Guns is one thing, toys something entirely else!
Gear in a Street Fighter context often involves weaponry of various sizes and pedigrees. So therefore, I'll include my very own take on weapons in Street Fighter. Oh, and a note - you'll never see me give a weapon a bonus on Move. That just doesn't make sense. (Wookiee defense, anyone?)
"Hold this staff, and you'll run faster..."
Ah ah, not in my campaign, I'll tell you that. Therefore, I've introduced reach as a parameter. If you have a reach of three hexes, you may cross three hexes to hit someone with your weapon. The same goes for the no-hit zone. If you have a really long weapon, it might be very nifty for hitting people a long way away. However, it is probably quite sucky for hitting people who are close by. The no-hit zone tells you what the closest range for hitting people with that weapon is.
Questions? No? Excellent. Now, here's your shopping list...
| Classic Martial Arts Weaponry: |
| Sticks |
Sticks and stones may break my bones... Staves are classic weapons of the Orient world - easy to make, and easy to use. There are, of course, a variety of stick or staff weapons, all for their particular use. Here are some examples:
Bo:
Bo is the archetypical Oriental answer to the Western Quarterstaff. It is
about 2 metres long (about 6 feet), and is usually made of wood. Nowadays
one can get composite versions, and metal versions as well.
Jo:
A somewhat shorter version of a bo. It is about 1.5 metres long and is made
to be easier to use and carry around than a bo.
Hambo:
Literally 'half-bo', the hambo is about 1 metre long (3 feet). It is a weapon
of many uses, and is popular with some ninja clans and orders of warrior
monks. There are many variations of this fighting stick, and some even have
extra handles, such as a tonfa or American nightstick.
| Swords |
Hishi:
Although the term hishi is Japanese, this equals the archetypical
knife of the Orient. Made primarily as a tool and not as a weapon, some still
carry the hishi around.
Tanto:
Roughly equal to a Western dagger, the tanto is a dagger meant primarily as
a weapon, and not as a tool. It usually has the characteristically curved blade
and abrupt ending of Oriental blades, such as the katana or wakizashi.
Kozuka:
A small knife, easily hidden - making it an instant hit with the ninja crowd.
The kozuka is balanced for throwing, and was sometimes concealed as an ornament
on the scabbard of a katana, giving a samurai a throwing weapon even though
he was armed with but a sword. A kozuka is used in the film Shogun Assassin.
Sai:
The sai is primarily for parrying and throwing. A sai master usually carried
three of these - one for throwing, and two for wielding. The sai was meant as
a counter for blades. It looks somewhat like a steel baton with two extra tines
one on each side, both pointing forward. Although it was originally blunt, most
modern sai has had their points sharpened, making it a stabbing weapon.
Ninjato:
The ninjato is about a metre long, and is always straight, unlike many other
Oriental blades. It often contains secret compartments in its hilt, and its
tsuba (parrying plate) can often be taken off and used as a shuriken. The
scabbard of the ninjato is also designed for a variety of uses - it can be
used as a snorkel or blowpipe, and the piece of rope that is attached to the
scabbard can be used as a garotte, or to fetch the scabbard after it has been
used as a 'step-up' for scaling a high wall.
Hollywood movies wants you to believe that the ninjato was the preferred sword
of the ancient ninja. Well, it was - but only until the ninja could beg, borrow
or steal a katana or wakizashi, as the ninjato usually had inferior metal and
smithing work.
Katana:
Your guess is as good as mine.
Wakizashi:
The short one.
No-Dachi:
The Oriental bastard sword - closer to a two-handed sword, really.
| Chain weapons |
Kyoketsu-Shoge:
The rope or chain can be used to grab or hinder opponents, or may be used
in conjunction with the steel ring to climb or scale structures. It can obviously
also be used as a makeshift garrotte. The blades can hook onto objects, providing
the ninja with a grappling hook of sorts, or - obviously - be used to injure or
kill opponents.
Can be translated as a 'knife rope'. The weapon consists of a four meter long
chain or tough rope attached to a steel ring in one end. The other end is a
wooden handle with two blades attached - one straight ahead, the other curving
like a hook. Designed and used almost exclusively by ninja, this chain weapon
has a variety of uses - like most ninja implements.
Kusari-Fundo:
This weapon, also mostly used by ninja, consists of a chain about a metre long
(6 feet, for you metric-impaired people), with (usually) an iron weight on each
end. This is primarily a defensive weapon, but may also be used as a garrotte or
whip.
Kusari-Gama:
This is a long chain, usually about 4 metres (or 12 feet), with a weight in one end and
a scythe-like implement on the other. The weight may be used to bash the opponent,
and the scythe is usually held by the ninja, which usually intends to use it to
inflict bodily harm on anyone within reach, or entangled in the chain. Otherwise,
the weapon can be used much as a kyotetsu-shoge.
Kaginawa:
Although made primarily as a climbing tool, the kaginawa may also be used as a
weapon. It consists of a 10 metre long rope (about 33 feet) with a weight attached
at one end, and a two or three clawed grappling hook attached at the other end.
How one can use this as a weapon is left as an exercise for devious minds.
Kusari:
Well, what do you know! It is a kusari-gama without the kama (scythe) on the one end.
