Monk Halfling Path of the Ninja Spy

[eddie_storm]

Ok I thought I would play a little bit with the new predetermined paths Turbine has given us.

Now unless you havent been reading the paths are named for the PrEs that are in the works for us. These PrEs can very easily change the role of a class. So I want to figure out what they might have in mind. I have not gone very far yet, only level 2 but so far I haven't seen any information of this nature.

Halfling Lawful neutral
Str: 13
Dex: 16
Con: 12
Int: 14
Wis 12
Cha: 8

Level 1
Feats: Dodge, TWF
Skills: Balance 4, Concentration 4, Hide 4, Jump 4, Move Silently 4, Spot 2, Tumble 2
Level 2
Skills: Balance +1, Concentration +1, Hide +1, Jump +1, Move Silently +1, Spot +1

Obviously there is a lot more to this path than I have seen so far, only level 2 after all however I am a bit perplexed. Higher int than wis and raising rogue/ranger skills makes me very curious. I presume there is something we will be using that int for other than increased skill points, since it will come at the cost of wis(AC)

[Maegin]

Ok I thought I would play a little bit with the new predetermined paths Turbine has given us.

Now unless you havent been reading the paths are named for the PrEs that are in the works for us. These PrEs can very easily change the role of a class. So I want to figure out what they might have in mind. I have not gone very far yet, only level 2 but so far I haven't seen any information of this nature.

Halfling Lawful neutral
Str: 13
Dex: 16
Con: 12
Int: 14
Wis 12
Cha: 8

Level 1
Feats: Dodge, TWF
Skills: Balance 4, Concentration 4, Hide 4, Jump 4, Move Silently 4, Spot 2, Tumble 2
Level 2
Skills: Balance +1, Concentration +1, Hide +1, Jump +1, Move Silently +1, Spot +1

Obviously there is a lot more to this path than I have seen so far, only level 2 after all however I am a bit perplexed. Higher int than wis and raising rogue/ranger skills makes me very curious. I presume there is something we will be using that int for other than increased skill points, since it will come at the cost of wis(AC)

High int? perhapps a death attack? would make sense for a ninja.

[Symar-FangofLloth]

Well, Ninja Spies (from the Oriental adventures book, which I think is 3.0) get the following.

You must be nonchaotic and nongood (unlikely we'll see that requirement)
You need Bluff, Disguise, Hide, and Tumble skills.
You need the Dodge feat.
You need Evasion

3/4 BAB, Full Saves.
Huge list of class skills, and 6+Int skills/level.

Free Exotic Weapon Proficiency at levels 1, 3, 6, 9. (Doubt we'd see this feature; monks are already proficient with the only exotics they're likely to use.)
Ki Breath: Add ninja levels to Constitution score to determine holding your breath. (Maybe. Or maybe free Underwater Action?)
Poison Use. (Not applicable, unless they get an Assassin-like clicky.)
Slow Fall. (Monks already get, so we won't see that.)
Improved Evasion at level 2. (Probably at Tier 2, maybe 3, if at all.)
Sneak Attack: 1d6 at 2, 2d6 at 5, and 3d6 at 8. (I could see +1d6 Sneak Attack at each tier.)
+10 Balance, Climb, Tumble, and Jump at level 3, increasing to 20 at level 7. (I can see this, though maybe not as high, or in a clicky form like Acrobat's Showtime.)
Leap of the Clouds: at level 3, jump distance not limited by height. (I dunno about this... probably not considering monks already get a super jump at some point)
Hide in Plain Sight: at level 4. (Possibly. Rangers get it already.)
Water Walk: can walk on any calm liquid as if it were solid ground, but only at one move action per round. (I could see this as a Swim bonus, instead.)
Thousand Faces: alter self at will, at level 7. (No use in DDO)
Poison Immunity: at level 8 (Yeah, Tier 2 or 3.)
Slippery Mind: at level 9 (tier 3, I'd guess.)
Abundant Step: DimDoor 1/day. (I could see this, too.)


