unipsi
2020-09-06, 10:57 AM
I wanted to get thoughts on balance for a Ninja Spy archetype I created. Thanks in advance for all your comments!
Concept: This archetype was built for Ninjas who act as spies and infiltrators. They are non-threatening to look at, but deliver a punch with their poisons!
What I drew from: There are several things I took from cannon, and other sources, and translated to this archetype:
1) The Druid's Nature Bond > Druidic Herbalism Nature Bond.
2) From Drop Dead Studios, Rogue Archetype > Pet Trainer > Animal Companion - Says here that it replaces Trapfinding and Trapsense. So, I am using this as an equivalent to Nature's bond. Ninjas don't have trapfinding/trapsense, so I replace Uncanny dodge and Improved Uncanny dodge
3) There are several Ninja/Rogue tricks that I incorporate & modify along the way. I took away the use of armor to compensate.
Archetype: Ninja Spy
Level 1: The Ninja spy is not trained in the use of any armor. This modifies armor and weapons.
Feign Harmlessness: This use of Bluff is normally a full round action, however a Ninja spy can perform this as a standard action. This ability does not work if the Ninja is wearing armor.
Level 2: The Ninja Spy is able to Craft Alchemical items and poisons from the list below. To craft either, make either a survival or Knowledge Local check with a DC equal to the craft DC if an Alchemical item or a DC equal to the fort save if a poison. If using a Knowledge Local check, you must either pay 1/3 the price of the item or succeed on a DC 25 sleight of hand to steal the items.
Gathering components requires 1 hour per dose and access to natural surroundings (if using survival) or access to a medium city (if using Knowledge Local). For each 5 that you beat the DC by, you gain enough material for an additional dose. Creating the item takes 1 hour and requires the expenditure of a Ki point. Items you create that have a save, have the listed save. You are able to create one with a save of DC of 10+ 1/2 Ninja Level + Charisma mod by spending an additional Ki point. Although these items do not expire, you may have difficulty convincing people to buy them as they do not look like your typical alchemical items/poison. To reflect this mistrust, items with the normal save DC sell for 10% less than normal. For items with a higher save DC, for every 2 the DC increases, multiply the cost by an additional factor.
For example. Drow poison normally has a save DC of 13 and sells for 75g. If a level 10 Ninja Spy with a 18 Charisma created it with a save DC of 19, the price would be 3 times more than normal, or 225g. Of course, the ninja could only sell it for 101g 2s 5c (1/2 normal cost minus 10%). As always, selling poisons in a place where poisons are illegal carry an additional risk.
This replaces Uncanny dodge and Improved uncanny dodge.
Level 2 Alchemical items: Black Amaranth, Acid, Invisible Ink (simple), smoke pellet
Craft Poison: At level 2, 4, 6 and 8, the ninja learns all of the poisons from the Paizo poison list that cost equal to or less than the listed price for that level. If a price is not listed for the poison, it is not able to be chosen.
Level 2 Poisons: (Listed poisons with a price of 100gp or less)
Level 4:
Level 4 Alchemical Items: Wound Weal, Flash Powder, smoke pellet (pepper), smoke-stick, merfolk's Comb
Level 4 Poisons: (listed poisons with a price of 400gp or less)
Level 6: Creating items now only takes 1 minute and any extra Alchemical items you create without using Ki takes half the normal time and half the normal cost.
Swift Poisoner: Applying poisons is now a move action. This replaces Light Steps.
Level 6 Alchemical Items: Invisible Ink (Average), smoke pellet (Smog)
Level 6 Poisons: (listed poisons with a price of 900gp or less)
Level 8: Poisons created do not automatically detect as poison and are resilient to cures. Anytime someone tries to magically identify a poison you created, or magically cure the poison, they have to make an opposed caster level check using your Ninja level + cha mod as the DC. Mundane attempts to identify or cure the poison have their DCs increased by 10. Poisons created with a price of over 900gp are more powerful and require the KI spent on them to remain spent as long as they are in existence. As soon as the poison is used, the KI spent is made available and will replenish after your next rest.
Level 8 Alchemical Items: Invisible ink (good), plague powder
Level 8 poisons: (Listed poisons with a price of over 900 gp.)
Level 10: At level 10, the Ninja Spy gains a spy network. Gain followers as if you had the Leadership feat, except that you do not gain a cohort. This network must be based within a specified city of at least medium size. Using your network, you gain the following abilities. Each successive use of an ability within a week increases the DC of success by 2.
1. Gather Information - Your spy network can gather even the most protected secret. Use your knowledge local check with a bonus equal to your leadership score. Subtract 2 from your check for every day's travel away from your network's home city. The information takes 1 day plus 2 days for every 1 day's travel away from your network's home city to return to you.
2. Assassination - You may mark a target for assassination. You must know at least the general location of the target and their name. Roll a d20 + your leadership score with a DC of 10 + twice the target's HD. It may take time based on the target's location relative to your network's home city, but if successful the target is killed. On a failure, the assassin is caught. On a failure by 5 or more, evidence leads back to you in some way.
