Hey everybody,
My buddy is doing a homebrew campaign and I wanted and got permission to play an uncommon race and decided to go with Sylph. I wanna go with a ninja as I feel like this would be a fun build to play with my race. I'd like some general ideas of how to go about building him. Archery is a definite, along with throwing stars/daggers. Stealth obviously with sneak attack. And I'd like him to not be completely helpless in melee since my DM has a nasty habit of forcing ranged characters into melee situations. And I will most likely be a utility character as well so I can't exactly pitch my int out the window, as I'll need it for skills. So what I'm looking for is ability scores, along with feat path ideas and general advice. Thanks -CoBA
Also, I have a 25 point ability score allotment.
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Well, they get a constitution penalty, so be sure to pump that up in the initial build. I'm assuming you're using the Advanced Race Guide? They have an alternate racial trait that gives +4 stealth, so you'll definitely want that.
As for a ranged ninja, I can't really help you there. Sneak attacks are the main source of damage for rogues and ninjas, and they're notoriously tough to get at range. The most obvious routes are probably really high initiative (high dex, Improved Initiative, Reactionary trait) and Vanishing Trick, so you can routinely attack from invisibility. But other than that, I don't know what to recommend.
As for a ranged ninja, I can't really help you there. Sneak attacks are the main source of damage for rogues and ninjas, and they're notoriously tough to get at range.
I was actually considering the sniper feat tree for help with sneaking from range but it's been awhile since I've played so id have to reread the rules on that one
For a ranged sylph ninja, there is a very good solution similar to that for a ifriit!
Take the racial feat that let´s you see through fog and the like, then either spend a lot of feats/talents to get a fog spell or crossclass one level. Alternatively buy a wand of obscuring mist.
Later on i would totally take the feats that let you fly.
The trick with obscuring mist is the placement, which can be very difficult in dungeons etc. Either put the enemies into the cloud or yourself. Yourself is the better option, since the rest of the party can then see.
Flurry of Stars ninja trick with a wand of abundant ammunition might also be a good thing for you!
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While for the first couple of levels you can switch back & forth between archery and throwing, once you start getting magic weapons, you'll want to go one or the other.
From a pure ranged perspective, a longbow will wimply do more damage. The advantage to throwing is that you can still melee reasonably well, but to be good at both takes a full 6 feats (PB/Precise/Rapid/weapon finesse/TWF/quick draw) plus a blinkback belt.
So if you're going straight ninja, I'd reccomend focusing on just the longbow. (I'm actually planning a throwing ninja in an upcoming campaign, but I'm having to dip into swashbuckler & monk to get up to snuff - using flurry in place of TWF.) Until high levels, vanishing trick can get you out of melee a lot of the time as they don't get AOOs if you have concealment.
Just as a general ninja tip (many I've seen don't do this) use vanishing trick at the end of your turn instead of the beginning. This allows you to take advantage of it defensively for your turn, then get sneak attack at the beginning of your next turn.
Oh - and as a slyph who wants to be able to run away well - you may consider the Like the Wind trait - trades in your electric resistance for +5 ft movement.
