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I have no problem with that at all. I encourage it, really.
The only flavor that matters, IMHO, is the flavor the player gives his character. The vast majority of characters aren't aware that classes exist, much less that they have one and what it is; they're just aware of their capabilities.
Classes are just collections of abilities and skills, not identities ... a game mechanic to be used, in concert with other game mechanics, to realize a character concept. You can be a Monk (class) without being a monk (concept), a Barbarian (class) without being a barbarian (concept), and yes, even a ninja without being a Ninja.
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I second zhayne; I refluff archetypes/PrCs frequently. I can appreciate it when mechanics reflect the fluff (without necessarily being bound by it).
The names must be kept for book-keeping reasons (on you character sheet at least) but you have no need to call yourself a rogue/fighter/whatever. In a gameworld, most of those labels make no sense (fighter would generally be termed mercenary/soldier, rogue could be thief/mercenary/thug/detective...). It's the same for most classes, so go wild! A reasonable GM will run with it AS LONG AS YOU DONT ASK THEM TO CHANGE THE MECHANICS. That's where stuff gets complicated.
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I am going with Zhayne on this one. I find a way to make the mechanics fit my concept. Sometimes that is easy both in flavor and crunch. Sometimes you have to work at it to make it work. I am a bit wierd though I dont demand role play reasons for every mechanical choice. I am capable seperating flavor from crunch especially when it comes to ability scores. Even I have my limits though and give the stink eye to cheese. What is cheese though is also up to the individual or group.
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You can call yourself a ninja and play any classes you want really. I recall in Jade regent ap, they had a chapter about various ninja clans using different type of ninjas ranging from wizards, sorcerers, clerics, ninja, samurai and inquisitors. Inquisitor make good ninjas, they have a lot of skills and the bane ability does come in handy to assassinate a target.
Zhayne said it all.
Classes and class features are just means to and end, not the end itself. You should always picture what you want your character to be like and then take the appropriate mechanics (including class levels) to match your concept.
"Official" flavor is a nice suggestions, but that's all it is. A suggestion. It's you, not the books, who creates your character's flavor.
As Zhayne put it... You don't have to be a Paladin (class) to be a paladin (Champion of Good), just like you don't have to be a Witch (class) to be a witch (caster who curses people). Which is why I always use capital letters to indicate I'm talking about the class, not the character concept.
That's why I don't worry too much about class flavor. I prefer classes that allow me to reflect their "official" flavor, but do not restrict me to it.
Flavor and mechanics should go hand and hand. What your character can do matters, not the name of their class and feats. You can be a ninja without having levels in the ninja class just as a wizard can be an alchemist without alchemist levels. A magus or alchemist sounds more like your type of ninja.
I've even heard of GMs allowing players to "refluff" their magic as sort of technomancy-type stuff for an Eberron game.
Does your GM allow psionics? An electricity-based psion or wilder might be right up your alley.
i did think about the magus first, but the spell list is terrible. this character is going to be an electromancer. basically uses electric based attacks with a few great utility spells.
Erm, if there's ONE thing the Magus is good at it's being an "Electromancer with a few great utility spells".
Erm, if there's ONE thing the Magus is good at it's being an "Electromancer with a few great utility spells".
i did think about the magus first, but the spell list is terrible. this character is going to be an electromancer. basically uses electric based attacks with a few great utility spells.
I was about to say. Shocking Grasp is the Magus' bread-and-butter, and they can do crazy damage with it.
I'm currently PLAYING a stealth-themed, shocking-grasp using magus with a scimitar (refluffed as katana). It is SWEET. I've got a jingasa, and kikko armor, and +24 to stealth. Even without spells I'm largely invisible. It's fun. I also got crafting feats, so I have a few little "clocwork spies" to scout ahead of me.
Kensai could make it more ninja-y as well. Pick any wep you want and don't rely on armor. Plus awesome initiative to leap into action. I guess you want some sneak attack in there somehow tho.
1) Shocking grasp is almost literally chidori from naruto. It's their staple spell and they do enough damage to make a sneak attacker cry.
2) Magi have a pool of points allowing them to enchant weapons that could easily be refluffed as a chakra or chi pool.
3) Magus spell list consists of blasts, defensive buffs, invisibility, and crowd control spells like obscuring mist and grease -- the kind of spells a mystical ninja would have.
