Author Topic: [3.5]Adept Ninja  (Read 7097 times)

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JaronK

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[3.5]Adept Ninja
« on: July 07, 2008, 01:06:42 AM »
So, after much frustration trying to make a ninja character, I decided to create a class for it.  The class is intended to function as both a realistic ninja and as a high fantasy sort of ninja.  In theory, it should be roughly balanced against a Swordsage, which was the primary inspiration (Swordsages right now are the best ninja like class, but their lack of speed and appropriate weapons doesn't feel right).  The idea of the class was to make something with a lot of relatively weak abilities (similar to a monk) so that there would be no dead levels, while still remaining balanced.  Note that at this point the class has seen one campaign of play (and done respectably well) and is in a second campaign as well right now, so it does seem reasonably balanced in trials.

Anyway, thoughts?



Ninja

Hit Die: D6

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device,
Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently,
Open Lock, Perform, Profession, Slight of Hand, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble, Use Magic Device,
Use Rope

Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int Modifier

Weapons and Armour Proficiency:  Ninjas are proficient with the Blowgun, Chain, Club, Dagger, Dart, Fukimi-Bari, Kama, Katana, Kusari-Gama, Nekode, Ninja-to, Nunchaku, Quarterstaff, Sai, Shikomi-Zue, Shortsword, Shuriken, Unarmed Strike, and War Fan.  They are not proficient in any armour or shields.  

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Weapons and Armour Proficiency:  Ninjas are proficient with the Blowgun, Chain, Club, Dagger, Dart, Fukimi-Bari,
Kama, Katana, Kusari-Gama, Nekode, Ninja-to, Nunchaku, Quarterstaff, Sai, Shikomi-Zue, Shortsword, Shuriken,
Unarmed Strike, and War Fan.  They are not proficient in any armour or shields.  

Level BAB  For Ref Wil  Known  Grant  Stances   Special
1st   +0    +0  +2  +0  4 2       1 Sudden Strike +1d6, Unarmed Strike, Quick to Act +1, Trapfinding
2nd   +1    +0  +3  +0  4 2 1 Poison Use, Evasion
3rd   +2    +1  +3  +1  5 3 1 Sudden Strike +2d6, Acrobatics
4th   +3    +1  +4  +1  6 3 1 Slow Fall 20ft, Weapon Flexibility
5th   +3    +1  +4  +1  6 4 2 Sudden Strike +3d6, Quick to Act +2
6th   +4    +2  +5  +2  7 4 2 Great Leap, Uncanny Dodge
7th   +5    +2  +5  +2  8 4 2 Sudden Strike +4d6, Speed Climb
8th   +6    +2  +6  +2  8 4 2 Shadow Run, Slow Fall 30ft
9th   +6    +3  +6  +3  9 4 3 Sudden Strike +5d6, Improved Poison Use
10th  +7    +3  +7  +3  10 5 3 Quick to Act +3, Thousand Faces (Disguise Self)
11th  +8    +3  +7  +3  10 5 3 Sudden Strike +6d6, Blind Fight
12th  +9    +4  +8  +4  11 5 3 Fast Acrobatics, Slow Fall 40ft
13th  +9    +4  +8  +4  12 6 4 Sudden Strike +7d6, Hide in Plain Sight
14th  +10   +4  +9  +4  12 6 4 Improved Uncanny Dodge, Ghost Mind
15th  +11   +5  +9  +5  13 6 4 Sudden Strike +8d6, Quick to Act +4
16th  +12   +5 +10  +5  14 6 4 Ghost Sight, Slow Fall 50ft
17th  +13   +5 +10  +5  14 6 5 Sudden Strike +9d6, Greater Poison use
18th  +13   +6 +11  +6 15 7 5 Improved Evasion, Poison Immunity
19th  +14   +6 +11  +6  16 7 5 Sudden Strike +10d6, Slippery Mind
20th  +15   +6 +12  +6 16 8 5       Quick to Act +5, Free Movement, Slow Fall 60ft, Thousand Faces (Alter Self)

Unarmed Strike:  Ninjas are highly trained in fighting unarmed, though not as trained as a monk.  At 1st
level, a ninja gains the unarmed strike abilities of a 1st level monk.   However, unlike a monk, a ninja's unarmed
strike damage does not increase with level beyond the starting 1d6 damage (or 1d4 for a small ninja).

