[3.5] Homebrew advice

[Tao the Ninja]

Homebrewed this class, need balance advice.

Spoiler

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Warrior-Ninja
Full BAB
Good Reflex
Proficiency w/ simple, monk wpns, rapier, shortsword, and shortbow
No armor or shield proficiency
d8 hit die
Skills (4+int): Balance, Climb, Concentrate, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (local), knowledge (dungeoneering), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope.
Any Alignment

1--IUS and Wpn Finesse as bonus feats
2--Sneak Attack +1d6
3--Evasion
4--Defense (bonus to unarmored AC and saves vs. poison) +1
5--SA+2d6
6--Favored Skill (any WN class skill, +4 competance, can always take 10, can't pick same one twice)
7--Defence+2
8--SA +3d6
9--Uncanny Dodge
10--Defence+3, Ki Shield (1/day, reduce damage on one attack or spell by class level+ Int bonus [if any])
11--SA +4d6
12--Favored Skill
13--D+4
14--SA +5d6
15--Improved Evasion
16--D+5
17--SA+6d6
18--Favored Skill
19--D+6
20--SA+7d6, Ki Blast (1/day, ranged touch attack, range increment 30ft, Reflex Half (DC 10+1/2 class level+Int bonus[if any]), 30d6 fire, cold, acid, or electric or 30d4 sonic)

It's probably overpowered, and if so, give advice on how to change. (should i change the Defence and Sneak Attack into skirmish and improved poison use?)

[Zaydos]

Honestly? I'd not say it's overpowered at all. BAB as a fighter, Good Ref save but Ref is usually the worst save. Sneak Attack is worse than a rogue's (by 2d6). They get 3 skills they're good at, but do to so many less skill points won't rival rogues at that (also normally + Skill items are competence and don't stack). They do get evasion at low levels which is nice but uncanny dodge much later as well as eventually the improved versions. Their defense is weak as they don't have armor proficiency and unless they can get a Mager Armor/Greater Mager Armor/Greater Luminous Armor effect they do better to wear non-proficient Mw Studded Leather than use their class defense bonus till level 13 (non-magical mithril chainshirt till 16). Their hit die is between fighter and rogue's, and their Ki Shield is too little to matter at that level. Ki Blast is about 129.5 damage as all they do in a round at Lv 20 so not too good. Nothing spectacular and a lot that's lack luster (their full BAB is nice giving them the ability to be 2 weapon fighters).

I can see how it could be used. Mostly get armor without ACP (Mithril Chain Shirt) and focus on melee and sneak attack.

[Milskidasith]

+skill items are normally enhancement, and do stack. Furthermore, competence bonuses from multiple sources stack anyway.

[Kroy]

I strongly recommend making a table, as shown here.

[elliott20]

it's.... okay. It's nothing earth shattering. It just looks to me like it's a collection of abilities across the rogue, monk, with fighter BAB.

I don't know, I hate to just dump on other people's work, but the entire premise behind this class is seems like it's just... well... I just don't see the point of this class. Plus, it's actually not THAT powerful.

[Tim4488]

I dunno, it's not my normal style, but I like it for some reason anyway. Nothing too fancy, nothing too new. I'd say give them Light Armor Proficiency, they desperately need some more defense and they can keep the defense boosts you've given them and still be balanced. Maaaybe even 6+int skill points to match them up to a Ranger.

[Tao the Ninja]

it's.... okay. It's nothing earth shattering. It just looks to me like it's a collection of abilities across the rogue, monk, with fighter BAB.

I don't know, I hate to just dump on other people's work, but the entire premise behind this class is seems like it's just... well... I just don't see the point of this class. Plus, it's actually not THAT powerful.

The point of the class was to make this character I came up with without multiclassing between fighter/rouge/monk (nothing wrong with multiclassing, but I didn't want a bunch of monk levels and it would given me an XP penalty to be m2/f6/r6. I just thought it might be too many abilities.

[Zaydos]

+skill items are normally enhancement, and do stack. Furthermore, competence bonuses from multiple sources stack anyway.

At least in the DMG Cloak and Boots of Elvenkind (as well as Boots of Striding and Springing) are competence bonuses, and the guidelines for making magic items lists: skill bonus (competence) (page 285).

On page 21 it lists competence bonus and does not specify they stack therefore they fall under the general non-stacking rule (unlike circumstance right above it and dodge bonuses 2 below which specifically both in the general and in their individual entries do stack).

Like I said they don't stack with common magic items (if people are making odd custom items then the game can get screwy anyway) and shouldn't be too powerful because of it (3,200 GP for a slotless +4 competence bonus item by normal guidelines).

[Tao the Ninja]

Spoiler

Show

Warrior-Ninja
Full BAB
Good Reflex
Proficiency w/ simple, monk wpns, rapier, shortsword, and shortbow
Light armor proficiency
no shield proficiency
d8 hit die
Skills (4+int): Balance, Climb, Concentrate, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (local), knowledge (dungeoneering), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope.
Any Alignment

1--IUS and Wpn Finesse as bonus feats
2--Sneak Attack +1d6
3--Evasion, ki strike (1/day add 1/2 class level (round down)+int to attack roll)
4--Defense (dodge bonus to AC and saves vs. poison) +1
5--SA+2d6
6--Favored Skill (any WN class skill, +4 competance, can always take 10, can't pick same one twice)
7--Defence+2
8--SA +3d6
9--Uncanny Dodge
10--Defence+3, Ki Shield (1/day, reduce damage on one attack or spell by class level+ Int bonus [if any])
11--SA +4d6
12--Favored Skill
13--D+4
14--SA +5d6
15--Improved Evasion
16--D+5
17--SA+6d6
18--Favored Skill
19--D+6
20--SA+7d6, Ki Blast (1/day, ranged touch attack, range increment 30ft, Reflex Half (DC 10+1/2 class level+Int bonus[if any]), 30d6 fire, cold, acid, or electric or 30d4 sonic)

If ki strike isn't used yet, +2fort. unused shield-> +2ref. unused blast-> +2 will

Changed stats based on advice, thanks for the help. Changes are bold, please feel free to give more advice.

[Drolyt]

The abilities seem... random. I don't know why you are worried about balance. Go ahead and give him full BAB, Good Fortitude and Reflex, an expanded skill list with 6+int skill points per level, full Sneak Attack as Rogue, the Monk's bonus to armor when not wearing armor, the Monk's Unarmed Strike and Ki Strike abilities (maybe tying them to weapons more appropriate for a Ninja), some stealth related abilities (perhaps some movement and illusion spells as spell-like abilities), some kind of assassination ability, poison affinity, evasion, improved evasion, uncanny dodge, and improved uncanny dodge, all over 20 levels. That is hardly overpowered, it's just a smattering of abilities from different classes. It would probably be better than either the Fighter or the Monk, maybe the Rogue (though it lacks many of the Rogues special abilities), but it would get curb stomped by a ToB class or a caster. At best he would be tier 3, probably 4. As you have it it would be a low tier 5. That Ki strike ability at level 20 is cool but should be introduced earlier and progressed over time, and shouldn't be 1/day when a Wizard can cast things like Time Stop, Meteor Swarm, Gate, etc. 4+ times per day at that level.