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[COMPLETE] Looking back at the leatherette series: PHBR, DMGR, HR and more!
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<blockquote data-quote="Alzrius" data-source="post: 8218088" data-attributes="member: 8461"><p><em>Before Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes...</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Before Scorpion and Sub-Zero...</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>Before Ryu Hayabusa...</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>There was...</em></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16904/PHBR15-Complete-Ninjas-Handbook-2e?affiliate_id=820" target="_blank"><em>PHBR15 The Complete Ninja's Handbook</em></a> for AD&D Second Edition!</p><p></p><p>Except, of course, it technically came <em>after</em> all of those characters made their debut, coming out in 1995 and all. Which might explain why this book exists in the first place. Because while ninjas weren't new to AD&D, having debuted in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17334/Oriental-Adventures-1e?affiliate_id=820" target="_blank"><em>Oriental Adventures</em></a> a decade earlier, it wasn't until this book that they - like the barbarian class from the previous book - were brought forward to Second Edition. And given the wave of popularity that ninjas were riding in the mid-90's, I'm amazed it took them that long.</p><p></p><p>Now, given some of the recent controversies, I suspect that some people will look askance on this particular book. Personally, I disagree with that; even restricting ourselves to the topic of ninjas specifically, popular culture has <em>much</em> greater sins that need to be accounted for before this particular supplement is taken to task. For instance, I suspect that when players brought characters made with this book to the table, there was at least one instance of someone chanting "Go ninja go ninja go!"</p><p></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]R_K6971WmAs[/MEDIA]</p><p></p><p></p><p>We should all feel guilty.</p><p></p><p>That said, the ninja class presented in this book is fairly tame, being essentially a rogue with some minor reskinning (in what I suspect is a consequence of its being updated from it's 1E origins). They have the same size Hit Die, access to thieving skills, backstab, etc. Even thieves' cant is replaced with "clan signs." What strikes me as odd are the demihuman restrictions: only halflings and dwarves can be ninjas. Maybe it's just me, but I'd have thought for sure that elves would have been on there; the popular conception of ninjas tends to have them being more concerned with precision than power, and the willowy presentation of elves seems like it naturally dovetails with that. More so than dwarves, at least.</p><p></p><p>It's when we get to the kits, however, that this book begins to show its true potential. The use of a fairly restrained base class means that the kits can take the ninja in several different thematic directions, which is exactly what it does. The Shadow-Warrior, for instance, sacrifices some thieving skill utility in favor of being better in combat. The Consort is your classic "seductive kunoichi" type (albeit of either sex). The Spirit Warrior can actually learn arcane spells of the illusion school (though not until 9th level, and in accordance with AD&D game balance, they're hit with fairly significant weapon and armor restrictions, as well as a less-generous XP progression table; curiously, they list several new spells here rather than later in the book). The Lone Wolf is a <em>ronin</em>, and the only version of a ninja where you can dual-class as something else after taking ninja levels. While not all the kits are winners (the Pathfinder is just a ninja with some minor bonuses to the Tracking proficiency, and has no followers), most of them are flavorful and evocative, nicely presenting different ninja archetypes.</p><p></p><p>But it doesn't stop there. The third chapter is where we start getting "shinobi" kits. While the book correctly notes that <em>shinobi</em> and <em>ninja</em> are two different pronunciations of the same word in Japanese (in fact, the parts that are identical are the "shino" and "nin," being alternate readings of 忍), it introduces an artificial distinction here, in that shinobi kits are essentially kits for other classes that turn them into discount ninjas: fighters, rangers, wizards, illusionists (but apparently not any other specialist wizards; did Aaron Allston forget that illusionists aren't their own class in 2E?), priests (meaning clerics), thieves, and bards all have shinobi options. Apparently there are no shinobi druids.</p><p></p><p>The inclusion of these might sound redundant, but as the opening text of chapter three (where these kits are given) makes clear, it's because ninja clans consist of more than just members of the ninja character class...and that's when it becomes clear that this book is, just like <em>The Complete Barbarian's Handbook</em>, introducing not just an expanded look at a particular character class, or even character archetype, but an entire campaign based on the theme of the class. While not "Oriental Adventures 2E" unto itself, that's sort of what this book evokes. Plug in things like <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17321/KaraTur-The-Eastern-Realms-1e?affiliate_id=820" target="_blank"><em>Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms</em></a> (technically 1E, but as I recall it was pretty light on game mechanics), the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17319/MC6-Monstrous-Compendium-KaraTur-Appendix-2e?affiliate_id=820" target="_blank"><em>MC6 Monstrous Compendium Kara-Tur Appendix</em></a>, and some of the 2E adventures from the <em>Oriental Adventures</em> line of products, such as <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/200813/OA6-Ronin-Challenge-2e?affiliate_id=820" target="_blank"><em>OA6 Ronin Challenge</em></a> or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17320/FROA1-Ninja-Wars-2e?affiliate_id=820" target="_blank"><em>FROA1 Ninja Wars</em></a>, and you're good to go (well, mostly; those latter adventures still presumed the use of the 1E <em>Oriental Adventures</em> book; cross-edition compatibility wasn't the big deal back then that it is now).