What is a Shinobi in D&D?

The Shinobi is a D&D Portal homebrew class designed to represent an extremely mobile combatant who combines martial training with supernatural chakra techniques. Its core identity is not simply “a Monk with Naruto abilities.” The class has its own resource system, its own technique progression, a separate inherited-or-trained Chakra Origin, a Shinobi Path that functions as the subclass, and a Fortune Dice system used to manipulate important outcomes. The current Shinobi rules use a full 20-level class progression.

Core class profile

The Shinobi uses a d8 Hit Die.

Its primary abilities are Dexterity and Wisdom.

The class is proficient in Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws.

Its equipment profile is deliberately light and mobile:

light armor, without shield proficiency;
simple weapons;
martial melee weapons that have the Finesse property;
a disguise kit;
one additional tool choice from herbalism kit, poisoner's kit, or thieves' tools;
three skills chosen from the Shinobi skill list.

Traditional names such as kunai, shuriken, senbon, ninja blade, chain sickle, and combat staff are presentation names for existing weapon statistics unless another Shinobi rule explicitly changes them.

Dexterity and Wisdom do different jobs

Dexterity represents the Shinobi's physical precision, weapon attacks, mobility, and ordinary defensive capability.

Wisdom is the Technique ability.

The current class calculates Technique effects through Wisdom, including the Technique save DC and Technique attack modifier.

This makes the Shinobi dependent on both physical execution and chakra control rather than functioning as a single-ability martial class.

Chakra Pool

At 1st level, the Shinobi gains Chakra Points.

The number of points increases with Shinobi level and reaches 30 at 20th level in the current progression.

Chakra is spent to activate Techniques and certain class features.

All expended Chakra Points return after a short or long rest.

That recovery rate is important to the class's design. Techniques are intended to be used regularly, but particularly extreme Techniques can contain their own stricter use limits so that short-rest Chakra recovery does not make them unlimited.

Chakra is its own resource. It does not automatically combine with Ki, Sorcery Points, spell slots, Psionic Energy Dice, or another class resource when multiclassing.

Chakra Techniques

Techniques are the Shinobi's main supernatural toolkit.

The class begins with Rank I Techniques and unlocks higher ranks as it advances:

Rank I → 1st level Rank II → 5th level Rank III → 9th level Rank IV → 13th level Rank V → 17th level

Techniques can provide damage, control, movement, defense, healing, infiltration, sensory effects, summons, and other supernatural abilities depending on what the character learns.

The class is therefore intentionally adaptable. Two Shinobi with the same Path can still feel different because their Technique selections can solve different problems.

Chakra Origin is not the subclass

At 1st level, the Shinobi gains a Chakra Origin.

The current class offers two broad Origin routes:

**Trained Affinity**, which gives access to a standard Chakra Nature such as Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, or Water;
**Bloodline of Fate**, which determines a Rare Chakra Heritage through the class's heritage system.

The Origin develops through later Manifestations.

This is a separate progression from the Shinobi Path.

An Origin describes the nature of the character's chakra or inherited power, while the Path describes how the character trained to use it. They are separate progression choices.

Shinobi Path

At 3rd level, the Shinobi chooses a Path.

The Path is the subclass and grants features at 3rd, 6th, 10th, and 14th level.

The current Shinobi rules contain seven Paths:

Path of Taijutsu;
Path of Elemental Ninjutsu;
Path of Genjutsu;
Path of the Bloodline;
Path of the Medical Shinobi;
Path of Sealing;
Path of Fortune.

Older design documents contain experimental Paths that are not part of the current Shinobi ruleset.

Martial baseline

The Shinobi is designed to remain useful even after spending Chakra.

At 5th level, it gains Extra Attack and Chakra-Infused Strike.

Chakra-Infused Strike adds extra damage once on each of the Shinobi's turns without spending Chakra. The extra damage increases as the class advances.

This ensures that Techniques enhance the class rather than being the only reason it can contribute in combat.

Fortune Dice

Fortune Dice arrive at 2nd level and form a resource separate from Chakra.

Their die size improves as the Shinobi gains levels, eventually reaching a d12.

Their short-rest recovery also improves gradually rather than starting as a completely renewable pool.

This gives the Shinobi a second tactical system: Chakra powers supernatural actions, while Fortune Dice manipulate critical moments.

High-level mobility and mastery

The later base class gains Evasion, Chakra Movement, Unbroken Focus, Perfect Chakra Control, improved Origin Manifestations, Hidden Technique Mastery, and finally Kage State.

Kage State is the 20th-level capstone. It temporarily restores Chakra, improves mobility and saving throws, reduces Technique costs, and allows repeated Fortune manipulation under its rules.

Party role

A Shinobi can become a:

mobile striker;
infiltrator;
battlefield controller;
elemental attacker;
healer;
illusion and mental-control specialist;
sealing specialist;
probability manipulator.

The exact role is determined by the combination of Origin, Techniques, and Path.

In short

The Shinobi is a fast d8 martial-hybrid class with two primary customization axes.

The Chakra Origin determines where the power comes from.

The Shinobi Path determines how that power is trained.

Techniques provide supernatural actions, Chakra fuels them, and Fortune Dice influence critical outcomes.