Mastering Combat
Mastering Combat
Introduction
Combat is more than just knowing how to swing a sword without cutting yourself. To some, it is a means to an end, a regrettable necessity when all other options have failed, and a tool that is to be set down the moment it's not absolutely needed. To others, it is a panacea and a way of life—a means of solving any problem, and of proving one's worth by standing tall against one's fellows and the harsh denizens of an uncaring universe. In the hands of a skilled warrior, a sword is no longer simply a sharpened length of steel, and even a club is more than just a broken branch. These objects become instruments of a serious and sometimes brutal art, one whose practitioners are every bit as skilled in their artistry as the greatest bards. Many such acolytes of battle might say that theirs is the only art worth pursuing, as it's the sole one by which the artist not only inspires respect, but commands it. Combat is civilization's oldest trade and form of expression, and no matter how far we've come since the first days of stones and sticks, it continues to shape the events that define us. A civilized society may claim to abhor bloodshed, but it's that same bloodshed—or its threat—that watches over us and gives us the freedom to maintain such ideals.
While the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game presents a robust system capable of simulating most combat, as well as a wide selection of weapons and armor types common to most European-influenced fantasy settings, this section provides new options for GMs and players alike to add depth to the standard combat rules, as well as introduces a wealth of new weapons with historical ties to those lands that would have seemed strange and exotic to residents of Medieval Europe.
Major subjects and subsystems covered in this section include the following.
Eastern Armor and Weapons
The weapons of Asian cultures such as China, Japan, Korea, India, and the Philippines have long held a powerful attraction and mystique for many players of fantasy roleplaying games. Even when a setting otherwise uses Medieval Europe as its primary analogue, there's something about the elegance and specialization of Eastern armor and weapons—and in some cases the powerful traditions and discipline of their users—that calls to players and characters of all backgrounds.
This section begins with a discussion of Eastern armor. Few images of combat are as iconic as that of a samurai in traditional o-yoroi armor charging across the battlefield, his ferocious kabuto helmet turning his face into that of a creature from legend or nightmare. Yet there's far more to Eastern armor than simply the lamellar of the samurai. From ceremonial silken armor to four-mirror armor and the weighty stone coats, this section provides a broad overview of the category.
Next, this section provides a bevy of new weapons drawn from the cultures referenced above, many perfectly suited for monks, but all useful for a variety of character classes. Weapons presented in this section range from the legendary katanas and wakizashi of the honorable samurai to the fighting fans and poisoned sand tubes of courtier spies and assassins, from the simple but lightning-fast tonfas to the bizarre urumi whip-swords whose sharpened ribbons of metal are flexible enough to be coiled up and worn as belts.
Characters need not always be of an Eastern-inspired class—such as the ninja or the samurai—or have a background in an Asian-fantasy-inspired nation to take advantage of these expanded choices. An unusual or exotic weapon gained during the course of a hero's adventures or inherited from a relative or mentor with a mysterious past is an easy way to help an otherwise European-inspired character expand his background and stand out from the crowd. In many ways, the character who fights with a completely normal kusarigama might seem as exotic to his opponents and admirers as one who fights with a magical longsword, and weapons that strike onlookers as unusual go a long way toward assisting gladiators and other performance fighters in distinguishing themselves on the field—one of the primary reasons why those warriors often choose strange and unique arms and armaments for their battles.
This exoticism also provides a very real advantage when it comes to the combat itself: if an enemy has never seen a particular weapon before, he's much less likely to be able to defend against it effectively, and many of the new weapons presented in this section have unique or specialized uses and tactics which aren't immediately apparent to opponents.
Firearms
Guns are one of the most controversial subjects in fantasy gaming. GM and player opinions run the gamut from staunch traditionalists who refuse to wield any weapon more complex than a crossbow to gaming groups who believe that the best way to stop a raging orc chieftain is to unload all six cylinders of your trusty revolver into his gray-green hide.
Neither side is wrong. Firearms are best introduced carefully, but are by no means game-breaking on their own. Neither are they necessarily anachronistic—much of scientific discovery is based on chance, and nothing says that breakthroughs in your fantasy world have to occur at the same historical points as they did on Earth, or even that they need to occur simultaneously across your world. On Earth, the Chinese had fully functional cannons, flamethrowers, and land mines before Europeans had even discovered gunpowder. It's entirely possible to have guns exist alongside bows and swords in neighboring countries, or even within the same one. Depending on the rate of fire of your firearm, there are undoubtedly many situations in which a warrior armed with a simpler weapon would win the day.
