Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aricanius 10-02-05, 09:24 PM	I'm starting a campaign with a DM who isn't too keen on the idea of allowing a ninja into the campaign, though he has allowed it. I figured I could explain it by having him come from a tribe of elves who are generally secretive and only a select few become adventurers. The ones that do are forbidden to speak about where they came from or speak of their abilities. I'm wondering if anyone else has ran into a situation similar to this and how they might have handled it.
psudodevil 10-02-05, 10:40 PM	I've never encountered a situation like this but I guess you could use the old fall-back position: He/she is a traveler from a distant land... You could have been from a monk school, where you were the oddball because of your unusually use of ki. Or you could ignore the fact that ninja's have strange mystic abilities and just say that you trained with elite assassins.
Gingerbread Guy 10-03-05, 01:35 AM	The difficulty with incorporating the ninja into a game is that it has a distinctly asian feel to it, whereas most D&D worlds are more european in flavour. If you want to look at the ninja class as just a set of abilities, however, its a lot easier to deal with. To make life easier for your DM, I suggest trying to distance yourself from the stereotypical ninja in the following ways: 1. Change the associated vocabulary. Use the word "family" instead of clan, "technique" instead of ki power, and so on. Call yourself an "agent" or "operative" or anything other than "ninja". Since this isn't Japan, the word "ninja" doesn't really hold any significant meaning. 2. Blend in. Use common weapons, such as long and short swords, axes, or whatever. Maybe work with your DM to trade some of your exotic weapon proficiencies into other proficiencies. Think about what you really want to accomplish: If you really want to be a guy with black pyjamas who throws shuriken around, then maybe this isn't the right game for that character. Believe me, you don't want to be "that foreign guy" in the group. It gets boring FAST, and it is a constant thorn in the DM's side if he's trying to portray any kind of verisimilitude in his campaign. If you just want to try the class out, then maybe try to work with some of the above suggestions so that you can have fun without giving your DM a headache. ~Ginger
Sluagh 10-03-05, 01:12 PM	I'm playing a game with a Ninja in it now actually... in Forgotten Realms. The player is trying to play up the stereotype something fierce and has gotten his character into a bit of a personality clash with a couple of the other characters... He's hidden his being a ninja from the start, but was recently caught in his ninja clothes in our camp. Of course, seeing this odd figure in the camp, he was almost killed by a couple of us until he revealed his identity. Now he won't give any kind of explanation as to what he is, why he didn't tell us of his weird pajamas and fighthing skill set, etc, so there's a heavy air of distrust towards him. So, basically, what I'm saying is: Ninja don't always fit in with the setting. I'd go with the idea that Gingerbread gave and avoid the concept and make it more western (really, they're a subset of Rogue, nothing more). That will make it work with the setting better.
Pagan Saint 10-03-05, 05:15 PM	A ninja is difficult in a eurocentric campaign world, and perhaps it would be easier to simply abandon it and settle for a rogue or monk. But if you're dead set on the ninja, than perhaps it could be a sort of rogue variant. An elite assassin who uses his powers to be a kind of bounty hunter or killer-for-hire. Change the name. Perhaps your DM could put in an aligment requirement, such as any non-good. That way the common-people in the kingdom wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a rogue (a sneaky guy who kills and steals) and a ninja (likewise, a stealthy guy who kills and steals). Or maybe your character is from a foreign kingdom. If this place will never come into play in the campaign, most reasonable DMs will let you make it up off the top of your head. Maybe this world resembled ancient Japan, China and Korea. Or maybe it is a mysterious kingdom ruled by a repressive government. Anyone who speaks out against the ruling body is quickly silenced by... guess who? That's right, the ninjas. Kind of like Stalin's secret police; expert killers and enforcers. Tell your DM about whatever ideas you have, and try to work it out. Make it realistic, and no DM will have a problem with it. Anyways, there's my advice. Creativity and communication should do the trick. ;)
Satori 10-06-05, 03:48 PM	Ok, let me fill you in on some info that modern day Ninjutsu historians have figured out. 1. Most, if not all, Ninja were also Samurai. They simply performed dirty, sneaky, and distasteful tasks for their lord...tasks that sending an army for would cause a lot of problems. 2. Ninja rarely EVER roamed around in the black get up you see in movies. They primarily wore peasant clothing when spying and worked farmer/labor jobs. 3. The Ninja-To has been shown to NOT EXIST. Ninja that performed tasks for their lord carried Katana. Individual Samurai would modify their blades or use false scabards, but not a completely separate, Ninja only weapon. 4. The word "Nin" "Ja" means, roughly, "One who Perseveres". This is EASILY translated to other languages for cultural translation, even though many people latch on to "Ninja" like drug addicts. 5. Ninja rarely, EVER performed assassinations. They were mostly used as imperial gardeners for information gathering and the occasional "oops" with equipment or supplies. So...what do we have left? A soldier that performs sneaky work...hmm...sounds a lot like a Fighter/Rogue. Or maybe a Ranger. Or maybe a Fighter/Ranger/Paladin that cross classes skills for dirty work. In all honesty, the "Ninja" Core Class from CA is better converted to a "Divine Agent" type, with all "Ki" crap turned into "Divine Gifts". Everyone else offered solid ideas, so I don't think I really need to add anything.