Nunchaku:
Oh come on, you know what this is! Rice flailer, right? Anyways, it is rather
popular with the warrior monk crowd in Asia, as there is a rather small chance
it will draw blood (important when you're practicing Shintoism!).
| Spears |
Naginata:
Much like a Western-style spear, but usually with a 60 centimetre (2 feet!)
curved blade instead of the tip of a spear. A weapon usually associated with
women, there is a martial art devoted to its mastery - naginata-do.
Kumade:
Yet another ninja weapon. The kumade is really a garden instrument commonly
used to scrape together stray leaves and mowed grass, but can be used both
as a climbing tool or a weapon. A kumade meant as a weapon or climbing tool
is usually somewhat stronger than a normal example of this tool.
Shinobi-Zue:
Very similar to a bo stick, a shinobi-zue has an important difference. If one
of the ends of the staff is twisted, a spring-loaded spear tip will appear at
the other end - making it an instant spear. Ninja may also load the compartment
with something apart from a spear tip - blinding powder, flash powder, smoke
bombs and poisonous water are but some of the possibilities.
Nagimaki:
Very similar to the naginata, the nagimaki is meant for the mounted warrior.
This means that the haft is shorter, but the weapon is otherwise identical to
a naginata.
Yari:
A spear. Its Western cousin is virtually identical. This spear is too large
and heavy to be thrown, however, making it similar in that respect to the
Roman pilum.
Yarinage:
The most well-known, typically Oriental distance weapon would be the throwing
star - a classic ninja weapon. Yet, there are other weapons worth of note in
the Oriental world of killing at a safe distance.
Dai-kyu:
Han-kyu:
Oyumi:
Shuriken:
The bo-shuriken is basically a sort of throwing dagger without a real handle,
either sharp only in one end or in both ends. A ninja usually carries shuriken
in bundles of nine.
Very similar to a yari, but meant as a throwing weapon. Similar to a javelin,
the yarinage isn't much in melee combat.
Distance weaponry
Being the largest of the Oriental bows, the daikyu has quite a distinctive
appearance. The curve of the bow itself is not symmetrical, with the handle
further down than the center of the bow. This facilitates the bow's use on
the back of a horse, or under similar circumstances. The bow is usually
composite, granting it a stronger pull than Western bows of similar size.
Being a ninja bow, it is made with small size and compactness as imperatives.
Though lacking in penetration power, it is small enough to be hidden in the wide
sleeves of a kimono. One could perhaps consider this a short-short bow.
Basically the Oriental version of a heavy crossbow.
Shuriken, or throwing stars, is a classic ninja weapon. It is primarily meant
as an implement to either merely injure or deliver poison to a target, not
really as the prime agent of killing a person. There exists an almost infinite
number of shuriken variations - a particular class is the bo-shuriken.
Weapon Technique Speed Damage Move Special
Bo Staff +0 +2 +1
Jo Staff +0 +1 +1
Hambo Staff +1 +1 +0
Hishi Knife +2 +1 +0
Tanto Knife +2 +1 +0
Kozuka Knife +2 +1 +0 +2 difficulty to find
Sai Sai +2 +0 +0 Choose to add either Athletics
or Sai technique to Dexterity. If declared to do so, Sai will on a successful opposed [Dex + Sai] vs. [Dex + [Blade]] make opponent take a
Speed penalty of net successes next round (as if a botch has happened) if opponent wants to continue his attack with a blade.
Ninjato Sword +2 +2 +0
Katana Sword +1 +3 +0
Wakizashi Sword +2 +2 +0
No-Dachi Sword -1 +5 -1
Kyoketsu-Shoge Kyoketsu-Shoge varies varies varies A knife-rope can be used in
several different ways. It can be used as a climbing tool (giving an additional number of dice equal to the number of dots in Kyoketsu-Shoge if
usable under the circumstances, as determined by the GM), a long-distance weapon (+0,+2, +0 but extra reach of 2 hexes), or as a knife (stats
for knife already provided).
Kusari-Fundo Kusari-Fundo +1 +2 +0 This weapon can also be called
a manriki-gusari. Can be used as a parrying weapon (as per Sai), or attacking weapon (modifiers as above). It can also be used as a garotte (+1,
+2, -1, Grab Maneuver, Sustained Hold).
Kusari-Gama Kusari-Gama varies varies varies As per Kyoketsu-Shoge
Kaginawa Kaginawa +0 +2 +0 Four hexes reach if used as a
weapon - otherwise, can be used as a climbing tool , as per a Kyoketsu-Shoge.
Kusari Kusari(-Gama) varies varies varies As per Kyoketsu-Shoge, but
cannot be used as a close combat weapon.
Nunchaku Nunchaku +1 +2 +0
Naginata Spear +0 +3 +0 Reach two hexes
Kumade Kumade +0 +2 +0 Reach one hex
Shinobi-Zue Staff/Spear varies varies varies As per bo or spear
Nagimaki Spear +0 +3 +0 No reach
Yari Spear +0 +3 +1
Yarinage Spear +1 +2 +0 Thrown weapon
Dai-kyu Bow +0 +4 None Missile weapon
Han-kyu Bow +1 +1 None Missile weapon
Oyumi Crossbow -1 +5 None Missile weapon
Shuriken Shuriken +2 -1 +0 At one dot, one missile can be
thrown each round. For every two dots beyond one, an additional shuriken can be thrown. Ting å huske når det gjelder Lin Kuei: