“A sword is not a weapon. It is a question. The answer is written in blood.”

— Master Jian of the Falling Petal School

Weapons of the Martial World

In Five Fists of the Burning Temple, weapons are not replacements for skill—they are extensions of it.

A true master does not rely on the blade. But when they draw it, the world remembers.

Weapons enhance your martial arts, adding reach, control, and lethality. They do not replace your base damage—they build upon it.

This system replaces the weapon damage system used in regular SWADE.

Weapon Philosophy

All weapons follow three guiding principles:

They enhance, not replace, your martial arts
They add flat bonuses instead of new damage dice
They express style as much as function

Your base damage comes from your Martial Arts skill. Weapons add to that damage.

Weapon Damage Model

Weapon Category	Damage Bonus	Notes
Light Weapons	+1	Fast, flexible, concealable
Standard Weapons	+2	Balanced, versatile, most common
Heavy Weapons	+3	Powerful, slower, often two-handed

Example: A martial artist with Str + d8 unarmed damage using a saber (+2) deals:

Str + d8 + 2

Weapon Traits

Weapons may also grant special traits:

Trait	Effect
Reach +1	Can attack from 1" further away
Defensive	+1 Parry when wielded
Entangling	+1 to Grapple or Disarm attempts
Concealable	+1 to Stealth rolls to hide weapon
Two-Handed	Cannot be used with a second weapon
Flexible	Ignores some Parry bonuses (GM discretion)

Weapon Reference Table

Weapon	Category	Bonus	Traits	Favored Styles
Dagger / Twin Daggers	Light	+1	Concealable	Snake, Moth, Scorpion
War Fan	Light	+1	Defensive, Concealable	Fan, Crane
Chain / Rope Dart	Light	+1	Flexible, Entangling	Snake, Mantis
Throwing Needles	Light (Ranged)	+1	Concealable, Range 3/6/12	Moth, Snake
Straight Sword (Jian)	Standard	+2	Balanced	Crane, Hundred Forms
Curved Saber (Dao)	Standard	+2	+1 damage on Raise	Tiger, Scorpion
Jo Staff	Standard	+2	Reach +1, Defensive	Monkey, Crane
Spear	Standard	+2	Reach +1	Horse, Hundred Forms
Tonfa / Short Batons	Standard	+2	Defensive	Ox, Mantis
Polearm / Halberd	Heavy	+3	Reach +2, Two-Handed	Horse, Iron Body
Great Sword	Heavy	+3	Two-Handed, +1 damage on Raise	Tiger, Hundred Forms
Tetsubo / War Club	Heavy	+3	Two-Handed, ignores 1 Armor	Ox
Silk Scarf	Exotic	+1	Entangling, Concealable	Fan, Moth
Hook Swords	Exotic	+2	Entangling, Dual-wield capable	Scorpion
Chain Whip	Exotic	+2	Flexible, Reach +1	Snake

Weapons are explained in more detail below.

Light Weapons

Fast, elegant, and often deceptive.

Dagger / Twin Daggers

Bonus: +1

Traits: Concealable

Style: Snake, Moth, Scorpion Used for quick strikes and hidden attacks.

War Fan

Bonus: +1

Traits: Defensive, Concealable

Style: Fan, Crane

Elegant and deadly. Often mistaken for decoration.

Chain / Rope Dart

Bonus: +1

Traits: Flexible, Entangling

Style: Snake, Mantis

Difficult to master, devastating in skilled hands.

Throwing Needles

Bonus: +1 (ranged)

Range: 3/6/12

Traits: Concealable

Style: Moth, Snake

Used for distraction, poison, or precise strikes.

Standard Weapons

The most common weapons of the martial world.

Straight Sword (Jian)

Bonus: +2

Traits: Balanced (no penalties)

Style: Crane, Hundred Forms

The weapon of scholars and nobles.

Curved Saber (Dao)

Bonus: +2

Traits: +1 damage on a Raise

Style: Tiger, Scorpion

A brutal, practical battlefield weapon.

Jo Staff

Bonus: +2

Traits: Reach +1, Defensive

Style: Monkey, Crane

A versatile weapon of monks and wanderers.

Spear

Bonus: +2

Traits: Reach +1

Style: Horse, Hundred Forms

The king of battlefield weapons.

Tonfa / Short Batons

Bonus: +2

Traits: Defensive

Style: Ox, Mantis

Excellent for blocking and close combat.

Heavy Weapons

Powerful, dramatic, and often overwhelming.

Polearm / Halberd

Bonus: +3

Traits: Reach +2, Two-Handed ' Style:' Horse, Iron Body

Massive battlefield weapon with wide arcs.

Great Sword

Bonus: +3

Traits: Two-Handed, +1 damage on Raise

Style: Tiger, Hundred Forms

Used by warriors who favor power over speed.

Tetsubo / War Club

Bonus: +3

Traits: Two-Handed, ignores 1 point of armor

Style: Ox

Crude, heavy, devastating.

Flexible and Exotic Weapons

These weapons require training or special Edges.

Silk Scarf

Bonus: +1

Traits: Entangling, Concealable

Style: Fan, Moth

Can entangle, blind, or disarm.

Hook Swords

Bonus: +2

Traits: Entangling, Dual-wield capable

Style: Scorpion

Complex weapons requiring precision.

Chain Whip

Bonus: +2

Traits: Flexible, Reach +1

Style: Snake

Can strike unpredictably from odd angles.

Improvised Weapons

In the martial world, everything is a weapon.

Object	Bonus	Notes
Chair	+1	Breaks on a Raise
Bottle	+1	May cause Distracted on hit
Tray	+0	Can be used defensively
Ladder	+2	Awkward, but powerful
Cooking pot	+1	Can blind with a Trick

Using improvised weapons:

–1 to hit unless using a Trick
Gain +1 if used creatively
Gain +2 if it makes everyone laugh

Dual Wielding

Characters may wield two light or standard weapons:

Use standard SWADE off-hand penalties
Some styles (Monkey, Mantis, Scorpion) specialize in dual weapons
Hook swords and daggers are especially suited to this

Weapon and Style Synergy

Using a weapon favored by your style grants:

+1 to a single attack roll per round

This represents harmony between weapon and technique.

Weapon Breakage (Optional Rule)

On a Critical Failure:

Light weapon: breaks immediately
Standard weapon: breaks on second failure
Heavy weapon: becomes unwieldy (–2 to hit) until repaired

This rule emphasizes cinematic destruction and shifting combat conditions.

Legendary Weapons

Some weapons are more than steel—they are stories.

Legendary weapons may:

Grant additional Edges
Unlock hidden techniques
Require Honor thresholds to wield
Refuse unworthy users

These are detailed further on Burning Temple Legendary Relics.

Final Word

A weapon does not make a master.

But in the right hands—

—it ends the story.