Earlier today, I wrote a post about Pirates, and now I’m writing one
about ninjas. It makes me want to ask the question: Pirate or Ninja? And, I can
honestly say my answer has always been neither. I don’t want to be a pirate,
and I don’t want to be a ninja. I would rather be a ranger. A ranger’s senses
and skill with a bow would stop a ninja before they ever got close and the pure
dual wielding styling would drop a pirate to the ground… in several pieces of
course.
But, this post isn’t going to be about my love for the ranger class. This
post is going to be about NINJAS!!!
…
(cricket chirps)
…
What? I can’t think very well at the moment!
Ninja’s are stealth assassins. The modern media and entertainment
industry would have the people of the world believe that ninjas are people who
ran around depressed up in black pajamas. This isn’t historically accurate.
If you were walking home at night you’re a little more alert than
usual. (I am anyway, kind of paranoid in fact.) And, if I saw somebody running
around in an all black outfit with a mask on I would freak the f*** out. That’s because dressing like that gives the
exact opposite effect of what a real ninja is trying to accomplish.
It’s a ninja’s job to blend into their surroundings. And, most of the
time that means dressing like a normal person, or dressing in a fashion that’s
going to help them infiltrate the organization they’re targeting. Say, for
example, they want to get into an office building late at night to deal with a
workaholic who’s about to crack the case of the missing crown jewels wide open,
then they’re probably going to dress as a janitor to get past security. Or they’re
going to dress as a security guard. And, if they want to make things real
complicated then they’ll go the black pajama route and enter the building from
the roof. Oh, and they’ll pretend guns don’t exist too.
Every time I think of a movie/tv show/comic where it shows ninjas in a
modern setting using only swords, daggers, and shuriken, it makes me think of a
scene in Indiana Jones. You know, the scene with the sword guy, the one Indy
shoots. Yeah, don’t bring a knife to a gun fight.
As for other things… my brain is trying to shut down for the day, so I’ll
hurry this along.
In my game, ninjas exist, but not technically. You’d have to look at
the rogue class or the assassin prestige class if you really wanted to find
one.
Why?
It’s because the ninja class offered in the Dungeons and Dragons source
material isn’t considered open content for the OGL. And, I’m too lazy, at this
point in time, to develop my own interpretation of the class.
I might do it later, if the Jade Isles (thank you Russell) then it will
be kind of necessary, as the Jade Isles are a Far East style setting.
Anywho, I’m checking out now.
Later kids.
Ryan
2-17-14
