The name is Brennus Alchemvitch. Yes, I created the name, and it's my legal name by the end of this year...
So, I'm new to traditional DnD, but I get the concepts, and I'm a fast learner. I would like to play a smooth talking, catburgler type rogue, or I can put together a healing zealous druid. The team can guide me in what general path to take. I'm here to learn.
I'm new, but I'd be interested in testing a home-brew concept that I really want to do which goes great in a non-magic world. I also really need help balancing this thing. I'm going to send the build into every creator possible when it's finished, WITH credit for whoever helps me along the way.
You see, I study martial arts of various kinds, mostly in shotokan-based karate, BJJ, and Chinese kung fu (which is a very general term). I did competitive wrestling (like high school style), just started learning Japanese Jujitsu, a lot of Kali/Modern Arnis, etc. I also have studied the history and tactics of "ninjas" on and off for many year. I first thought it was all just pure myth, but it turns out it's quite rooted in mundane human activity, with a cloak of secrecy. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this, in general, but the specifics are so much more juicy...
Ninja class is based on things that I can personally do to some degree. Right now, I'm roughly a game lvl 2, maybe 3 ninja in real life. The ninja is at least as good at stealth as rogue, with roughly equal hit dice, but focus on subversive battlefield tactics that disable, disarm, and set up their opponents for easy kill or capture, rather than high bursts of damage. Off the battlefield they are experts at survival, watchfulness, gathering information, and blending in. They are adept at alchemy, movement, sensibility, and resolve. Common tools are smoke bombs, grappling hooks, poisoned caltrops and shuriken, Kama w/ ball and chain (kusarigama). Generally the mission of the ninjas of Japan were to maintain balance and order, acting 99% of spies and rarely killing anyone. Only situations as dire as things like human trafficking or treason that endangers the empire would they take the assassination route. But when they did, they were willing to dedicate many YEARS working in tandem to deal with single targets. Their skills are comparable to the best intelligence agencies in the real world today.
Being they are heavy on tactics, they do well if they gather knowledge and prepare for fights, and generally will do poorly if they do not. Preparing poisons or traps and learning weak spots is a good start. They are good at blending in as a variety of personality types with their mind so void of their own ego, therefore they are good at existing around other humanoids in order to gather information without raising suspicions.
Again, I want them to be rather real-life realistic, so the resource to use abilities is simply movement speed, and this works in with the kit. Some tricks up my sleeve translated to in-game would be...
Poised for combat: basically the Alert feature, plus the ability to throw a small object quickly for a chance to give enemies disadvantage or subtractive rolls in the initiative phase, if able (concious). Gives advantage when trying to wake up for combat.
Master of Movement: Every action, reaction, or bonus action specific to the ninja class can be combined with 5 feet of movement speed to any unoccupied space. If the space is occupied, the ninja can spend 10 movement points and pass an appropriate acrobatics check to see if they can bypass the obstruction and land 10 feet away instead. Also, the ninja moves at normal speed while prone, can get up from prone IMMEDIATELY using only 5 feet of speed, moves normally over difficult terrain, and half speed over very difficult terrain. Starting movement speed for a ninja is 40, climb speed is 30, and swim speed is 30. This is literally the core of the power to the entire ninja build, and it might need some refining.
Taijutsu: This encompasses the concept of moving an opponent's body through space via skill, knowledge, and just the right amount of patience. Grappling is at advantage and/or higher dice roll, including from the prone position, and this negates the opponent's natural advantage on grappling a prone target, but not advantage they might gain from a special ability or feature, such as this one. Disarm is also at advantage or higher dice roll. This also gives the ninja to gain a free chance to knock an enemy prone if successful on a parry. Gives the ninja the ability to use acrobatics when faced with {most} athletics checks. Gives the ninja the ability to roll for dual restrained? condition on any target she successfully disarms (so disarms a knife and rolls it straight into a wrist lock that keeps both the enemy and the ninja in place). Not sure if restrained is the right way to go there. I also need help balancing the numbers.
Shuriken Spread: Roll to hit a few enemy targets (number goes up with level), if they are in a cone up to 20 feet away. If a hit, causes one damage plus shuriken damage modifier, and attempts to apply whatever poison is on the shuriken. There is a chance this will cut the ninja throwing them and forcing a poison save. Costs an extra 5 movement.