The firearms section presented in this chapter covers everything you need to know to introduce firearms into your campaign. Firearms are broken down into early and advanced types, as well as into one- and two-handed weapons. There are scatter guns like shotguns that fire spreads of pellets, straightforward slug-throwers that fire a single bullet, and some weapons that can do both. Included as well are rules for misfires and repairs, reloading and ammunition, concealed or inappropriately sized weapons, magical weapon special abilities and ammunition specifically for firearms, and more. Perhaps most importantly, there's a discussion of the various levels of gun technology and its emergence into society, with suggestions for which weapons are appropriate for each level.
Gladiator Weapons
Inspired by blood sports from ancient Rome and beyond, these unusual and sometimes bizarre weapons are perfect for pit fighters and performers of all stripes. Whether you're performing death-defying martial feats for the court of the king or fighting for your life in the seediest back-alley brawl-house, these weapons are sure to take the crowd's breath away. From the Indian madu—a specialized shield combined with sharpened antelope horns—to the scizore punching-blade to the simple amentum, which sends javelins flying farther and straighter than any humanoid arm, these weapons can easily add a blast of exoticism and the thrill of discovery to the jaded fighter who thinks she's seen it all.
Primitive Armor and Weapons
Not everyone chooses to craft their weapons and armor from steel—or can afford to. This section presents primitive weapons and armor in great detail, beginning with the introduction of the fragile weapon quality and going on to present rules for conventional weapons and armor made from stone, bone, bronze, gold, and obsidian. From there, it introduces numerous weapons more common to primitive cultures than more established civilizations. Throwing arms called atlatls fling darts the size of javelins, while long clubs lined with shark teeth called great terbutjes are surprisingly effective at slicing through armor and flesh. No warrior headed into uncivilized lands can afford to underestimate these so-called "primitive" weapons—and players may decide that they fit perfectly with brave warriors coming from primitive backgrounds or who actively reject the trappings of more modern society.
Duels
Contests of honor are a timeless tradition in many cultures, and may range from the casual sparring of students and wealthy nobles to the deadly serious challenges of experienced warriors establishing hierarchies and settling entire battles through single combat. This section explores the various rituals and rules of honor and scoring inherent in most duels, as well as the special mechanics of the contests, including such new moves as the dueling parry, the dueling dodge, the dueling counter, and dueling resolve.
Performance Combat
Not all fights are about winning at all costs. Sometimes it matters less whether you score the final blow than how you looked doing it. For all those pit fighters and gladiators—or local champions and lowborn heroes hoping to impress the queen with their mastery on the battlefield—this section offers a new rules subsystem designed to simulate fighting for acclaim rather than blood. Covered here are the various types of performance combat—from the most genteel exhibitions to ruthless blood sports, back-room betting brawls to gangland initiation fights—as well as rules regarding crowd responses and how to turn the onlookers to your side no matter what the situation.
Siege Engines
One of the worst—and best—moments in any siege is the point at which the horrified castle defenders look out from their walls and see the looming forms of siege engines rolling slowly and inexorably toward them. This section expands on the mechanics presented in the Core Rulebook to give you everything you need to know to run a fortress assault with massive and terrifying engines of war, including both direct-fire weapons—such as ballistae and their ilk—and arcing, indirect-fire weapons like catapults. In addition to these strictly mechanical and medieval constructs, this section also covers their more advanced successors, the huge and terrifying siege firearms and flamethrowers. Adding to this section are rules for equipment useful in direct fortress assaults (such as siege towers, bridges, and scaling ladders), special ammunition for siege engines, and rules for attacking particular parts of fortresses, such as gates and walls.
Eastern Armor and Weapons
Eastern Armor and Weapons
Although most of the weapons in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game take their inspiration from medieval European weaponry and Western fantasy traditions, there's much more to the world of weapons and armor than sword-wielding knights in plate mail. The following section presents rules for armor and weapons drawn from the martial traditions of Asia, perfect for use by exotic characters or as new staples ready to be introduced into your campaign.
Eastern Armor
Many of the following types of armor are constructed of multiple parts, which a number of these armors mix and match. For instance, it is not unheard of for warriors to combine chain mail with four-mirror armor. Only the various types of plate mail would be either rare or unfamiliar in an Asian-inspired setting.
