Alright, before anyone starts crying that this is a very bad concept, I want to at least make it viable.
I am very lucky to be using a stat array with an automatic 18 and a generally high rolling dice equation on roll20 thanks to my DM, so thankfully this'll not be as much of a pipe dream though I'm well aware of what I'll be looking at in terms of endeavor.
So with that, here are the rolled stats, I am starting off at level 10 with the ability score enhancements added in already.
Human Ninja 10
STR: 18
DEX: 19 (+2 from human)
CON: 13
INT: 12
WIS: 14 (+1 from level)
CHA: 16 (+1 from level)
Feats by level
Human: TWF
1: Weapon Focus (Katana)
3: Double Slice
5: Imp. Init.
7: Iron Will
9: ITWF
11: Imp. Critical
Ninja Tricks by Ninja level
2: Vanish. Trick
4: Darkvision (For that pesky concealment chance in darkness)
6: Feather Fall (Incase harcore parkour goes horribly wrong)
8: Combat Trick (Dodge, couldn't think of anything better at the moment)
10: Invis. Blade
Traits
Reactionary
2nd will probably be a +will trait
For basic equipment I'm thinking
2x Adamantine Katana
Likely 2x Effortless Lace, but between focusing on invisibility to get the +2 to attack and denying dex to AC, I think I'll be okay
Mithral/Darkleaf Armored Coat(depends on how GM rules the main material)
Boots of Speed
Cloak of Resistance for will and fort saves
Any better suggestions?
Ah, you're right about effortless lace, I was reading the first paragraph about it wrong
@Armored Coat: Coolness factor
Oh, before anyone writes up something too long, assume nothing from Unchained
Your Con is pretty light for a melee d8 class, but I'm sure you can afford a +2 Str/Con belt by level 10.
You can probably skip Double Slice. It's worth only a few damage on half your attacks, and you'll be relying on flanking for damage anyway. I'd replace it with either Toughness, or something to help you get into flanking, like Skill Focus (Acrobatics).
Since you're taking hefty penalties on attacks due to using two one-handed weapons, be sure you pick up the cracked pale green prism ioun stone for a +1 competence bonus to all attack rolls. It only costs 4000 gp, but it doesn't stack with Inspire Courage, so skip it if you have a bard in the party. You can get the same kind of stone for +1 to saves too, so that's a gimme.
Two adamantine weapons is probably redundant. I'd make one cold iron.
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I'd leave Wis at 13 and put it's level-up stat into Dex to bring it up to 18, pushing the racial +2 into Str for a 20. The extra +1 to hit is huge as ninjas generally have more issues with accuracy than anything else.
Get Armor Expert as your second trait so that you can wear a mithril breastplate. Technically you won't be proficient and will take the ACP as a penalty to all sorts of stuff... but with Armor Expert the ACP is -0, so it's moot.
To help with will saves - just get the clear ioun stone/wayfinder combo. That makes you immune to most of the worst will save stuff.
Like all SA classes - you should grab a pair of Deliquescent gloves - they're not bad for most anyone for the boosted damage - and they give you the option to SA with touch attacks against highly armored targets.
If you shift a 13 into Int - you may consider trying to squeeze in Moonlight Stalker.
Feather Fall is unneeded as an ability. If it really worries you - a ring of it is cheap - just put it on before any parkour (and frankly - by 10 the Levitate & Fly spells will replace most parkour).
Another point:
Your damage is coming primarily from sneak attack, which is not multiplied on a crit. So unless you plan on eventually picking up effects that activate on crits, Improved Critical is probably not worth it.
I figured I'd be pretty okay as far HP goes between the armored coat and invisibility. Should I maybe grab shadow clone trick for mirror image clones?
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I figured I'd be pretty okay as far HP goes between the armored coat and invisibility. Should I maybe grab shadow clone trick for mirror image clones?
It depends how much you invest in AC. If you don't invest much - shadow clones are extremely handy for survivability. If you do invest in it (like if you go for my mithril breastplate suggestion) - it's not really needed.
Mmkay, I'll keep that in mind
Moonlight Stalker tree actually looks pretty attractive, but it needs racial low-light/darkvision unfortunately and I'm pretty devoted to human.
I'm thinking of going with the full Blind-Fight tree as well
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Mmkay, I'll keep that in mind
Moonlight Stalker tree actually looks pretty attractive, but it needs racial low-light/darkvision unfortunately and I'm pretty devoted to human.
Lucky for you Heroes of the Wild came out recently and all you have to do is give up your extra skill point to get it (along with some other neat stuff).
The character has a mystic connection to one terrain type, selected from the ranger's favored terrain list. The character selects three 0-level druid spells and one 1st-level druid spell. If the character has a Charisma score of 11 or higher, when in the selected terrain, she gains these spells as spell-like abilities that can be cast once per day. The caster level for these effects is equal to the user's character level. The DC for the spell-like abilities is equal to 10 + the spell's level + the user's Charisma modifier. These spells are treated as being from a fey source for the purposes of the druid's resist nature's lure class feature and similar abilities. In addition, select two of the following skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Fly, Knowledge (nature), Perception, Perform, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Swim, or Use Magic Device. The selected skills are always class skills for the character. Lastly, the human also gains low-light vision. This trait replaces skilled.
