Zatoichi (3.5e NPC)

"Sight is the true curse!"

Zatoichi - the blind swords man
Passing of as a foolish beggar, he is quite skilled at making others lower their defences. Exploiting underestimation is always his initial strategy - letting his opponents move first. His blindsight is so attuned that he knows exactly where the sword or arrow is to parry, and where to cut. The cane that he walks around with is really a sheathed sword, that has an additional trick dagger. Don't let his rugged clothing fool you - he is a true master of Martial Arts. Zatoichi is not nomadic by choice, he just has terrible luck. Whenever he tries to be stable and honest - somebody degrades him or takes advantage of him.

Features
Blind Flaw: - Zatochi cannot see, and takes a –4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks (included in stats above). All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) to the blinded character. He has overcome the below penalty's: a –2 penalty to Armor Class, lose of his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and 50% miss chance (when within 30' radius)

Gear: Gloves of Dexterity + 4, SRD:Periapt of Wisdom + 2, bracers of armor +2, ring of protection +1, healing belt

Feats
Quick Draw: He can draw a weapon as a free action instead of as a move action. And can draw a hidden weapon (see the Sleight of Hand skill) as a move action. (see SRD:Quick Draw)

Improved Critical: threat range is doubled with sword cane (see SRD:Improved Critical

Hold the Line: He makes an attack of opportunity against a charging opponent who enters his threaten area. His attack of opportunity happens immediately before the charge attack is resolved. (see SRD:Hold the Line)

Hear the Unseen: Using a move action, and with a DC 25 Listen Check he gets blindsense for 30' (even if they don't make any noise).

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: No penalty for using the cane

Combat Reflexes: He may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity equal to your Dexterity bonus.

With this feat, he may also make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed. (see SRD:Combat Reflexes)

Blind-Fight: In melee, every time he misses because of concealment, he can reroll his miss chance percentile roll one time to see if he actually hits.

An invisible attacker gets no advantages related to hitting you in melee. That is, he don’t lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn’t get the usual +2 bonus for being invisible. The invisible attacker’s bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks, however.

He takes only half the usual penalty to speed for being unable to see. Darkness and poor visibility in general reduces his speed to three-quarters normal, instead of one-half. (see SRD:Blind-Fight)

Blindsight, 5-ft radius; Using senses such as acute hearing and sensitivity to vibrations, he detects the location of opponents who are no more than 5 feet away from you. Invisibility and darkness are irrelevant, though he cannot discern incorporeal beings. (see SRD:Blindsight, 5-ft. Radius)

Class Features
Ichi gains everything from the Tenken (3.5e Class), with the exception of movement bonuses (i.e. unarmored speed bonus, and sprinter only).

Acrobatics (Ex):' The tenken moves with unparalleled grace. Every step is carefully measured, and performed with such fluidity that he could be walking on the clouds. A 1st level tenken gains a +5 competency bonus on Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks. At 8th level, this bonus increases to +10, and finally to +20 at 15th level. In addition, a tenken can always take 10 on a roll for one of the aforementioned skills, even when circumstances would normally prevent him from doing so. [Note: This is not related to the Acrobatic feat, which can be taken for more ranks in the overlapping skills.] The tenken must be unarmored and unencumbered in order to recieve these bonuses.

Shukuchi (Ex): When unarmored, a tenken may strike with the shukuchi—a flurry of ridiculously fast strikes—at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Shukuchi Attack Bonus column on Table: The Tenken. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the tenken might make before his next action. When a tenken reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears. A tenken must use a full attack action to strike with the shukuchi, and the technique can only be used when he is wielding a single melee slashing weapon. The shukuchi may only be used with a primary weapon. As such, the shukuchi cannot be used when fighting with two weapons or a double weapon.

The tenken's ability to use the shukuchi improves at 11th level. In addition to the standard extra attack he receives, he also gains another extra attack at his highest base attack bonus.

