Yakuza

Yakuza

The Way of the Yakuza emphasizes loyalty, respect, and power. You’ve made your way up the ranks of an underground organization—whether a Yakuza clan, a mafia, or some other secretive group. You blend street smarts, calculated violence, and charisma to get the job done, knowing when to be ruthless and when to show restraint. Syndicate rogues balance subtlety and brute force, using clever words and intimidation to control situations before resorting to bloodshed. You live by a code, but one that only you and your syndicate decide.

Bonus Proficiencies

At 3rd level you gain proficiency in Intimidation and Insight. If you already have proficiency in one of these, you may select another skill from the rogue skill list. Additionally, you gain proficiency with firearms (if your setting allows them).

Enforcer’s Tactics

At 3rd level, you specialize in the art of controlled violence—you know when to escalate and when to intimidate. When you take the Attack action on your turn and hit a creature with a melee weapon, you can use a bonus action to choose one of the following effects:

Shake Down: The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. If the target is frightened, you can use a bonus action to issue a simple command (like “Drop it” or “Run”), forcing them to follow your instructions for 1 turn if they fail the save.

Pressure Point Strike: The target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn. A creature that is immune to the grappled condition is immune to this effect.

Mark of Honor

At 3rd level, when a creature within 5 feet of you is knocked unconscious or drops to 0 HP, you can mark that creature as a sign of your triumph. The mark could be symbolic (such as a clan symbol carved or drawn on the target) or literal (a business card or token left behind). You gain temporary hit points equal to your rogue level when you mark a creature in this way. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses on a long rest.

Shadowed Reputation

At 9th level, your presence, or even your name alone, inspires fear and respect in equal measure. You gain the following benefits:

Street Smarts: When you make an Insight, Deception, or Intimidation check in a social situation, you can treat a roll of 9 or lower as a 10.

Silent Entrance: When you roll Stealth to hide in dim light or darkness, you can move up to half your movement speed as part of the same action without revealing your position.

Additionally, the first time you use Shake Down in combat, creatures have disadvantage on their saving throws against the effect if they have heard of you or your syndicate.

Blackmail Artist

At 13th level, you have perfected the art of gathering dirt on your enemies and forcing them to cooperate. If you spend 10 minutes talking with a creature alone, you can attempt to gather information about them. Make an Insight check contested by the creature’s Deception or Persuasion check (their choice). On a success, you uncover one of the following:

A secret the target would not want revealed.

Personal weaknesses (such as someone they care about or fears they harbor).

Knowledge of criminal activities or hidden affiliations.

Once per long rest, you can use this information to blackmail the target during a conversation, granting you advantage on all Charisma checks against them for 1 hour.

Kingpin’s Dominance

At 17th level, you have ascended the ranks of your syndicate, commanding power and influence that few dare challenge. You gain the following benefits:

Aura of Control: Enemies within 10 feet of you have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed.

Perfect Command: When a creature fails a saving throw against your Shake Down, you can issue a more complex order (such as “Escort us out without raising the alarm” or “Give us all your supplies”), which the creature follows for 1 minute.

Unstoppable: When you reduce a creature to 0 HP, you can immediately take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action as a bonus action without using your Cunning Action.