On the topic of HP
Are there any worthwhile Rogue Talents I should get with the human favored class bonus? If not I'll just be dumping them all into HP since I'm already getting 10 ranks per level
Also, should I think about getting feint feats incase of monsters with blindsense/sight (forget which is the more precise one)
Pressure Points, Slow Reactions and Shadow Clone are my favorite Tricks.
Is there any reason why this character isn't a Stygian Slayer? You'd be much more effective with it and still be able to go invisible and stuff.
If I do end up using this character it's gonna be for a more casual sorta game, my friend is running Jade Regent as her first campaign ever, and I don't wanna get into triple multiclassing and confusing her with what I'm getting from where. I just wanna make a fun and silly character concept that's still viable, and by Akerlof's calculations it looks like I am! I just need to sort out peripheral stuff now.
As for not being a Stygian Slayer, first I'd never heard of it before (for the following reason), and I just have an inherent distaste for the hybrid classes. I don't fault anyone for loving and playing them, but to me they just leave a bad taste in my mouth.
In terms of feats and ninja tricks, after the suggestions made so far, this is what I'm sitting at
Feats
Human: TWF
1: Weapon Focus (GLORIOUS NIPPON STEEL/Katana)
3:Improved Initiative
5: Blind-Fight
7: Iron Will
9: ITWF
11: Imp. Crit. (Katana)
Ninja Tricks
2: Vanishing Trick
4: Darkvision
6: (Tentatively Shadow Clone)
8: (Not sure at the moment)
10: Invisible Blade
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Seems fine to me. The best build ever? No - but solid and extremely playable.
The only thing is that IF you do want Moonlight Stalker (as you mentioned before) - you could have it by the time you hit 10 if you have one of your Ninja Tricks be the Combat Feat to give Combat Expertise, and then take Moonlight Stalker in place of Iron Will.
Especially since you'll already have Invisible Blade when you start - an extra +2 to hit/damage when concealed is rather handy.
(Of note - you will probably feel less potent after the first few levels of the campaign as levels 10-13ish is often considered the ninja's sweet spot because you get Invisible Blade @ 10, but by 13ish more and more enemies are able to see past your invisibility via true seeing/blind-sight etc.)
Should I grab some feint feats after improved critical then? I think there's one for two-weapon fighting that lets me forgo the first attack to feint right?
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Should I grab some feint feats after improved critical then? I think there's one for two-weapon fighting that lets me forgo the first attack to feint right?
If you get Moonlight Stalker you can grab Moonlight Stalker Feint for a single feat, and even against True Seeing you can just break a Smoke Pellet for 20% concealment (though not against Blind Sight). Though admittedly - feinting isn't all that great without Greater Feint.
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I would drop darkvision for forgotten ninja trick. The rare times you need it the cost is high, but you can use other talents in the same way.
For the unset talents
Minor magic - acid splash
Major magic - true strike
Then kick in dispelling strike after 10.
Afterwards
Opportunist
Evasion
Redirect attack
Would it be worth to use favored class bonus to get rogue talents or use it for HP instead since it seems that's a pretty big concern?
Would it be worth to use favored class bonus to get rogue talents or use it for HP instead since it seems that's a pretty big concern?Yes, and like the others have suggested, Improved Crit is largely wasted with what you've got planned.
Yes to HP or Talent?
@Crit: I debated getting power attack when first starting out, but I've tried twfpw once upon a time, so I figured imp. crit would be a better alternative. Plus I feel it would help to keep my damage up whenever I can't go invis, flank, or generally sneak attack
1) Invisible blade means sneak attack anything without see invisible
2) Sniper Goggles really help out on ranged attacks.
/cevah
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Improved Crit is never a waste when you have a ton of attacks...like a TWF build: doubling your static bonuses adds a lot of damage, even if it doesn't double your sneak damage. In this case a primary hand crit adds 1d8+9 (assuming a +7 STR, see below). That is significant damage.
Find a way to fit Toughness in, and then use your favored class bonus for extra HP: your CON is low for a melee character.
STR is your primary stat. Start with a 19 and use at least one level boost to get it to 20.
With two +2 weapons and a +4 STR belt @ level 10:
+7BAB +2Magic +7STR +1WF -2 TWF = +15/+15/+10/+10 (1d8+9, 15-20/x2, +5d6)
Moonlight Stalker tree actually looks pretty attractive, but it needs racial low-light/darkvision unfortunately and I'm pretty devoted to human.
blood of dragons trait can give you lowlight vision for that prerequisite. with reactionary as the first it would really flavor your character nicely. just my: (penny)(penny)
As for not being a Stygian Slayer, first I'd never heard of it before (for the following reason), and I just have an inherent distaste for the hybrid classes. I don't fault anyone for loving and playing them, but to me they just leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I am now curious why that would that be. I have found the Hybrid classes filling some concepts I was looking for in other class/multiclass builds and wasn't able to pass off other things.
I love the ninja, and would like to see more compatibility integration. (EDIT: sorry i'll leave unchained out of it... forgot to do so till I was correcting my first post.)I like the Ninja build you have here: it looks to be something fun. I hope it works out well.