D&D 3E/3.5 (3.5) aw screw it, I'm playing a Ninja

[Starbuck_II]

Yes, you do.
-2 for TWF
-2 for Flurry (unless have 5 or more Monk levels when Penalty is lowered by at least 1)

 

[BENINHB]

Don't you eat a -4 penalty to attacks if you combine TWF with Flurry?

Yes but i think that is pretty well off set by the +2 from being invisible and the opponent losing their DEX to AC. Also i think it is worth it for the extra chances to hit and add sudden strike damage.

Also if something has high AC and you are having trouble hitting no one is forcing you to use both flurry and TWF on it.

 

[pawsplay]

First of all, Weapon Focus tends to add about 5% to your damage, which can be a lot. The problem for a ninja is that you would have to marry a weapon, which means marrying a tactic, and feats are in short supply. And bows are stupid for a ninja; a fighter can be a double threat, and a rogue can get by on defenese and flanking if forced out of their comfort zone.

Let's go back to TWF. It works with both light melee weapons (correct choice) and shuriken (also the correct choice). You can force sudden strike by being invisible, by feinting, by forcing your opponents to make Balance checks, and by attacking paralyzed or stunned opponents. Should this occur, you can make a full attack. You can use melee weapons when adjacent. At a range, you can make full attacks, with iteratives, using TWF, if you use shuriken. TWF is correct. Reach + AoOs is almost correct.

Everything else is incorrect. Bows are incorrect. Spring attack is incorrect. Why does an invisible tumbling character need Spring Attack anyway? Crossbows are incorrect, and unarmed strikes are incorrect. Using a one-handed weapon in the main hand is also incorrect, because you do not wish to invest in feats for two kinds of melee weapon. If you meet something that isn't sneakattackable, you fight TWF with short swords, or you fight two-handed with a mornginstar.

(Just in case this isn't clear, I am being tongue-in-cheek about the word "incorrect." Even though it's true. )

Human ninja (Correct)
1 Two weapon fighting, Quick Draw
3 Improved Initiative
6 Point Blank Shot
9 Precise Shot
12 Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
15 Improved Precise Shot

 

[Starbuck_II]

Another Idea:
Flask Ninja. Buy a few potion belts (10 gp to store flasks). Maybe Heward's Handy Haversack.

1 Point blank shot, Quick Draw
3 Improved Initiative
6 Rapid Shot
9 Twf
12 Grenadier or Shaped Splash (if halfing)
15 Improved Rapid Shot

Flasks are ranged touch attacks + splash damage. You can add sneak attack to the main damage (splash is just extra).

I suggest:
Holy water (for undead), Acid, alchemist fire, and alchemist ice.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And with levels in Artificer, Beguiler, BttlSorc or any other thematically adjacent class, you can use Brew Potion to further expand your grenade arsenal.

 

[BENINHB]

Monk4/Ninja2 with the Acetic Stalker feat at 6th level, then Ninja the rest of the way.

From the monk side you get the unarmed strike you were looking for but in a way better form than the Improved Unarmed Strike feat. You also get Flurry, Stunning Fist, either Combat Reflexes or Deflect Arrows, EVASION, a +10 boost to movement speed, Still Mind, Ki Strike (magic) so you can get through DR, Slow Fall 20ft (which I would trade for the alternate class feature that gives you a weaker version of Spider Climb, i don't recall the name) plus you get all good saves for those levels.

Acetic Stalker lets your Ninja and Monk levels stack so you will still have the same number of points in your Ki Pool and the Sudden Strike as if you where a full Ninja and the full unarmed strike damage progression of the Monk plus the advancement of Ki strike to keep you breaking through DR and once you get to Ki Strike (Adamantine) you can break anything you want like doors, locks, weapons, etc... WITH YOUR BARE HANDS... or feet or elbow or shins or forehead... you get the picture (I think this is even more useful outside of combat than in it.)

 

[Fajita McJones]

So here's where I'm headed...

Improved Initiative
Quick Draw
Brachiation (it's part of an inside joke our group has about that feat)
Extra Ki (CS)
Spectral Skirmisher (PHB2) so I can get some more attacks while invisible

I'm also taking the Skill Trick Acrobatic Backstab to give me some more combat options if invisibility isn't working. thanks for everyone's suggestions and for steering me clear of the ambush feats. Any additional comments/suggestions are welcomed.

 

[BENINHB]

looks good

I would still add either Two Weapon Fighting or 1 lvl of Monk to increase the number of attacks per turn, especially if you win initiative or the turns you are invisible but thats just me

 

[Thanael]

Slow Fall 20ft (which I would trade for the alternate class feature that gives you a weaker version of Spider Climb, i don't recall the name)

That would be Wall Walker (Dungeonscape, pg 12) in which the monk gives up the slow fall ability in exchange for being able to run up a similar distance of wall.

 

[BENINHB]

That would be Wall Walker (Dungeonscape, pg 12) in which the monk gives up the slow fall ability in exchange for being able to run up a similar distance of wall.

Thanks for being complete and citing the book and page number