Sudden Strike:  At 1st level, and every odd level after that, a ninja gains 1d6 Sudden Strike damage.
See the Complete Adventurer Ninja for details.

Manuevers:  A Ninja knows martial manuevers, much like a swordsage, but with the following
exceptions.  They may only take manuevers and stances from the Tiger Claw, Shadow Hand, Setting Sun, and
Diamond Mind Schools, and they have fewer manuevers and stances available to them.  In all other ways he is treated as a swordsage with respect to manuevers, and recovers expended manuevers as a swordsage does.  He may treat his ninja levels as swordsage levels for purposes of meeting prerequisites for feats such as Adaptive Style.

Quick to Act (Ex):  You gain a +1 bonus on initiative checks.  This bonus increases by 1 at
5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level.

Trapfinding (Ex):  Ninjas can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20.  See the Rogue class feature for details.

Poison Use (Ex):  Ninja are trained in the use of poison and, beginning at 2nd level, never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when poisoning a blade.  Starting at 9th level, a ninja can poison a weapon as a swift action (normally, this would be a standard action) and any poison a ninja uses has its DC increased by 2.  Starting at 17th level, any poison a ninja uses has its DC increased by 4.

Evasion (Ex):  At 2nd level, A ninja takes no damage if he successfully makes a reflex save against an effect that would normally cause half damage on a successful save, see the rogue class feature for details.  A ninja can only use this ability when wearing light or no armour and carrying no more than a light load.  This ability becomes Improved
Evasion at level 18.

Acrobatics (Ex):  Starting at 3rd level, a ninja may add his class level to all Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks when wearing light or no armour.

Slow Fall (Ex):  At 4th level or higher, a ninja within arm's reach of a wall can use it to slow his descent.  When
first using this ability, he takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is.  The ninja's
ability to slow his fall (that is, to reduce the effective distance of the fall when next to a wall) improves
with his ninja level until a 20th level he can use a nearby wall to reduce the damage as if the fall was 60
feet shorter.

Weapon Flexibility (Ex):  At 4th level, a ninja increases his mastery of the Shadow Hand school.  A ninja of 4th
level or higher treats all fineseable weapons as preferred weapons for the Shadow Hand school.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex):  Starting at 6th level, as the Rogue class feature.  At 14th level, this becomes Improved Uncanny Dodge.

Great Leap (Su):  Starting at 6th level, a ninja always makes jump checks as if he were running and had the run feat, enabling him to make long jumps without a running start and granting a +4 bonus on the jump.  This bonus does not stack with the bonus from the run feat.  A ninja can use this ability when wearing light or no armour and carrying no more than a light load.

Speed Climb (Ex):  A ninja of 7th level or higher can scramble up or down walls and slopes with great speed.  He can climb at his speed as a move action with no penalty.  However, he must begin and end the round on a horizontal surface (such as the ground or rooftop).  If he does not end his movement on a horizontal surface he falls, taking falling damage as appropriate for his height above the ground.  
  A ninja needs only one hand free to use this ability.  A ninja cannot use this ability while wearing more than light
armour or carrying more than a light load.

Shadow Run (Ex):  A Ninja gains an enhancement bonus to his speed at level 8 equal to five feet times his con bonus.  He can use this ability when wearing light or no armour and carrying no more than a light load.

Thousand Faces (Su):  At 10th level, a ninja's training allows him to become a master of disguise.  He may use Disguise Self at will, with a caster level equal to his ninja level.  At 20th level, his training allows him to actually take on some of the traits of those he disguises himself as, and he can then use Alter Self at will, again with a caster level
equal to his ninja level.