4) Magi have Use Magic Device as a class skill, making it very easy to cast scrolls.
5) Spell combat allows them to attack an enemy and then ninja vanish on the same turn. Then they can reappear to deal a high-crit, spellstrike, shocking grasp that's almost assuredly a hit, making them excellent assassins.
6) There's even an archeype that turns them into a specialized katana swordsman.
7) You can refluff their spellbook into a mystical scroll they study from.
How do they NOT make good ninja? The only thing wrong is that they can't use shuriken.
the issue with magus is that,it deals much better damage but you lose out on a very powerful spells only available to wizards/sorcerers. i like the kipool because it adds extra versatility to the character, and since i have so few spells to toss out the invisibiliy as a swift action and not needing to spend points in umd for spells like Protection from Energy, Communal and other spells.
Ultimately, you're never going to find a character that fits ALL your needs. Magus performs some of the roles well, sorcerer would provide other. You can go the eldritch knight route (be sure your GM accepts early access), and have certain advantages, and certain loses. Your ki pool will suffer though, since you've only got 2 levels of ninja. Note: I would be careful about taking crossblooded, since it gives you an unavoidable -2 on ALL will saves. Deeply unpleasant.
the issue with magus is that,it deals much better damage but you lose out on a very powerful spells only available to wizards/sorcerers. i like the kipool because it adds extra versatility to the character, and since i have so few spells to toss out the invisibiliy as a swift action and not needing to spend points in umd for spells like Protection from Energy, Communal and other spells.
Magus fairs way better than a standard ninja in the magical department. They can add spells from the wizard/sorcerer list. The magus also has a pool of energy they can spend on enchanting weapons, recalling used spells, and other special abilities via Magus Arcana.
I have two views on this one.
On the one hand, when there is flavor text given in a book, I feel the rules need to represent that flavor as accurately as possible (and when they don't, I tend to change the rules so they do)
On the other hand, I have no issues with reflavoring a rule to represent something else. My only issue is when a rule doesn't accurately represent the associated flavor.
Personally I would go with Ninja/Sorcerer/ Arcane Trickster route, taking advantage of your SLA for quick entry (believe it would be Ninja 3/Sorcerer 1/ Arcane Trickster X)
I vouch for everyone who's mentioned what Zhayne stated. The classes/feats/spells/options are all just tools for you to use to achieve what you want your character to do. Remove all of the pre-existing thoughts of what you or others might have on a class, and let your imagination fly. You may be surprised. (:
How does increased caster level work anyway?
This is going to sound horribly sarcastic, but isn't intended to be.
It increases your caster level. Any time the game references your caster level, such as with a spell's range, duration, or other effects, that number is higher. You don't get any more spells, or higher level spells, but the spells you can cast are more effective.
For example, a Wizard 1/Fighter 2 has the Magical Knack trait; his caster level, as a wizard, is 3. If he casts Magic Missile, he gets two missiles. If he casts a spell with a duration of 1 round per level, it lasts 3 rounds. However, he only has the spells of a 1st level wizard (so no 2nd level spell access).
That's what I originally thought but the eldritch knight says its + level of spellcaster level adds to all sorts if things INCLUDING spells per day so for your example the wizard would have access to second level spells and since I'm away for work I couldn't check my books to see if + X caster level (trait/feat/magical item) functioned mechanically differently to the + x SPELLcaster level of that class.
It helps if you take the actual wording.
"+1 caster level" vs "+1 level to existing spellcasting class" (which, in context, is located on a table under the words Spells per Day).
As in, you're actually gaining a level in that spellcasting class (for the purpose of spells per day, spells known for a Spontaneous caster, and anincreased caster level).
It says it right there under "Spells per Day" in the PrC.
At the indicated levels, an eldritch knight gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an eldritch knight, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Caster level, however, is clearly defined in the rules.
A spell's power often depends on its caster level, which for most spellcasting characters is equal to her class level in the class she's using to cast the spell.
You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question, and all level-dependent features must be based on the same caster level.
In the event that a class feature or other special ability provides an adjustment to your caster level, that adjustment applies not only to effects based on caster level (such as range, duration, and damage dealt), but also to your caster level check to overcome your target's spell resistance and to the caster level used in dispel checks (both the dispel check and the Dc of the check).
Hope that clears up any remaining confusion.