Ninja Article is up!

[Mengu]

I like most of it but one thing bothers me... another way to gain auto combat advantage on a charge, as if Pack Outcast wasn't enough. It's way too easy to say I jump 5 feet as part of my charge movement. I'm starting to wonder if everyone is just supposed to pick up rogue or fighter multiclass and surprising charge, and build chargers. I don't think this tool needs any more encouragement. Wish they would come up with something else other than "look ma, I can charge too!"

 

[herrozerro]

I like most of it but one thing bothers me... another way to gain auto combat advantage on a charge, as if Pack Outcast wasn't enough. It's way too easy to say I jump 5 feet as part of my charge movement. I'm starting to wonder if everyone is just supposed to pick up rogue or fighter multiclass and surprising charge, and build chargers. I don't think this tool needs any more encouragement. Wish they would come up with something else other than "look ma, I can charge too!"

I dont know if jumping during your charge would trigger the CA. at least how I read it the jumping, flying or falling should take place before using the power.

Edit: I probably wouldn't allow it counting as part of a charge... maybe...

Depends on the intent of the power i guess.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

Ninja-to Rush makes a nice divebomb attack for a pixie executioner.

 

[Neverfate]

I dont know if jumping during your charge would trigger the CA. at least how I read it the jumping, flying or falling should take place before using the power.

Edit: I probably wouldn't allow it counting as part of a charge... maybe...

Depends on the intent of the power i guess.

Well, how I interpret that is: you need to have jumped during your turn, so if you've jumped before the attack roll during the charge, you've still fulfilled the prerequisite of jumping on your turn but BEFORE the actual attack roll.

It's similar to charging into a flank to get CA. You don't apply the CA during the charge itself, but you do when you make the actually attack roll against the creature you're flanking.

Admittedly the author could have probably treated this more like a Monk movement technique, but it works for what it is even if charging has become overly prevalent for strikers.

Also, unrelated: having re-read the article it's a really solid article and is probably the best guild (outside of niche garrote strangling Red Scales) for the Executioner. I just have a prejudice towards the class itself.

 

[Zaran]

I can just imagine that little old lady from the Wendy's commercials looking at the ninja and saying "Where's the shadow?"

 

[CasvalRemDeikun]

Three words: Quake With Fear!

EDIT: Ronin Warriors for the win!

 

[WalterKovacs]

Now that you mention it, yeah, it's kind of redundant with the spiked chain. Yay! More unnecessary option bloat! Whee!

Spiked chain requires a multiclass feat to be used as a double weapon. It's stout, so even with the m/c feat, only the off hand can be used to get the bonus d8's as an executioner. The spiked chain double weapon isn't defensive.

So, it's the difference between a two-handed reach flail, which can be made into a double weapon (and light chain, with stout/off hand) via a multiclass feat, and a dual weapon that is a reach flail on one end, and a defensive offhand light blade on the other.

So, it does something different than the spke chain, especially if you want to use your multiclass to get another class instead of a weapon prof. [And, for the ninja guild, is free proficiency and has it's own at-will attack].

Hardly redundant.

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Meh. Occupies the same design space. They could have just said, "when you wield a spiked chain..."

Whatever though. As long as we don't see separate stats for katanas and wakizashis and daikyu and no-dachi, etc. There is nothing special about any of those that need to see their own stat blocks.

 

[Dannager]

Hey, Dave Chalker did this one. Always cool to see the blogging community get gigs.

 

[Neverfate]

Spiked chain requires a multiclass feat to be used as a double weapon. It's stout, so even with the m/c feat, only the off hand can be used to get the bonus d8's as an executioner. The spiked chain double weapon isn't defensive.

So, it's the difference between a two-handed reach flail, which can be made into a double weapon (and light chain, with stout/off hand) via a multiclass feat, and a dual weapon that is a reach flail on one end, and a defensive offhand light blade on the other.

So, it does something different than the spke chain, especially if you want to use your multiclass to get another class instead of a weapon prof. [And, for the ninja guild, is free proficiency and has it's own at-will attack].

Hardly redundant.

It's still a clunky weapon. The defensive, reach 1d8 flail is nice. However the Kama end is identical to the PHB1 Sickle. This almost entirely goes against the description of the weapon in article where the chain is used to hinder and the sickle deals the final blow... with a Proficiency 2, 1d6 light blade?

It also forces you to use Master At Arms as your Expertise feat if you aren't a Ki focus class. It's defensive property is good, but there are a bunch of double weapons with that property.

Overall it's not a very good representation of the weapon. I don't think that's the author's fault. It's comparison to the spiked chain is there because I think given the option of the spiked chain, with the multiclass feat, is going to be a better choice 9 out of 10 times. Without the multiclass feat, it's a closer match up, but Spiked Chain is still going to edge out the Kusarigama and that's a shame.