Ninjas as casters? 3.5

[Yeturs]

Where do you think ninjas would rank on the tier system if they had sneak attack (instead of sudden strike) and spellcasting?

The spellcasting would be the same as bards (for level gained and number per day and junk) but only go up to 4th level, be charisma (mabey wisdom?) based, and spells would be drawn from the assassin spell list.

It looks like that may be alot. How would you balance this so it dosent overshadow other things? Like, even fewer skill points? Less ki?

[Kaiyanwang]

You mean, sorta an Assassin PrC but for 20 levels...

[Yeturs]

I suppose, but keeping the ki powers and unarmored fluff of the ninja.

Mabey just easier to combine the two classes? I'm mainly wondering of that would raise them in power significantly. If so, where would they sit, if 10 is wizard and 1 is commoner?

[The Glyphstone]

Commoner's at least a 2, it gets Handle Animal. 1 would be Truenamer.

[Greenish]

Assassin spellcasting spread to 20 levels, tagged onto a rather poor chassis. That'll still be within tier 5, I should think.

Of course, you could just drop the homebrewing and take swordsage.

[Kaiyanwang]

Assassin spellcasting spread to 20 levels, tagged onto a rather poor chassis. That'll still be within tier 5, I should think.

Of course, you could just drop the homebrewing and take swordsage.

Well he could find some boost in the Nother ninja thread. Like, say, raise the number of ki points to 1/level + wis.

Or add more spell slots (cap to 5 intead of 4). With splat, assassins becomes nice IMO.

Drop sudden strike and add sneak attack.

Bonus ambush feats (Complete Scoundrel) at high level. Or a combination of all of these.

[For Valor]

I was thinking Beguiler casting w/ninja class features, spells being edited for flavor. Making Sudden Strike into Sneak Attack has always been a good idea, seeing as the stereotypical ninja is honestly a rogue that dresses in black.

[Greenish]

Well he could find some boost in the Nother ninja thread. Like, say, raise the number of ki points to 1/level + wis.

Or add more spell slots (cap to 5 intead of 4). With splat, assassins becomes nice IMO.

Drop sudden strike and add sneak attack.

Bonus ambush feats (Complete Scoundrel) at high level. Or a combination of all of these.Give it UMD as a class skill and we're starting to approach tier 4.

In tier 3, the swordsage is waving at you.

[lightningcat]

I've added shadowcasting ability (apprentice and initiate mysteries) using a bard-like caster progression to the CA ninja, and it seems to have worked, but I haven't got to try higher levels yet.

[Optimystik]

If he has magic at all, why on earth would he need ki?

I would just go the 4e approach (make ki = psionics) and make the Psychic Rogue be the Ninja.

[Escheton]

Just make a ninja/cleric
Your party never knew whathithealed them

[Optimystik]

Just make a ninja/cleric
Your party never knew whathithealed them

If "Dr. Ninja" is all you want, that's Shadow Sun Ninja's whole schtick.

[Zeta Kai]

Commoner's at least a 2, it gets Handle Animal. 1 would be Truenamer.

No, Yeturs was right; Commoner is 1 on the power scale, while the Truenamer is a 0. The Truenamer is always a 0.

[Optimystik]

No, Yeturs was right; Commoner is 1 on the power scale, while the Truenamer is a 0. The Truenamer is always a 0.

Gate at-will is a teensy bit powerful.