Alchemy is Life: Bonus to Alchemy checks or numbers and allows the ninja to use a variety of mundane or alchemical material found in the environment (encourages that world building talk) to use for alchemy effects. This starts at level one. Mundane material for a purpose might be feces on a shuriken (eww), or a thunder stone and good singing to shatter a window. This also makes them proficient in creating poisons of all kinds, given that they have studied the knowledge for it.
Pressure Points: After making some SENSIBLE preparations before battle with the dm concerning the anatomy of their foes, ninjas can pick out weak points which may shut down the faculties of the target. If making an unarmed strike, they can choose to spend 10 movement points WITHOUT MOVING to turn that attack into 3 very quick attacks (3 for one), same hit dice, and each successful attack does a different, escalating negative effect. First strike does double unarmed damage and takes away reactions, the second stuns until the end of the target that was hit (not forever like a monk), and the third hit if successful causes the target to go unconscious for 1d4 rounds. All count as simultaneous so that the 3rd strike doesn't gain advantage from the stun on the second.
Acrobatic Toss: Use body mechanics to throw an opponent to the ground, or throw a weapon for extra damage. Uses 5 feet of extra movement on top of wherever the ninja lands. This can make up for some damage they won't be doing otherwise, but they are designed more for utility and tactics, anyway.
Small Talk: Ninjas gain advantage when asking for information from non-hostile npc's, and increased passive perception on listening for gossip/putting together town stories while around other humanoids. They study psychology related to facial movement, so advantage on insight checks.
Of course the ninjas would get a lot of stuff rogues have, such as evasion or cunning reflexes, and tiny bit of fortitude from a monk-like background. They can be any alignment except chaotic evil. They will have generally trained at schools, like monasteries but have a connection with the underground. Their main things are acrobatics, stealth, perception, deception, investigation, etc. I feel like if you made it this far, you get the point.
So may I run this thing with your non-magical campaign? Thanks for your time and consideration.
-Brennus Alchemvitch
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Hello.
The name is Brennus Alchemvitch. Yes, I created the name, and it's my legal name by the end of this year...
So, I'm new to traditional DnD, but I get the concepts, and I'm a fast learner. I would like to play a smooth talking, catburgler type rogue, or I can put together a healing zealous druid. The team can guide me in what general path to take. I'm here to learn.
Sign me up, I can play most times and days.
-BA
I'm new, but I'd be interested in testing a home-brew concept that I really want to do which goes great in a non-magic world. I also really need help balancing this thing. I'm going to send the build into every creator possible when it's finished, WITH credit for whoever helps me along the way.
You see, I study martial arts of various kinds, mostly in shotokan-based karate, BJJ, and Chinese kung fu (which is a very general term). I did competitive wrestling (like high school style), just started learning Japanese Jujitsu, a lot of Kali/Modern Arnis, etc. I also have studied the history and tactics of "ninjas" on and off for many year. I first thought it was all just pure myth, but it turns out it's quite rooted in mundane human activity, with a cloak of secrecy. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this, in general, but the specifics are so much more juicy...
Ninja class is based on things that I can personally do to some degree. Right now, I'm roughly a game lvl 2, maybe 3 ninja in real life. The ninja is at least as good at stealth as rogue, with roughly equal hit dice, but focus on subversive battlefield tactics that disable, disarm, and set up their opponents for easy kill or capture, rather than high bursts of damage. Off the battlefield they are experts at survival, watchfulness, gathering information, and blending in. They are adept at alchemy, movement, sensibility, and resolve. Common tools are smoke bombs, grappling hooks, poisoned caltrops and shuriken, Kama w/ ball and chain (kusarigama). Generally the mission of the ninjas of Japan were to maintain balance and order, acting 99% of spies and rarely killing anyone. Only situations as dire as things like human trafficking or treason that endangers the empire would they take the assassination route. But when they did, they were willing to dedicate many YEARS working in tandem to deal with single targets. Their skills are comparable to the best intelligence agencies in the real world today.
