Ninja Class

[Akroma666]

Can we get the official class description/advancement for forum use please? Also on the Wiki

[Endelyon]

Definitely will be happening, but there's no sense in posting it before the lore is decided on and finalized.

[Akroma666]

Can you post it here so we can help with the lore and name based on the mechanics? Or is just default ninja?

[Archaos]

As it was suggested in DB back then, call it Shadowblade maybe?
http://alcyius.com/dndtools/classes/sha ... index.html
Link it to the Plane of Shadow and there you go.

And really, people think that eastern classes don't fit in the Sword Coast is a valid argument?
Ninja simply means "thief/stealthy" more or less in Japanese.
Katanas, Shuriken and Kamas are already the eastern equivalents of Swords, Darts and Sickles.

People can already make Rogue/(Monk)/Assassins with Katana/Shuriken/Kamas and call them Ninja.
People can already make Fighters(Man-at-Arms)/Weapon Masters with a Katana and call themselves Samurai with a Code.

The problem is that the Complete Adventurer Ninja is both redundant and bad.
The RP aspect is the least of its problems. It's a worse Monk/Rogue in everything.

[Endelyon]

After collaborating with QC for the mechanics and the HDMs for the lore, this is what we came up with. In-game descriptions will be updated soon to reflect the final version of the class.

Phantom
Phantoms move through the shadows, striking down the unwary and vanishing again with ease. Phantoms walk where others cannot. They blend their training in stealth and assassination with a focused mind. Their rigorous preparation sharpens their minds and bodies, giving them supernatural abilities of stealth and making them phantoms in the eyes of many. Although phantoms in battle lack the staying power of martial characters such as fighters or barbarians, they excel at making combat occur on their terms: appearing and disappearing seemingly at a whim.

Phantoms are trained in the secretive and shadowy techniques originating from the Konishi ninja clan of Kozakura--a family which has served many of the opposing factions in that far eastern land for untold years. One former and storied high ranking ninja of this clan, fleeing to Shou Town in Telflamm after an assassination job in Shou Lung ended in disaster, ended up disseminating her knowledge of the ninja art for hire in that city. Eventually, as pupils from all over the world came to learn the art of the ninja in Telflamm, the path of the ninjas taught there began to spread slowly westward with a Faerunian twist.

Rebranded as phantoms and abandoning the eastern mythic of "ninja," those pursuing this path in the west instead took up a more obvious and terrifyingly descriptive name of their stealth and surprise in combat. Still, phantoms retain much of their eastern ninja origin and in many respects are the same type of profession in all but name, and their arts are essentially the same as those of the ninjas that passed them down. Phantoms continue to act as highly trained spies, and often are experts in matters of intrusion, sabotage, and elimination. The phantom also is generally still part of a tight-knit clan whose profession and goals he or she shares. Some phantoms remain generalists, equally at home in matters of stealth and combat. Some are specialists, becoming adept at social skills, magic, or interaction with nature.

Even under their new moniker, phantoms remain as exotic, secretive, and dangerous as their eastern cousins.

(( Phantom is a BG-customized version of the Ninja PRC by Kaedrin. All credit for the class concept, its mechanics, and its function goes to Kaedrin. The BGTSCC staff would like to thank him for his contribution to not only our server but the NWN2 community as a whole, and you can see more of his custom content at http://nwn2customcontent.wikidot.com ))


Alignment Restriction:
Non-chaotic, non-good only


Class Features:
- Hit Die: d6
- Base Attack Bonus: Medium.
- High Saves: Reflex.
- Weapon Proficiencies: Simple, Monk, and Rogue Weapons.
- Armor Proficiencies: None.
- Skill Points: 6 + Int modifier.
- Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft Alchemy, Craft Traps, Craft Weapon, Craft Armor, Disable Device, Disguise, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Hide, Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sleight of Hand, Spot, and Tumble.


Class Abilities:
Level 1: AC Bonus, Ki Power, Sneak Attack +1d6
Level 2: Ghost Step (Invisible)
Level 3: Sneak Attack +2d6, Poison Use
Level 4:
Level 5: Sneak Attack +3d6
Level 6: Acrobatics +2, Ki Dodge
Level 7: Sneak Attack +4d6
Level 8: Ghost Strike, Trapfinding
Level 9: Sneak Attack +5d6
Level 10: Ghost Step (Ethereal), AC Bonus +1
Level 11: Sneak Attack +6d6
Level 12: Acrobatics +4, Evasion
Level 13: Sneak Attack +7d6
Level 14:
Level 15: Sneak Attack +8d6
Level 16: Ghost Sight, Crippling Strike
Level 17: Sneak Attack +9d6
Level 18: Acrobatics +6, Greater Ki Dodge
Level 19: Sneak Attack +10d6
Level 20: Ghost Walk, AC Bonus +2
Level 21: Sneak Attack +11d6
Level 22:
Level 23: Bonus Epic Feat, Sneak Attack +12d6
Level 24: Acrobatics +8, Improved Evasion
Level 25: Sneak Attack +13d6
Level 26: Bonus Epic Feat
Level 27: Sneak Attack +14d6
Level 28:
Level 29: Bonus Epic Feat, Sneak Attack +15d6
Level 30: AC Bonus +3, Acrobatics +10

Phantom sneak attack dice do not stack with rogue! You will only receive the higher of the two.

