Huh, for some reason the forum hiccuped and double-posted my last post.
Oh well, I'll just edit the duplicate since I've noticed a few slight issues.
Firstly, the
Shadow Walker has "ninja bonus feat" entries in its feats, three Exotic Weapons to be precise.
Unfortunately, the Ninja is not an SRD class nor is there any SQ explaining what these are!
I propose adding the following:
Ninjitsu (Ex): The Shadow Walker's extensive training in the ninja arts gives it three exotic weapon proficiencies as bonus feats as well as many of the extraordinary and supernatural abilities it possesses. If the campaign uses the
Oriental Adventures sourcebook it has all the special abilities of an 8th level ninja spy (many of which are already included in the Shadow Walker's abilities) except it has the katana and scythe-chain added to its Exotic Weapon class feature's proficiency options.
Secondly, the
Oriental Adventures I cribbed the ninja spy from has its Acrobatics ability be (Su) rather than (Ex). Shouldn't we change it to match the original source?
Thirdly, the Ninja Spy had one minor ability that looks like the Shadow Walker should have it:
Leap of the Clouds (Su): A 3rd-level ninja spy’s jumping distance (vertical or horizontal) is not limited according to his height.
Which'd become:
Leap of the Clouds (Su): The Shadow Walker’s jumping distance (vertical or horizontal) is not limited according to its height.
Then I remembered that maximum jump distance was a 3.0 rule that was abolished in 3.5 by someone seeing sense!
Also, can anyone remember why we gave the Ninja Spirit Shadow +5 acrobatics when that class ability starts at +10 for a 3rd-level Ninja Spy? It just seems odd considering we based the monster's abilities on a 3rd level ninja spy/3rd level monk.
Should I amend that entry to give it another 5 points in Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble?
I'm not that fussed about adding the Ninjitsu ability discussed above since it's already got a pile of weapon proficiencies to its name - bastard sword, handaxe, kama, nunchaku, sai, sap, shortbow, shuriken, siangham, and short sword. That's six exotic weapons and four martial weapons! Unfortunately only one of them (the shuriken) is a "ninja weapon" according to the ninja spy's Exotic Weapon class feature, which has few weapons from the SRD (plus one which should be in the SRD - the ninja-to is just a shortsword with fancy scabbard accessories rather than a different weapon).
If we were to bother going the Ninjitsu route, I'd make it something like:
Skills: Balance +17, Bluff +8, Climb +17, Hide +12, Jump +17, Listen +10, Move Silently +12, Search +8, Spot +10, and Tumble +19
Ninja spirit shadows are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the bastard sword, chain, handaxe, kama, nunchaku, sai, sap, shortbow, shuriken, siangham, and short sword. Ninja spirit shadows are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Acrobatics (Su): A ninja spirit shadow has a +10 competence bonus on Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks.
Ninjitsu (Ex): Remnants of the ninja spirit shadow's extensive shinobi training accounts for its multiple exotic and martial weapon proficiencies as well as many of the extraordinary and supernatural abilities it possesses. If the campaign uses the
Oriental Adventures sourcebook it has all the special abilities of an 3rd level ninja spy.
A 3rd level ninja spy gets two Exotic Ninja Weapons so I added chain to the shuriken it's already proficient in.
Not feeling the need to change the entry though. The Shadow Ninja seems more a, well, shadow of its former self than a full over-speced NPC like the Seven Swords are.