Shuriken

Shuriken
Range	5m (16ft)
Rarity	Common
Size	Palm Sized
Use	Distration, injury

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Description

The Shuriken is a flattened piece of metal that usually has four sharp points upon it, although several variants exist. It was one of the ninja's primary throwing weapons, letting them utilize a damaging and sometimes crippling weapon from a distance. They were often made of many materials, which made them easy to craft, allowing one, with knowledge, to craft it from very simple pieces of metal. These were often dipped in poison, to augment the effect of the attack, so if one would miscalculate, it could easily still poison the target if the weapon grazed them. The art of wielding a shuriken is known as shurikenjustu. Most

Shuriken are small palm sized star-shaped short ranged weapons made from steel, which can be crudely crafted. Each clan generally had their own style of shuriken, which would differ in many ways from how many points a shuriken had to the weight and color of the shuriken.

Shuriken Usage

Shuriken could be thrown from short to long ranges. Most have four points that will ensure that the Shuriken always presents a blade to the target, at least in theor . Shuriken made with poor quality were sometimes bedded into the flooring for improvised use as caltrops. While in the midst of a get-away, the Shuriken could be thrown at the sentry pursuing the Ninja, possibly injuring them or further slowing them down. Shuriken were also thrown to be able to hit the opponent then bounce away out of sight. This way a Ninja could confuse an unsuspecting guard or sentry into believing he had been cut by an invisible swordsmen.

Types of Shuriken

Hira Shuriken

Also called the Shaken, they are the most known and popular form of shuriken, and were made from a variety of sources, such as coins, carpentry tools, spools, and nail removers. They often have a hole in the center and possess a fairly thin blade sharpened only at the tip. The holes derive from their source in items that had holes – old coins, washers, and nail-removing tools. This proved convenient for the shuriken user, as well, as the weapons could be strung on a string or dowel in the belt for transport, and the hole also had aerodynamic and weighting effects that aided the flight of the blade after it was thrown.

Bo-Shuriken

Bo-shuriken are throwing weapons consisting of a straight, iron or steel spike, usually four-sided but sometimes round or octagonal in shape. The bo-shuriken can be thrown in a number of ways, such as overhead, underarm, sideways and rearwards, but in each case, the throw involved the blade sliding out of the hand through the fingers in a smooth, controlled flight.

Forms

1. Kugi-Gata (Nail Form)
2. Hari-Gata (Needle Form)
3. Hoko-Gata (Spear Form)
4. Matsuba-Gata (Pine-Needle Form)

Shuriken Sayings

The Shuriken was not originally designed as a killing weapon, as they were not usually heavy enough to cause a kill. Professionals suggest that four-star Shuriken should be used by experts, and five-star shuriken are for beginners. It has also been said that shuriken can be used as hidden melee weapons, but no historical evidence exists of this rather uncommon use.

Gear
Throwing Weapons
Shuriken	Grenade	Bo-Shuriken	Blinding Powder
Bladed Weapons
Wakizashi	Katana	Yari	Shikomizue
Ranged Weapons
Bo Staff	Bow	Blowpipe	Arquebus
Equipment
Medicine	Grappling Hook	Caltrop	Stone Pencil
Clothing
Straw Hat	Chain Mail	Disguise	Tenugui

Gallery