lytokk
2014-04-09, 11:11 AM
so, a while, I built a CA ninja. Was for a standard "save the world" campaign, and when they brought me in, the group had been playing for a little while, and I was told they lacked a skill-monkey. I had just gotten the Complete Adventurer, and I decided to try a ninja. With what I've learned in the years since making him, I was wondering if I could rebuild him better. I did rebuild him in NWN, but I was never happy about how he ended up. Unfortunately, the original character sheet has been lost to time, so I can't post the full sheet here, but I'll jot down as much of the original build and backstory as I can remember.
May I present to you Trent Harkener
Human Ninja 16/Ranger 1
Str: 12
Dex: 20
Con: 10
Int: 14
Wis: 16
Cha: 14
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint (to get those sudden strikes off since flanking doesn't trigger them, eventually wished I never took these since the act of turning invisible with the ninja's abilities caused the opponents to lose dex anyway, though did come in handy fighting anythign with true seeing), TWF and improved TWF, I think acrobatics for fluff or maybe it was just the class skill, and I think maybe great fortitude to help shore up my horrible Fort save, Ranger for Track and Favored Enemy (dragon). DM had a habit of surprising us with dragons, to the point where it felt in character for him to just completely hate these things with a passion. I might have taken improved unarmed strike, or at least planned on it at some point. Oh, and Weapon Finesse
The DM created his own campaign world, and he liked to come up with the backstory for the characters, which was fine by me since it was his world and I was bringing some non-core in. And when I told him I was playing a Ninja, he had the perfect backstory for me.
Basically, my guy came from a clan of ninja-assasins. Standard fare, mercenaries and killers for hire. I was contracted out to kill some queen, but the whole thing turned out to be a setup. Someone in the court felt there needed to be an attempt on the queen's life, and my clan leaders didn't like me, so they set me up for it. My first session involved a jailbreak scene lead by the other PCs, and I distracted the guards with my capped out bluff skill at a point during the escape, and they brought me with them. Trent got dragged along with them on their quest to save the world, mostly since he had nothing better to do, and couldn't go back to his clan. Also this kept him mobile and at least somewhat hidden and protected in case his clan found out. I really played up the paranoia through the game, treating everyone I met as a spy for my old clan. I must have used a dozen different names, even the name on my character sheet wasn't my real name.
Now, Trent started out as CE, in a party of goodies, but no paladins, and no one really cared. Over time, the DM told me I had been playing too lawful most of the time to be CE anymore, and I agreed, went to NE. Later, me and the DM agreed that because of an attraction Trent had to a very good elven queen, which was reciprocated, I may end up dropping the E completely.
Anyway, through the game, I did a lot of scouting missions, which more often than not, got me into serious trouble.
The one that sticks out the most is when we were rescuing the queen I had originally been contracted to kill from a very large group of half dragons. I was going to scout the keep, find weaknesses, and report back. Well, a cruel twist of fate had me walking through a portal, thinking maybe the Queen's was on the other side of it, and I could possibly just get her out without actually having to fight anyone. And that's when my level 10 ninja cam face to face with an adult fang dragon. I think this was right before I took that level in ranger. Knowing I was outclassed, I ran, until one of the other players pointed out that with my ethereal ghost step, I could walk through solid objects. There was a big imperfection in the room I was in with the dragon, ran through the wall, which happened to be where the queen was being held captive. After the standard introductions, including pointing out that I was at one point contracted to kill her, let her loose, and she was also a sorceress who teleported her and me to the group, and the groups wizard teleported us away from danger.
Shortly before the game ended, we ended up having all of our magical equipment nullified by Lolth, and the DM had planned on making this up to us by having us quest for some serious items. Since we had talked about shifting my character from NE to TN, my set was supposed to be a pair of ninja-to's (OA, basically shortswords that did slashing instead of piercing, which the DM figured I would be proficient with anyway). One +1 cold iron, axiomatic, unholy, keen, and the other +1 alchemical silver anarchaic holy keen. Also, had I think gloves of dex and periapt of wisdom, each +4, and a mask which continually created fresh air for me to breathe. Those I got after the rest of our eqpt was destroyed, as well as a +2 Dragonbane ninja-to.
Well, thats about all I can remember about the character without finding the sheet, which I'm pretty sure doesn't exist anymore. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on how this character could be built better now as opposed to then, keeping in mind the story he was in. It would be nice to keep his hatred of dragons around in some mechanical sense, but he doesn't have to twf anymore.
About the best I can think of is Swordsage prestiging into shadow sun ninja, with maybe a greatsword or 2 handing a bastard sword with power attack right? I would like to keep the speed climb ability, since that came in handy more often than you'd think. Only way I can think of that is to get a level in a psionic class and take Up the walls, or whatever its called.
