GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 12: Ninja

[pst]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Not really a big deal because . . . well, it's cheesy, but: Your wealthy, high-level ninja's ninja suit does have Weapon Holder or Superior Weapon Holder (p. 17), right? And you won't bother owning many caltrops, nageteppo, shuriken, etc., because you can use Ninja Tools to summon them as needed – effectively for free, since they're expendable (thrown away) and within the $50 limit – and they'll never count against what you can carry.

Maybe someone would bother to own many special shurikens etc. that won't be within the $50 limit, like the ones on p. 19. And generally be prepared for anything with lots of variants. Silver shurikens, meteoric shurikens, Flaming Shurikens of Penetration, Shurikens of Slaying Giant Insects, etc. And lots of expensive grenades of all kinds. It seems like a munchkin mind wouldn't stop finding things he "needs" for sale if the alternative is giving the money away.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by pst

It seems like a munchkin mind wouldn't stop finding things he "needs" for sale if the alternative is giving the money away.

That's why the whole thing is worth points, of course. If there was nothing you needed – if you could use all your special abilities freely without ever owning gear – then a disadvantage limiting how much gear you can own wouldn't be a disadvantage. The entire challenge here is to be well-equipped but not to go so bonkers carrying gear that you can't move, you violate your Vow, and your clan and powers turn against you. This is easily accomplished by having a ninja suit and lots of Ninja Talent for the big stuff, and limiting all the rest to small stuff. It isn't as if 100 small items like 0.1-lb. shuriken, 0.2-lb. nageteppo, and 0.5-lb. caltrops and poison vials will amount to much anyway . . . 20-30 lbs. of stuff at most.

[Dragyn]

Originally Posted by Kromm

That's why the whole thing is worth points, of course. If there was nothing you needed – if you could use all your special abilities freely without ever owning gear – then a disadvantage limiting how much gear you can own wouldn't be a disadvantage. The entire challenge here is to be well-equipped but not to go so bonkers carrying gear that you can't move, you violate your Vow, and your clan and powers turn against you. This is easily accomplished by having a ninja suit and lots of Ninja Talent for the big stuff, and limiting all the rest to small stuff. It isn't as if 100 small items like 0.1-lb. shuriken, 0.2-lb. nageteppo, and 0.5-lb. caltrops and poison vials will amount to much anyway . . . 20-30 lbs. of stuff at most.

But then you can't have a secret Ninja Hideout stocked up with all those extra nifty gadgets!! ;)

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Fragwulf

But then you can't have a secret Ninja Hideout stocked up with all those extra nifty gadgets!! ;)

Oh, sure you can! As the book says, you're supposed to demand your share of loot so that you can give it to your clan. What do you think the clan does? Why, it builds secret ninja hideouts!

—

More seriously, I don't think limits on how much you can own are all that severe in DF. Between things like ninja suits and DF 8's bottomless containers, and all the best armor being lightened anyway, it's a pretty weak limit. Add in the ability to buy up ST to carry more and it becomes essentially "color." The characters it hurts most aren't light-weapons masters like the ninja, but "heavies" like the holy warrior, who might actually want a couple of suits of plate armor.

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

First off, I'm chou busy so I don't have time to individually respond right now - but I'm glad so many of you liked and commented on the book.

Originally Posted by Kromm

Ah, I see what you're saying now. Not new special abilities of the DF 11 kind – which are already here – but limit waivers of the DF 3 variety. Hm, how about:

Ninja can buy unlimited Ninja Talent [10/level] – there's always a more skillful master hiding somewhere. This makes it possible to improve certain Ninja Training abilities above the usual limits: one level of Enhanced Parry, Killing Strike, or Silence per two full levels of Ninja Talent, or one level of Enhanced Dodge or Super Jump per three full levels. Additional options: Extraordinary Luck [30] and improving Weapon Master (Ninja Weapons) [35] to full Weapon Master [45].

I'd like to avoid giving them raised DX, Basic Speed, and Basic Move caps so that the thief, swashbuckler, and scout, respectively, keep their unique traits. Like the martial artist, the ninja is supposed to accomplish his impressive feats through training (high weapon skill, Weapon Master, Super Jump, etc.), not gross physical stats.

I endorse this completely. I didn't realize I never explicitly uncapped Ninja Talent - I wrote it assuming you can buy as much as you wanted. I like Kromm's addition very much.

[Kuroshima]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Ah, I see what you're saying now. Not new special abilities of the DF 11 kind – which are already here – but limit waivers of the DF 3 variety. Hm, how about:

Ninja can buy unlimited Ninja Talent [10/level] – there's always a more skillful master hiding somewhere. This makes it possible to improve certain Ninja Training abilities above the usual limits: one level of Enhanced Parry, Killing Strike, or Silence per two full levels of Ninja Talent, or one level of Enhanced Dodge or Super Jump per three full levels. Additional options: Extraordinary Luck [30] and improving Weapon Master (Ninja Weapons) [35] to full Weapon Master [45].

I'd like to avoid giving them raised DX, Basic Speed, and Basic Move caps so that the thief, swashbuckler, and scout, respectively, keep their unique traits. Like the martial artist, the ninja is supposed to accomplish his impressive feats through training (high weapon skill, Weapon Master, Super Jump, etc.), not gross physical stats. As for Extra Attack . . .