Table: Eastern Armor
| Armor | Cost | ArmorBonus | MaximumDex Bonus | ArmorCheck Penalty | Arcane SpellFailure | Speed 30ft 20ft | Weight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Armor | ||||||||
| Haramaki | 3 gp | +1 | — | 0 | 0% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 1 lb. |
| Silken ceremonial armor | 30 gp | +1 | — | 0 | 0% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 4 lbs. |
| Lamellar cuirass | 15 gp | +2 | +4 | 0 | 5% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 8 lbs. |
| Lamellar, leather | 60 gp | +4 | +3 | –2 | 20% | 30 ft. | 20 ft. | 25 lbs. |
| Medium Armor | ||||||||
| Do-maru | 200 gp | +5 | +4 | –4 | 25% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 30 lbs. |
| Kikko armor | 250 gp | +5 | +4 | –3 | 20% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 25 lbs. |
| Lamellar, horn | 100 gp | +5 | +3 | –4 | 25% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 30 lbs. |
| Four-mirror armor | 125 gp | +6 | +2 | –5 | 30% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 45 lbs. |
| Lamellar, steel | 150 gp | +6 | +3 | –5 | 25% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 35 lbs. |
| Mountain pattern armor | 250 gp | +6 | +3 | –4 | 30% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 40 lbs. |
| Heavy Armor | ||||||||
| Kusari gusoku | 350 gp | +7 | +1 | –7 | 35% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 45 lbs. |
| Lamellar, iron | 200 gp | +7 | 0 | –7 | 40% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 50 lbs. |
| Lamellar, stone | 500 gp | +8 | 0 | –7 | 40% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 45 lbs. |
| Tatami-do | 1,000 gp | +7 | +3 | –6 | 35% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 45 lbs. |
| O-yoroi | 1,700 gp | +8 | +2 | –6 | 35% | 20 ft. | 15 ft. | 45 lbs. |
Do-Maru
Aura:CLl:
Price: 200 gp
Weight: 30 lbs.
The lightest of all samurai armors, do-maru wraps around your body like a short armored coat. It consists primarily of lamellar and lacks a solid breastplate or sleeves. This permits you greater flexibility than do heavier armors.
Four-Mirror Armor
Aura:CLl:
Price: 125 gp
Weight: 45 lbs.
This armor consists of four plates harnessed together with leather shoulder straps. Two round plates protect your front and back, while two smaller rectangular plates cover the sides of the torso. Four-mirror armor is worn over chainmail to provide added protection, and comes with a spiked helmet with a chainmail hood.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 3 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
Also called a belly-warmer, a haramaki is a simple silken sash lined with chainmail or articulated metal plates and tied about the stomach to protect it.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 250 gp
Weight: 25 lbs.
Kikko armor consists of hexagonal plates made from iron and sewn to cloth. The plates may be hidden by a layer of cloth or left exposed.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 350 gp
Weight: 45 lbs.
Kusari gusoku is similar to tatami-do armor; however, a katabira—a type of chain jacket—is worn in place of the chest armor.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 200 gp
Weight: 50 lbs.
Lamellar is a type of armor in which small plates of various types of materials are strung together in parallel rows using fine cord. Lamellar plates can be constructed from lacquered leather, horn, or even stone, though steel and heavier iron are most common. Lamellar armor can be crafted into various shapes, including partial pieces such as breastplates, greaves, or even entire coats. The properties of specific suits and pieces of lamellar armor are determined by their material.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 15 gp
Weight: 8 lbs.
This armor consists of a light breastplate and shoulder guards made from lacquered leather plates bound together and fitted over a silk shirt.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 250 gp
Weight: 40 lbs.
This medium armor consists of hundreds of small, interlocking pieces of steel shaped to resemble an ancient symbol for the word “mountain.” The mail is then riveted to a cloth or leather backing. It is worn like a mail coat and covers your torso, shoulders, and thighs.
O-Yoroi
Aura:CLl:
Price: 1,700 gp
Weight: 45 lbs.
