Can you help me optimize my ninja?

[francoferret]

I'm a newbie at creating characters and I was wondering if anyone here would like to take a look at my character.
I'm a lv 6 catfolk (races of wild) ninja (complete adventurer)

Catfolk traits:
+4 dex, + 2 cha. lowlight vision, +2 on listen and move silently. level adjustment -1. +1 natural armor.

stre 10: 0
dex 18 (+4): 6
con 10: 0
int: 16: 3
char14 (+2): 3

ninja abilities:
AC Bonus [wis + 1 per 3 lv] = 5
Ki power [power: wis + 1/2 per lvel]
Sudden strike 3d6
[S]trapfinding mimic - disguise self spell (approved by DM)
ghost step - use one ki power to become invisible for one turn.
poison use - cannot poison self.
great leap - can long jump without running start +4 on jump

Weapon
Meteor Hammer (Adventurer's Armory 4).
Two handed weapon
Damage: 1d10/1d10 19-20 crit/x2
Can be used in two styles (switching is a free action):
- Frotress: +1 on shied AC
- meteor storm: double weapon with 10 ft reach.

Feats:
Exotic weapon proficiency (meteor hammer).
Weapon Finesse: add dex to meteor hammer's attack rolls.
Weapon Focus: +1 on attack rolls done by meteor hammer.
Improved weapon finesse: add dex to meteor hammer's damage rolls.
Improved feint: can feint target as a move action.
Catfolk pound: can make a full attack after charging if opponent is flat footed

Magic items/ enhancements:
Deadly precision enhancement : extra 1d6 to sneak attacks
Braces of murder: +2 on sneak attack damage + infinite 1's rolled on a 1d6 continuously.

Flaw: Aquaphobia.

AC: 10 + 6 (dex) +1 (natural) + 5 (ninja bonus) + 1 (meteor hammer shield) = 22 or 23 with meteor hammer fortress mode.

Move silently: 17
bluff: 12
hide: 15

My strategy is to be a hard to hit tank.
With my meteor hammer my attack rolls are 1d20 + 7 (weapon finesse & focus) and my damage rolls are 1d10 + 6 (improved weapon finesse). And if I attack with a full attack then my damage roll is a 2d10 + 6.

And if I do a sneak attack on top of my regular attack my damage roll is whatever my meteor hammer deals + 3d6 (sneak attack) + 1d6 (deadly precision enhancement) + 2 + howmany 1's I roll continuously on 1d6 (bracer of murder).

Since my weapon has a 10 foot reach I use a move action to feint opponents into becoming flatfooted and attack that way. I could also use a charge with my catfolk pounce feat and attack flatfooted opponents and deal 2d10 + 6 + 2 (charge) + 3d6 (sneak attack) + 1d6 (deadly precision enhancement) + 2 + howmany 1's I roll continuously on 1d6 (bracer of murder).

What do you think?
Any mistakes you might see (or forsee?)

thank you!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A Meteor Hammer is a two-handed weapon, and Weapon Finesse can only be used with light weapons with a few specific exceptions.

Use the Swordsage class from Tome of Battle and call the character a Ninja.

[francoferret]

A Meteor Hammer is a two-handed weapon, and Weapon Finesse can only be used with light weapons with a few specific exceptions.

My DM made an exception with the meteor hammers since mechanically is moves similar to a spiked chain which is both two handed and a medium weapon.

[VGLordR2]

Improved Weapon Finesse is not a feat in D&D. It sounds like you got it from the D&D Wiki, which is notorious for not labeling homebrew content. Unless your DM has made a specific exception, that feat is not valid.

[francoferret]

Improved Weapon Finesse is not a feat in D&D. It sounds like you got it from the D&D Wiki, which is notorious for not labeling homebrew content. Unless your DM has made a specific exception, that feat is not valid.
Does anyone know a similar feat or another way to boost my weapon?

[Hiro Protagonest]

"Aquaphobia" also looks like homebrew from the D&D Wiki. And I've never heard of Bracers of Murder. I'm not sure if the Deadly Precision enchantment is official either. If it's from the D&D wiki, it's not, because the only official content they're allowed to put on there is SRD stuff, which is core + Expanded Psionics Handbook + Unearthed Arcana, which I know almost inside out.