Yeah, this exactly. However, on the capped stats, you've got more than one template with greater than normal maximum stat: the wizard (max 25), the elementalist (max 25), and the sage (unlimited).
Also, Will is also shared by the cleric (Max 25), the demonologist (max 25), and the necromancer.
Strangely, no template has increased maximum Per... (not that it fits the Ninja).

Oh, and the innkeeper can get max 25 in one (and only one) attribute. I certainly don't see why an innkeeper can have more max DX than a ninja... However, I understand that the innkeeper is a special case.

Personally, I might consider that a level or two of less sleep ought to help making the requirements for Ninja Training a little less punishing. (Otherwise, a ninja adventuring with non-ninja will be the character that is always missing FP from lost sleep). In fact some sort of Doesn't sleep, that works for a single night, with a long recharge time (like, a week) would work. That, or special ninja drugs/stimulants that help shake off the fatigue, but have unpleasant side effects, AND when their duration finishes, make you lose the FP you gained using them, plus a surcharge.

What about:

Mezameru-kaikon*
Also known as Wakeroot, this short tubers allow the ninja to do without sleep when needed. Each consumed tuber restores 1 FP lost due to exertion or missed sleep. However, 6 hours after consuming the last tuber, the ninja suffers twice as much fatigue as was restored with the help of merameru-kaikon, and all of it is considered to be due to missed sleep. Tubers must be chewed for a minute to gain the effect, and up to ST/4 tubers can be chewed at the same time. $50, 0.2 lbs per tuber.

*I know absolutely zero Japanese, I used an online translator, so it might sound real funny or even be complete gibberish. If someone knows a better name, feel free to suggest it.

EDIT: Also I feel that some sort of ninja drugs/stimulants/self-buffs would be great for ninja... It could be grounds for an interesting Pyramid article...

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Oh, sure you can! As the book says, you're supposed to demand your share of loot so that you can give it to your clan. What do you think the clan does? Why, it builds secret ninja hideouts!

. . . which make awesome dungeons for ninja-hating parties and parties of ninja raiding another ninja clan. All that loot gets spent on a lot of deathtraps . . .

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

However, on the capped stats, you've got more than one template with greater than normal maximum stat: the wizard (max 25), the elementalist (max 25), and the sage (unlimited).

Also, Will is also shared by the cleric (Max 25), the demonologist (max 25), and the necromancer.

That's mostly because all spellcasters are basically variations on the standard GURPS theme of "IQ + advantage," so raised IQ limits are pretty much fitting for them all, and raised Will limits are there to spice that up a little for casters who turn things/dominate Special Friends as often as they cast spells.

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Strangely, no template has increased maximum Per... (not that it fits the Ninja).

The scout does (see DF 11).

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Oh, and the innkeeper can get max 25 in one (and only one) attribute. I certainly don't see why an innkeeper can have more max DX than a ninja...

Because he spins bottles and shakers, and balances martini glasses on his head.

Mainly, though, we're trying to make the ninja different from the thief. It's important. The thief is kind of an "also ran" profession. Letting him be the DX-master really underlines the difference. Throw him a bone!

Remember that this ninja is a combat-capable gadgeteer, not a flashy showoff. His main shticks are having cool gear and using it well. Being all speedy and agile and flashy is a swashbuckler or martial artist thing. Again, we're trying to protect niches.

[tg_ambro]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Ah, I see what you're saying now. Not new special abilities of the DF 11 kind – which are already here – but limit waivers of the DF 3 variety. Hm, how about:

Ninja can buy unlimited Ninja Talent [10/level] – there's always a more skillful master hiding somewhere. This makes it possible to improve certain Ninja Training abilities above the usual limits: one level of Enhanced Parry, Killing Strike, or Silence per two full levels of Ninja Talent, or one level of Enhanced Dodge or Super Jump per three full levels. Additional options: Extraordinary Luck [30] and improving Weapon Master (Ninja Weapons) [35] to full Weapon Master [45].

Nice! I've saved this to my Kromm extras folder (right next to the Anti Talent and such) and I have a question, is there any possibility this will be errata'd into DF 12? I'm pretty sure this wouldn't happen anytime soon as Low-Tech and Horror are sucking up all the brains, but it'd be cool if it were.

[Gurps Fan]

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

*I know absolutely zero Japanese, I used an online translator, so it might sound real funny or even be complete gibberish. If someone knows a better name, feel free to suggest it.

"Mezameru-" is the attributive form of the verb mezameru, which can be followed by a noun: kaikon (塊根) here. Therefore, at least syntactically, there's no error in "Mezameru-kaikon".

However, although tuber crops are common kinds of food in Japan (as in other countries), kaikon in the sense of "tuber" sounds too scientific -- it's a modern, biological term. Further, personally, defining a tuber crop as a stimulant sounds a bit unnatural.

I'd define it as a ninja drug and name it nekome-gan or somesuch. Nekome means "cat's eye", and here it implies that the drug lets the user be active at night. Gan here means "pill"; other possible translations of "pill" includes jōzai, yakujō, etc., but gan sounds more old-fashioned and mysterious than them.