</p><p></p><p>Given that, it's perhaps less of a surprise that this book revisits the martial arts rules from <em>PHBR1 The Complete Fighter's Handbook</em>...and I have to say, that has a real "end at the beginning" vibe to it, what with this being the last of the PHBRs and all. Like this book just snatched the pebble from the hand of its master.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/10uknsMK5k938I/200.gif" alt="head hand GIF" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Okay, that's not actually ninja-themed, but that's why the GIF has Picard face-palming for a single frame at the end there. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /></p><p></p><p>Oddly, I don't remember being nearly as excited by the martial arts rules here as I was when I first read PHBR1. I don't think it had much to do with the rules themselves - which also included that book's weapon specialization rules - but rather was because I'd already thoroughly internalized the idea of "spellcasters rule!" by that point. Bruce Lee was cool and all, but he wasn't ever going to punch Elminster's ticket, even if there was an entire adventuring party of him (<a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu" target="_blank">Conservation of Ninjutsu</a> and all that, to make another pseudo-racist blending of different cultures).</p><p></p><p>There were several "new" proficiencies too, with the sarcasm-quotes indicating that several are actually proficiencies from other books being reprinted here, albeit sometimes with updated listings. Of the ones that are actually new, we have several notable oddities, such as Waterwalking (not nearly as cool as it sounds; it's basically a proficiency for using a liquid-specific version of snowshoes), Giant Kite Flying (which is a headscratcher until you realize that these things are basically hang gliders), Style Analysis (which is exactly as cool as it sounds: spot the weaknesses in someone else's fighting style!), and Enamor, which...potentially makes a target fall madly in love with you. Wow, and people think that martials don't have the options that casters do, huh? Eat your heart out, <em>charm person</em>!</p><p></p><p>It's at this point that I should give the book credit where it's due: for all that I went on about it presenting a campaign style as much as a character class, PHBR15 does have Occidental options for what it presents. Ninjas become "spies," with ninja clans being an intelligence service (i.e. for a kingdom); there's virtually no mechanics associated with this, being more of a "tone" thing. Strangely, the book goes and presents <em>another</em> reflavoring for ninjas, that being "killers," even presenting three NPC-only kits to play up the idea of not!ninjas who are skilled at murder (more than your standard PC, at least). The inclusion of NPC-specific material in a PC book induces a bit of cognitive dissonance in me, as does the odd refusal to use the term "assassin" (which is a thief kit anyway). Still, props to the book for at least broaching the idea that there'd be a tone issue with ninjas (it's more than was ever done for monks).</p><p></p><p>Disappointingly, they don't justify the use of these "killer" kits by saying that only a ninja can kill a ninja, and if you know where that quote comes from then congratulations: you're old.</p><p></p><p>The fifth chapter has a lot of new weapons, far more so than new armor, equipment, or magic items. It almost feels like a mini-supplement unto itself, and the katana is nowhere near as badass as it should be. Seriously, if one of those things can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y49drgdU4_Y" target="_blank">cripple Metal Gear</a>, it can do more than a mere 1d10 points of damage (2d6 if used two-handed)!</p><p></p><p>The rest of the book focuses more on the ninja-focused campaign, talking about the role of the clan, making ninja-themed (or spy-themed) adventures, giving sample ninja characters and clans, etc. I don't want to say that it's perfunctory (and it's not), but by this point we're down to the last third of the book or so; it's clear that this one was stuffed to the gills, which makes sense considering how much it's trying to cram in here.</p><p></p><p>Overall, <em>The Complete Ninja's Handbook</em> really does feel complete, at least in terms of bringing options for ninjas into your game. From an options-replete base class to kits that make other classes into ninjas to campaign options for ninjas to ways to remove the cultural context by making ninjas into spies, plus proficiencies, weapon specialization, martial arts, new mundane and magical equipment, new spells, and more, this one really goes the distance. Personally, I hope that gamer history will look back on it fondly for that, even if it doesn't treat the subject with all of the respect and sensitivity that ninjas receive in native Japanese media.