Ninja (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
The ninja is a playable character class
in the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
book. In a review of the book, reviewer Ashley Shepherd commented: "The ninja is a class that everybody has had a go at designing. The 'official' version is the most satisfactory yet. It is not a whole character class, but a split class available only with one of the other new classes, and weaker than you might suppose, with fewer hit points, skill restrictions, and the possibiliy that the whole ninja clan might hunt you down if you fail in your appointed mission."
dedicated to the ninja class, was released in 1995.
made its debut in the Complete Adventurer
supplemental book.
The ninja class is a class that favors stealth over sheer combat prowess. It is intended to come into the fray unseen, attack furiously and then depart without a trace. Relatively weak in a straight up confrontation, the ninja excels when it takes its foes by surprise. In this way it shares a large similarity with the Rogue
.
The most prominent ability scores are:
No published race currently uses the ninja as a favored class.
and the monk
from the core classes. The ninja gets 6 + INT skill points per level, which is almost as many the rogue gets, and the ninja's sudden strike ability is comparable to the rogue's sneak attack. The sudden strike may seem weaker since flanking an opponent is not sufficient, but the ninja can become invisible and use sudden strike from a distance, which the rogue usually cannot do, making the ninja focus more on ranged combat than close combat.
The ninja class focuses on stealth and mobility. At higher levels, the ninja becomes extremely adept at climbing, jumping and tumbling, and is proficient with poison use. Unlike the rogue, most of the ninja's abilities cannot function while encumbered or wearing any type of armour; instead, the ninja relies on wisdom and insight to pre-emptively dodge any oncoming attacks, a feature shared with the monk.
The ninja class has kept with some common stereotypes of the ninja, most of which are reliant on the supernatural powers provided by the class to attain. For instance, ninja are adept at using an obscure energy known as ki to manifest special powers of stealth and movement. As ninja gain experience in the class, the power of ki is used to fuel abilities that allow them to turn invisible or even jaunt into the Ethereal Plane.
#404 (October 2011), the ninja appears as a build for the assassin class.
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
in the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The ninja class appeared in the original 1st edition Oriental AdventuresOriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
book. In a review of the book, reviewer Ashley Shepherd commented: "The ninja is a class that everybody has had a go at designing. The 'official' version is the most satisfactory yet. It is not a whole character class, but a split class available only with one of the other new classes, and weaker than you might suppose, with fewer hit points, skill restrictions, and the possibiliy that the whole ninja clan might hunt you down if you fail in your appointed mission."
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The Complete Ninja's Handbook, a sourcebook by Aaron AllstonAaron Allston
Aaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...
dedicated to the ninja class, was released in 1995.
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
The concept of a ninja was presented in 3rd edition as a prestige class titled the Master Ninja and went on as further prestige classes like the Ninja Spy from the 3rd edition Oriental Adventures. The first ninja base class produced by Wizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
made its debut in the Complete Adventurer
Complete Adventurer
Complete Adventurer is a supplemental hard-cover rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game system published by Wizards of the Coast.-Contents:...
supplemental book.
The ninja class is a class that favors stealth over sheer combat prowess. It is intended to come into the fray unseen, attack furiously and then depart without a trace. Relatively weak in a straight up confrontation, the ninja excels when it takes its foes by surprise. In this way it shares a large similarity with the Rogue
Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
.
The most prominent ability scores are:
- Dexterity: Ninja benefit from a high dexterity, since many of their skills use this ability and they are usually required to wear no armour.
- Wisdom: A ninja should have a high wisdom score, because it improves certain supernatural powers and bolsters defense.
No published race currently uses the ninja as a favored class.
Class mechanics
As previously mentioned, the class is mechanically similar to both the rogueRogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks...
and the monk
Monk (Dungeons & Dragons)
The monk is a playable character class in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A D&D monk is a fantasy martial artist, specializing in unarmed combat.-Dungeons & Dragons :...
from the core classes. The ninja gets 6 + INT skill points per level, which is almost as many the rogue gets, and the ninja's sudden strike ability is comparable to the rogue's sneak attack. The sudden strike may seem weaker since flanking an opponent is not sufficient, but the ninja can become invisible and use sudden strike from a distance, which the rogue usually cannot do, making the ninja focus more on ranged combat than close combat.
The ninja class focuses on stealth and mobility. At higher levels, the ninja becomes extremely adept at climbing, jumping and tumbling, and is proficient with poison use. Unlike the rogue, most of the ninja's abilities cannot function while encumbered or wearing any type of armour; instead, the ninja relies on wisdom and insight to pre-emptively dodge any oncoming attacks, a feature shared with the monk.
The ninja class has kept with some common stereotypes of the ninja, most of which are reliant on the supernatural powers provided by the class to attain. For instance, ninja are adept at using an obscure energy known as ki to manifest special powers of stealth and movement. As ninja gain experience in the class, the power of ki is used to fuel abilities that allow them to turn invisible or even jaunt into the Ethereal Plane.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
In DragonDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#404 (October 2011), the ninja appears as a build for the assassin class.