Part of the issue is that there are so many iterations of what "ninja" means to people. From the original historical information-gatherers and social agitators, through mythological status to the black-clad killing machines with the specialised tools of the hollywood 80s, to the wizards of naruto.Yep. The Iga clan. Looking at their actual battles against Nobunaga, it would seem that the ranger class would be a perfect fit based on what they actually did. Yet in D&D, it seems the ninja class/subclass was inspired by the 80s myth, and not the actual Iga.
Just struck me odd that there was already a perfect class for the ninja of Iga and no one ever played a ranger that way (although the new gloom stalker sure seems to be close). I would posit that the ranger was a better fit through most editions to emulate the real Iga clan, then the various ninja classes did.
Why would these need to be made as Monk classes? Can't you protray your particular concept of them using existing systems?I think the Monk should be reforged to include, yes, the unarmored wuxia fist-fighter archetype, but also sohei, kensei and ninja using actual weapons and armors, without so much work around to include such equipment.
Since the introduction of the urban ranger to D&D, I can see rangers dressing up as servants to infiltrate places.The disguise is the one that seems to cut more rogue than ranger in D&D.
Rangers would be expected to use camouflage, but not to dress up as a servant to gain access somewhere.
Its something that could work with the concept but not something I have really seen as part of any so far. The 3.5 Urban Ranger for example was more an urban bounty hunter with no disguise skill on his altered skill list.Since the introduction of the urban ranger to D&D, I can see rangers dressing up as servants to infiltrate places.
Monk is inherently a mystical warrior, not just a martial artist. They have always been mystical in DnD, and they are pretty unavoidably so in 5e, without reflavoring ki as something else.Why would these need to be made as Monk classes? Can't you protray your particular concept of them using existing systems?
What are they missing?