Red Ninjas Melee: RV 10 Coordination: RV 20 Brawn: RV 6 Fortitude: RV 20 Intellect: RV 6 Awareness: RV 20 Willpower: RV 20 Health: 56 Fortune: 46 Lifestyle: RV 25 Repute: RV -5 Origin: Red Ninjas, while seemingly super-human in physical prowess, are but normal human beings, at least where special powers are concerned. No, they have no speical abilities, with everything they can do coming from an obscure and intense but conventional regiment of physical training. Known Powers: (none) Limitations / Enhancements: (none) Equipment: Axe: driving the Battle Ax wasn't enough for Red Ninjas this year, for they started carrying a large, one-handed battle axe! They may chop with this weapon to inflict their Brawn value in Slashing damage, adding +1 RS if they wield it with both hands. the Battle Ax: during their 1993 service contract with Cobra, the Red Ninjas were responsible for the operation of this deathtrap of a vehicle. Essentially a melee combat vehicle, the Battle Axe primarily consists of a spinning axe on wheels, which is described in its own entry. Grenade: you never know when you'll need to blow something up. As such, Red Ninjas typically have at least one grenade on their person in the field - unless they've used 'em already. These weapons inflict rank value 30 Slashing damage in a fragmentary fashion. Guards: these m.v. 20 implements, worn on the shins and the wrists of each Red Ninja, allow them to block Slashing attacks in addition to the usual assaults that maneuver allows. This optimistically assumes such attacks won't cut right through the guards, however. Katanas: no matter what weapons they carry, each Red Ninja always sports at least one of these at all times. They may use this blade (or blades, for they occasionally carry several) to inflict their Brawn value +1 RS in Slashing damage with every deadly strike. Knives: in addition to their katanas, Red Ninjas are always armed with at least one shorter blade. While most often a regular knife, these are occasionally Wakizashi, Japanese short swords. Such weapons allow Red Ninjas to inflict Slashing damage in melee. Manrikigusari: Red Ninjas typically brandish this weapon for non-lethal combat, which is essentially two weighted metal clubs tied togther with a four foot long chain. These m.v. 40 weapons inflict Red Ninjas' Brawn value +1 RS in Bashing damage. Shuriken: Red Ninjas usually have several thrown weapons on them, and if they aren't knives, they'll invariably be these throwing stars. They can use these small blades to inflict their Brawn value (6) in Thrown Slashing damage to foes within one sector of their person. Quirks: (none) Skills: Climbing: years of training has given Red Ninjas considerable climbing ability. They can easily move up almost any vertical surface, even those that at first glance have no hand-holds to speak of, doing so with a +2 RS bonus to any ACTION required related to climbing. Guns: all Red Ninjas have the ability to wield firearms in combat, on top of their other weapons training. They may discharge any standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol as if their Coordination was +1 RS higher than is listed above. Martial Arts styles A, B, C, D, and E: Red Ninjas have the ability to dodge, escape, evade, feint, grapple, weave, or attempt unarmed melee strikes as if the applicable trait was +1 RS in value, and benefit from a +1 initiative modifier while fighting unarmed. Furthermore, they have the ability to completely ignore the effects of body armor when delivering Pound or Concuss effects, if they can study an opponent for at least two turns beforehand, ignoring the comparative Brawn or Fortitude of that opponent when attempting to do so. Martial Arts Weapons: thanks to the extensive training they have received from various Arashikage masters, Red Ninjas have the ability to competently utilize weapons of this sort (blowgun, crossbow, katanas, kris, nunchaku, sais, shuriken, and so on) without penalty. Stealth: as Arashikage, the Red Ninjas excel at remaining unnoticed - they even do so while wearing their garish, red ensembles! While attempting stealth, Red Ninjas impose a -1 RS penalty on ACTIONs others attempt while trying to find them. Trance: Red Ninjas are masters of the Sleeping Phoenix technique, letting them slow their metabolic processes to the point that they appear dead, and require little or no air to survive. Anyone checking this must pass a blue Awareness ACTION to see through this deception. Contacts: Each Red Ninja is a