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the tenken adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his Armor Class. In addition, he gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five tenken levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the tenken is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. The Wisdom bonus also does not stack with any other class that offers a Wisdom bonus to AC (such as the monk).

Superior Finesse: A tenken automatically gains the Weapon Finesse feat with any weapon that is considered a one-handed slashing weapon for him in addition to any normal weapons to which Weapon Finesse can be applied. If another feat (such as Exotic Weapon Proficiency) is required to wield the weapon in one hand, then that feat must be taken first.

A tenken compensates for his lack of physical strength by striking a target’s vital areas with amazing quickness, wielding his weapon with the precision of a scalpel. A tenken can choose to add his Dexterity modifier to his damage rolls instead of his Strength modifier. If he uses his weapon in two hands (which is permissible so long as he is able to wield the weapon normally in one hand) he deals one and a half times his Dexterity modifier in damage.

This ability does not stack with any other ability that adds the characters Dexterity modifier to attack or damage rolls.

Dodge: A tenken is a terribly elusive opponent, bending and weaving through sword strikes in ways that few could emulate. At 3rd level, the tenken gains Dodge as a bonus feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If he already has this feat, then he may select a feat from the list of fighter bonus feats.

Evasion (Ex): Veteran warriors, particularly those accustomed to fighting without armor, have been known to develop a "soldier's sense" that instinctually warns them of impending danger. The tenken listens well to this primordial foresight and uses his unmatched agility to dodge. At 4th level or higher, a tenken can avoid even magical or unnatural attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, the tenken instead takes no damage. This ability only works if the tenken is unarmored and unencumbered. A helpless tenken does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, a tenken retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If he already has the uncanny dodge class feature from another class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead. If he is wearing armor or encumbered, the tenken does not receive the benefits of uncanny dodge or improved uncanny dodge.

Mobility: A tenken gains Mobility as a bonus feat at 6th level even if he does not meet the prerequisites. If he already has this feat, then he may select a feat from the list of fighter bonus feats.

Daredevil (Ex): A 7th level tenken can take part of one of his move actions to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if he begins and ends his move on a horizontal surface. The height he can achieve on the wall is limited only by this movement restriction. If he does not end his move on a horizontal surface, he falls prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for his distance above the ground. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purpose of measuring his movement. Passing from floor to wall or wall to floor costs no movement; he can change surfaces freely. Opponents on the ground can make attacks of opportunity as he moves up the wall.

The tenken can take other move actions in conjunction with moving along a wall. For instance, the Spring Attack feat allows him to make an attack from the wall against a foe standing on the ground who is within the area he threatens; however, if he is somehow prevented from completing his move, he falls. Likewise, he could tumble along the wall to avoid attacks of opportunity.

Bonus Feat: A tenken may take a bonus feat for which he meets the prerequisites at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.

Quickstep (Ex): The tenken's sheer speed makes him extremely difficult to track in combat at 9th level. On any turn where he has moved 10 or more feet, the tenken's form appears to waver and shift, and he gains 20% concealment as if he was affected by a blur spell. This effect cannot be negated by any means because it is not a magical effect, but simply a result of his quickness.

At 17th level, the tenken's quickstep ability improves to the point where another being's eyes are unable to follow his movement, making him appear several feet away from his actual location. He now gains the effects of a displacement spell when he moves more than 10 feet in a turn.

Haste (Ex): Starting at 10th level, a tenken may act as if he were hasted for a number of rounds per day equal to his tenken level. Rounds per day acquired through another source (such as boots of speed) are added on to the tenken’s maximum rounds per day. The extra attack granted by this effect stacks with the attack(s) granted by the shukuchi, but do not stack with any attack provided by a weapon with the speed enchantment.

Improved Evasion (Ex): The tenken's ability to dodge attacks with miraculous speed increases. This ability functions like evasion (see above) but the tenken only takes half damage even if he fails his Reflex save. A helpless tenken does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 13th level and higher, a tenken can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the tenken by flanking him unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has tenken levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.

See the Tenken (3.5e Class) if advancing beyond level 13.