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/abe3a650d4200647aa49149ed9ba1285/tenor.gif?itemid=15111415" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>And remember: go ninja go ninja go!</p><p></p><p>I made another funny! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p><em>Please note my use of affiliate links in this post.</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Alzrius, post: 8218088, member: 8461"] [I]Before Storm Shadow and Snake Eyes... Before Scorpion and Sub-Zero... Before Ryu Hayabusa... There was...[/I] [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16904/PHBR15-Complete-Ninjas-Handbook-2e?affiliate_id=820'][I]PHBR15 The Complete Ninja's Handbook[/I][/URL] for AD&D Second Edition! Except, of course, it technically came [I]after[/I] all of those characters made their debut, coming out in 1995 and all. Which might explain why this book exists in the first place. Because while ninjas weren't new to AD&D, having debuted in [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17334/Oriental-Adventures-1e?affiliate_id=820'][I]Oriental Adventures[/I][/URL] a decade earlier, it wasn't until this book that they - like the barbarian class from the previous book - were brought forward to Second Edition. And given the wave of popularity that ninjas were riding in the mid-90's, I'm amazed it took them that long. Now, given some of the recent controversies, I suspect that some people will look askance on this particular book. Personally, I disagree with that; even restricting ourselves to the topic of ninjas specifically, popular culture has [I]much[/I] greater sins that need to be accounted for before this particular supplement is taken to task. For instance, I suspect that when players brought characters made with this book to the table, there was at least one instance of someone chanting "Go ninja go ninja go!" [MEDIA=youtube]R_K6971WmAs[/MEDIA] We should all feel guilty. That said, the ninja class presented in this book is fairly tame, being essentially a rogue with some minor reskinning (in what I suspect is a consequence of its being updated from it's 1E origins). They have the same size Hit Die, access to thieving skills, backstab, etc. Even thieves' cant is replaced with "clan signs." What strikes me as odd are the demihuman restrictions: only halflings and dwarves can be ninjas. Maybe it's just me, but I'd have thought for sure that elves would have been on there; the popular conception of ninjas tends to have them being more concerned with precision than power, and the willowy presentation of elves seems like it naturally dovetails with that. More so than dwarves, at least. It's when we get to the kits, however, that this book begins to show its true potential. The use of a fairly restrained base class means that the kits can take the ninja in several different thematic directions, which is exactly what it does. The Shadow-Warrior, for instance, sacrifices some thieving skill utility in favor of being better in combat. The Consort is your classic "seductive kunoichi" type (albeit of either sex). The Spirit Warrior can actually learn arcane spells of the illusion school (though not until 9th level, and in accordance with AD&D game balance, they're hit with fairly significant weapon and armor restrictions, as well as a less-generous XP progression table; curiously, they list several new spells here rather than later in the book). The Lone Wolf is a [I]ronin[/I], and the only version of a ninja where you can dual-class as something else after taking ninja levels. While not all the kits are winners (the Pathfinder is just a ninja with some minor bonuses to the Tracking proficiency, and has no followers), most of them are flavorful and evocative, nicely presenting different ninja archetypes. But it doesn't stop there. The third chapter is where we start getting "shinobi" kits. While the book correctly notes that [I]shinobi[/I] and [I]ninja[/I] are two different pronunciations of the same word in Japanese (in fact, the parts that are identical are the "shino" and "nin," being alternate readings of 忍), it introduces an artificial distinction here, in that shinobi kits are essentially kits for other classes that turn them into discount ninjas: fighters, rangers, wizards, illusionists (but apparently not any other specialist wizards; did Aaron Allston forget that illusionists aren't their own class in 2E?), priests (meaning clerics), thieves, and bards all have shinobi options. Apparently there are no shinobi druids. The inclusion of these might sound redundant, but as the opening text of chapter three (where these kits are given) makes clear, it's because ninja clans consist of more than just members of the ninja character class...and that's when it becomes clear that this book is, just like [I]The Complete Barbarian's Handbook[/I], introducing not just an expanded look at a particular character class, or even character archetype, but an entire campaign based on the theme of the class. While not "Oriental Adventures 2E" unto itself, that's sort of what this book evokes. Plug in things like [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17321/KaraTur-The-Eastern-Realms-1e?affiliate_id=820'][I]Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms[/I][/URL] (technically 1E, but as I recall it was pretty light on game mechanics), the [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17319/MC6-Monstrous-Compendium-KaraTur-Appendix-2e?affiliate_id=820'][I]MC6 Monstrous Compendium Kara-Tur Appendix[/I][/URL], and some of the 2E adventures