D&D 5E Asian Monk Weapon Equivalents

[ColinChapman]

As the PHB mentions, most weapons for monks can easily be reskinned for a more asian feel/look. To that end, here are said weapons with their Chinese / Japanese equivalents (or Shou / Kozakuran in the Realms). If there's enough interest I can extend the reskinned list to cover martial weapons too (and include a few new weapons that reskinning doesn't truly cover).

[h=4]Club[/h]Er Jie Gun (Nunchaku), Guai (Fighting Stick/Crutch), Tie Yan Du (Iron Smoking Pipe) / Gunbai, Hanbo, Jutte, Kiseru, Kusari-Fundo, Nunchaku, Sai, Tessen, Tonfa

[h=4]Dagger[/h]Bi Shou (Dagger), Emei Ci (Emei Piercer), Pan Guan Bi (Judge’s Pen) / Aikuchi, Kaiken, Tanto

[h=4]Greatclub[/h]Chan Zhang (Monk’s Cudgel) / Kanamuchi

[h=4]Handaxe[/h]Fu (Fighting Axe), Yuan Yang Chan (Mandarin Duck Spade) / Masakari

[h=4]Javelin[/h]Shao Qiang (Broad-Headed Javelin) / Nageyari

[h=4]Mace[/h]Ba Ling Chui (Eight Corner Hammer), Bian (Iron Whip), Jin Gua Chui (Golden Melon Hammer) / Ararebo

[h=4]Quarterstaff[/h]Gun / Rokushakubo, Shakujo Yari

[h=4]Shortsword*[/h]Feng Huo Lun (Wind and Fire Wheel), Hu Die Dao (Butterfly Sword), Lin Jiao Dao (Unicorn Horn Sword), Lu Jiao Dao (Deer Horn Sword) / Ninjato, Wakizashi

[h=4]Sickle[/h]Ji Zhua Lian (Chicken Claw Sickle), Lian Dao (Kama), Lu Jiao Dao (Deer Horn Knife) / Kama, Kusarigama**

[h=4]Spear[/h]Qiang (Spear), She Qiang (Snake Spear), Shuang Tou Qiang (Double-Headed Spear) / Su Yari

[h=4]Light Crossbow[/h]Nu / -

[h=4]Dart[/h]Fei Biao (Flying Dart) / Shuriken, Uchine

[h=4]Shortbow[/h]Tong Yong Gong (Common Bow) / Hankyu

[h=4]Sling[/h]Tou Shi / Tousekihimo

* All of these shortswords do slashing rather than piercing damage.
** A kusari-gama combines a kama (sickle) with a 3-4 feet long weighted chain (kusari-fundo – treat as a club). Wielding one counts as two-weapon use with a sickle in one hand and club in the other. Buying one costs 15 sp.

 

[Eejit]

Sai as a club?

I thought it was mainly a stabbing weapon, with clubbing people using the hilt a minor use.

 

[ColinChapman]

No, it was mainly a bludgeon, a metal baton/truncheon. The central bar was rarely pointed.

 

[Eejit]

It wouldn't need a sharp point to pierce the skin. It's a striking or stabbing point, much narrower than that of a clubbing weapon. It'd be similar to a triangular-bladed rondel dagger, right? They didn't have the narrowest of tips but were still stabbing weapons.

 

[Kai Wren]

Thanks for putting this together! Very helpful.

 

[SkidAce]

Sai's were mainly used for blocking and trapping other weapons, and had a secondary use as a bludgeoning attack.

I personally have never seen one with a sharp point other than modern media.

 

[ColinChapman]

Indeed. It's a blunted metal bar used much like a club or tonfa. Could it pierce flesh? Undoubtedly, but so can many bludgeoning weapons including tapering staffs, knobbly clubs and maces, flanged maces, etc. Doesn't make them piercing weapons (unlike the often heavily-spiked morning star). It's an old debate, but ultimately like all things D&D combat it comes down to abstraction and there's also the precedent that in most prior editions it was also a bludgeoning weapon.

 

[ColinChapman]

While I'm compiling the Martial Weapon Equivalencies I came across a few extra weapons and tweaks that I've added/made to the Simple Weapons list above (such as the Gunbai and Tessen).

 

[ColinChapman]

Here's an example of one of the new Martial Weapons not really covered by equivalencies:

Meteor Hammer 5 gp 1d6 bludgeoning or piercing 4 lb. Finesse, reach, two-handed
The meteor hammer (liu xing chui) is a length of slender chain around 3-4 yards in length, weighted at one or both ends with a metal sphere the size of a large egg. The flying weight (shuang tao fei chui) is similar but has a conical metal bludgeoning head instead. Almost identical is the rope dart (sen biao) except that it replaces the bludgeoning heads with a heavy metal dart instead, causing it to do piercing rather than bludgeoning damage. It cannot be used with the Great Weapon Fighter style.

 

[transtemporal]

Is the Chan Zhang that giant club with the studs? That is usually wielded by the oversize comedy relief character? I love that club.