Phantoms gain bonus epic feats at 23rd, 26th, and 29th level.


- AC Bonus: A phantom is highly trained at dodging blows, and she has a sixth sense that lets her avoid even unanticipated attacks. When unarmored and unencumbered, a phantom adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her Armor Class. This ability does not stack with the monk's AC bonus ability. In addition, a phantom gains a +1 bonus (Dodge) to AC every ten levels.

- Ki Power: A phantom can channel her ki to manifest special powers of stealth and mobility. She can use her ki powers a number of times per day equal to her class level (up to 30 uses/day). Ki powers can be used only if a phantom is wearing no armor and is unencumbered.

- Ghost Step: Starting at 2nd level, a phantom can spend one daily use of her ki power to become invisible for 3 rounds. At 10th level, a phantom can become ethereal when using ghost step instead of becoming invisible. This is an instantly activated ability.

- Acrobatics: Starting at 6th level, a phantom gains a +2 bonus to Tumble checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 12th level, +6 at 18th level, +8 at 24th level, and +10 at 30th level.

- Ki Dodge: At 6th level and higher, a phantom can spend one daily use of her ki power to cause an attack against her to miss when it might otherwise hit. When a phantom activates this ability, her outline shifts and wavers, granting her concealment (20% miss chance) against all attacks for 3 rounds. This is an instantly activated ability.

- Ghost Strike: At 8th level and higher, a phantom can spend one daily use of her ki power to strike spirits as if they were corporeal (this ignores their concealment bonus like the Spirit Shaman's Ghost Warrior ability) for three rounds. This is an instantly activated ability.

- Ghost Sight: At 16th level and higher, a phantom can see invisible and ethereal creatures as easily as she sees material creatures and objects.

- Crippling Strike: A phantom with this ability can sneak attack opponents with such precision that her blows weaken and hamper them. An opponent damaged by one of her sneak attacks also takes 2 points of Strength damage. Ability points lost to damage return on their own at the rate of 1 point per day for each damaged ability. Phantoms are granted this feat at 16th level.

- Greater Ki Dodge: Starting at 18th level, a phantom's ki dodge ability grants total concealment (50% miss chance).

- Ghost Walk: A 20th-level phantom can spend two daily uses of her ki power to enter the Ethereal Plane for an extended period of time. This ability functions as the ethereal jaunt spell with a caster level equal to the phantom's class level. This is an instantly activated ability.

[Akroma666]

Crippling strike description is missing the level obtained.
Missing level 24 improved dodge description.
Can the ninja qualify for other rogue ability's?
Defense roll will allow for epic dodge other than needing shadow dancer.

[Endelyon]

No, it does not qualify for defense roll, slippery mind, etc. and epic dodge will be unobtainable by a pure Phantom. Crippling strike is granted at 16th level to unlock the path towards Epic Precision, as QC felt the class would not be viable in epic content otherwise.

Edit: Updated the description so that it was clear what level crippling strike comes at.

[mrm3ntalist]

Defense roll will allow for epic dodge other than needing shadow dancer.

SD5 will give defensive roll.

Ninja/SD is a viable combo.

[RamenKing]

What an interesting class. Well done.

I especially like the ki invisibility. Can help for a non hipsing arcane trickster!

[Phantom]

Phantom

Let me express my (totally unbiased, of course ) approval for the name.

Crippling strike is granted at 16th level to unlock the path towards Epic Precision, as QC felt the class would not be viable in epic content otherwise.

It's absolutely the case. Good job!

[Mallore]

Questions.


Why does the ninja sneak not stack with the rogue sneak. What logic was this?

Does the assissan death attack stack with ninja? If it does why does it and not rogue? Anyone else see Ninja-assassin Which of course HIPS and this kai ability is pretty obnoxious.


What about other sneak attack damage classes. Arcane Trickster, Guild theif.


Instant cast invisibility or ethereal. How instant is it? There's plenty of instant abilities that are not so instant and provoke attacks and if you get smack it fails.


You all made the ghost walk multi times a day, and essentially work like shadow step (l10 sd to ability). Can we consider fixing shadow step to multi times a day as its suppose to be.


Can rogues get an rcr into this class or must everyone grind up from scratch? Would strike a bit against tradition. Can you trade in your SD levels or Assassin levels for this class?

[Theodore01]

- Ki Dodge: At 6th level and higher, a phantom can spend one daily use of her ki power to cause an attack against her to miss when it might otherwise hit. When a phantom activates this ability, her outline shifts and wavers, granting her concealment (20% miss chance) against all attacks for 3 rounds. This is an instantly activated ability.

Does this '3 rounds' now also apply to Ki Dodge feat in general ?

[chad878262]

If I recall correctly the problem is base class sneak attack vs. PRC sneak attack. They're different feats, so the Ninja's SA can stack with PRC SA progression, but not with Rogue, because they both use the base class SA feat, which cannot stack with itself. (similar to how weapons and items that give bonus SA dice won't stack with Rogue SA).

I'm not in any way proficient with the toolset, so I'm uncertain if creating it's own unique SA feat would solve the issue or not.