Rising Sun Eternal: Combat and Weapons

Combat

The basic mechanics of combat do not vary much between different localizations of Cthulhu Eternal, but each has its own tables of weapons and armor as well as elaborations which cover unique forms of conflict or weapons technology.

Attack Skills

For the Japan setting, the following skills are used for combat attacks:

• Use Missile Weapons for a primitive firearm if these exist in your setting;

• Use Missile Weapons for other aimed weapons (e.g., bow or crossbow);

• Use Athletics for a thrown weapon;

• Use Melee Weapons for a hand-to-hand weapon;

• Use Unarmed Combat for a punch or kick.

Weapons for Japan settings

Table of Example Weapons

The tables below summarize some representative weapons and vehicles that characters might have access to. Note that while the concept of LETHAL DAMAGE still exists, it is primarily applied to explosives, poisons, or siege engines (like catapults or mangonels).

Also, this setting does not have a specific skill for Ranged Weapons – characters who are firing crossbows etc .should use the Missile Weapons skill to aim such weapons, while thrown weapons use Athletics as a combat skill.

Melee Weapons
Sample Weapons	Damage
Bare hands and feet	1D4–1*
Kick from heavy boot	1D4*
Tanto, hatchet, jo, sai	1D4*
Wakazashi, kama, hand axe	1D6*
Katana, yari, bo	1D8*
Tachi, ono	1D10*
Nodachi, tetsubo, naginata	2D6*

• Damage bonus is added for this weapon

Ranged Weapons
Sample Weapons	Skill	Damage	Base Range
Daikyu	Missile Weapons	2D6	200 yards
Hankyu	Missile Weapons	1D8	100 yards
Shuriken	Athletics	1D3*	20 yards
Thrown Spear	Athletics	1D8*	STR×5 yards

• Damage bonus is added for this weapon

Explosives
Sample Weapons	Skill	Damage	Base Range
Incendiary catapult shot	Military Training	Lethality 20%	2 yards

Armor for Japan settings

Armor	Armor Rating
Heavy Robes or Leather Jerkin	1
Do-Maru Armor	3
Wall or thick door	5
Full suit of Yoroi Armor	5
Thick wall, rubble, or moderate rock; siege shield	10
Reinforced wall, big rock, or earth embankment	15

Healing in Rising Sun Eternal

A healer can attempt a Medicine test once per week. If treatment succeeds, the patient recovers 1D4 HP. This is doubled with a critical, while a fumble inflicts 1D4 HP damage. At the Game Moderator’s discretion, having worn-out tools or poor quality medicines may incur a penalty.

Additional Combat Rules for Japan settings

Optional Spot Rules for Weapons

There’s a staggering variety of personal Melee and Missile Weapons and weaponry. Their usefulness in adventures may be limited, of course, depending on who or what the Protagonists face.

The primary game statistics relating to different types of weapons may be found on the Example Weapons Table. The availability of any class of weapon will be dictated by resources available in the locality, local traditions, etc.

The many lists of weapon types, damages, etc., created for other d100 or other RPGs can easily be tapped for this setting – there are many options and most are easily rejigged, if not already compatible.

What follows are some spot rules for Protagonists who have access to common Japan era weapons.

Concealing Weapons

Knives and coshes can be concealed under ordinary clothing. Someone deliberately looking for a concealed weapon can attempt an Alertness test to spot it. A Ninja folding bow or especially big knife means a +20% Alertness bonus.

If a Protagonist is wearing a heavy cape, he or she can attempt to conceal a hankyu bow, or a larger hand weapon (e.g., a hatchet or katana) and incur no Alertness bonus.

There’s no way to conceal a spear or other large melee weapon.

Hand-to-Hand Weapons

Unarmed attacks, like punching, kicking, and strangling, use the Unarmed Combat skill. All melee weapons use the Melee Weapons skill.

Ranged Weapons and Reloading

Ranged weapons that are aimed and loosed (e.g., bows) use the Missile Weapons skill. All such weapons require some kind of ammunition (arrows) and are useless if the supply is exhausted. Ranged weapons that are thrown (e.g., spears) use Athletics skill.

The Protagonists may have easy access to a range of different Missile Weapons. These require reloading, but times differ according to the type of weapon. For a simple bow, it would take one turn to ready a new shot after firing; the readied arrow would be fired in the next turn.

Weapon Specialization

Any Protagonist who already has a weapons skill can sacrifice points from that skill, or any other skill, to specialize exclusively in a particular weapon. They automatically gain a +1 damage bonus in that weapon, plus access to any special capabilities that weapon has. Some examples of such weapons are as follows.

Weapon	Skill	Damage	Special capability
Tessen	Melee Weapons	1D3	Defend: all parries and defensive moves get +20%
Kusari-fundo	Melee Weapons	1D4	Entangle: with success, instead of damage, do STR vs STR to immobilize
Kusarigama	Melee Weapons	1D6	Entangle: with success, instead of damage, do STR vs STR to trip
Sodegarami	Melee Weapons	1D8	Entangle: with success, instead of damage, do STR vs STR to immobilize