Ever wanted to play a character that strikes to disable rather than to kill? Ever wanted to play a bounty hunter that pulls a Batman and beats the living bejesus out of thugs, but refuses to take a life? If so, then this is your (wo)man, right here.
Nobody does non-lethal quite like this build does. If you can start out adjacent to an enemy and take a full attack on them while they are still flat-footed (which should be possible, thanks to vanishing trick), their lights are practically out already.
Archetypes:
- Scout Ninja
- Martial Artist Monk
The scout archetype for rogues is a big help to this build. If you were wondering, James Jacobs has already confirmed that alternate classes can take archetypes, so you can definitely legally play a scout ninja. The monk archetype (if any) isn’t too important here, since you only take a single level of it. I slotted in martial artist so your alignment isn’t restricted.
Race:
- Human
Ability Scores: (+2 Str, +2 Dex / +2 Wis)
Epic Fantasy:
- Str: 14 -> 16 (5)
- Dex: 14 -> 16 (5)
- Con: 14 (5)
- Int: 10 (0)
- Wis: 14 (5)
- Cha: 14 (5)
High Fantasy:
- Str: 14 -> 16 (5)
- Dex: 14 -> 16 (5)
- Con: 12 (2)
- Int: 8 (-2)
- Wis: 14 (5)
- Cha: 14 (5)
Standard Fantasy:
- Str: 14 -> 16 (5)
- Dex: 14 -> 16 (5)
- Con: 10 (0)
- Int: 8 (-2)
- Wis: 14 (5)
- Cha: 12 (2)
Low Fantasy:
- Don’t. Just don’t.
If you thought the last build was needy when it came to ability scores, this character is going to be dumbfounding. Strength is your primary attribute, but you simply won’t be able to start with 18 if you want to be reasonably durable. AC is already not exactly the strong suit of this character, and lowering dexterity or wisdom any further will cripple you completely in this regard. Dexterity and wisdom supplement your AC, constitution gives you some extra (much-needed) HP, and charisma helps improve your ki pool. You could opt to gimp your charisma a bit to supplement your other scores, but I believe a more balanced approach will yield better results.
I wouldn’t even attempt this build in a low fantasy campaign.
Alternate Racial Traits:
- Dual-Talent – +2 Str, +2 Dex / +2 Wis (Human)
As usual, humans are one of the strongest choices mechanically. A strength boost is of paramount importance, since even with the boost you’ll only be at 16 in a best-case scenario. The second boost can go to either dexterity or wisdom, though personally I prefer the boost to the former. Half elf or half orc could work if you use the flexible boost for strength, but your AC will be worse than the human (and as I mentioned, it’s weak to begin with).
Skills:
- Acrobatics
- Stealth
- Use Magic Device
Acrobatics for Dragon Style, as per usual with a strength-based unarmed character. Stealth is another essential skill, since you’ll be slinking around in the shadows or invisible as often as you can. Use magic device isn’t required, but is highly recommended.
Progression:
- N1: Sap Adept
- M1: Improved Unarmed Strike*, Stunning Fist*, Dodge*
- N2: Dragon Style, Vanishing Trick**
- N3:
- N4: Dragon Ferocity, Combat Trick – Power Attack**
- N5:
- N6: Sap Master, Weapon Training – Unarmed Strike**
- N7:
- N8: Shadow Strike, Rogue Talent – Offensive Defense**
- N9:
- N10: Improved Initiative, Invisible Blade**
- N11:
- N12: Knockout Artist, Unarmed Combat Mastery**
- N13:
- N14: Enforcer, Advanced Rogue Talent – Hunter’s Surprise**
- N15:
- N16: Improved Critical – Unarmed Strike, Evasion**
- N17:
- N18: Deflect Arrows, See the Unseen**
- N19:
* Monk Bonus Feat
** Ninja Trick
There isn’t a lot of flexibility when it comes to feats, but there is a lot when it comes to your ninja tricks. You could however, move around the feats at levels 8 through 18 to suit your tastes. ALL of the ninja tricks listed here are great to have, so take them in whatever order suits you. There’s an argument to be made for taking Weapon Training – Unarmed before Power Attack, and taking Offensive Defense before either one might be worth considering too. You might also decide that invisible blade isn’t as worthwhile as the better unarmed damage, so you might grab Unarmed Combat Mastery when you hit level 11.
