[FR]Player wants to play a Bard/Ninja :), what do you think?

[Westgate Polks]

The FR "canon" literature supports this notion - Ariel Moonblade is someone who kills on assignment. Certainly, her targets are evil people and she always challenges them to a fight, but the alignment and the concept don't automatically preclude one another.

This character sounds similar to the old Dark Sun bards, which were pretty cool (given the distinct setting). The final choice is yours, but IF the player has some fun and does some good roleplaying then I think this character will be entertaining to watch.

 

[greywulf]

Hey, that works for me! I love funky concepts.

My only concern would be if the player is VERY new. If this is his/her very first character, you might have a munchkin-in-waiting on your hands. If not, and it's the concept/class-combo that's the hook (rather than metagame conceits), then jump right in and watch out for daggers in the left hand.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Reminds me of the Blade kit in the 2E Bard Handbook.

I see no problem with it as you described the background.

We once had a FR campaign set in Halruaa in which the PCs were members of a traveling band of entertainers. Some were bards. One of the NPCs was a ninja from Kara Tur whose clan had been wiped out by a rival clan while he was away on an assignment. He was the only survivor of his clan. He was hiding out in the west until he was powerful enough (and had some friends willing to help) to get revenge against the rival clan. Anyway, he was hiding out as an entertainer. So he was a sort of ninja/bard.

 

[blargney the second]

I think it's a fun combo! The juxtaposition of silent ninja and noisy bard makes me think of stage magicians.

-blarg

 

[Turanil]

At some point he was approached by a sect of "good" assassins.

Name: Malkaviel Celestine
Race: Aasimar
Class: Ninja/Bard 3

I just wanted to point out that a Bard with Assassin prestige class is perfectly okay, and makes much sense. What I find cheesy is a celestial who chooses the assassin role (and ninja class), with the excuse of a "good sect of assassins". If a player was asking me for such a combo I would think "fluff to disguise munchkinism". Now an evil bard who wants the assassin prestige class and will use his bardic talent to appear as an innocuous troubadour and have an excuse to go into nobles' courts and approach his targets easier, I am perfectly okay with, and think it a solid combo indeed.

 

[Crothian]

there's nothing wrong with it. without knowing dagger it is impossiblet o tell if he is an abuser like some are claiming or if he's just got a neat character idea. For all we know a sect of good aligned assassins could have been introduced in his campaign and he's just following that example.

 

[Corsair]

there's nothing wrong with it. without knowing dagger it is impossiblet o tell if he is an abuser like some are claiming or if he's just got a neat character idea. For all we know a sect of good aligned assassins could have been introduced in his campaign and he's just following that example.

Dagger is the DM, I believe.

That being said, I can't believe how many of your people are overreacting without even knowing the player in question. Cheese? Munchkin? The guy is playing a BARD for crissakes! What is wrong with a good person wanting to use stealth and guile to take out their targets? How else can you destroy evil with minimal risk of casualties?

 

[sword-dancer]

What I find cheesy is a celestial who chooses the assassin role (and ninja class), with the excuse of a "good sect of assassins". If a player was asking me for such a combo I would think "fluff to disguise munchkinism". .

What is there cheesy or munchkin?
Would you consider spy/filmstar combo also cheesy?

The Assassin, Haschischihn etc was an agent, fighter in shadow, for his faith and his people, and I couldn`t consider it more evil to kill Lord Evil with a dagger in his back instead of hacking through his guard and holy smite him.

 

[Crothian]

That being said, I can't believe how many of your people are overreacting without even knowing the player in question.

why, yes they are my people

 

[orangefruitbat]

I just don't see it working too well - half your abilities require stealth, and the other half require noise (unless you allow Perform (Mime)!). Seems underpowered (for a gestalt game), not overpowered.