[Dungeon Fantasy] Non-East Asian inspirations for Martial Artists (and Ninja)

[sir_pudding]

I had Shadow Elves as the source of ninja in my DF game, FWIW.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I had Shadow Elves as the source of ninja in my DF game, FWIW.

The Noble Dead book series had a distinct ethnic group of elves, the An'Croan ("of the blood"), who lived largely in isolation. Their anmaglahk ("thieves of lives") caste are basically ninjas - adept at stealth, killing, and advanced unarmed martial arts skills (they'd absolutely have Judo and Karate in GURPS), and they can even develop supernatural abilities related to stealth (their most competent members, the greimasg'ah - "shadow-grippers" - are able to merge into shadows and travel through them, although there's always the risk of losing oneself and outright ceasing to exist when doing so; one of them also trains a lesser anmaglahk how to do precision archery blind, based on feeling air currents, so they've clearly got other esoteric abilities as well).

So, yeah, isolated elves as the source of ninjas can work pretty well.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

The Templars and Hospitallers, and perhaps other holy fighting orders, had three social grades of soldiers. There were brother-knights from aristocratic families in western Europe, and brother-sergeants* also from the West but lacking the aristocratic status, and as a third class "turcopoles" recruited in the East (and not entitled to retire to comfy commanderies in the West when their tours of duty in Outremer were done, but paid instead). Turcopoles were more lightly armed than knights and sergeants, but there is, sadly, no reason to suppose that they were taught esoteric unarmed fighting arts.

_____

* "Sergeant" meant "servant" at the beginning of the relevant period.

In practice sergeant seems to have meant armsman in English. In fact the German Feldweber is a more accurate description of a modern sergeant: he "weaves the field" (I.E. sews the formation together).

[jason taylor]

If I remember Savate was a refinement of brawling techniques and was used by French sailors going into port.

[warellis]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I had Shadow Elves as the source of ninja in my DF game, FWIW.

The ones from Mystara?

[Infornific]

If you're looking for inspiration for ninja aside from East Asia, the Order of Assassins might be a good starting point. It's a religious order so you've got a justification for mystic skills and abilities in addition to conventional assassin skills.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by warellis

The ones from Mystara?

No, I don't even know anything about ninja in Mystara.

Originally Posted by Infornific

If you're looking for inspiration for ninja aside from East Asia, the Order of Assassins might be a good starting point. It's a religious order so you've got a justification for mystic skills and abilities in addition to conventional assassin skills.

Presumably the assassin is a more logical fit there?

[Infornific]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

No, I don't even know anything about ninja in Mystara.

The Shadow Elves are kind an alternative to the Drow from the Known World/Mystara. That is, an underground offshoot of Elves with distinct special abilities. It's an interesting take.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Presumably the assassin is a more logical fit there?

Did not know there was an assassin template. The poster was asking for non-East Asian inspirations for Martial Artists and Ninjas, so that's why I suggested the Order of the Assassins. The idea is that the alternative would have chi or chi adjacent skills and powers, so the Assassin template seems a poor fit.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Infornific

The Shadow Elves are kind an alternative to the Drow from the Known World/Mystara. That is, an underground offshoot of Elves with distinct special abilities. It's an interesting take.

You'd have to ask Kromm then. These were the ones from DF3.

[KarlKost]

Originally Posted by Infornific

If you're looking for inspiration for ninja aside from East Asia, the Order of Assassins might be a good starting point. It's a religious order so you've got a justification for mystic skills and abilities in addition to conventional assassin skills.

The european Templars or Teutonic Knights could fill that role, as would the Ottoman Janissaries. Sure, those are more commonly paired with Paladins/Mystic Knights, but those were also infiltrators and assassins just as much as the Ninjas were (which is why I prefer "Assassin" as a "class"/template rather than "Ninja").

Originally Posted by Infornific

Did not know there was an assassin template. The poster was asking for non-East Asian inspirations for Martial Artists and Ninjas, so that's why I suggested the Order of the Assassins. The idea is that the alternative would have chi or chi adjacent skills and powers, so the Assassin template seems a poor fit.

"Chi" is just a name. It can just as easily be replaced by "Pneuma" (greek) or "Spiritus" (latin). Ninjas are infiltrators and assassins; that's no different from roman legionnaires speciallized in those functions.

The Ninja template is an assassin template; if you wish to add exotic or supernatural traits to it, that's what it is. "Shadow powers" for instance may be a thing for some secret assassin organizations - not much from different from a Mages Guild teaching spells, or the Alchemists Guild teaching potions.

For example, the Elder Scrolls games (Oblivion, Skyrim etc) have the Assassins guild, and those arent nipponic "ninjas", and they still teach many regular and supernatural abilities.