Level 10 Alchemical Items: Fungal Stun vial
Improved Feign Harmlessness - Feign Harmlessness is now a constant effect. This ability does not work if the Ninja is wearing armor.
Expanded Poison Knowledge: At level 10, and every even level thereafter, you learn 1 poison from the Paizo list that does not have a price. Treat this poison as if it had a cost of 1,000gp.
Level 12: You are immune to the poisons you create. Additionally you can turn any poison in your possession, even those you haven't created yourself, into an antidote of that poison by expending 1 Ki. This is a full round action.
Level 14: Select one poison you have created. Spend 1 ki and change the onset time to at will. This Ki is lost until you activate the poison, at which point you regain the Ki on the following day. At any point in time you may activate the poison as a free action. You may have as many poisons affected as you have Ki.
Level 16: Items created using Ninja Alchemy generate 2 items instead of 1 when spending Ki. Poisons still only create 1 item. You may now turn any poison within a creature into an antidote of that poison. This includes creatures that are poisoned (effectively curing them of the poison) and creatures with a poison attack. Such creatures get a fort save with a DC = 10 + 1/2 ninja level + cha mod. If the save fails, the poison is turned into an antidote attack for 1 day. This requires an expenditure of 3 ki points.
Level 18: Improved spy network - Your spy network has had time to grow and you now command a small army of spies and assassins. You now gain a cohort. Additionally, when you are in your network's home city, you are constantly guarded by ninja body guards. These guards are unseen, hiding in the shadows, but ready to leap out at a moment's notice. As an immediate action, you may call upon these body guards once per combat. Roll 1d4 to see how many body guards are in the area. Treat these guards as mirror images who leap out of hiding just in time to take the blow instead of you. Anytime you would be hit by an attack, a bodyguard is killed instead.
Level 20: Poison Master (Alternate Capstone Ability) - A Ninja Spy may choose to replace Hidden master with Poison master - Creatures normally immune to poison are not immune to your poison. Creatures normally immune instead receive a +5 bonus to their save. Additionally, you are now immune to poisons. If affected by a poison that bypasses immunity, you may spend 1 ki point to not be affected by that poison. This decision must be made before rolling the save.
So, there we go. I know that the use of poisons will greatly increase with this archetype in the game and it opens it up to poisons actually being a viable option for PCs to use since the Ninja can make them so easily. Looking forward to your comments!
Edit: Some balance options I have considered are to only choose 1 poison you can craft at every other level, but being able to make it any kind of vector (contact, injury, injected, gas). This would be more like you emulate the effects of the poison, so you can make it any way you want.
Concept: This archetype was built for Ninjas who act as spies and infiltrators. They are non-threatening to look at, but deliver a punch with their poisons!
What I drew from: There are several things I took from cannon, and other sources, and translated to this archetype:
1) The Druid's Nature Bond > Druidic Herbalism Nature Bond.
2) From Drop Dead Studios, Rogue Archetype > Pet Trainer > Animal Companion - Says here that it replaces Trapfinding and Trapsense. So, I am using this as an equivalent to Nature's bond. Ninjas don't have trapfinding/trapsense, so I replace Uncanny dodge and Improved Uncanny dodge
3) There are several Ninja/Rogue tricks that I incorporate & modify along the way. I took away the use of armor to compensate.
Archetype: Ninja Spy
Level 1: The Ninja spy is not trained in the use of any armor. This modifies armor and weapons.
Feign Harmlessness: This use of Bluff is normally a full round action, however a Ninja spy can perform this as a standard action. This ability does not work if the Ninja is wearing armor.
Level 2: The Ninja Spy is able to Craft Alchemical items and poisons from the list below. To craft either, make either a survival or Knowledge Local check with a DC equal to the craft DC if an Alchemical item or a DC equal to the fort save if a poison. If using a Knowledge Local check, you must either pay 1/3 the price of the item or succeed on a DC 25 sleight of hand to steal the items.
Gathering components requires 1 hour per dose and access to natural surroundings (if using survival) or access to a medium city (if using Knowledge Local). For each 5 that you beat the DC by, you gain enough material for an additional dose. Creating the item takes 1 hour and requires the expenditure of a Ki point. Items you create that have a save, have the listed save. You are able to create one with a save of DC of 10+ 1/2 Ninja Level + Charisma mod by spending an additional Ki point. Although these items do not expire, you may have difficulty convincing people to buy them as they do not look like your typical alchemical items/poison. To reflect this mistrust, items with the normal save DC sell for 10% less than normal. For items with a higher save DC, for every 2 the DC increases, multiply the cost by an additional factor.
For example. Drow poison normally has a save DC of 13 and sells for 75g. If a level 10 Ninja Spy with a 18 Charisma created it with a save DC of 19, the price would be 3 times more than normal, or 225g. Of course, the ninja could only sell it for 101g 2s 5c (1/2 normal cost minus 10%). As always, selling poisons in a place where poisons are illegal carry an additional risk.
This replaces Uncanny dodge and Improved uncanny dodge.
