The Way of the Ninja

[SolarDawning]

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[Greydeath]

Monk 12, Ranger 6, Rogue 2

Monk13 > Rog2

(Myself, I like Holy, Acid Burst, and Good Blast).

... good luck with that

[SolarDawning]

Monk13 > Rog2

Why is that? There's no useful enhancements or class features at monk level 13, whereas a second level of rogue allows for dumping a lot more skill points into UMD.

... good luck with that

Typo. :P Acid Blast, obviously was the intended. Thanks for noticing that for me, so I can fix it.

[Eurytos]

I didn't read the whole thread, but don't get too excited with shortswords. Handwraps will be far better. Why?

• Cannot use Touch of Death with weapons, only Handwraps
• No such thing as a weighted 5% shortsword
• No ToD Rings (Granted there is greensteel)
• 2d10 vs 1d8 (Greensteel)
• Even with tempest and wind3, handwraps are faster
• Greensteel gets LS2, HW gets Touch of Death. ToD is much more reliable and versatile

While typing this, I thought it could be a fun light path build, but then you wouldn't get shortsword ki weapons, so meh.

[Razcar]

[...] along with the 25% miss chance that should give a second check when added to blur/displacement

"Ninja Spy Shadow Fade
Cost 15 Ki
Benefit: You focus your Ki and draw shadows around you, becoming invisible and partially insubstantial. 25% miss chance due to incorporeality. Counts as a dark move. "

That would make it very powerful, especially teamed with Displacement. With a Smoke Screen GS item you would have 20% concealment and then 25% from Shadow Fade. Pop a Displacement scroll and you'd have 25% and 50% miss chance. Very powerful when fighting trash mobs, and on Epic.

But I doubt it will give another check after concealment. If it does it might have another limitation, like expiring when attacking (just like invisibility does). But we'll see, unless a dev might enlighten us before please.

[Eurytos]

It says "becoming invisible," if that works like the invisible spell, it would be removed after starting a fight anyway.

[Arkat]

Where?

Use the Dev Tracker in the top left portion of the page.

[SolarDawning]

It says "becoming invisible," if that works like the invisible spell, it would be removed after starting a fight anyway.

Pretty much, there's two things that would have to happen first before I'd build this character.
1: Touch of Death fixed to work with a weapon equipped.
2: Confirmation (from Lamannia, when the patch goes up) that the incorporeal miss chance on Shadow Fade does not end when the invisibility effect is cancelled by combat.

[Arkat]

Despite the fact Ninja Spy is a Dark Monk PrE and Touch of Death is a Dark Monk ability, something tells me the fact Touch of Death won't work with weapons is intended and therefore, won't be "fixed."

Sorry.

[SolarDawning]

Despite the fact Ninja Spy is a Dark Monk PrE and Touch of Death is a Dark Monk ability, something tells me the fact Touch of Death won't work with weapons is intended and therefore, won't be "fixed."

Sorry.

Here's my train of thought on it:
When Touch of Death was first in testing, it did work with kamas.
However, it hit twice when used with kamas and the Two-Weapon Fighting feats.
As two Touch of Death's for the cost and cooldown of one was clearly not the intended result, it was changed before it went live to not work with weapons equipped. (The only applicable one at the time being Kama)

I see that as something of an emergency kludge fix, and still hope that the intended functionality of the ability would be for it to work with weapons equipped, but only hit once.

[Greydeath]

Why is that? There's no useful enhancements or class features at monk level 13, whereas a second level of rogue allows for dumping a lot more skill points into UMD.

Skill points are irrelevant since you already have more than enough to max all your Rogue skills if you so desired.

Rog DEX? Get better options through Ranger...
Rog SA Accuracy? No way it should be needed

I guess there is Rog Trap Lore for the ones not already covered by Ranger

Ergo - what ARE you getting from Rog2? And therefore at least Monk offers Diamond Soul and more HP.

[Kriogen]

I didn't read the whole thread, but don't get too excited with shortswords. Handwraps will be far better. Why?

• Cannot use Touch of Death with weapons, only Handwraps
• No such thing as a weighted 5% shortsword
• No ToD Rings (Granted there is greensteel)
• 2d10 vs 1d8 (Greensteel)
• Even with tempest and wind3, handwraps are faster
• Greensteel gets LS2, HW gets Touch of Death. ToD is much more reliable and versatile

While typing this, I thought it could be a fun light path build, but then you wouldn't get shortsword ki weapons, so meh.

You forgot full STR bonus for offhand and no -2 attack penalty.

[SolarDawning]

Skill points are irrelevant since you already have more than enough to max all your Rogue skills if you so desired.

Class skills are only class skills for the class you are taking that level in. Each point in say, UMD put in with a monk level costs 2 skill points, and doesn't allow for more than about 12 total ranks in the skill.
If a rogue level is taken last, then the skill points earned on that level can be used to full effect, and up to the maximum skill ranks of 23.

[Aganthor]

Simply put- this is a DPS similar to the Exploiter build, except remaining centered and fighting with greensteel shortswords due to the Ninja Spy path.

To my knowledge, you can't be centered while wielding non-monk weapons! And shortswords aren't monk weapons...

[Arkat]

To my knowledge, you can't be centered while wielding non-monk weapons! And shortswords aren't monk weapons...

You don't know about Eladrin's posting of Ninja Spy I do you? Use Dev Tracker and try to keep up.

[Aganthor]

You don't know about Eladrin's posting of Ninja Spy I do you? Use Dev Tracker and try to keep up.

I will go to sleep tonight feeling more intelligent

Here is the link -> Ninja Spy

[geoffhanna]

What about a Drow Monk/Favored Soul to add the Vulkoor ss enhancements along with the ninja? You'd get self healing too plus fighter BAB.

[Kriogen]

What about a Drow Monk/Favored Soul to add the Vulkoor ss enhancements along with the ninja? You'd get self healing too plus fighter BAB.

You need to be Monk 6 min to take Ninja PrE.
You need to be FvS 8 min to take Divine Power to have full BAB. FvS is 3/4 BAB class.

And Divine Power gets you full BAB anyway.

[drsmooth]

What about a Drow Monk/Favored Soul to add the Vulkoor ss enhancements along with the ninja? You'd get self healing too plus fighter BAB.

I was thinking Drow 13/6/1 FvS/Mnk/Rog-you could even possibly fit in the future Scorpion Wraith Pre with Ninja Spy.

[Valindria]

If you didn't see:

Shadow Fade lasts one minute, and grants invisibility and 25% incorporeality. Attacking will break the invisibility portion, but the incorporeality portion will linger for the full minute.