Worn almost exclusively by high-ranking samurai, o-yoroi—or “great armor”—is a heavy combat armor that consists of various supplementary components that include both plate and lamellar elements. Each suit is crafted for a specific individual and displays the owner's aesthetic. Upon completion, the suit is colored and sealed with a final lacquer finish. The centerpiece of o-yoroi is a cuirass consisting of two parts—a separate reinforcement for the right side called a waidate, and a kikko cuirass. The upper part of the waidate consists of a leather-covered iron plate. The cuirass's leather shoulder straps—called watagami—are likewise armored with metal plates. Affixed to the cuirass are a number of supplementary pieces, including wide lamellar shoulder guards, a kikko sleeve for the shield arm, lacquered iron greaves worn over padded silk leggings, and a groin protector. Still, the signature component of each suit of armor is the tiered kabuto helmet and its accompanying ho-ate mask. Ho-ate masks can be made of hardened leather or metal and are fashioned into fearsome visages such as oni, dragons, or other mythical beings.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 30 gp
Weight: 4 lbs.
Used for ceremonial displays or occasionally worn (albeit with no additional benefit) over heavier armor, these robes consist of several layers of cloth and an outer layer of silk intricately woven with gold brocade designs and covered with metal studs.
Aura:CLl:
Price:
Weight:
This weighty breastplate consists of lamellar crafted from stones. It is worn in conjunction with kikko leg protectors.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 1,000 gp
Weight: 45 lbs.
Worn by samurai as a lighter-weight alternative to o-yoroi, tatami-do is a full-body field armor that combines both metal lamellar and kikko components into a suit of mail with a cloth backing. It typically includes a collapsible kabuto helmet or an armored hood, as well as arm, shoulder, and thigh guards.
Eastern Weapons
From wushu's whirling chains and multi-bladed polearms to the awe-evoking mystique of the samurai's gleaming blades, the martial arts of the East evoke images of fantastic weaponry. Exotic even within their own cultures, a number of these weapons require specialized training, and the secrets of their mastery are well protected in remote temples and secret dojos. In most Eastern cultures, the weapon is more than just a means of defense; possibly representing a cultural tradition or philosophy. It may display social status or even tell the history of a clan or house.
This section contains all the Eastern weapons needed to run an Eastern-inspired fantasy campaign with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. They were chosen from a variety of Asian cultures, including those of China, Japan, Korea, India, the Philippines, and more.
Special
Some of the following weapons have special qualities in addition to those noted in their description. New weapon special qualities are described below.
Blocking
When you use this weapon to fight defensively, you gain a +1 shield bonus to AC.
When this weapon delivers a coup de grace, it gains +4 to damage when calculating the DC of the Fortitude saving throw to see whether the target of the coup de grace dies from the attack. The bonus is not added to the actual damage of the coup de grace attack.
You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff skill checks to feint in combat while wielding this weapon.
Grapple
On a successful critical hit with a weapon of this type, you can grapple the target of the attack. The wielder can then attempt a combat maneuver check to grapple his opponent as a free action. This grapple attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the creature you are attempting to grapple if that creature is not threatening you. While you grapple the target with a grappling weapon, you can only move or damage the creature on your turn. You are still considered grappled, though you do not have to be adjacent to the creature to continue the grapple. If you move far enough away to be out of the weapon's reach, you end the grapple with that action.
Weapon Descriptions
Table: Eastern Weapons-Martial
| Martial Weapons | Cost | Dmg (S) | Dmg (M) | Critical | Range | Weight1 | Type2 | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Melee Weapons | ||||||||
| Butterfly sword | 20 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | 19–20/×2 | — | 1 lb. | S | monk |
| Iron brush | 2 gp | 1d2 | 1d3 | ×2 | 10 ft. | — | P | — |
| Jutte | 8 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | ×2 | — | 1 lb. | B | disarm, monk |
| Kerambit | 2 gp | 1d2 | 1d3 | ×3 | — | — | S | — |
