Ninja and Ghost Step [3.5]

[Arraxis]

I was reading about the Ninja class in Complete Adventurer as an alternative to Monks, and I noticed that they have an ability called Ghost Step, which they can use at level 2. What this does is let them become invisible for 1 round.

Anyway, this made me wonder about two things. Since it is a swift action, would they be able to cast it before they attack, and thus allow them to make an attack against their enemy which deprives them of their dexterity bonus, giving them Sudden Strike damage?

The other question is would the invisibility be cancelled by this attack, or would it remain in place until your next round? Since it doesn't say that it acts like the invisibility spell, which does remove invisibility if you attack, I would assume that it doesn't, but I'm curious as to know the opinions of everyone else regarding this.

[RagnaroksChosen]

I was reading about the Ninja class in Complete Adventurer as an alternative to Monks, and I noticed that they have an ability called Ghost Step, which they can use at level 2. What this does is let them become invisible for 1 round.

Anyway, this made me wonder about two things. Since it is a swift action, would they be able to cast it before they attack, and thus allow them to make an attack against their enemy which deprives them of their dexterity bonus, giving them Sudden Strike damage?

The other question is would the invisibility be cancelled by this attack, or would it remain in place until your next round? Since it doesn't say that it acts like the invisibility spell, which does remove invisibility if you attack, I would assume that it doesn't, but I'm curious as to know the opinions of everyone else regarding this.

no it is not invisibility per the spell.
It is they are invisible. And there for do not break it for the round. Which allows for some fun two weapon fighting or spring attack.

[Glyde]

It does indeed activate sudden strike - It's the main synergy for the ninja class.

[ZeroNumerous]

You'll also want some way to get flat-footedness without relying solely on Ghost Step. If I recall, there's a skill trick to feint as a move action you can nick to do just that.

[Arraxis]

You'll also want some way to get flat-footedness without relying solely on Ghost Step. If I recall, there's a skill trick to feint as a move action you can nick to do just that.

Yeah, Bluff is a class skill for ninja, and if you beat a Sense Motive check (they get a bonus from BAB as well) you deprive them of their dex bonus again. I was just thinking that you'd run out of ki if you kept using it for every battle. Anyway, thanks for confirming both of them, everyone :D.


EDIT: The SRD states that using Bluff to feint is a standard action, and provokes no AoO.

[Goatman_Ted]

You'll also want some way to get flat-footedness without relying solely on Ghost Step. If I recall, there's a skill trick to feint as a move action you can nick to do just that.

I think you're thinking of the Improved Feint Feat. There are skill tricks to prevent AoOs against you until your next round with a successful feint and to feint multiple enemies, but not to emulate that feat.

But along the same train of thought, Feinting can be nasty: with Complete Warrior's Invisible Blade or Stormwrack's Scarlet Corsair and Drow of the Underdark's Surprising Riposte, all your attacks against an enemy make him flat-footed. Add Quickrazors and Iajitsu Focus to taste.

[Justin B.]

Pssh, Ninja's don't need any fancy skill tricks or invisibility. What you want is smoke bombs and throwing stars. In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a line somewhere in the book that says "Any round a ninja isn't attacking, sneaking, or throwing a smoke bomb, they lose all ninja powers until they resume being awesome."

[Jack_Simth]

Pssh, Ninja's don't need any fancy skill tricks or invisibility. What you want is smoke bombs and throwing stars.

Problem: Smoke bombs grant concealment to basically everyone, which negates Sudden Strike damage.

In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a line somewhere in the book that says "Any round a ninja isn't attacking, sneaking, or throwing a smoke bomb, they lose all ninja powers until they resume being awesome."

Now you're just being silly.

[Darrin]

Pssh, Ninja's don't need any fancy skill tricks or invisibility. What you want is smoke bombs and throwing stars. In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a line somewhere in the book that says "Any round a ninja isn't attacking, sneaking, or throwing a smoke bomb, they lose all ninja powers until they resume being awesome."

