GURPS Martial Arts - Home

Cane – Universal. The walking stick is an accessory of gentlemen
worldwide. Treat as a LIGHT CLUB (p. B271). Many
are topped with a crook (adds no cost or weight), which
enables the Hook technique (p. 74).
CAVALRY SABER (p. B271) – Europe, USA. A curved sword
optimized for one-handed use from horseback.
Resembles the fencer’s SABER (p. B273) in profile, but is
heavier and wielded more like BROADSWORD (p. B271).
CESTUS (p. 226) – Ancient Rome. A studded or spiked leather
hand covering; treat as a gauntlet (DR 4). Elbow-length
versions were common: 2¥ cost and 4¥ weight. They provide
DR 4 to the arm on 1-3 on 1d, and their +1 damage
extends to Elbow Strike (p. 71).
Cha – China. A TRIDENT (p. 229). See also Southern-Tiger
Fork (p. 225).
CHAIN WHIP (p. 228; illustration, p. 4) – China. A whip made
of chain or short metal bars (usually seven or nine of
them) joined by chain. Used to lash foes and to entangle
like a KUSARI (p. B272).
CHAKRAM (p. 231; illustration, p. 42) – India. A metal ring,
edged on the outside, that’s spun around the finger on the
inside rim and thrown.
A warrior might want to enjoy the tactical benefits of
several specialized melee weapons at once. The obvious
solution is to carry a different weapon in each hand, but
this isn’t practical when using a shield or a two-handed
weapon. A workaround is to stick the useful part of one
weapon onto another, creating a “combination weapon.”
To design a combination weapon, start with a basic
melee weapon – commonly a hafted one (one with a pole,
like an axe or a staff) – and add the cost and weight of the
desired features below. These options add extra attack
modes for the wielder to choose from, in addition to the
standard choices for his weapon. Such attacks use the
weapon’s usual skill, except as noted.
Hammer: Any swung, hafted cutting or impaling
weapon can have a hammer head behind its striking
head. Damage is that of its usual swinging attack, but
crushing. $25; 0.5 lb.
Hook: Any swung weapon, even a sword, can have a
small hook to permit use of the Hook technique (p. 74).
Hooking inflicts thrust-2 cutting for a one-handed
weapon, thrust-1 for a two-handed one. A hook can be
blunt in order to snag victims without causing damage,
but this is no cheaper. $25; neg. weight.
Kusari, Two-Yard: Any reach 1+ weapon can have a
short kusari (weighted chain) attached. Use the statistics
on p. B272, except that reach is only 1, 2*. It goes on the
head or butt of an impact or pole weapon, or on the pommel
of a club or sword (to put it inside a metallic baton,
jutte, etc., see Hidden Weapons, p. 218). The wielder may
use his weapon normally or swing the chain using the
Kusari skill. The weapon becomes two-handed, if it
wasn’t already; one hand controls the chain at all times.
$40; 2.5 lbs.
Combination Weapons
214 WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Estoc
Chiang – China. A SPEAR (pp. B273, B276).
Chigoridani – Japan. An odd combination weapon consisting
of a chain with a flanged weight on one end and a tasseled
cord tied to the other, the chain passing through an
iron pipe that serves as a sliding handle. Used twohanded,
it’s effectively a KUSARI (p. B272) that gives -2 to
skill but permits a parry with the pipe, improving its
Parry from -2U to 0U. Add $20 and 1 lb. to kusari cost
and weight. A similar weapon, the konpei, has projecting
wings on a shorter handle.
Chukonu – China. A REPEATING CROSSBOW (p. 231). Also
transliterated “zhuge nu.”
Kusari, Four-Yard: As above, but the kusari is fullsized,
with reach 1-4*. $80; 5 lbs.
Pick: Any swung, hafted weapon that deals crushing or
cutting damage can have a hardened spike at right angles
to its haft. Damage is that of its usual swinging attack, but
at -1 and impaling. Like any pick, it can get stuck; see
p. B405. The weapon also gains the benefits of a hook.
$50; 0.5 lb.
Sickle: Any swung, hafted weapon can have a small
sickle head. Damage is equivalent to that of its usual
swinging attack, but at -1 and cutting or -2 and impaling.
The weapon also gains the benefits of a hook. $30; 0.5 lb.
Spear: Any hafted weapon can add a spearhead that
does thrust+2 impaling damage one-handed, thrust+3
impaling two-handed. Thrusting doesn’t unready the
weapon – even if swinging normally does. $30; 0.5 lb.
Apply +1 to the weapon’s ST statistic per 1 lb. or fraction
thereof added to a one-handed weapon, or per 2 lbs.
or fraction thereof added to a two-handed one. Adding a
kusari makes the weapon two-handed automatically. For
more on ST and weapons, see p. B270.
Example 1: A sickle (p. 223) costs $40, weighs 2 lbs., and
requires ST 8. A kusarigama is a sickle with a short kusari
on its head or butt. A two-yard kusari adds $40 and 2.5 lbs.,
making final cost and weight $80 and 4.5 lbs. It also turns
the combination weapon into a two-handed weapon.
Adding 2.5 lbs. of weight to a two-handed weapon results in
+2 to ST, making it 10.
Example 2: A scythe (p. B274) costs $15, weighs 5 lbs.,
and requires ST 11. An okusarigama is a scythe with a long
kusari attached. A four-yard kusari adds $80 and 5 lbs., raising
cost to $95 and weight to 10 lbs. Adding 5 lbs. of weight
to a two-handed weapon gives +3 to ST, making it 14.