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.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 2 gp
Weight: —
This small, curved pull dagger has a metal loop at the base of its handle allowing it to be secured with a pinky or worn on a string tied in the hair. While relatively small, the curved blade can create brutal wounds. Easily concealed (the wielder gets a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand skill checks made to conceal a kerambit on her body), it is a favorite concealed weapon of ninja and assassins.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 12 gp/sickle and chain
Weight: 3 lbs.
This weapon has a single sickle held in the off-hand attached by 10 feet of fine chain to a weighted metal ball. The sickle is used to make trips, jabs, and blocks while the ball is whipped around at high speeds and then smashed into the opponent.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 6 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
This weapon consists of a foot-long double-edged blade, with another smaller, curved hook-blade sticking out the side like a rooster's spur. The blade is strung to a large iron hoop with 10-foot length of rope. The blade can be used as an off-hand melee weapon or thrown like a dagger, while the rope and circlet can be whipped around and swung at opponents as a bludgeoning reach weapon.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 5 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
Aura:
CLl:
Price: 10 gp
Weight: 10 lbs.
This weapon consists of one or two spherical weights attached by a 10-foot chain. You whirl the weights and wrap them around an opponent's body. If you succeed at a trip attempt with a meteor hammer, you can drag your opponent 5 feet closer to you rather than knocking her prone. You may use this weapon in two different ways: in meteor mode you use it as a double weapon, while in fortress mode you cannot use it as a double weapon but gain reach and a +1 shield bonus to AC. Switching between these two modes is a free action decided at the start of your turn.
Monk's Spade
Aura:CLl:
Price: 20 gp
Weight: 12 lbs.
This weapon is a double weapon pole arm. One side is fitted with a broad, shovel-like sharpened blade while the opposite side is fitted with a crescent blade that juts out like a pair of bull's horns. The monk's spade does many types of damage. What type of damage it deals depends on how it is wielded, with the spade side able to bludgeon or slash and the crescent side able to jab, slash, and pierce.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 35 gp
Weight: 9 lbs.
The naginata consists of a 6-foot staff affixed to a 2-foot-long, swordlike slightly curved blade. The shaft is designed to keep the wielder out of reach from swords and shorter weapons.
Nine-Section Whip
Aura:CLl:
Price: 8 gp
Weight: 3 lbs.
The nine-section whip consists of steel bars linked together. The final bar is a 6-inch weighted spike. This weapon can be wielded as a single-handed weapon, a two-handed weapon, or in pairs.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 60 gp
Weight: 8 lbs.
This very long two-handed weapon has a slender but wickedly sharp 4-foot-long blade at one end. It is predominantly used by ground troops to attack mounted warriors, and can be used to hack riders from their mounts or set to receive a charge.
Aura:CLl:
Price: 1 gp
Weight: 1 lb.
Resembling a slender bamboo or metal scroll case, this tube is filled with fine sand that is soaked or coated with inhaled or contact poison. When loaded with 3 doses of these types of poison, the wielder blows into the tube, dispersing the poisoned sand into her enemies' faces in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the cone is affected as if afflicted with 1 dose of the poison. Even when loaded with unpoisoned sand, the tube lets loose a powerful irritant, and an opponent struck must succeed at a DC 12 Fortitude saving throw or be dazzled for 1 round. Once expended, the tube must be repacked before it can be used again. Repacking a tube requires a full-round action, or a standard action if the wielder has the Rapid Reload feat.
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.