3.5 Ninja

[Turanil]

You can say that again!!!

I think the best would be to multiclass between gestalt Monk-Sorcerer and gestalt Fighter-Rogue.

Assuming the other PCs don't have access to gestalt classes of course - such would dilute the specialness of the ninja character.

What the hell is this mythology about ninja being uber-powered characters??? I asked a friend whose university studies were about Japanese language and culture, what he did think about ninja in a rpg. He said that they don't have to be overpowered (gestalt characters when everyone else isn't ); he said that in old Japanese medieval tales, ninja were portrayed as persons without honor, and a samurai would make an easy job of a score of ninja all by himself. Hence, a ninja doesn't have to be a uber-gestalt-something.

 

[johnsemlak]

What the hell is this mythology about ninja being uber-powered characters??? I asked a friend whose university studies were about Japanese language and culture, what he did think about ninja in a rpg. He said that they don't have to be overpowered (gestalt characters when everyone else isn't ); he said that in old Japanese medieval tales, ninja were portrayed as persons without honor, and a samurai would make an easy job of a score of ninja all by himself. Hence, a ninja doesn't have to be a uber-gestalt-something.

Ninja's may not be overpowered in Japanese history, but in authoritative sources such as the American Ninja movie series, they are uber-gods .

This has always been the problem with the ninja, the fascinations with the myth which leads to rolling up a monk, assassin, and thief/rogue all in one. The reality is a Ninja class needs only to be a tweaked rogue or perhaps modeled on an Assassin core class.

 

[monboesen]

The closest thing IMO is a Monk/Assasin. Has Stealth, Unarmed combat, Decent Unarmored AC, Death/Sneak Attack, Supernatural powers/Spells.

That just spells Ninja to me.

 

[Dark Jezter]

Ninja's may not be overpowered in Japanese history, but in authoritative sources such as the American Ninja movie series, they are uber-gods .

This has always been the problem with the ninja, the fascinations with the myth which leads to rolling up a monk, assassin, and thief/rogue all in one. The reality is a Ninja class needs only to be a tweaked rogue or perhaps modeled on an Assassin core class.

Ninjas have always been portrayed as superb fighters in movies, comics, and video games for some reason. You've got the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe, the American Ninja movies, characters like Scorpion and Sub-Zero in the Mortal Kombat games, Hayabusa from the Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive games, Shadow from Final Fantasy 6, et cetera. Heck, in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice, the Japanese Government helps 007 take down the villian by aiding him with an elite force of, you guessed it, ninjas.

 

[Alzrius]

he said that in old Japanese medieval tales, ninja were portrayed as persons without honor, and a samurai would make an easy job of a score of ninja all by himself.

I also majored in Japanese Studies, and that sounds mostly correct, save maybe for the last part. Ninjas were spies and assassins, and eschewed Bushido, the code of the samurai. A ninja that was on a mission to kill someone would virtually always choose the easiest route of doing so, and not leap out in a black costume waving a sword around.

The idea that a samurai could wipe out a horde of ninjas seems a bit much though. Samurai probably had more direct training in how to fight an opponent directly, and would probably have had an advantage in a straight fight, but the point of a ninja was that they didn't fight fair to begin with.

 

[Sejs]

Rogue.

 

[doghead]

Rogue/Adept gestalt. All the characters in the game are PC/NPC gestalts, so the ninja isn't an uber-jin. But the spellcasting fits in nicely with the idea that the ninja had supernatural powers.

I read a interesting two part artical in one of the gaming magazines on the ninja once. It said that while capable fighters, they relied alot on planning, trickery and psychology to intimidate their enemies. One example I remember clearly was the laying of stones (just below the surface) across a stream, allowing them to run 'across the water'. Another was to remained holed up in complete darkeness for a day before venturing out to give themselves exceptional night vision. According to the article, they cultivated this myth of supernatural powers to demoralise their opponents.

 

[Hemlock Stones]

Ninja Class And You

GREETINGS!

First and foremost ninja's had many gimmicky items. Preparedness and planning for the situation was of major significance. A good example is that scabbard of a ninja sword. It functioned not only as a scabbard, but as a place for climbing cord and a breathing tube for underwater.

Being that we are talking about fantasy here, creating a Ninja Prestige class makes more sense. The ninja in Oriental Adventures is a good working template. It's not whether or not a ninja uses poison, it's the how. The matter of alignment really becomes the big issue I think. Hollywood would like us to think that there are "good" ninjas. It's probably better to think of them as a specialized mercenary commando. If anything, think of the shennanigans of the CIA. They are recognized as being part of US government.

Ninjas were clandestine. Admiting that you had ninjas in your armed forces blatantly implies that you are first and foremost evil. Secondly, ninjas are intended to strike first and strike covertly. Ninjas are not avengers or vigilantes working under the cover of darkness to right wrongs. Ninjas would have many tools of the rogue, primarily for overcoming obstacles towards finishing the job they have been hired to do.

What you have with a ninja happens most often in teams not unlike a thieves guild. A guild of assassins would eventually become noticed by the observant eye of somebody like a paladin. A really successful ninja guild would use guile and misinformation to confuse and manipulate the authorities. Imagine roleplaying all the intrigue of a situation like that.

Ninjas were masters of the ability to hide in plain site. How does a ninja group do that? By being something that is obvious and nobody questions. Sure thats the local thieves guild, not the cold calculating ninja clan. You hire rogues to steal. You hire assassins kill. Ninjas are mercenary agents that will stop at nothing to complete the job.

I am by no means an expert.

So sayeth the Bone Daddy,

 

[Kae'Yoss]

What the hell is this mythology about ninja being uber-powered characters??? I asked a friend whose university studies were about Japanese language and culture, what he did think about ninja in a rpg. He said that they don't have to be overpowered (gestalt characters when everyone else isn't ); he said that in old Japanese medieval tales, ninja were portrayed as persons without honor, and a samurai would make an easy job of a score of ninja all by himself. Hence, a ninja doesn't have to be a uber-gestalt-something.

You've got to be kidding! Ninas fight ALL the time.

Ninjas can kill anyone they want! Ninjas cut off heads ALL the time and don't even think twice about it. If you don't believe that ninjas have REAL Ultimate Power you better get a life right now or they will chop your head off!!! It's an easy choice, if you ask me. My friend Mark said that he saw a ninja totally uppercut some kid just because the kid opened a window.

You better learn about ninjas from a proper source, e.g. http://www.realultimatepower.net/





Back to the Topic: The Ninja is good as he appears in the book (or almost).

Just change the saves so it's good ref instead of will (as they clarified long ago). And call the 6th-level Special Ability "Improved Uncanny Dodge".
Drop Innuendo, Intuit Direction and Read Lips from the Skill list, Change Pick Pocket into Sleight of Hands and maybe add Survival (cause Intuit Direction is now subsumed in that Skill).

 

[Zappo]

On the other hand, there are plenty of videogames, especially old arcades, where you kill ninjas by the dozen (Shinobi anyone?). I am led to believe that the efficiency of ninjas decreases in proportion to the number of ninjas at the same location, so that one ninja is a lethal killer but a hundred ninjas are just mooks.

Now I wait for Hong to come and correct my pluralization...