Are barbed bolas going to be a problem?

[Tetsubo]

One of my players took barbed bolas. have any of you had any trouble or do you foresee me having any trouble with them?

Complete warrior, Barbed Bolas..stats here: http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/weapons.pl?all

jh

Thanks for the link.

I think that normal bolas are effective enough already. Adding in the barbs just makes them a bit too nasty. I also question the practicality of bolas with barbs. Just carrying them around would be problematic. So, as a GM, I wouldn't allow them.

 

[frankthedm]

Those are the broken 3.0 bolas. Just say no.

 

[Emirikol]

So, how can I let them keep the bolas (barbed even) without having them be broken? I don't own the Comp.Warrior so I evaluated the players info from the online source.

Grapple check?
Grappled but not pinned?

The SRD reads thus:Bolas: You can use this weapon to make a ranged trip attack against an opponent. You can’t be tripped during your own trip attempt when using a set of bolas. Anybody have the C.W. definition of what the barbed bolas can do?


Thoughts?


Jay

 

[ElectricDragon]

Bolas use a normal ranged attack, not ranged touch. They can be used for trip attacks as normal trip attacks but no return trip if failed. They do subdual damage not lethal damage.

I would say: let the barbed ones do piercing damage, can be used for trip attacks (use normal rules for trips) and no return trip if failed, ranged attack, no ranged touch attack. No grapple, no pin, no Escape Artist checks, no Strength checks. I would also charge a pretty penny for the change from subdual to lethal (at least triple the cost of normal bolas, this includes fixing the sheathing/storing problem). YMMV

Ciao
Dave

 

[starwed]

I'm pretty sure that the trip attack would be a ranged touch attack, judging from this:

Tripping with a Weapon: Some weapons can be used to make trip attacks. In this case, you make a melee touch attack with the weapon instead of an unarmed melee touch attack, and you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.

The description of bolas states that:

You can use this weapon to make a ranged trip attack against an opponent. You can’t be tripped during your own trip attempt when using a set of bolas.

There's no real reason to think that, just because we're now making a ranged attack, that this changes other parts of the trip rules.
Just don't forget that, if you make the trip attempt, you're not dealing any damage with the bolas.

 

[Lopke_Quasath]

According to Complete Warrior, pg.155, Barbed Bolas can be used for ranged trip attacks.

Tripping with a Weapon

Some weapons can be used to make trip attacks. In this case, you make a melee touch attack with the weapon instead of an unarmed melee touch attack, and you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

The trip rules only talk of melee attacks, no help there. There are no rules regarding a ranged trip attack anywhere in the SRD or PHB (as far as I could find). Rules for ranged touch attacks deal with spells. There may be something in the errata or a FAQ.

However, it is reasonable to argue that since a bola only needs to touch, not penetrate, armor to be a successful trip attack (before opposed rolls of course), then a targets touch AC should be used.

Now, of course, for barbed bolas, the question of damage comes up. Was the roll high enough for a touch attack? Yes- make opposed rolls for tripping. Was it enough for a regular attack? No- no damage, but make the opposed rolls. Yes- deal 1d4 lethal damage and make opposed rolls.

Cheers

P.S. Yeah, 100th post

 

[starwed]

Now, of course, for barbed bolas, the question of damage comes up. Was the roll high enough for a touch attack? Yes- make opposed rolls for tripping. Was it enough for a regular attack? No- no damage, but make the opposed rolls. Yes- deal 1d4 lethal damage and make opposed rolls.

The default assumption is that if you make a touch attack, you don't get any extra damage if it would have been a regular hit as well. (See, for example, attacking with touch spells.)