I finished the trip with my magic party ( BTW, it was easier than the musclepower game ) and now I think about a new try ( expert difficulty ) .

I have a human gadgeteer, mook bard, gnome ninja, dracon valkyrie, rawulf alchemist and fairie bishop in my group.

For my ninja I want to build up only 3 skills : critical strike, throwing and ranged combat. I'll give him all throwing weapons I can get in both hands so I think, dual weapons will get up automatically.

Has anyone played a ninja that way ? Any suggestions ?

Thanks.

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The bommerang shuriken is really good for one of the throwing weapon so I would suggest that. The other throwing weapon would have to be "perishable" and there are several possibilities.

You won't find enough throwing items early in the game. So at the start of the game, use a sling to train throwing, until you have a good chance to hit. Save thrown ammo until later, or for harder fights.

I've created my Ninja with throwing weapons only now. The group reached Arnika and is ready now to claim Cierdan's weapon. I bought tons of throwing weapons from Anna, so I'm not afraid to run out of "ammo". My critical strike skill has reached 40, but up to now I couldn't score a critical hit.
I really hope, I don't need a VERY high critical skill for my ninja.

BTW:
As mentioned I'm playing expert. It is strange too, that my valk with a polearm skill beyond 40 often cannot hit a paralyzed highwayman.

So please tell me , what skill is necessary for critical strike to see the message "Instant Kill" more often ( than never ) ???

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The most you can get is a total of 125 in Crit and that'll actually equate to a 6% chance of causing an instawhack (1% when you get the skill, 1% for every 25 Skill points thereafter). Then level difference, crit resistance, armor, etc. are factored in. If you want to increase chance to hit, Dex, Sen and Str all figure into that equation. Weapon choice can also help, although not a lot of thrown weapons have a very high IK%.
As far as your Valk; close combat skill? And once again, Dex, Sen and Str, and check her load. And level difference.

The ClC skill of my Valk is 40, too. I build up both skills equal from the beginning. STR is 88 now. Her lvl is 8. No problems with load. Dex and SPD are both 63.

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she musta been rolling low...

Personally I think a Ninja with throwing only is a waste of a slot. Lots of ammo needed, low damage and few crits compared to other classes.

I cant recall the crit % of the Boomerang Shuriken but I am sure it isnt very high, add that to the max crit % at skill 125 and its under 10%, and will take a long time to get up to the 125 skill.

Whereas equip almost any char with the Staff of Doom and you have a killing machine.
The Crit % on the weapon seems so much more important to the way the game cals whether you get a crit that for me I focus on the weaps and the skill in them, the crits just seem to come then as the char level increases.

My Ninja ( no fairie) is lvl 8 and learned the staff & wand skill, too.

The last levels I put all my skillpoints into throwing and critical strike. Not too bad, I think, because many enemies were killed by powders or potions .
I thought , a ninja with high SPD and DEX and maximized Critical Strike equiped with Boomerang Shuriken and a second throwing weapon could score many more instakills than a ZatBo. And I find the ZatBo late in the game ( the way I play it ). I do not join the Umpani this time and therefore I cannot buy the Hayai-Bo from Kunar early.

Auto-penetrate was very useful up to now and it was easy to raise the dual weapon skill.

But who knows ? Maybe I change the weapon later in the game .

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I assume everybody has heard about Atlus 7 who has done some spotlights about the various classes? They have generally been well received.

He's updating his Ninja spotlight. One of the things he mentioned is that Ninjas using throwing weapons will always hit at short and extended distances so Throwing and Ranged Combat skills can be left until other skills, eg critical strike, are maxed.

I have a preview of it saved as a Word file which I'm happy to contribute.

Two things, are you allowed to attach Word files on this forum and, if so, how is it done? The alternative is to go to Kraggy's Bored Wiz8 website and find the thread. I think he calls himself Seven now but could be wrong.

EDIT: Forgot to say that the Ninja build is for a Martial Arts Ninja so it may not be too everyone's taste.

[ 02-25-2004, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: Krull ]