[3.P] What makes a ninja?

[ImperatorK]

As the title says. What abilities do you think make a (hopefully competent) ninja (not the class but the archetype) in D&D?
Disclaimer: Although I do mean a fantasy ninja, I don't mean a Naruto ninja.

[SneeR]

Hide in Plain Sight, Sneak Attack, Poison Use, Teleportation, etc.
I feel like the CA Ninja got it pretty much right on the basics; they just didn't take anything nearly far enough.

[Yirrare]

I would focus it a lot on sneaky play. Hide and move silently are a given I take it. I would make sure it had proficiency with swords (katana, wakizashi etc.) and bows. I also agree with SneeR about what he wrote.
I realize my mind is picturing a mundane ninja, so I can't really help with fancy stuff right now. I'll be back if I think of something else.

Best Regards
Yirrare

[StreamOfTheSky]

Sneak Attack / Assasination
Fast movement
Flash step style teleporting (or moving between shadows)
Su stealth that makes you just plain vanish from sight (invisibility, but should eventually be impossible to see through by any means) and nondetection
Ability to do skirmishing / hit and run really well
Poison use
Some limited (but just as potent as any spellcaster's for the few things they get) magical attacks and abilities (depends on what source you're looking at, could be an area fire blast, mirror images, etc...)

[nijineko]

are you interested in historically accurate input? noting that you are looking for a 3.x fantasy version of a ninja, i was wondering if the real life comparison might be of value as one of multiple measuring sticks.

[Prime32]

• Incredible speed and agility (possibly up to Flash Steps or running on walls/water), combined with a skirmisher fighting style. Actually better in difficult terrain, since it doesn't slow them down but they can use it to hide. Also includes landing on their feet and treating all jumps as running jumps.
  
• Hiding in one spot for long periods without being noticed or getting tired/hungry. Even if that spot is underwater or otherwise inhospitable; they'll just use a reed as a snorkel or something.
• Finding/making secret entryways to buildings and hiding in the ceiling.
• Use of distractions to escape or attack from another angle.
• Skill with light weapons (both melee and thrown); sometimes they use katana but those ninjas could have a dip in fighter or samurai.
• Skill with unusual weapons that are hard to defend against, like kusari-gama and giant shuriken.
• Can create (or at least use) exotic poisons and smoke bombs. Think James Bond gadgets, but lower tech.
• Master of disguise, either mundane or magical.
• Can split into multiple bodies, each with a fraction of their power.
• Constructing traps (covered pits, tripwires connected to guillotine blades, etc.). Usually only a specialist in this field is able to do it fast enough to be useful, but most ninja know enough to give a building a security system.
• Retcon combat (i.e. "you didn't hit me, I knew you would do that and switched myself with a dummy"), possibly combined with boobytraps like making the dummy explode.
• Can fly around on a giant kite.

[veekie]

Shortest way to phrase it: Rogue-based gish.

[Jackinthegreen]

I'm iffy on calling them true gishes, but the more I think on it the more it seems to work.  Admittedly though, they don't use true spells so much as spell-like or supernatural abilities.  If we get away from gishes requiring actual spells then it's fine.

One thing to keep in mind though is the ninja feats presented in Dragons 342 and 351.  They -might- be enough to bring it up to T4.  I did a review of them here but didn't do color coding or anything.  Alas, some do seem to be based on the Naruto style of ninja including needing to have hands free to do the jutsu, but it's possible Naruto wasn't a precedent for that and such ninja abilities were thought of and talked about before then.

The heart of the archetypal ninja would probably be using supernatural dexterity and abilities etc to confound the enemy and make a quick kill as well as scout out targets and strike when the time is right.  Perhaps we should make lists of discrete abilities we think of when we think of ninjas?

[veekie]

Well, it's like a spell, all the way down to special gestures. Just a bit more concealable than classic D&D spellcasting(since ninja gestures are generally a lot more disguisable or at least less blatant).

[littha]

Real life, ninja. Alchemy use for smoke bombs and poison use, some sneak attack varient. No Su or Sp abilities.
Lightly supernatural: abilities include running up vertical faces or short ranged teleportation, hide in plain sight and silent movement
Moderate supernatural: darkness manipulation, weak elemental attacks, invisibility, move silently.
High supernatural: Naruto-esq, high elemental blasting, strong Illusions, Time/space manipulation, generally spellcaster like.

