Ninja Builds

[Teapot Salty]

Hey guys, so this is pretty simple, I'd like to see what you guys think would be for everyone's favorite assassin group that does not seem to have a clear historical origin. (I've heard rebellious farmers, samurai who didn't fallow bushido, or simple mercenaries, anything else?) Now I'd prefer if we avoided the glaringly obvious rogue-20, and instead tried to think of something a little more creative. Thanks, and as always, go nuts.

[Naanomi]

Shadow monk/assassin rogue multiclass is the common answer; maybe with a bit of warlock thrown in for 'ninja magic'

illusionist, bards, or trickster clerics make passable magic ninja

Really you could make a full ninja party and have a good setup with lots of options

[Wartex1]

Historically accurate ninjas were almost purely non-combat scouts and would only kill when absolutely necessary. They were used for infiltration, not assassination. Assassinations were almost always a ninja's last mission.

Shadow Monk/Thief Rogue is your best bet.

[Naanomi]

Team ninja, the all ninja adventuring party; stealth and nightvision important

-1/2 Elf Rogue/Assassin, charlatan; actor feat, disguise expert
-drow warlock (old one/book) criminal, dark ninja magic practitioner. Stealth invocations as available
-lightfoot halfling shadow monk urchin, modern anime fighting type ninja
-v human cleric/trickery hermit, wise and mysterious older ninja mentor guy

[Malifice]

I second shadow monk assasin.

[Mjolnirbear]

Four young druids who enjoy the Turtle form?

[Naanomi]

As long as you can stealth really any class works... Ranger bounty hunter type (racial enemy: your own race is always great); vengeance pally... Can't think of any class I couldn't turn into a passable ninja character

[Ralanr]

as long as you can stealth really any class works... Ranger bounty hunter type (racial enemy: Your own race is always great); vengeance pally... Can't think of any class i couldn't turn into a passable ninja character

Rage ninjas!

Though barbarians setting up ambushes is actually very close to realistic routes.

[TheOOB]

Historically ninja were like any western scout/assassin. Most of their mystique comes from Kabuki and No theater, the "ninja" outfit is actually a stage hand outfit(who you where supposed to ignore), and when a ninja killed someone one of the stage hands would do it, so it was like they were killed out of no where.

Also Kabuki was awesome.

For a realistic ninja, assassin rogue is your best bet, or arcane trickster if you must have magic. Shadow monk fits the anime aesthetic of the ninja more.

[Dimolyth]

If it is about historical infiltration/scout master, that could be Bard with Pass Without Trace as magical secret. Expertise for disguise kit and stealth. Changling could be great. (And don`t forget poisoner`s kit - That is your way to assasinate. Well, this, and contagion).

And for fantasy/modern culture ninja you get any archetype rogues, shadow monks. Or even warlocks for Naruto style ninjas.

[XmonkTad]

Also Kabuki was awesome.

Oooh, a warlock with the Mask of Many Faces invocation would make a great one man show. I really want to make that character.

To making ninja characters in general, when you use Detect Thoughts through a barrier to just determine the presence of a mind, does the person know? A GOO warlock would be great if not.

[PoeticDwarf]

Just a shadow monk.

[djreynolds]

As long as you can stealth really any class works... Ranger bounty hunter type (racial enemy: your own race is always great); vengeance pally... Can't think of any class I couldn't turn into a passable ninja character

Agreed, very doable. I recently posted on the samurai build. Ninja can focus on really three stats, dex wis and some char. Assassin and shadow monk. And some warlock for "theatrics and deception".

[Spacehamster]

6 battle master 2 monk 12 assassin rogue makes for a more gritty ninja without any magicy sillyness. :) a guy with devastating openers if surprising the enemy, that has some decent control of the battlefield from battlemaster dies and with added mobility and unarmored combat and bit better hand to hand combat if you loose your weapon from the monk levels. :)

[djreynolds]

6 battle master 2 monk 12 assassin rogue makes for a more gritty ninja without any magicy sillyness. :) a guy with devastating openers if surprising the enemy, that has some decent control of the battlefield from battlemaster dies and with added mobility and unarmored combat and bit better hand to hand combat if you loose your weapon from the monk levels. :)

See, another take on the ninja. Very cool. Question can a monk duel wield short swords and sneak attack? I was thinking 6 shadow monk, 8 battle master, and 6 rogue? I wish extra attacks stack would at least give you a third.

[Spacehamster]

See, another take on the ninja. Very cool. Question can a monk duel wield short swords and sneak attack? I was thinking 6 shadow monk, 8 battle master, and 6 rogue? I wish extra attacks stack would at least give you a third.

Yeah you can sneak attack with shortswords, and personally I would let a player sneak attack with unarmed combat too.

[Naanomi]

Yeah you can sneak attack with shortswords, and personally I would let a player sneak attack with unarmed combat too.
For a rogue/monk I would too, but just pure rogue I wouldn't. The need to sneak in a weapon is too classic 'rogue' to cut out the need entirely

[Ralanr]

Yeah you can sneak attack with shortswords, and personally I would let a player sneak attack with unarmed combat too.


For a rogue/monk I would too, but just pure rogue I wouldn't. The need to sneak in a weapon is too classic 'rogue' to cut out the need entirely

Rogue monk makes the most sense to allow. That combination would be trained in unarmed assassination, like neck snapping.

Granted we don't really have the mechanics to replicate that, but 5e is supposed to be more cinematic and less numbers.