A long hair attack...


3.5/d20/OGL

Scarab Sages

Being a hopeless Kung-Fu theater lover, I have to ask if anyone has tried to use their characters long braided hair, with poisoned hairpins in it, as an attack (like a bladed scarf)?

I know there was a recent movie with Jackie Chan and Jet Li that had a lady in it with 5ft long braided hair using it like a whip.

I am curious if there are any rules for something like that in print somewhere, or if I have to work it in by my own imagination...

I would love feedback for possible rules to support this kind of attack option.

Thanks,

CC


That would make a great article. Different hair accoutrement set-ups equal different weapon and effect equivalents.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber

The only d20 rule I've ever seen for anything close was an insanely Epic feat called "Prehensile Hair". It's from the Immortals Handbook from Eternity Publishing.

Did I mention the whole book is insane, crazy, and nuts? REALLY crazy. Rules for Level 100+ characters, though there are quite a few things of use for the saner Epic levels (21-30 or so).

Scarab Sages

Oh, I would love to see an article on that option, I have even begun to create a wonderous item with this theme in mind for this years competition.

I will look up that feat this evening when I have a chance.

Thanks for the quick messages.


Dwarven Beard Attack! Or alternatively, half-orc hair that offers a bonus to AC or damage reduction, as it gradually hardens over years of not-bathing.

CR


I'd consider it essentially the same as using a light, offhand improvised weapon, or a secondary attack.

Batts


Corrosive Rabbit wrote:
Dwarven Beard Attack! Or alternatively, half-orc hair that offers a bonus to AC or damage reduction, as it gradually hardens over years of not-bathing.

Ha! Right now, I'm picturing a line of dwarven heshers headbanging away; creating a windmill like affect with their twirling beards. Thus, creating that barrier that gives a bonus to AC because they're aiding another. ;-)


Better yet: Dwarven Shieldmaids. Note that Golarion dwarfmaids aren't bearded!


Urizen wrote:
Corrosive Rabbit wrote:
Dwarven Beard Attack! Or alternatively, half-orc hair that offers a bonus to AC or damage reduction, as it gradually hardens over years of not-bathing.
Ha! Right now, I'm picturing a line of dwarven heshers headbanging away; creating a windmill like affect with their twirling beards. Thus, creating that barrier that gives a bonus to AC because they're aiding another. ;-)

That's an insane visual!

Silver Crusade

I would accomplish this by creating a feat that provides a secondary natural hair/beard/whatever attack. That attack could then be enhanced by various mundane and magical items.


I think the rules for unarmed strike kind of cover this already quite well. Perhaps a feat or two to let a character use poison as part of their unarmed strikes to suit the pins flavor. There is a feat in... the Cheliax Companion that allows you to add 1d4 bleed to an unarmed strike. I think that would go quite well with the sharp object in hair theme :)

Grand Lodge

How about this as a feat...

Prehensile Hair
Prereq: Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Unarmed Strike, Dex 15, BAB +7

You may use your exceedingly long, well kept hair as an unarmed attacked.

Benefit: You may use your long hair as an unarmed attacked. If you use your hair attack while using a melee weapon, follow the general rules for unarmed attacks using natural attacks (as such you may make an extra attack at BAB -5, half STR for Damage, and the hair attack is considered a light weapon, resulting in a Two-weapon fighting penalty of -2/-2 for the melee attack and the hair attack).

Normal: You cannot use hair as a natural attack

Long Prehensile Hair
Prereq: Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Unarmed Strike, Dex 15, BAB +9, Prehensile Hair

You may use your exceeding long Prehensile Hair to make Ranged Attacks.

Benefit: You may use your Long Prehensile Hair as a natural attack, as per Prehensile Hair. Additionally your hair has reach and you threaten +5 feet.

Normal: You cannot use your Prehensile Hair as a reach weapon.


Jademan comics had a character who had no arms so he used his queue not just for fighting, but also for movement like "brachiating" though the trees.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

"The Obsidian Eye" in Dungeon #120 has statistics for a braid blade (exotic weapon).

Dungeon #120 wrote:

A braid blade is a small dagger-like blade that can be woven into the end of a long braid of hair. While a braid blade doesn't inflict much damage, it grants those proficient in its use an additional attack that, when combined with sneak attacks, poison, or similar augmentation can become quite deadly.

You can attack with a braid blade as a regular weapon, leaving both hands free for other pursuits. When you make a full-attack action, you may make one additional attack with your braid blade, although you suffer a -5 penalty on the attack roll unless you also have at least 5 ranks in Tumble, in which case the penalty is reduced to -2.

A braid blade grants a +2 circumstance bonus on any Bluff checks made to feint an opponent in combat.

Braid Blade (Light Exotic Weapon): Cost 10 gp; Dmg (S) 1d2; Dmg (M) 1d3; Critical 18-20/x2; Weight 1/2 lb; Type Slashing.

A lenient interpretation would even allow the additional attack from the braid blade when fighting with two hand-held weapons or a double weapon (or a single weapon without needing the Two-Weapon Fighting feat). In this case, multiple attacks with the braid blade would only be available when using the braid blade as a regular (primary) weapon or if enchanted with the speed ability.

As written, the braid blade is not a reach weapon. This is appropriate, considering that a longsword (2.5-3 ft long blade) used by a medium sized creature (2.5-3 ft long arms) is not a reach weapon either. A creature with extremely long hair (more than its height) would probably be better off using the braid blade as a hand-held whip.


There was something in savage species called the snake chain I think, It's generally a weapon for Medusas but I could see a long haired character using it.


I had a dwarven fighter named Leonidas Warbeard (YES, named after Leonidas of Sparta, but YEARS before that story was a movie). The Warbeard clan was so named for their penchant for tying iron blades, spiked rods, hooks and all kind of pointy metal nasties from their facial hair. Ol' Leo had all that and more dangling from his face...the very bottom of his beard was a small spiked flail. Thus was born the "Exotic Weapon Profiency: Beard Flail" feat. 1d6 damage, critical range 20, critx2, add one half of your strength modifier. For reasons that should be obvious, the trip attack common to other flails was not possible with a beard flail. ;)

Scarab Sages

It seems that incorporating the hair as part of an unarmed strike will make this very easy to incorporate.

Monks can use feet, arms, elbows, head butts, knees, etc.. as unarmed strikes. Why not hair?

With that in mind, I can make the hair spikes an exotic weapon feat, but allow it to be used as part of the flurry of blows.

(this makes the monk invest something important into his character, and with that, the DM allows the weapon to be used in flurry)

Poison rules would remain unchanged.

WIth the lunge feat in the new core rule book, the 10ft. reach with the hair is taken care of.

I wont have to make any other changes to triping with the hair as that could be done with CMB as a single attack.

The only thing I couldnt see this atack doing is Bull rushing an opponant, but I still have a few days to consider that.

Thanks for the input everyone, they all helped me come to this conclusion.


I was wondering if you guys are familiar with the fight scene in "District 13: Ultimatum" which features the wonderful Elodie Yung wielding, to great effect a blade at the end of a long braid. The link to the video of my favourite female fight scene is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRBzirMCY-Q&feature=youtu.be. Heroes of the Storm just introduced a new hero, "SAMURO" who sports such a weap attached to a long queue, but it seems such an attack is not included in the animations. I was trying to discover what such a weapon might be called & found this page. hope this might be of interest.

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