisite Grit and placement. Modes cost both Characters the same amount of Grit as if they both had activated a Mode.
Modes are Unique Abilities that involve transformation, radical changes in your character, or a large acquisition of new abilities. When you activate a Mode you remove all “Status Effects” from your character that were placed by another shinobi. Additionally, while in a Mode, you cannot have additional
“Status Effects” placed on you by other shinobi. Effects caused by your own actions, such as Chakra Exhaustion, or the penalties from Wounded and Injured Status, still apply. Modes cost an amount of Grit equal to the level of the UA and while you are in a Mode you cannot gain more Grit through any means.
Modes cost (UA Level*4) Grit to activate and must be done at the end of the Round.
NINDO
Nindo represents a shinobi's belief system; their desires and wishes that keep them on the path of bloodshed and suffering that is being a shinobi. A shinobi who acts strongly in a way that suits his Nindo, and makes decisions as a player to follow that path even if it isn't the most expedient, is rewarded Nindo.
Additionally, a character generates 1 Nindo at the start of each session, as they are assumed to be living under their shinobi beliefs.
When a character is created they receive a number of sentences equal to their Rank to flesh out their Nindo. Once they have listed all the sentences they must select one of the Attributes for each line.
Each Attribute possesses a secondary condition that a shinobi may gain Nindo as well as a special effect that Nindo may be spent on.
During the course of play a Nindo can be used for a number of reasons, all of which involve pushing through adversity and carrying on to victory. In addition to these universal ways, which all require an amount of Determination to be used, a shinobi may use the special attribute uses of their Nindo.
Universal-
Luck of Ninja (Det 3): As a free action you may reroll a single "Defend" action. You must keep the second roll.
Cleanse (Det 3): As a full round action you may remove any number of Status Conditions you are suffering from, but not including ones that require a use of "Medical Jutsu" to remove.
Shadow Step (Det 3): As a partial action you may move a distance up to your base movement. At the end of this movement you may roll to enter "Stealth".
Endurance (Det 4): As a free action you gain Chakra DR equal to your Rank*5. This lasts until the end of the turn.
Get Away! (Det 4): You may use the "Replacement Jutsu" at no Chakra Cost. Lose a partial action on your next turn.
Firm (Det 5): As a free action you may negate an effect that would move you or inflict
"Airborne", "Prone", or "Knockback".
Twist of Fate (Det 6): As a free action you may reroll a single roll of any kind, but with a +2 ASB. You may keep which roll you wish.
Purge (Det 7): As a partial action you may remove any number of Status Conditions you are suffering from, including those that require a use of the "Medical Jutsu" to remove.
Twilight Step (Det 7): As a free action you may move a distance up to 1/2 your base movement.
At the end of this movement you may roll to enter "Stealth" or may choose to enter "Stealth" with Rank*3 successes.
Brace for Impact (Det 7): As a free action you may gain Chakra DR equal to your Rank*10. This lasts until the end of the next Round.
Trump Card (Det 8): Increase the action needed to complete an action you haven't used in this encounter by a single partial action. You gain +X ASB and 10*X to damage where X is your Rank. You must be at least in "Injured" Pool to use this ability.
True Allies (Det 8): You may activate a Synch-type UA or a Combo-type UA as a partial action so long as you and your partner are adjacent. If you are not adjacent this becomes a full-turn action and you may move adjacent to them so long as they are within the same Zone as you.
My Final Form (Det 9): As a "Defend" action you may roll Determination +X ASB where X is your Determination. If you are successful you take no damage and suffer no effects from the "Attack" and may activate a Mode-type UA. If you do so you gain +Y Grit, where Y is the number of opponents within 10 squares of you.
Any bonuses which are continuous, such as the final ability of "Overwhelm", are not active until the Nindo ability is used. When it is, however, the continuous bonuses remain until the end of the encounter.
Power-
A shinobi with this Attribute values strength over others above all. Whether this power manifests itself in benevolent strength used to shield or malicious power used to oppress is not important; a shinobi with this Attribute wants to defeat others with strength.
Overwhelm (Det 3): As a free action you may increase the next instance of damage you would deal by 5*X where X is the number of Nindo lines you possess with the "Power" Attribute. If X is equal to 4 or more they may ignore any DR the shinobi who receives damage has. If the X is equal to 6 you may use the "Critical Hit" Follow-Up without paying the Grit cost.
Growth-
A shinobi with this Attribute values their own progress and wants to achieve greater heights than they could prior achieve. This desire may stem from a number of things, but a shinobi with this Attribute wants to break their previous limits at any cost.
Grasp (Det 6): As a free action a shinobi may count a roll that has X successes lower than the opponent's Action as a success with 1 success over the opponent's roll where X is the number of Nindo lines they possess with the "Growth" Attribute. If X is equal to 3 or more they may count their roll as a success with 4 successes over the opponent's. If X is equal to 6 they may take an extra partial action when they use this Nindo Ability. They may do this only once per encounter.
Knowledge-
A shinobi with this Attribute values their understanding. They wish to comprehend many things; be they about people, shinobi, or the world itself. This desire is neither benevolent or malevolent, but is itself a desire to know fact.
Glean (Det 2): As a partial action you may designate a target as their "Focus". The next X different actions that the target uses you automatically gain a "Knowledge Bonus" against, even if he has no ranks in the requisite skill, where X is the number of Nindo lines you possess with the "Knowledge"
Attribute. If X is equal to 2 or more they may increase the ASB gained from the "Knowledge Bonus" by 1.
If X is equal to 6 you gain +Y Grit per turn where Y is the number of shinobi they have at least one
"Knowledge Bonus" against.
Protection-
A shinobi with this Attribute values their comrades or a single place or possession. They wish to assure this object's continued safety and will do anything to keep it safe. This desire is always benevolent, sometimes even the worst of shinobi can wish for a good thing for another.
Aegis (Det 5): As a partial action you strengthen your will and force yourself to struggle harder to survive so that you can keep the object of your Nindo safe; you can't protect them when you're dead, after all. You gain the "Aegis" Status Effect which negates the next X instances of damage after which it is removed, where X is the number of Nindo lines you possess with the "Protection" Attribute. If X is equal to 5 or more you may recover 40 Injury per use of this Nindo. If X is equal to 6 you may replenish the current Health Pool you are in to full when "Aegis" is removed from you.
Glory-
A shinobi with this Attribute values fame, renown, and recognition. They wish to be revered by their comrades for their great deeds and their competence. This desire is neither good nor evil, but can often lead to dark roads if not satisfied.
Spotlight (Det 5): As a full-round action you may do nothing other than talk about yourself, pose, make a heroic gesture, or be otherwise theatrical in a way that draws people's attention, but you must have at least a single opponent within the same Zone as you. If you do so, you gain +2X Grit where X is the number of Nindo lines you possess with the "Glory" Attribute. If X is equal to 3 or more, enemies who are within the same Zone as you, or who see your display, suffer -Y ASB where Y is 1/10 of your Renown. If X is equal to 6 you gain 300 Chakra DR, which stacks with each subsequent use of this Nindo Ability, when you use this ability.