Being they are heavy on tactics, they do well if they gather knowledge and prepare for fights, and generally will do poorly if they do not. Preparing poisons or traps and learning weak spots is a good start. They are good at blending in as a variety of personality types with their mind so void of their own ego, therefore they are good at existing around other humanoids in order to gather information without raising suspicions.
Again, I want them to be rather real-life realistic, so the resource to use abilities is simply movement speed, and this works in with the kit. Some tricks up my sleeve translated to in-game would be...
Poised for combat: basically the Alert feature, plus the ability to throw a small object quickly for a chance to give enemies disadvantage or subtractive rolls in the initiative phase, if able (concious). Gives advantage when trying to wake up for combat.
Master of Movement: Every action, reaction, or bonus action specific to the ninja class can be combined with 5 feet of movement speed to any unoccupied space. If the space is occupied, the ninja can spend 10 movement points and pass an appropriate acrobatics check to see if they can bypass the obstruction and land 10 feet away instead. Also, the ninja moves at normal speed while prone, can get up from prone IMMEDIATELY using only 5 feet of speed, moves normally over difficult terrain, and half speed over very difficult terrain. Starting movement speed for a ninja is 40, climb speed is 30, and swim speed is 30. This is literally the core of the power to the entire ninja build, and it might need some refining.
Taijutsu: This encompasses the concept of moving an opponent's body through space via skill, knowledge, and just the right amount of patience. Grappling is at advantage and/or higher dice roll, including from the prone position, and this negates the opponent's natural advantage on grappling a prone target, but not advantage they might gain from a special ability or feature, such as this one. Disarm is also at advantage or higher dice roll. This also gives the ninja to gain a free chance to knock an enemy prone if successful on a parry. Gives the ninja the ability to use acrobatics when faced with {most} athletics checks. Gives the ninja the ability to roll for dual restrained? condition on any target she successfully disarms (so disarms a knife and rolls it straight into a wrist lock that keeps both the enemy and the ninja in place). Not sure if restrained is the right way to go there. I also need help balancing the numbers.
Shuriken Spread: Roll to hit a few enemy targets (number goes up with level), if they are in a cone up to 20 feet away. If a hit, causes one damage plus shuriken damage modifier, and attempts to apply whatever poison is on the shuriken. There is a chance this will cut the ninja throwing them and forcing a poison save. Costs an extra 5 movement.
Alchemy is Life: Bonus to Alchemy checks or numbers and allows the ninja to use a variety of mundane or alchemical material found in the environment (encourages that world building talk) to use for alchemy effects. This starts at level one. Mundane material for a purpose might be feces on a shuriken (eww), or a thunder stone and good singing to shatter a window. This also makes them proficient in creating poisons of all kinds, given that they have studied the knowledge for it.
Pressure Points: After making some SENSIBLE preparations before battle with the dm concerning the anatomy of their foes, ninjas can pick out weak points which may shut down the faculties of the target. If making an unarmed strike, they can choose to spend 10 movement points WITHOUT MOVING to turn that attack into 3 very quick attacks (3 for one), same hit dice, and each successful attack does a different, escalating negative effect. First strike does double unarmed damage and takes away reactions, the second stuns until the end of the target that was hit (not forever like a monk), and the third hit if successful causes the target to go unconscious for 1d4 rounds. All count as simultaneous so that the 3rd strike doesn't gain advantage from the stun on the second.
Acrobatic Toss: Use body mechanics to throw an opponent to the ground, or throw a weapon for extra damage. Uses 5 feet of extra movement on top of wherever the ninja lands. This can make up for some damage they won't be doing otherwise, but they are designed more for utility and tactics, anyway.
Small Talk: Ninjas gain advantage when asking for information from non-hostile npc's, and increased passive perception on listening for gossip/putting together town stories while around other humanoids. They study psychology related to facial movement, so advantage on insight checks.
Of course the ninjas would get a lot of stuff rogues have, such as evasion or cunning reflexes, and tiny bit of fortitude from a monk-like background. They can be any alignment except chaotic evil. They will have generally trained at schools, like monasteries but have a connection with the underground. Their main things are acrobatics, stealth, perception, deception, investigation, etc. I feel like if you made it this far, you get the point.
So may I run this thing with your non-magical campaign? Thanks for your time and consideration.
-Brennus Alchemvitch