PDA

View Full Version : Making a good level ten ninja. Possible?



Master Thrower
2011-01-20, 10:14 PM
So i've always liked the ninja class. But unfortunately it is not the best of classes. What ways could I make this class playable?

Books available are- PH,DMG,PLH,DrC,LB,CA,CadV,CD,CW. (some unearthed arcana as well, but not much)

grarrrg
2011-01-20, 10:20 PM
So i've always liked the ninja class. But unfortunately it is not the best of classes. What ways could I make this class playable?

Books available are- PH,DMG,PLH,DrC,LB,CA,CadV,CD,CW. (some unearthed arcana as well, but not much)

*insert standard "''have you tried Swordsage' without actually reading the original post" post*


Later...

The main problem with the Ninja is that it is almost a strictly worse Rogue.
Same Bab, Same HP, Fewer skill points, non-flanking "sneak attack".
It's only real advantage to the Rogue is it's "Ki Points", which fuel some potentially useful abilitites. But, as useful as those abilities are, they cannot compare to a Rogue with Use Magic Device and some wands.
Ninjas do get Wis+X to AC, so they are slightly better in straight-up melee. But again, their "sneak attack" doesn't work when flanking.

Your best bet, if dead set on using a Ninja, is to be a (short) ranged attacker, because you can't Sudden Strike from a Flank anyway. And find some feats/items that let you deny opponents Dex-to-AC for when the fight gets close.

Duncan_Ruadrik
2011-01-20, 10:22 PM
hehe. Rogue. I am rogue fanboy. :smallbiggrin:

CycloneJoker
2011-01-20, 10:25 PM
So i've always liked the ninja class. But unfortunately it is not the best of classes. What ways could I make this class playable?

Books available are- PH,DMG,PLH,DrC,LB,CA,CadV,CD,CW. (some unearthed arcana as well, but not much)


*insert standard "''have you tried Swordsage' without actually reading the original post" post*


Might be back with an actual answer later.

After reading the post, I have to agree. Even monks are better, TBH. Hell, even CW SAMURAI are better, with a little bit o' multiclassin'.

Saint GoH
2011-01-20, 10:28 PM
Rokugan Ninja (http://l5r.alderac.com/archive/rpg/rokugan_ninja.pdf) can be fun?

EDIT: le siiiigh. I did not read the accepted books. Actually. I have no idea where the rokugan ninja is from. Just heard it used and found it on the interwebs.

avr
2011-01-20, 10:39 PM
How about you define the three top things you want a ninja to do and build towards that? If we don't know where you're heading it's hard to give you directions.

Psyren
2011-01-20, 10:47 PM
Rokugan Ninja (http://l5r.alderac.com/archive/rpg/rokugan_ninja.pdf) can be fun?

That thing's pretty crazy; full BAB and 10d6 sneak attack? Pity about the low skills; I wonder how it would stand up to the Pathfinder Soulknife?

EDIT: I'm a dope, you can recreate almost that whole class just by combining the Thug and Sneak Attack Fighter variants.

Vangor
2011-01-20, 10:50 PM
So i've always liked the ninja class. But unfortunately it is not the best of classes. What ways could I make this class playable?

Homebrew, primarily. Alter the Ki mechanics by permitting (N Lvls+Wis)2 Ki at least, and the majority of abilities should be made available earlier. For instance, Ki dodge should be at least a level earlier, Evasion should be around the same time as Ki dodge, a version of Ghost Sight should function via Ki and be the same level as Ghost Strike, and more. Plus, probably give the chance to burn Ki to trigger a sudden strike.

dextercorvia
2011-01-20, 11:08 PM
I've heard Sacred Fist is one of the more playable monk combo's. If you can start with cloistered cleric, and take the Trickery Domain for some more ninja-like skills. Travel will get you Fly and Dimension Door to emulate some of the more supernatural stuff.


Not in the books you listed, but could help if you can get it:

EoE has a Monk ACF that replaces Evasion with an Invisibilty effect that lasts a round every three rounds, and doesn't go away when you attack.

CChamp has Knowledge Devotion, which will up your attack and damage if you can make the checks.

JaronK
2011-01-20, 11:18 PM
The best Ninjas are generally Factotum X/Unarmed Swordsage 2 or Rogue 1/Rokugan Ninja 1/Unarmed Swordsage X. But without that being available...

First off, since you can't flank anyway, throwing weapons are an option to consider. It's a shame you lack Races of the Wild for the Halfling Skiprock, but what about Ninja/Master Thrower? That could be decent. If not, consider having a nice ancestral blade via Item Familiar or Ancestral Relic, and then make it Blurstriking? Also, marbles are useful and worth considering.

JaronK

Master Thrower
2011-01-21, 11:30 AM
The best Ninjas are generally Factotum X/Unarmed Swordsage 2 or Rogue 1/Rokugan Ninja 1/Unarmed Swordsage X. But without that being available...

First off, since you can't flank anyway, throwing weapons are an option to consider. It's a shame you lack Races of the Wild for the Halfling Skiprock, but what about Ninja/Master Thrower? That could be decent. If not, consider having a nice ancestral blade via Item Familiar or Ancestral Relic, and then make it Blurstriking? Also, marbles are useful and worth considering.

JaronK

I do like the master thrower idea. I was thinking of making an archery focused ninja. But throwing sounds good. So how many levels of ninja would I take before going into master thrower

Toliudar
2011-01-21, 11:35 AM
I've seen a couple of decent ubercharger builds based on the ninja class.

grarrrg
2011-01-21, 11:56 AM
I do like the master thrower idea. I was thinking of making an archery focused ninja. But throwing sounds good. So how many levels of ninja would I take before going into master thrower

I refer you to Here (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Machine_Gun_Assassin_(3.5e_Optimized_Character_Bui ld)) and Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134276&highlight=katana+thrower).

The first link is a Ninja 15/Master Thrower 5 build.
The second is the Iajutsu Katana Chucker, it contains a LOT of useful ideas, just replace "Iajutsu" with "Sudden Strike", and "Katana" with "other thrown weapon".
Just steal what you want (or what is in the books you have).