A second level in Monk is tempting, as it improves your flurry of blows attack bonus, all three saving throws, and slaps on an extra bonus feat. My line of reasoning in not taking the extra monk level is due to this character’s heavy reliance on sneak attack; the more monk levels you take, the lower your sneak attack is going to end up. The extra level is worth it mechanically though, so don’t hesitate if you want to go that route.
Traits:
- Quain Martial Artist
- Reactionary
- Group Fighter
- Blade of the Society
Quain martial artist is a no-brainer. Reactionary works great combined with your sneak attacks, allowing you to sneak (or charge) in and land a nasty hit or two before your enemy can get their footing. Group fighter will give you a better attack bonus when flanking enemies with your allies, which is always helpful. Blade of the society will increase your sneak attack damage by 1, but at the end of the day, that’s a drop in the pond for this character.
Favored Class Bonus:
- HP
- +1/6 of a new rogue talent?
You’ll have to talk to your GM about this one. A strict rules-nazi might declare that ninja tricks are technically not rogue talents, so you can’t take the extra 1/6 of a rogue talent favored class bonus. I think most reasonable GMs will allow it, but you never know. I’ve plotted out the build above assuming your GM is unfavorable. If they are favorable, just try to bump the rogue talents listed here down to an earlier spot. For the extra room that frees up later, consider taking deflect arrows, flurry of stars, and maybe ghost step.
The extra HP isn’t a strictly bad option though, so if earlier access to the good ninja tricks doesn’t appeal that much, you could always go that route.
How It Works:
This character can do unbelievable amounts of non-lethal damage when landing sneak attacks. Unarmed attacks are bludgeoning, and non-lethal unarmed attacks are… well… non-lethal bludgeoning weapons. What that means is that your unarmed attacks can benefit from sap adept, sap master, and of course, knockout artist, all of which dramatically increase your effectiveness when sneak attacking with unarmed attacks. At level 12 when you finally get all three, you’re looking at the following:
- Base SA: 6d6
- Sap Master: +6d6
- Sap Adept: +24
- Knockout Artist: +12
= 12d6 + 36 (48 – 108) (avg. 78)
That’s just the sneak attack damage, before unarmed damage dice and bonuses from enhancement, strength and anything else. Landing two or more hits, this character can easily clear 100 non-lethal damage. If they manage to land all their attacks, they’re likely looking at over 300.
Thanks to your monk level, you can use flurry of blows for an extra unarmed attack per round, and thanks to dragon style and dragon ferocity, it should be at a sizable damage modifier. Since you only have one level of monk, your AC doesn’t scale with level though, which leaves you in the dust defensively. Keep this in mind, and see if you can get an ally to throw a mage armor on you every day. Barkskin can make a big difference, and carrying a wand of shield for special occasions isn’t a bad idea, if you have use magic device.
This character is not without their weaknesses; undead (which are a common staple of many campaigns) and a few other creatures are immune to non-lethal damage, which turns this character from one of the most dangerous on the field into a squishier-than-normal monk. You’ll still have your sneak attack though, so if you position yourself well and use your vanishing trick to make yourself an unfavorable target, you should get by. Your damage will still be good, and should carry you through most combats, even if you can’t do what you were made to do. Check with your GM on what types of thematic enemies will be common in the campaign, if they’re willing to divulge such information.
Your gold should go primarily towards increasing your AC, as that is your biggest flaw. Otherwise, gear that bumps up your strength, attack rolls and saving throws (in order of priority) is always excellent to have.
Closing Statement:
This character is a powerhouse with fun flavor attached. You’ll have a lot of trouble with undead, but otherwise, non-lethal damage isn’t a whole lot worse than real damage, mechanically. Functionally, an unconscious enemy is equivalent to a dead enemy, at least until they wake up. Clerics running around with massive healing spells can be a thorn in the side, since they can continue to heal characters that would be dead had the damage you dealt been lethal, but you can always just knock them out too.
Lots of crime-fighters on T.V. and in movies are known for their tendencies to strike to disable rather than to wound; it’s refreshing to see that the mechanics can play so nicely with such an iconic flavor.
When you’re about to land a devastating sneak-punch, make sure you shout “FALCON… PUNCH!!” so everyone knows you really mean business.
Have fun out there,
Uni
Renaissance Gamer 