Step 1 in optimizing your build: Avoid the wiki. All two or three of them.

Step 2: Get a Wisdom score. You don't seem to have one.

Step 3: Replace Ninja with Rogue.

Step 4: Throw away any notion of being a tank. It's impractical with a fighter. It's suicide with a d6 hit die.

If your group is low-op enough that they've played characters like this in the past, don't even bother following any advice beyond "avoid the wikis". And maybe replacing ninja with rogue.

[VGLordR2]

Does anyone know a similar feat or another way to boost my weapon?

Here's the X stat to Y bonus (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125732) thread. In the second post, click on the "Damage" spoiler. It will list every known way to get Dexterity to damage. Looking through it, though, I'm not really seeing an option that would synergize well with your build.


"Aquaphobia" also looks like homebrew from the D&D Wiki. And I've never heard of Bracers of Murder. I'm not sure if the Deadly Precision enchantment is official either. If it's from the D&D wiki, it's not, because the only official content they're allowed to put on there is SRD stuff, which is core + Expanded Psionics Handbook + Unearthed Arcana, which I know almost inside out.


The Bracers of Murder are in Drow of the Underdark. The Deadly Precision enhancement is in the MIC.

[Kelb_Panthera]

If you're in a friendly low-op game, which seems to be the case, those numbers are competetive with what your enemies will bring to bear. You'll want to look into boosting that to-hit though, it's a tad low. Maybe mutliclass into swashbuckler and pick up daring outlaw from complete scoundrel, or some spellcasting from a base/prestige class. Also, you might consider entering ninja spy from OA it fits the flavor of ninjas better than most things. You'll need a quick monk or rogue dip for evasion though.

[GeekGirl]

If you are set on using the Ninja, try 2-weapon fighting tree. With ghost step its pretty easy to catch target flat-foot. I believe it should count for all your attacks as well, as you don't loose it after your first attack.

[francoferret]

Ok Guys. I think I did it. I made sure everything was official.

Feats:
Exotic weapon proficiency (meteor hammer).
Weapon Finesse: add dex to meteor hammer's attack rolls.
Weapon Focus: +1 on attack rolls done by meteor hammer.
mproved weapon finesse: add dex to meteor hammer's damage rolls.
Craven (Champions of Ruins): -2 on saves against fear, +1/character level to sneak attack.
Neraph Charge: When making a charge againts an opponent, opponent looses Dex from AC (flat footed)
Improved feint: can feint target as a move action.
Catfolk pound: can make a full attack after charging if opponent is flat footed

Magic items/ enhancements:
Deadly precision enhancement : extra 1d6 to sneak attacks
Braces of murder: +2 on sneak attack damage + infinite 1's rolled on a 1d6 continuously.
Agile weapon enhancement (Pathfinder society field guide)
Use dex instread of str to damage rolls on selected weapon as log as it had weapon finesse (meteor hammer).
-----
So in a single round I could use Neraph's charge combined with Catfolk pounce thus charge, make a full attack, and sneak attack.

Attack roll: 1d20 + 6 (weapon finesse)
Damage roll:
2d10 (meteor hammer) + 2 (charge) + 6 (agile enhancement) + 3d6 (sneak attack) + 1d6 (deadly precision) + 8 (craven).

Anything wrong?

edit: Attack roll: 1d20 + 4 (base attack) +6 (weapon finesse)

[Azoth]

Denied Dex to AC is not the same thing as Flat-Footed. It is a common mistake, even in the Rogue handbook. Just another reason to rogue over ninja. Seriously, Sudden Strike sucks. It is even more situational and even easier to stop than Sneak Attack...which has its own limitations and short comings.

Flat footed is easiest to get in 2 ways:

1) Surprise round/1st round of combat. Attack anyone who hasn't had an initiative pass yet.

2) Balance. Marbles, grease, climbing...without 5 ranks in Balance someone is flat footed in any one of those circumstances.

Outside of those two instances...generally, go sit in a corner and cry.

Flanking doesn't work. Invisibility doesn't work.

Oh...wait option 3...make the enemy unaware you are there...once combat starts...yeah...worse than crying in a corner.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Just that low to-hit. At CR 6 most enemies in the MM have a total ac of about 19. You've got less than even odds unless you can arrange some favorable combat situations, i.e. the +2 from a charge, flanking, or being invisible or the +4 from rendering him prone. Rendering the target flat-footed consistently, or bypassing part of his defenses by delivering touch attacks, could also be helpful. Just get that attack bonus up somehow.