member of the Arashikage ninja clan, though they are currently going it alone. While they've gone rogue, after a fashion, the Red Ninjas can occasionally rely upon others of their ilk, as well as Arashikage in good standing, dependent on their personal histories. Costume: The first, conspicuous field uniform Red Ninjas wore while officially working for Cobra includes a neon pink vest worn beneath twin deep blue bandoilers, loose-fitting black trousers, neon pink boots, deep blue wrist guards, and a deep blue 'Dice Clan' ceremonial ninja mask. Notes: After continued assaults on its leadership by the Cobra Command, the Arashikage clan of ninjas dispersed around the world. While many members of the clan remain in good standing, there are some that have gone rogue, and now work as mercenaries for the highest bidder. These mercenaries are known as the Red Ninjas. They will perform whatever task a prospective employer requires of them, as long as the price is right, no matter how odious they or their tasks are. Their mystic leanings gone, these martial artists are solely interested in remuneration. This makes the Red Ninjas great contractors for Cobra! While they have worked for that band of international costumed criminals numerous times over the years, it wasn't until 1993 that some Red Ninjas received an 'official' Cobra uniform, worn while piloting their Battle Ax vehicle. When Cobra moved beyond such over the top ninja hijinks, they nonetheless kept several Red Ninjas on retainer. After all, there are situations where Cobra Commander doesn't want to deal with the even more venal Night Creepers, or doesn't wish to endanger his own Ninja-Vipers. * 2004 VARIATIONS * Equipment: Bow: when shuriken lack sufficient range, and firearms are just too loud, Red Ninja break out their bows! Wielding these deadly weapons, a Red Ninja may fire as many arrows as they can carry, each deadly projectile inflicting their Brawn value +1 RS in Piercing damage. Costume: The Red Ninjas' second uniform is a variation on Storm Shadow's first. It consists of crimson, loose-fitting trousers, a crimson, short sleeved shirt under a crimson vest with a black Cobra emblem on it, black boots, black wrist bands, a crimson mask, and a brown sash. * 2005 VARIATIONS * Equipment: Sickles: Red Ninjas occasionally carry these distressing weapon with him into melee. Made from m.v. 30 materials, Red Ninjas may use these hooked blades to inflict their Brawn value +1 RS in Slashing damage, or they can be of aid to Red Ninjas in difficult climbs. Costume: The Red Ninjas' third uniform is a variation on Storm Shadow's second. It is comprised of red, loose-fitting trousers, a red, long-sleeved shirt, a dark red face mask, a red hood, red boots, a khakis belt, and a length of rope draped over one shoulder. * 2007 VARIATIONS * Equipment: Bow: when shuriken lack sufficient range, and firearms are just too loud, Red Ninja break out their bows! Wielding these deadly weapons, a Red Ninja may fire as many arrows as they can carry, each deadly projectile inflicting their Brawn value +1 RS in Piercing damage. Mancatcher: this long weapon allows Red Ninjas to seize opponents with their full Brawn value, as a grappling attack that inflicts Slashing damage, on any adjacent target. Those attempting to escape the mancatcher inflict repeat damage to themselves on each try. Costume: The fourth Red Ninja uniform is that which they are the best known for, weird Cobra offerings notwithstanding. It primarily consists of a red gi, which features black trim on the vest, along with dark red boots, dark red wrist and ankle wraps, a black sash, and a red face mask. * 2008 VARIATIONS * Equipment: Bow: when shuriken lack sufficient range, and firearms are just too loud, Red Ninja break out their bows! Wielding these deadly weapons, a Red Ninja may fire as many arrows as they can carry, each deadly projectile inflicting their Brawn value +1 RS in Piercing damage. Mancatcher: this long weapon allows Red Ninjas to seize opponents with their full Brawn value, as a grappling attack that inflicts Slashing damage, on any adjacent target. Those attempting to escape the mancatcher inflict repeat damage to themselves on each try. Costume: The fifth Red Ninja uniform is a slight variation on the fourth, but primarily looks the same. It is mainly comprised of a red gi, which includes trousers, a T-shirt, and a vest worn over the latter, along with dark red boots, dark red wrist and ankle wraps, a red sash, and a red face mask.