from the [I]Oriental Adventures[/I] line of products, such as [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/200813/OA6-Ronin-Challenge-2e?affiliate_id=820'][I]OA6 Ronin Challenge[/I][/URL] or [URL='https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17320/FROA1-Ninja-Wars-2e?affiliate_id=820'][I]FROA1 Ninja Wars[/I][/URL], and you're good to go (well, mostly; those latter adventures still presumed the use of the 1E [I]Oriental Adventures[/I] book; cross-edition compatibility wasn't the big deal back then that it is now). Given that, it's perhaps less of a surprise that this book revisits the martial arts rules from [I]PHBR1 The Complete Fighter's Handbook[/I]...and I have to say, that has a real "end at the beginning" vibe to it, what with this being the last of the PHBRs and all. Like this book just snatched the pebble from the hand of its master. [IMG alt="head hand GIF"]https://media2.giphy.com/media/10uknsMK5k938I/200.gif[/IMG] Okay, that's not actually ninja-themed, but that's why the GIF has Picard face-palming for a single frame at the end there. :p Oddly, I don't remember being nearly as excited by the martial arts rules here as I was when I first read PHBR1. I don't think it had much to do with the rules themselves - which also included that book's weapon specialization rules - but rather was because I'd already thoroughly internalized the idea of "spellcasters rule!" by that point. Bruce Lee was cool and all, but he wasn't ever going to punch Elminster's ticket, even if there was an entire adventuring party of him ([URL='https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu']Conservation of Ninjutsu[/URL] and all that, to make another pseudo-racist blending of different cultures). There were several "new" proficiencies too, with the sarcasm-quotes indicating that several are actually proficiencies from other books being reprinted here, albeit sometimes with updated listings. Of the ones that are actually new, we have several notable oddities, such as Waterwalking (not nearly as cool as it sounds; it's basically a proficiency for using a liquid-specific version of snowshoes), Giant Kite Flying (which is a headscratcher until you realize that these things are basically hang gliders), Style Analysis (which is exactly as cool as it sounds: spot the weaknesses in someone else's fighting style!), and Enamor, which...potentially makes a target fall madly in love with you. Wow, and people think that martials don't have the options that casters do, huh? Eat your heart out, [I]charm person[/I]! It's at this point that I should give the book credit where it's due: for all that I went on about it presenting a campaign style as much as a character class, PHBR15 does have Occidental options for what it presents. Ninjas become "spies," with ninja clans being an intelligence service (i.e. for a kingdom); there's virtually no mechanics associated with this, being more of a "tone" thing. Strangely, the book goes and presents [I]another[/I] reflavoring for ninjas, that being "killers," even presenting three NPC-only kits to play up the idea of not!ninjas who are skilled at murder (more than your standard PC, at least). The inclusion of NPC-specific material in a PC book induces a bit of cognitive dissonance in me, as does the odd refusal to use the term "assassin" (which is a thief kit anyway). Still, props to the book for at least broaching the idea that there'd be a tone issue with ninjas (it's more than was ever done for monks). Disappointingly, they don't justify the use of these "killer" kits by saying that only a ninja can kill a ninja, and if you know where that quote comes from then congratulations: you're old. The fifth chapter has a lot of new weapons, far more so than new armor, equipment, or magic items. It almost feels like a mini-supplement unto itself, and the katana is nowhere near as badass as it should be. Seriously, if one of those things can [URL='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y49drgdU4_Y']cripple Metal Gear[/URL], it can do more than a mere 1d10 points of damage (2d6 if used two-handed)! The rest of the book focuses more on the ninja-focused campaign, talking about the role of the clan, making ninja-themed (or spy-themed) adventures, giving sample ninja characters and clans, etc. I don't want to say that it's perfunctory (and it's not), but by this point we're down to the last third of the book or so; it's clear that this one was stuffed to the gills, which makes sense considering how much it's trying to cram in here. Overall, [I]The Complete Ninja's Handbook[/I] really does feel complete, at least in terms of bringing options for ninjas into your game. From an options-replete base class to kits that make other classes into ninjas to campaign options for ninjas to ways to remove the cultural context by making ninjas into spies, plus proficiencies, weapon specialization, martial arts, new mundane and magical equipment, new spells, and more, this one really goes the distance. Personally, I hope that gamer history will look back on it fondly for that, even if it doesn't treat the subject with all of the respect and sensitivity that ninjas receive in native Japanese media. [IMG]https://media1.tenor.com/images/abe3a650d4200647aa49149ed9ba1285/tenor.gif?itemid=15111415[/IMG] And remember: go ninja go ninja go! I made another funny! :D [I]Please note my use of affiliate links in this post.[/I] [/QUOTE]
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[COMPLETE] Looking back at the leatherette series: PHBR, DMGR, HR and more!
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