Edit: this was in response to the OP's last post, not the one after it.

[Urpriest]

Invisibility works, actually. Rules Compendium clarified that if you are Invisible your target is treated as not merely denied Dex bonus, but flat-footed.

[francoferret]

Denied Dex to AC is not the same thing as Flat-Footed. It is a common mistake, even in the Rogue handbook. Just another reason to rogue over ninja. Seriously, Sudden Strike sucks. It is even more situational and even easier to stop than Sneak Attack..

Well, with Neraph Charge it losses it's dex and it says "All conditions that pertain when a foe cannot apply his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class also pertain to the Neraph Charge attack, if any (for instance, a sneak attack also could be made with this attack if you can make such an attack)". - http://dndtools.eu/feats/planar-handbook--79/neraph-charge--2050/
Plus I can become invisible?

[francoferret]

Just that low to-hit. At CR 6 most enemies in the MM have a total ac of about 19. You've got less than even odds unless you can arrange some favorable combat situations, i.e. the +2 from a charge, flanking, or being invisible or the +4 from rendering him prone. Rendering the target flat-footed consistently, or bypassing part of his defenses by delivering touch attacks, could also be helpful. Just get that attack bonus up somehow.

Edit: this was in response to the OP's last post, not the one after it.

What do you mean low to hit? My ac is 22/23.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Well, with Neraph Charge it losses it's dex and it says "All conditions that pertain when a foe cannot apply his Dexterity bonus to Armor Class also pertain to the Neraph Charge attack, if any (for instance, a sneak attack also could be made with this attack if you can make such an attack)". - http://dndtools.eu/feats/planar-handbook--79/neraph-charge--2050/
Plus I can become invisible?

Sneak Attack =/= Sudden Strike. And it says "loses dex bonus" not "is flat-footed". The former is part of the latter, but the latter is not part of the former.

[Kelb_Panthera]

What do you mean low to hit? My ac is 22/23.

I mean your attack bonus. You're posting it at a +7 right? That's only going to hit average ac for your level on a 12 usually. That's just 45% of the time, assuming the enemy isn't unusually hard to hit and/or doesn't choose to fight defensively.

Your ac is fine. In-fact it's a little higher than average for a skill-monkey. It's not much higher than average, mind, but a little.

Useful feat for a tank: Stone Power from ToB. You won't hit much, but you can absorb a metric crap-ton of damage.

Edit: btw do you mean that you're at ECL 6 or 7? Because if it's 7 (catfolk get that +1 LA) then average ac for your level is 20, and you're only going to hit about 40% of the time on a standard attack.

[francoferret]

I mean your attack bonus. You're posting it at a +7 right? That's only going to hit average ac for your level on a 12 usually. That's just 45% of the time, assuming the enemy isn't unusually hard to hit and/or doesn't choose to fight defensively.
.
My base attack bonus is 4 + 6 (dex) (weapon finesse). i forgot mention the base attack bonus. sorry.

[Kelb_Panthera]

My base attack bonus is 4 + 6 (dex) (weapon finesse). i forgot mention the base attack bonus. sorry.

I knew 7 sounded low. At +11 you're doing fine. A little more wouldn't hurt, but it's not strictly necessary.

[VGLordR2]

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uvm3GixEj4) is what I think of every time I read Neraph Charge.

Also, you may want to check out the Reworked Complete Adventurer Ninja (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3468.0). It is a significant upgrade to the current Ninja, and your DM may allow it. Honestly, the CA is rather lacking.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Just cyphered your actuall level. Now would be a good time to start multiclassing. Look at some PrC's if you haven't already, and see what you need to enter them, hopefully on time at the level after next. While it's pretty sub-optimal, it's hard to beat OA's ninja spy for ninja flavor.

You should be able to meet the prereq's after a quick dip in rogue or monk. I like monk, since you can pick up ascetic stalker in complete scoundrel. Something along the line of Ninja 4/Monk 3/Ninja Spy X. It wouldn't hold in a high-op game, but it sounds like you're not in one of those, so it should be fine, and it -will- be very ninja-ey.