Benjamin Regis Death 10-06-05, 09:35 PM	i had a little bit of trouble for a wee bit but once i explained the versatility of such a character and the adptability he agreed :D
Pagan Saint 10-07-05, 10:55 PM	Ok, let me fill you in on some info that modern day Ninjutsu historians have figured out. 1. Most, if not all, Ninja were also Samurai. They simply performed dirty, sneaky, and distasteful tasks for their lord...tasks that sending an army for would cause a lot of problems. 2. Ninja rarely EVER roamed around in the black get up you see in movies. They primarily wore peasant clothing when spying and worked farmer/labor jobs. 3. The Ninja-To has been shown to NOT EXIST. Ninja that performed tasks for their lord carried Katana. Individual Samurai would modify their blades or use false scabards, but not a completely separate, Ninja only weapon. 4. The word "Nin" "Ja" means, roughly, "One who Perseveres". This is EASILY translated to other languages for cultural translation, even though many people latch on to "Ninja" like drug addicts. 5. Ninja rarely, EVER performed assassinations. They were mostly used as imperial gardeners for information gathering and the occasional "oops" with equipment or supplies. So...what do we have left? A soldier that performs sneaky work...hmm...sounds a lot like a Fighter/Rogue. Or maybe a Ranger. Or maybe a Fighter/Ranger/Paladin that cross classes skills for dirty work. In all honesty, the "Ninja" Core Class from CA is better converted to a "Divine Agent" type, with all "Ki" crap turned into "Divine Gifts". Everyone else offered solid ideas, so I don't think I really need to add anything. In case you didn't notice, Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy roleplaying game, based on myths, pagan and Christian religion and generally Western beliefs. Considering that Wizards is mostly a North American and European company, it comes as no suprise that they base D&D on typical (perhaps ignorant, yes) beliefs that our culture has. The black-pyjama ninja happens to be one. Go up to the average American (or Canadian, German or Italian, for that matter) and tell them that ninjas were actually samurai who did their lord's dirty work, and you'll have a lot of them scratching their heads. Many of us who are not ninja historians do not know much more about ninjas that what we see in cheesy martial arts movies, in which they are all too often depicted as the stereotype. Thus, the logical conclusion is that the ninja class presented in Complete Adventurer is based on inaccurate stereotypes, and is thus crap (alas!). But then, so is the cleric (no one can perform supernatural effects with faith, no matter how many Wiccans and saints claim that they can). So are the wizard, sorcerer, wu jen, shugenja, druid, warlock, archivist, incarnate, warmage, monk, dread necromancer, favoured soul, spirit shaman, bard, paladin, ranger, psion, pychic warrior, hexblade, soulknife, soulborn, totemist and artificer classes if you look at it from a totally realistic view. And if what you say is true, than the samurai class in Complete Warrior is also incorrect, as "ninjas" were actually samurai who perform rather "chaotic" acts. Thus, the samurai lawful only requirement is wrong, destroying the class's accuracy (oh no, not another). So don't complain. It is a fantasy game, after all.