| Lungchuan tamo | 5 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | ×2 | 10 ft. | 1 lb. | P or S | monk |
| Shang gou | 6 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | ×2 | — | 1 lb. | S | disarm or trip, monk |
| Tonfa | 1 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | ×2 | — | 1 lb. | B | blocking, monk |
| Wushu dart (5) | 1 gp | 1d2 | 1d3 | ×2 | 10 ft. | — | P | monk |
| One-Handed Melee Weapons | ||||||||
| Broadsword, nine ring | 15 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×3 | — | 4 lbs. | S | monk |
| Double chicken saber | 12 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | 19–20/×2 | — | 3 lbs. | S | disarm, monk |
| Sibat | 2 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | ×3 | 10 ft. | 2 lbs. | P or S | see description |
| Two-Handed Melee Weapons | ||||||||
| Hooked lance | 3 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×4 | — | 10 lbs. | P | reach, trip |
| Monk's spade | 20 gp | 1d4/1d4 | 1d6/1d6 | ×2 | — | 12 lbs. | B or P or S | double, monk |
| Naginata | 35 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×4 | — | 9 lbs. | S | reach |
| Nodachi | 60 gp | 1d8 | 1d10 | 18–20/×2 | — | 8 lbs. | S or P | brace |
| Sansetsukon | 8 gp | 1d8 | 1d10 | 19–20/×2 | — | 3 lbs. | B | blocking, disarm, monk |
| Sword, tri-point double-edged | 12 gp | 1d8 | 1d10 | ×3 | — | 14 lbs. | P | reach |
| Tiger fork | 5 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×2 | — | 8 lbs. | P | brace, monk |
| Ranged Weapons | ||||||||
| Tube arrow shooter | 3 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | ×2 | 40 ft. | 1/2 lb. | P | — |
| Bamboo shaft (10) | 1 gp | — | — | — | — | 1/2 lb. | — | — |
| Arrow, iron-tipped distance (20) | 1 gp | — | — | — | — | 4 lbs. | — | — |
| Arrow, whistling (20) | 2 gp | — | — | — | — | 3 lbs. | — | — |
| Poisoned sand tube | 1 gp | special | special | — | — | 1 lb. | — | — |
| 1 Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much.2 A weapon with two types is either type (wielder's choice) if the entry specifies “or.” | ||||||||
Table: Eastern Weapons-Exotic
| Exotic Weapons | Cost | Dmg (S) | Dmg (M) | Critical | Range | Weight | Type2 | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Melee Weapons | ||||||||
| Dan bong | 1 sp | 1d2 | 1d3 | 19–20/×2 | 10 ft. | — | B | blocking, monk |
| Emei piercer | 3 gp | 1d2 | 1d3 | 19–20/×2 | — | — | P | monk, see text |
| Fighting fan | 5 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | ×3 | — | — | S or P | distracting, monk |
| Tekko-kagi | 2 gp | 1d2 | 1d3 | ×2 | — | — | P | disarm, see text |
| Wakizashi | 35 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | 18–20/×2 | — | 2 lbs. | P or S | deadly |
| One-Handed Melee Weapons | ||||||||
| Katana | 50 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | 18–20/×2 | — | 6 lbs. | S | deadly |
| Nine-section whip | 8 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | 19–20/×2 | — | 3 lbs. | B | blocking, distracting, monk,trip |
| Urumi | 30 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | 18–20/×2 | — | 6 lbs. | S | distracting |
| Two-Handed Melee Weapons | ||||||||
| Bo staff | 1 gp | 1d4 | 1d6 | ×2 | — | 3 lbs. | B | blocking, double, monk |
| Kama, double-chained | 8 gp | 1d4/1d4 | 1d6/1d6 | ×2 | — | 4 lbs. | S | double, monk, reach,trip |
| Katana, double walking stick | 50 gp | 1d4/1d4 | 1d6/1d6 | ×3 | — | 6 lbs. | B | double |
| Kusarigama (sickle and chain) | 12 gp | 1d2/1d4 | 1d3/1d6 | ×2 | — | 3 lbs. | S or B | double, monk, reach,trip, grapple |
| Kyoketsu shoge | 6 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | ×2 | 20 ft. | 1 lb. | S or P | disarm, grapple, monk,reach |
| Meteor hammer | 10 gp | 1d6 | 1d8 | ×2 | — | 10 lbs. | B | reach, trip |
| Sword, seven-branched | 50 gp | 1d8 | 1d10 | ×3 | — | 7 lbs. | S | disarm, monk |
| Tetsubo | 20 gp | 1d8 | 1d10 | ×4 | — | 10 lbs. | B | — |
| Ranged Weapons | ||||||||
| Rope dart | 1 gp | 1d3 | 1d4 | ×2 | 20 ft. | — | P | blocking, distracting, monk |
| 1 Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much.2 A weapon with two types is either type (wielder's choice) if the entry specifies “or.” | ||||||||
CLl:
Price: 1 gp/20
Weight: 4 lbs.
Used tactically for long-range attacks on troops, these arrows are fitted with heavy iron heads. While these heads help them travel great distances, they make the arrows less effective at dealing damage. Iron-tipped distance arrows increase their bow's range increment by 10 feet but take a –1 penalty on damage dealt per range increment (minimum 1 point of damage). They are sold in leather quivers in quantities of 20.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 2 gp/20
Weight: 3 lbs.
