D&D 3E/3.5 Shuriken have changed in 3.5E

[krazykid]

I just started to Build a 3.5 Ninja (fighter/rogue in reality) and looked at Shuriken. Am I right in that they now get Str Damage but you can only throw 1/round. This is a big change from 3.0.

Is there any other rules on them (like throwing around corners) or someting in a offical wizards pubication to beef them up. At the moment apart from style and image a dagger is twice as good in damage and crit range!

 

[JBowtie]

I'm not aware of anything in an official Wizards publication; as far as I know Oriental Adventures has not been updated to 3.5

That said, remember that in 3.0 shuriken only do 1 point of damage. What really gets you is the sneak attack damage; a 9th-level ninja (Rokugan) can do 15d6 points of sneak attack damage with a single shuriken attack.

Cutting it to 1/round takes all the fun out; the same Ninja will now do 5d6 + 1 with a ranged attack; easier to go with the thrown dagger. If I were you I'd petition the DM to adopt the 3.0 version, which to be fair is what OA, Rokugan, and Way of the Ninja all assume. He'll just have to work harder to deny you your sneak attack opportunities is all.

 

[Fenes]

AFAIK, they already ruled under 3.0 that sneak attack and other bonus damage dice were only added once to a single "volley" (i.e. a single attack). So, no 15d6 shuriken from a 9th level rogue with a simple attack.

 

[AuraSeer]

The change is not one per round, it's one per attack.

In 3.0, you could throw three shuriken with a single attack, but that rule has been removed. Now, the shuriken's special effect is that it can be drawn as a free action.

If your BAB is +11/+6/+1, you can take the full attack action and throw three shuriken in one round. To do that with thrown daggers you'd need the Quick Draw feat, because drawing each dagger (or other normal throwing weapon) normally requires a move-equivalent action.

[Edited to add]
To use shuriken at best effect, be a monk, because they can be used in a flurry of blows. A Mnk11 throws shuriken at +8/+8/+8/+3, but with daggers the best he can do is +8/+3.

 

[likuidice]

also, it's counted as a special monk weapon for flurry of blows, so a level of monk will allow you to throw an extra one each round.

 

[BelXiror]

They do 1d2 damage in 3.5 as well, as little as it really matters.

Shuriken: A shuriken is a special monk weapon. This designation gives a monk wielding shuriken special options. A shuriken can’t be used as a melee weapon.
Although they are thrown weapons, shuriken are treated as ammunition for the purposes of drawing them, crafting masterwork or otherwise special versions of them and what happens to them after they are thrown.

That, and you don't need quick draw throw more than one a round.

 

[hong]

To use shuriken at best effect, be a monk, because they can be used in a flurry of blows. A Mnk11 throws shuriken at +8/+8/+8/+3, but with daggers the best he can do is +8/+3.

Hmm. Could you stack Rapid Shot with flurry?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hmm. Could you stack Rapid Shot with flurry?

A Hasted (1) Fighter/Monk with at least +16 BAB and 12 Monk levels (4), GTWF (3) and Rapid Shot (1) can Flurry (2) for 11 shuriken a round.

Master Thrower levels might add to that - I'd have to look it up.

-Hyp.

 

[jabberwocky]

A Hasted (1) Fighter/Monk with at least +16 BAB and 12 Monk levels (4), GTWF (3) and Rapid Shot (1) can Flurry (2) for 11 shuriken a round.

Master Thrower levels might add to that - I'd have to look it up.

-Hyp.

The master thrower ability, palm throw, lets you throw two small weapons with one attack, so that's 22 shuriken. With improved rapid shot, and one level of exotic weapon master for twin exotic weapon fighting, you only have a net -1 modifier for rapid throwing two handed shuriken hurling. and if you take weak spot at level 5 of master thrower all those attacks are ranged touch.

 

[James McMurray]

Also get the tripping trick and all of those shuriken will be trip attempts too.