Khukri
The Gurkha fighters of Nepal reportedly have a saying about these favored fighting knives: if a Gurkha unsheathes his khukri, the blade must spill blood. If history is any indicator, the saying holds some truth. The Gurkha, operating as foreign complements to the British Army, were said to be fierce opponents on the field of battle, chopping off limbs and heads, the blood running down the notched grooves often found on a khukri’s handle.
The khukri itself is a wide knife, almost like a machete, except that the blade is curved sharply inward, looking nearly like a boomerang. Most of the weight is located at the top of the blade. This gives the weapon a fierce arc. The weight drives the blade forward with astonishing force. This force is why the knife is considered particularly useful when chopping off body parts on the battlefield, and why the Gurkhas would aim for the exposed necks of their adversaries. A character wielding a khukri normally is certainly fierce enough. A character using a khukri to try to decapitate or dismember an opponent is all the more worrisome. When using a khukri to target a specific body part, the normal penalties apply (see p. 154 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). However, the khukri allows the 9 again rule on targeted attacks, as the weapon’s unique blade contributes mightily to such direct attacks.
The khukri, with a blade approximately a foot long, is very nearly a sword. Sword versions of the khukri do exist, however (with blades over 20 inches in length). A sword khukri has Damage 3(L), Cost ••••, and Size 3.
The khukri itself is a wide knife, almost like a machete, except that the blade is curved sharply inward, looking nearly like a boomerang. Most of the weight is located at the top of the blade. This gives the weapon a fierce arc. The weight drives the blade forward with astonishing force. This force is why the knife is considered particularly useful when chopping off body parts on the battlefield, and why the Gurkhas would aim for the exposed necks of their adversaries. A character wielding a khukri normally is certainly fierce enough. A character using a khukri to try to decapitate or dismember an opponent is all the more worrisome. When using a khukri to target a specific body part, the normal penalties apply (see p. 154 of the World of Darkness Rulebook). However, the khukri allows the 9 again rule on targeted attacks, as the weapon’s unique blade contributes mightily to such direct attacks.
The khukri, with a blade approximately a foot long, is very nearly a sword. Sword versions of the khukri do exist, however (with blades over 20 inches in length). A sword khukri has Damage 3(L), Cost ••••, and Size 3.
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Size: 2/J
Durability: 3
Cost: ••
Notes: 9 again on targeted attacks