Blind Fight (Ex):  At 11th level a ninja gains the Blind Fight feat as a bonus feat.

Fast Acrobatics (Ex):  Starting at level 12, a ninja becomes even more adept at acrobatics.  He takes no penalty for moving at full speed while balancing or tumbling.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su):  At 13th level, a ninja can hide even while being observed, so long as there is a shadow within 10 feet.  See the Shadowdancer class ability, except that the ninja can hide in any terrain.  A ninja cannot use this ability while wearing more than light armour or carrying more than a light load.

Ghost Mind (Su):  Starting at 14th level, a ninja gains a special resistance to spells of the scrying subschool.  To detect or see a ninja with such a spell, the caster must make a caster level check (DC 20 + ninja class level).
In the case of scrying spells such as arcane eye that scan the ninja's area, a failed check indicates that the
spell works but the ninja simply isn't detected.  Scrying attempts targeted specifically at the ninja do not work
at all if the check fails.

Ghost Sight (Su):  At 16th level and higher a ninja can see invisible and ethereal creatures as easily as she sees material creatures and objects.

Poison Immunity (Ex):  Starting at 18th level, a ninja becomes completely immune to the effects of poisons.

Slippery Mind (Ex):  See the Rogue class feature.

Free Movement (Ex):  A 20th level (or higher!) ninja can slip out of virtually any entrapment.  This counts as a
freedom of movement spell which is always active on the ninja.  A ninja cannot use this ability while wearing
more than light armour or carrying more than a light load.

JaronK
« Last Edit: September 13, 2009, 07:12:18 PM by JaronK »

Smiles55

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Re: Adept Ninja
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2008, 02:08:45 AM »
I appreciate the thought and work put into this.
But All the abilities of Monk, with the add of Swordsage, Ninjas are experts of hit and run only! They were the feudal Asians' military spy..I've run alchemist, and artificers as ninja.

Why not just change the weapons of the SS, with the class option of spells detailed under the SS. never forget that the build is only the framework for the character, its how you run him that fleshes him out, the Ninja is D20 ranger, great idea but what should he be able to do so that the power per lvl is equal??

just my thoughts....I've only ever multi classed to get the Ninja I like...Book "Secrets" from AEG class "Soldier of Truth" comes damn close.

JaronK

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Re: Adept Ninja
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2008, 04:09:45 AM »
Actually, the way this class works you do end up being very much hit and run.  You've got only 2/3 the manuevers granted of a Swordsage with just d6 HD, no armour proficiency, and no special AC benefits.  As such, you have to win fast or you'll lose in the long run.

Now, obviously you could build a ninja as something like Rokugan Ninja 1/Rogue 1/Unarmed Varient Swordsage 18.  But in the end Swordsage has a few things that don't quite work.  I feel like ninjas should be able to play scout, which Swordsages can't do so well (no trapfinding).  Also, they were known for their gear usage... which means they really should have UMD.  Plus, Desert Wind manuevers make no sense for a ninja.

JaronK

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Re: Adept Ninja
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2008, 02:39:58 PM »
Actually, the way this class works you do end up being very much hit and run.  You've got only 2/3 the manuevers granted of a Swordsage with just d6 HD, no armour proficiency, and no special AC benefits.  As such, you have to win fast or you'll lose in the long run.

Now, obviously you could build a ninja as something like Rokugan Ninja 1/Rogue 1/Unarmed Varient Swordsage 18.  But in the end Swordsage has a few things that don't quite work.  I feel like ninjas should be able to play scout, which Swordsages can't do so well (no trapfinding).  Also, they were known for their gear usage... which means they really should have UMD.  Plus, Desert Wind manuevers make no sense for a ninja.

JaronK

Actually, I kinda like the idea of a ninja runnin by someone and setting them on fire.


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