yes I realize the sentence was a run-on but i was multi-tasking and it got the point across. and yes i know that you have to be asleep but most people strangle you before they assassinate, think it has to do with higher success rate. and if they miss assassinate it has like a 4 round lag, so if you try to assassinate say an ogre warrior and you fail, thats 4 rounds he's going to be turning you into soup, plus they can still enter commands lagging your further.
Now i liked the idea of making it a ninjitsu, or some kind of path. I think at like rank 30 you should maybe get to choose if you want to be an assassin, or if you wish to go more melee sort of like cleric going healer or shaman, add some totally different skills and make them sub classes or something like that, but to take it away completely would suck, its one of the classes that has a totally unique skill and it keeps things interesting.
And if someone is Rp'ing then go some where where there is a closed door and close it. they can't see you through doors. its still their choice if someone wants to sit in the Central square like an idiot and take that chance.
Well if that is the case expect to wait a good deal because that is going to take some coding.
I don't like to completely shoot down ideas, but I really, really don't see any of these changes happening.
Out of curiosity, what is it people find so annoying about assassinations? They're not easy to pull off, particularly on a moving target, and they're VERY hard on people who know you're there.
Having been assassinated recently as a mort (yes, full loot) I still say ninjas are fine. Their one hit kill ability makes it possible to take out targets that would just be hoarding rares for years otherwise and bring the rares back into circulation as it is not overly hard to kill a ninja either if he makes a mistake.
They are also able to melee very very well with the right select choices as Rhakzalor Elder Watcher ninja demonstrated. (I think he did kill a vampire once and another few times almost by the way.)
So eshaine is a horder! I knew it! it was Rhazhakhar btw... Thats sad, dont even remember mindflayers ninja, muwahahaha
Look! Scotts! And it's raining on their parade!
Honestly In my opinion if you don't want to get assassinated, How about don't sit in Central square with a sign saying study me please. Its incredibly hard to study someone on the move, and if they go into Forest area or no-hide zone, Your safe as cake because there's no reason for them to get the jump on you if they arn't hidden, if they do, your just too slow, Sorry to be blunt. But assassination is what makes the rares go around, Instead of some Communer hording it all because he was never meleed.
if you want a fantasy assassin stuff although the character plays different rolls just read the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb.
This is a definite MUST. Those books (and the other six that tie in) make up my favorite fantasy series...by far. I love them! My forum handle is from them! 
Ahhhhhhhhhh...
Edit: If you want a song that fits the series well..go and find "small two of pieces"..make sure you get the english if you don't speak japanese! Ahhh I've read those books at least 5 times each..............
This is a definite MUST. Those books (and the other six that tie in) make up my favorite fantasy series...by far. I love them! My forum handle is from them! Ahhhhhhhhhh...
Edit: If you want a song that fits the series well..go and find "small two of pieces"..make sure you get the english if you don't speak japanese! Ahhh I've read those books at least 5 times each..............
I thought thats where your name came from, i'm reading again because i love them so much, i like the first and last three the best about fitz, but the other three were good, i think its because she changed styles that it took me longer to get in to'em
This is my final post on this subject. The decision has been made by me that we should rid the mud of ninjas all together. Install the new class as follows.
Human only class.
Must be Chaotic/Neutral ethos.
Class name: Gang Member
Class description: Able to leap fences, curb kick at lightning fast speeds, and mispronounce words with great ease. Always wanted for some minor infractions and usually finds it fun to mug people for no reason.
I better stop before I get myself in trouble. Crips FTW!
That was a general statement.
As to his name I always just thought of him as Rhaz, so...
The name was Rhazhakhar 
And yes that was a great fight Sirican 
The name was Rhazhakhar
Yeah, thanks for reminding us - nobody really remembers the names of characters who couldn't PK.
Dey
Skills change: The way I've been looking at ninjas is kinda the same way I've looked at monks/blademasters. Screw assassinate. Gearing a class around one skill is kinda retarded. They have awesome skills for fighting, I just see them a bit low on defenses. Don't give them something ridiculous like twohanded or shield block, but I believe they should get a defense that makes the ninja anticipate an attack, avoid it, and strike a vital organ. This skill if mastered is always about a 25% probability that it would ever land. A way to make this skill more interesting would be to change study. But if you study someone, say Crypticant, and their soul bears your mark. You recognize their movements and habbits, hence making your defensive strike more of a 50% chance of happening in a round. Hence making study useful.
Another change you could look into is making them a bit more geared to trickery. Something such as an ability that draws your enemies attention, such as a lolly pop, who wouldn't want to pick one of those up? Then bam, ambush from the shadows, OUCH that hurt like a mofo. Not so much like backstab or anything like that, but maybe a traumatic strike to your kidneys. I mean really, who likes peeing blood?
This would make ninjas still geared towards being sneaky and using study, as well as being tricky and using diversions. Then choosing the right ninjitsu suited for you would make you a worthy adversary against people like those bash/bodyslam locking bastids. I dunno, maybe I went over the top with them, but that's the way I always saw ninjas.
Reading over some old ninja threads this one I must've over looked because I immediately got a few more ideas from your original post. Altering the study skill to increase the effectiveness of certain skills and attacks seems like a great idea. I can definitely see how studying a target may increase the effectiveness of shadow arts allowing you to hit critical parts of the body for more damage or more varied effects i.e. bloodloss, paralysis, lack of concentration. Or maybe since you know more about their weaknesses and the way they move your throw skill could do more damage as you murder or as they turn to flee since you'd be more certain to hit them in more critical areas.
Haha that lollipop ambush idea is hilarious but it seems awfully similar to the traps thieves have. The idea of creating object and leaving them on the ground as a trap seems like something the thief is more geared towards but is a fun idea nonetheless.
What!?! Invokers aren't based on ***REAL ***invokers?
Well..
I've watched the movie 'Blade' and know that vampires are a little different in RL.
Also, in RL dark-knights doesn't learn dirt kick till lvl 32 just to balance qrace applicants.
Have you ever actually tried playing real-life FL? I ran upto some guy in the street a couple days ago and tried kicking dirt in his eyes. Turned out I was stood on asphalt and there was no dirt, so I threw my body at him in a vicious bodyslam. It transpired that he was 6ft 2 and about 80lbs heavier than me, and I dropped to the ground like a sack of ****. Next thing I know, I was in hospital with broken bones on a drip, breathing through a respirator.
As far as I'm concerned, that's solid evidence that real life isn't as far away from a player's FL counterpart as one may hope...
Dey
Dey...I'm not usually an advocate of sobriety...but you might have a drinking problem.
nin·ja Audio Help /ˈnɪndʒə/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nin-juh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -ja, -jas. (often initial capital letter)
a member of a feudal Japanese society of mercenary agents, highly trained in martial arts and stealth (ninjutsu), who were hired for covert purposes ranging from espionage to sabotage and assassination.
ninjas were always assassins that was part of what they did I dont think we should make assassinate an option as a ninjutsu. I have been ASSed many times and I get mad at that but that is what they are. But if you change the name of the class to assassin then what about thieves? Are they not a type of assassin? They steal, they set traps and they backstab and if done correctly they can be very strong assassins. It is the point of view of the person of that chars and others to perceive what an assassin is.