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Old 08-27-2010, 04:38 AM   #42
pst
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Default Re: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 12: Ninja

Kudos on DF:Ninja. Lots of fun stuff there! I agree with everyone else that it really succeeds in making Ninja separate from other classes. I bought it even though I didn't think I would have use for ninja characters at this time, and I don't regret that a bit!

I have three comments about things that are not totally clear to me. None of this is really a problem.

* Prerequisites with plusses

I find what seems to be to be unnecessary "+"'s confusing when prerequisites for the Ninja Abilities are listed. Lethal Weapon for instance has "Ninja Talent 3+" (with plus) and "Ninja Tools 2" (without plus) among its prerequisites. Of course having "Ninja Tools 3" is no hinder, so what does the "+" really signify? Wouldn't just "Ninja Talent 3" mean the same?

The reason this becomes confusing (to me) is because then I guess that "Mind Shield 1+" being the prerequisite for "Ninja Talent 1+" could just mean that "NT 1" is enough for any level of MS (which I would prefer to have seen as "MS 1" being the prerequisite). Otherwise I would assume this was shorthand for MS 1 having NT 1, MS 2 having NT 2, MS 3 having NT 3, etc.

This also applies to the prerequisites for Ninja Tools 3+. If just "Ninja Talent 2" is meant, that would have been clearer to me.

* Ninja Tools with climbing spikes

Climbing spikes are given as an example to use with Ninja Tools, but actually they weigh so much that only a really strong Ninja would be able to do this. No problem, the Climbing Spikes in DF1 are for hands and feet, so it's really four objects. Then two of these four ought to be able to get, and with two Ninja Tools you should be able to get the whole set, right?

* Own no more than can be carried

I see some tension between this vow and that ninja with lots of Ninja Tools will want to buy lots of stuff that they don't carry around. When Ninja Tools is used it turns out what particular items was actually carried, but the rest is still in a cache somewhere? It's probably best not to think much about that, but how should the vow be enforced mechanically? If a ninja has paid for lots of stuff to use as Ninja Tools, is it enough if he could carry them all with extra-heavy encumbrance, even though he never would dream of actually going around with that much encrumbrance?

In that case it shouldn't pose much of a problem, since he still could have bought about 100 items to be used as Ninja Tools. (100 items at maximum Tool weight is approximately his extra-heavy limit. He will have some other equipment as well, but then many Tools will weigh less.)
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