I would personally build some sort of progression from the first to the latter throughout a class. Possibly with a manuver/spellcasting mechanic that slowly changes from Ex to Su/Sp abilites as you gain levels.

Final Fantasy XI had an interesting ninja class, its Ninjutsu used varying kinds of fireworks and powders for what looked like spells.

[Herobizkit]

Psychic Warrior + Monk = pretty much all you'll ever need to make a ninja with eerie powers.

[nijineko]

are you interested in historically accurate input? noting that you are looking for a 3.x fantasy version of a ninja, i was wondering if the real life comparison might be of value as one of multiple measuring sticks.

i guess not. if you change your mind, i know some excellent resources (in english) that are praised in japan for their accuracy and veracity.

[SneeR]

are you interested in historically accurate input? noting that you are looking for a 3.x fantasy version of a ninja, i was wondering if the real life comparison might be of value as one of multiple measuring sticks.

i guess not. if you change your mind, i know some excellent resources (in english) that are praised in japan for their accuracy and veracity.

As a writer, I would be very interested in those!

[Elevevated Beat]

are you interested in historically accurate input? noting that you are looking for a 3.x fantasy version of a ninja, i was wondering if the real life comparison might be of value as one of multiple measuring sticks.

i guess not. if you change your mind, i know some excellent resources (in english) that are praised in japan for their accuracy and veracity.

Same as SneeR said above, I would be interested in these resources if it's not too much trouble? *bats eyelashes*

[bhu]

In life ninja were mercenaries paid to do what teh Samurai couldn't be seen doing.  They were spies and saboteurs who also performed arson and creating political upheaval.  Some did do murder but it was the bandit type "ambush them in the mountains" approach, or poison.  Basically they got any military job seen as dishonorable or that would render it's performer impure n the eyes of the various religions.

[nijineko]

In life ninja were mercenaries paid to do what teh Samurai couldn't be seen doing.  They were spies and saboteurs who also performed arson and creating political upheaval.  Some did do murder but it was the bandit type "ambush them in the mountains" approach, or poison.  Basically they got any military job seen as dishonorable or that would render it's performer impure n the eyes of the various religions.

that is actually untrue. wait till i get the source for you, and you'll see why.

[Halinn]

In life ninja were mercenaries paid to do what teh Samurai couldn't be seen doing.  They were spies and saboteurs who also performed arson and creating political upheaval.  Some did do murder but it was the bandit type "ambush them in the mountains" approach, or poison.  Basically they got any military job seen as dishonorable or that would render it's performer impure n the eyes of the various religions.

that is actually untrue. wait till i get the source for you, and you'll see why.

Why not wait with posting until you have the source to quote? Until then, you pretty much just posted the equivalent of "You're wrong, I won't explain why."

[nijineko]

In life ninja were mercenaries paid to do what teh Samurai couldn't be seen doing.  They were spies and saboteurs who also performed arson and creating political upheaval.  Some did do murder but it was the bandit type "ambush them in the mountains" approach, or poison.  Basically they got any military job seen as dishonorable or that would render it's performer impure n the eyes of the various religions.

that is actually untrue. wait till i get the source for you, and you'll see why.

Why not wait with posting until you have the source to quote? Until then, you pretty much just posted the equivalent of "You're wrong, I won't explain why."

a point, i guess i just don't want such a huge misconception to pass by unremarked. i can see the cover in my head, but that's no use to everyone. visual memory and all. so i'm asking the friend who let me borrow it in the first place to get me the author/title/isbn. said he would yesterday, but is being laggy about it.

[Solo]

As the title says. What abilities do you think make a (hopefully competent) ninja (not the class but the archetype) in D&D?
Disclaimer: Although I do mean a fantasy ninja, I don't mean a Naruto ninja.

He who knows will not tell; he who tells does not know.

[bhu]

In life ninja were mercenaries paid to do what teh Samurai couldn't be seen doing.  They were spies and saboteurs who also performed arson and creating political upheaval.  Some did do murder but it was the bandit type "ambush them in the mountains" approach, or poison.  Basically they got any military job seen as dishonorable or that would render it's performer impure n the eyes of the various religions.

that is actually untrue. wait till i get the source for you, and you'll see why.

Why not wait with posting until you have the source to quote? Until then, you pretty much just posted the equivalent of "You're wrong, I won't explain why."

Give him time.  I'm interested in seeing what he has given the enormous amount of complete and utter crap spread about ninjas and their abilities.