I like to limit my characters to 3 classes, a 4th if I really need it. It keeps things simler for me.
Any thoughts on how you'd rebuild this older character of mine?
May I present to you Trent Harkener
Human Ninja 16/Ranger 1
Str: 12
Dex: 20
Con: 10
Int: 14
Wis: 16
Cha: 14
Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint (to get those sudden strikes off since flanking doesn't trigger them, eventually wished I never took these since the act of turning invisible with the ninja's abilities caused the opponents to lose dex anyway, though did come in handy fighting anythign with true seeing), TWF and improved TWF, I think acrobatics for fluff or maybe it was just the class skill, and I think maybe great fortitude to help shore up my horrible Fort save, Ranger for Track and Favored Enemy (dragon). DM had a habit of surprising us with dragons, to the point where it felt in character for him to just completely hate these things with a passion. I might have taken improved unarmed strike, or at least planned on it at some point. Oh, and Weapon Finesse
The DM created his own campaign world, and he liked to come up with the backstory for the characters, which was fine by me since it was his world and I was bringing some non-core in. And when I told him I was playing a Ninja, he had the perfect backstory for me.
Basically, my guy came from a clan of ninja-assasins. Standard fare, mercenaries and killers for hire. I was contracted out to kill some queen, but the whole thing turned out to be a setup. Someone in the court felt there needed to be an attempt on the queen's life, and my clan leaders didn't like me, so they set me up for it. My first session involved a jailbreak scene lead by the other PCs, and I distracted the guards with my capped out bluff skill at a point during the escape, and they brought me with them. Trent got dragged along with them on their quest to save the world, mostly since he had nothing better to do, and couldn't go back to his clan. Also this kept him mobile and at least somewhat hidden and protected in case his clan found out. I really played up the paranoia through the game, treating everyone I met as a spy for my old clan. I must have used a dozen different names, even the name on my character sheet wasn't my real name.
Now, Trent started out as CE, in a party of goodies, but no paladins, and no one really cared. Over time, the DM told me I had been playing too lawful most of the time to be CE anymore, and I agreed, went to NE. Later, me and the DM agreed that because of an attraction Trent had to a very good elven queen, which was reciprocated, I may end up dropping the E completely.
Anyway, through the game, I did a lot of scouting missions, which more often than not, got me into serious trouble.
The one that sticks out the most is when we were rescuing the queen I had originally been contracted to kill from a very large group of half dragons. I was going to scout the keep, find weaknesses, and report back. Well, a cruel twist of fate had me walking through a portal, thinking maybe the Queen's was on the other side of it, and I could possibly just get her out without actually having to fight anyone. And that's when my level 10 ninja cam face to face with an adult fang dragon. I think this was right before I took that level in ranger. Knowing I was outclassed, I ran, until one of the other players pointed out that with my ethereal ghost step, I could walk through solid objects. There was a big imperfection in the room I was in with the dragon, ran through the wall, which happened to be where the queen was being held captive. After the standard introductions, including pointing out that I was at one point contracted to kill her, let her loose, and she was also a sorceress who teleported her and me to the group, and the groups wizard teleported us away from danger.
Shortly before the game ended, we ended up having all of our magical equipment nullified by Lolth, and the DM had planned on making this up to us by having us quest for some serious items. Since we had talked about shifting my character from NE to TN, my set was supposed to be a pair of ninja-to's (OA, basically shortswords that did slashing instead of piercing, which the DM figured I would be proficient with anyway). One +1 cold iron, axiomatic, unholy, keen, and the other +1 alchemical silver anarchaic holy keen. Also, had I think gloves of dex and periapt of wisdom, each +4, and a mask which continually created fresh air for me to breathe. Those I got after the rest of our eqpt was destroyed, as well as a +2 Dragonbane ninja-to.
Well, thats about all I can remember about the character without finding the sheet, which I'm pretty sure doesn't exist anymore. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on how this character could be built better now as opposed to then, keeping in mind the story he was in. It would be nice to keep his hatred of dragons around in some mechanical sense, but he doesn't have to twf anymore.
About the best I can think of is Swordsage prestiging into shadow sun ninja, with maybe a greatsword or 2 handing a bastard sword with power attack right? I would like to keep the speed climb ability, since that came in handy more often than you'd think. Only way I can think of that is to get a level in a psionic class and take Up the walls, or whatever its called.
I like to limit my characters to 3 classes, a 4th if I really need it. It keeps things simler for me.
Any thoughts on how you'd rebuild this older character of mine?