Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JamesDruidDM 03-17-06, 01:27 PM	con someone explain exactly how these work, I have a player that wants to use them and I have read the description but I am still not all that sure how they work in combat
fuzzypants 03-17-06, 02:33 PM	Based on watching cartoons and limited research, I believe bolas are basically used to entangle and trip. You swing them around like a sling, let them go, and if they hit the target, it more or less ties up their legs and they hit the ground. Wikipedia's Definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolas)
00_Whupass 03-17-06, 02:43 PM	Basically a bola allows you to make a ranged trip attempt, it is resolved in teh same way as a melee trip attempt except that you're farther away. Does this help? I have to admit I'm not fully understanding what you're asking for.
JamesDruidDM 03-17-06, 02:58 PM	ok yeah a ranged trip attack, that makes sense I guess, well works for me anyways
R2 03-17-06, 03:01 PM	Bolas are leather cords with weights on the end. You swing them around a bit and let fly, and when they hit properly, they wrap up and entangle whatever it was you threw them at. They were originally used for hunting herd animals. They're really hard to throw properly, which is why they're Exotic weapons and no class I can think of gets proficiency for free. In game mechanics, they let a character make a ranged trip attempt. Instead of making an unarmed touch attack to make contact, make a ranged touch attack (you don't get an AoO for making the trip attempt, but you do provoke for using a ranged weapon, so that part doesn't change). Other than that, it works just like a normal trip attempt, as far as any resources I have access to right now are concerned. You might make the ensuing contest a bola-throwers DEX vs. target's DEX or STR to be tripped, but that's your call.
Ryusage 03-17-06, 06:47 PM	they can be quite useful... you should learn about them so not to deny your players the oppurntunity to use them... I always keep bolas on me, in case my opponent tries to run (seriously my short little dwarf legs can't keep up ;) )
Raven Dark 03-17-06, 08:19 PM	I have a 22 strength fighter who uses barbed bolas (Complete Warrior). 1d4+6 damage on a TOUCH ATTACK is PLUS the trip attack makes it an unbelievably powerful mundane weapon. I can't wait to enchant them with flaming, frost, returning, & shock! 1d4+3d6+6 plus trip on a touch attack is always nice. At higher levels I intend to get Brutal Throw (Complete Adventurer) so that I can add my strength modifier to his ranged attack rolls instead of his Dexterity (currently a 15). No enemy can bare to STAND against him! Lol.
fatal error 03-17-06, 10:18 PM	... If your bolas do damage, shouldn't they logicially be rolled against ful AC? Not saying what you're doing is illegal, but it would be by my rules. The reason a normal bolas is a touch attack is because all it's doing is wrapping up the legs, it doesn't matter if the victim is wearing hardened adamantine plate greeves or bare lower legs. But when you start dealing damage that starts to matter...