So nothing in there to say why the Int is higher, except maybe all the skills. But it is leaning towards a rogue-like ability set, with a little bit of Assassin and Acrobat.

[KristovK]

You DO realize that the preset paths are just off the shelf builds for newbs to use if they don't have a clue about how the game works, and only 28 pt builds at that, regardless of whether you have 32 pt open or not. There's no special abilities or skills or powers that you'll get later on that any OTHER build of that class can't get.

Oh, and the Path builds, for all classes, aren't optimal on the starting stats. They'll work fine in end game, provided you avoid anything over Normal setting.

[Uska]

I wouldnt count on these preset paths having anything to do with PrE's and just level a monk who would be better suited for them even if you have to use one of the reincarnatons.

[eddie_storm]

I do realize that the paths that turbine creates historicly have been lacking (being kind). But since they are putting an effort forth to fix that I want to put forth my effort to see how well they pan out. If we are going to stand and say turbines your paths are dodo we should test them and provide feedback so they do stink .

If any kind soul here has a 20 monk could you please do a LR and choose this path (I think that is possible) so we can see what the feat selection will be. Skill selection is pretty obvious after level 3 or so it is just repetitive. I would do it myself but my live monk is only 10

[Uska]

I do realize that the paths that turbine creates historicly have been lacking (being kind). But since they are putting an effort forth to fix that I want to put forth my effort to see how well they pan out. If we are going to stand and say turbines your paths are dodo we should test them and provide feedback so they do stink .

If any kind soul here has a 20 monk could you please do a LR and choose this path (I think that is possible) so we can see what the feat selection will be. Skill selection is pretty obvious after level 3 or so it is just repetitive. I would do it myself but my live monk is only 10

I would but I tr'd my monk before I could transfer a copy to lamania and is only 14 there now

[KristovK]

I do realize that the paths that turbine creates historicly have been lacking (being kind). But since they are putting an effort forth to fix that I want to put forth my effort to see how well they pan out. If we are going to stand and say turbines your paths are dodo we should test them and provide feedback so they do stink .

If any kind soul here has a 20 monk could you please do a LR and choose this path (I think that is possible) so we can see what the feat selection will be. Skill selection is pretty obvious after level 3 or so it is just repetitive. I would do it myself but my live monk is only 10

I'll see if I can and let you know.

*edit*

Ok, did a Greater Reincarnate on my 20th Monk, can't pick a Path, going to hazard a guess that Lesser works the same. You get to redo appearance and stats, even change class for 1/3 levels, but you can't pick a Path.

[eddie_storm]

bummer, thank you for trying. I really wish they would just give us the details about the new paths.

[FunkyGoose]

I'll see if I can and let you know.

*edit*

Ok, did a Greater Reincarnate on my 20th Monk, can't pick a Path, going to hazard a guess that Lesser works the same. You get to redo appearance and stats, even change class for 1/3 levels, but you can't pick a Path.

Paths are only for 28 pt builds, so you cant greater reincarnate into one of them, lesser reincarnate would work with a 28 pt build

...So sayeth the Funk...

[KristovK]

Paths are only for 28 pt builds, so you cant greater reincarnate into one of them, lesser reincarnate would work with a 28 pt build

...So sayeth the Funk...

Paths are for any new character, regardless of the points, I can create a new 32pt character and pick a Path, I just lose my 32pts for stats and get the 28pt the Path uses, which makes Paths a silly choice for anyone with 32+ build points. The Monk I used GR on is already a 32pt build, I MIGHT have a 28pt build, but it's not a Monk and that would be pointless for this purpose. I can reset all of my stats, but I can NOT pick a Path, and I'm going to guess it works the same with LR, the Paths are for new players who don't know what they are doing, and anyone who's using L/G/TR is probably assumed by the devs to know better and isn't offered the Paths since they are just a preset 28pt build model.

I WAS going to use the Veteran ability to create a new monk and level to 4, just to see how the Ninja path progressed, but that isn't working on Lamannia.