Level 2 Alchemical items: Black Amaranth, Acid, Invisible Ink (simple), smoke pellet
Craft Poison: At level 2, 4, 6 and 8, the ninja learns all of the poisons from the Paizo poison list that cost equal to or less than the listed price for that level. If a price is not listed for the poison, it is not able to be chosen.
Level 2 Poisons: (Listed poisons with a price of 100gp or less)
Level 4:
Level 4 Alchemical Items: Wound Weal, Flash Powder, smoke pellet (pepper), smoke-stick, merfolk's Comb
Level 4 Poisons: (listed poisons with a price of 400gp or less)
Level 6: Creating items now only takes 1 minute and any extra Alchemical items you create without using Ki takes half the normal time and half the normal cost.
Swift Poisoner: Applying poisons is now a move action. This replaces Light Steps.
Level 6 Alchemical Items: Invisible Ink (Average), smoke pellet (Smog)
Level 6 Poisons: (listed poisons with a price of 900gp or less)
Level 8: Poisons created do not automatically detect as poison and are resilient to cures. Anytime someone tries to magically identify a poison you created, or magically cure the poison, they have to make an opposed caster level check using your Ninja level + cha mod as the DC. Mundane attempts to identify or cure the poison have their DCs increased by 10. Poisons created with a price of over 900gp are more powerful and require the KI spent on them to remain spent as long as they are in existence. As soon as the poison is used, the KI spent is made available and will replenish after your next rest.
Level 8 Alchemical Items: Invisible ink (good), plague powder
Level 8 poisons: (Listed poisons with a price of over 900 gp.)
Level 10: At level 10, the Ninja Spy gains a spy network. Gain followers as if you had the Leadership feat, except that you do not gain a cohort. This network must be based within a specified city of at least medium size. Using your network, you gain the following abilities. Each successive use of an ability within a week increases the DC of success by 2.
1. Gather Information - Your spy network can gather even the most protected secret. Use your knowledge local check with a bonus equal to your leadership score. Subtract 2 from your check for every day's travel away from your network's home city. The information takes 1 day plus 2 days for every 1 day's travel away from your network's home city to return to you.
2. Assassination - You may mark a target for assassination. You must know at least the general location of the target and their name. Roll a d20 + your leadership score with a DC of 10 + twice the target's HD. It may take time based on the target's location relative to your network's home city, but if successful the target is killed. On a failure, the assassin is caught. On a failure by 5 or more, evidence leads back to you in some way.
Level 10 Alchemical Items: Fungal Stun vial
Improved Feign Harmlessness - Feign Harmlessness is now a constant effect. This ability does not work if the Ninja is wearing armor.
Expanded Poison Knowledge: At level 10, and every even level thereafter, you learn 1 poison from the Paizo list that does not have a price. Treat this poison as if it had a cost of 1,000gp.
Level 12: You are immune to the poisons you create. Additionally you can turn any poison in your possession, even those you haven't created yourself, into an antidote of that poison by expending 1 Ki. This is a full round action.
Level 14: Select one poison you have created. Spend 1 ki and change the onset time to at will. This Ki is lost until you activate the poison, at which point you regain the Ki on the following day. At any point in time you may activate the poison as a free action. You may have as many poisons affected as you have Ki.
Level 16: Items created using Ninja Alchemy generate 2 items instead of 1 when spending Ki. Poisons still only create 1 item. You may now turn any poison within a creature into an antidote of that poison. This includes creatures that are poisoned (effectively curing them of the poison) and creatures with a poison attack. Such creatures get a fort save with a DC = 10 + 1/2 ninja level + cha mod. If the save fails, the poison is turned into an antidote attack for 1 day. This requires an expenditure of 3 ki points.
Level 18: Improved spy network - Your spy network has had time to grow and you now command a small army of spies and assassins. You now gain a cohort. Additionally, when you are in your network's home city, you are constantly guarded by ninja body guards. These guards are unseen, hiding in the shadows, but ready to leap out at a moment's notice. As an immediate action, you may call upon these body guards once per combat. Roll 1d4 to see how many body guards are in the area. Treat these guards as mirror images who leap out of hiding just in time to take the blow instead of you. Anytime you would be hit by an attack, a bodyguard is killed instead.
Level 20: Poison Master (Alternate Capstone Ability) - A Ninja Spy may choose to replace Hidden master with Poison master - Creatures normally immune to poison are not immune to your poison. Creatures normally immune instead receive a +5 bonus to their save. Additionally, you are now immune to poisons. If affected by a poison that bypasses immunity, you may spend 1 ki point to not be affected by that poison. This decision must be made before rolling the save.
So, there we go. I know that the use of poisons will greatly increase with this archetype in the game and it opens it up to poisons actually being a viable option for PCs to use since the Ninja can make them so easily. Looking forward to your comments!
Edit: Some balance options I have considered are to only choose 1 poison you can craft at every other level, but being able to make it any kind of vector (contact, injury, injected, gas). This would be more like you emulate the effects of the poison, so you can make it any way you want.