Not smoke bombs and throwing stars. Flash pellets and marbles. There are a wide variety of ways to get an opponent flat-footed or deny his Dex bonus, but some of the easier methods for ninjas:

1) Blinding. If an opponent can't see you, you're treated as an invisible attacker. Some items that can blind: Everbright weapon (MIC p. 34, +2000 GP each) for a 20' radius blinding attack 4/day. Blinding Buckler (DMG, 4000 GP), Orb of Blinding (MIC p. 167, 5000 GP), Powder of the Black Veil (MIC p. 169, 750 GP), Helm of Wounding Sight (MIC p. 193, 6500 GP), Flashstone (Dragon Compendium p 117), and Flash Pellet (CompArc p. 118) also can blind (particularly that Helm of Wounding Sight sounds very nifty).

I recommend the Flashstone (Fort save DC 16, slightly better than the Flash Pellet) or the Powder of the Black Veil (Will save DC 13, but if they're inside the cloud I don't think they get a save). If you have the Rapid Shot feat, you can make a thrown weapon attack with a -2 penalty and still full attack with a melee weapon.

Some other items to consider: Boots of Tracklessness are good for 7 rounds of greater invisibility 1/day (MIC p. 79, 11000 GP). You'll also want to pick up a Ring of Blinking (DMG, 27000 GP) ASAP. Standard action to activate, then for 7 rounds you're considered an invisible attacker. Yes, your attacks also have a 20% miss chance, but if you take the feats Blind-Fighting, Mage Slayer, and Pierce Magical Concealment, you can ignore this and any other concealment your target has. The real benefit to blinking is even if your target has see invisibility, I believe he's still denied his Dex bonus.

There's also a nifty 2nd level Druid spell in the Spell Compendium, blinding spittle. Blind an opponent with a ranged touch attack (-4 attack penalty), no save. So dip Druid for 3 levels, pick one up as a cohort, or UMD a wand.

2) Balance. If you can get grease, ice, or marbles under your opponent, they have to make a balance check, and even if they succeed, unless they have 5 ranks in balance, they're considered flat-footed when attacked on such a slippery surface.

There are three spells that do this. Everyone should know about grease already, but the Cleric version is ice slick (Frostburn), and Druids have path of frost (Dragon Magic). If you have arcane casting and didn't manage to pick up grease, then consider Arcane Disciple: Slime domain (deities: Ghaunadaur, Ilsensine, Moander). The Cleric version, ice slick, covers a 20' square. Path of frost is a little trickier to use, covers one 5' square per caster level up to 5 squares, and has to start in an adjacent square. You may need to add Sculpt Spell to turn it into four 10'x10' squares. As 1st level spells, all three are easy to UMD from a wand.

If you're looking for non-magical grease, then buy some marbles (A&EG, p. 24, 2 SP per bag). They are spread like caltrops, so a standard action to put them in a 5' square. You can probably reduce this to a move action by buying an animal (monkeys have hands) and training it to throw the marbles at a specific target or square (Dragon #323, p. 101). Reduce this to a free action with an animal companion, wild cohort, or familiar.

3) Grappling. A grappled opponent loses his Dex bonus to everyone except his grappler. If you pick up Scorpion's Grasp (Sandstorm) or Improved Grab (Spirit Bear Totem Barbarian from CompChamp, or Scaled Horror + Amphibious template from Savage Species + Stormwrack), you can attack, start a grapple as a free action, and continue with the rest of your attacks without entering the grapple yourself.

If you can't convince another party member to start a grapple, you can also train an animal to start one (Masters of the Wild p. 19, hold trick; or see "Random Encounters: Wild Life" articles on the WotC website for the pin trick). Yes, they incur an AoO without improved grab, but mules are large creatures with a +9 grapple bonus, and worse comes to worse you're only out 8 GP + training costs. If you're looking for an animal companion/wild cohort with Improved Grab, ask your GM if crocodiles are available as a starting animal companion. Otherwise, if you wait until level 7, you can pick up a black bear as a wild cohort.

[Arraxis]

Ways to deprive a person of the dex bonus to AC

Wow, that stuff was really interesting and useful! When you sit down and look at it, there's quite a few ways to force an enemy to lose the dex modifier or become flat-footed!