These arrows come with specially designed grooves and fletching that cause them to emit a loud keening sound audible within 500 feet of their flight path. They are sold in quantities of 20.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 1 gp/10
Weight: 1/2 lb.
These foot-long arrows are used as ammunition for arrow tubes. As an improvised melee weapon, they deal damage equivalent to a spiked gauntlet. They come in a bamboo tube that holds 10 shafts.
Bo Staff
Aura:CLl:
Price: 1 gp
Weight: 3 lbs.
Similar to a quarterstaff, only slightly more slender and tapered at one end, the bo staff is both a defensive device and a weapon.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 15 gp
Weight: 4 lbs.
This broad-bladed weapon has nine heavy rings threaded through its spine, providing additional weight to add to the force of its impressive chopping power.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 20 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
These short matching swords come in pairs, cleverly nested together to appear as a single blade. Both weapons can be drawn at the same time, and they can be separated as a free action and wielded in both hands to make wickedly effective chops and slashes. Their thin, broad blades extend just 1 foot in length. A butterfly sword has a hardwood grip covered with braided cord, and a metal D-shaped guard to protect the wielder's hand.
Dan Bong
Aura:CLl:
Price: 1 sp
Weight: —
These short, blunt sticks are held in the hands to enhance unarmed martial techniques. They provide the wielder with the ability to lock an opponent and target pressure points that grant her a +2 bonus on her combat maneuver to grapple.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 12 gp
Weight: 3 lbs.
The tip of this 3-foot-long, straight-bladed sword is bent into two staggered, opposing sharpened spurs that can be used to pull weapons from an opponent's hands.
Emei Piercer
Aura:CLl:
Price: 3 gp
Weight: —
This weapon is used to augment unarmed martial techniques. It consists of an 8- to 10-inch-long, dual-pointed steel spike set on swivels and mounted on a ring, so that it can be spun around at high speeds when slipped over the wielder's ring finger. The ring prevents the wielder from being disarmed and turns unarmed strikes into piercing attacks.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 5 gp
Weight: —
Made to resemble a courtier's fan, this device consists of silk paper stretched and folded over a folding frame of hardened steel. Folding fans are typically wielded in pairs using a technique that distracts the opponent. The fans sport sharp tips, which can be poisoned.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 3 gp
Weight: 10 lbs.
This slender, 10-foot-long polearm has an added hook protruding from the head that is used to snag the clothing and armor of opponents.
Iron Brush
Aura:CLl:
Price: 2 gp
Weight: —
This is an iron-handled version of a scholar's brush with a sharpened handle. Though it does little damage, it is easily concealed (the wielder gets a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand skill checks made to conceal a iron brush on her body) and can be used as a jabbing weapon or thrown short distances.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 8 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
This batonlike weapon is fitted with a metal hook that can be used to block and pin an opponent's weapon. Some variations are tipped with a sharpened metal spike or blade.
Kama, Double-Chained
Aura:CLl:
Price: 8 gp
Weight: 4 lbs.
This weapon comprises a pair of kama connected with an 8-foot length of chain. The wielder can attack as if armed with a single kama in each hand or extend the chain to make a single reach attack. By swinging the rope, the wielder can whip the kama about to disarm or trip opponents. Furthermore, if one of the weapons is dropped, the wielder can retrieve as a free action by pulling on the chain.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 50 gp
Weight: 6 lbs.
Specifically constructed for samurai, katanas employ multiple types of steel combined in a distinctive forging process. The result are swords noted for their wickedly sharp yet slender, gently curved blades, designed to make graceful hacking strokes capable of severing opponents' heads and limbs. Though finely balanced, these blades are difficult to master. Characters can use a katana two-handed as a martial weapon, but must take the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (katana) feat to use it one-handed.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 50 gp
Weight: 6 lbs.
This single case conceals a pair of matched fighting swords perfectly balanced to be wielded as a pair. Despite their name, the blades more closely resemble the shorter wakizashi. When the blades are concealed in their case, this weapon can be used as a quarterstaff.
Eastern Weapon Equivalents
While Eastern cultures have weapons equivalent to the longsword and the longbow, they often called them by different names. The following are statistical equivalents to just a few Eastern weapons with which you may be familiar.
Firearms