- | Price | Weight (#) | Rate of fire | S | M | L | S-M | L | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Bola * | 3 gp | 2.5 | 1 | 2" | 4" | 6" | 2-5 | 2-5 | +2 | +1 | +2 | +1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | +1 |
* This weapon will entangle and fell an opponent unless the victim successfully saves vs. breath weapon.
BOLA: The bola
consists of two or three weighted and spiked
balls connected by a light barbed chain.
The bola is thrown at
an opponent’s legs in such a manner that
the victim (if the
weapon hits) must save vs. breath weapon
or be tangled by the
barbed cords and felled. Entanglement lasts
for 1 round,
during which (while untangling himself)
the victim will be incapable
of defense, and persons attacking the toppled
creature
will receive +2 “to hit.” The bola will,
of course, only topple
bipedal creatures with man-sized or smaller
legs set relatively
close to one another. At the DM’s option,
the bola may be
allowed to fell quadrupedal creatures whose
leg movement
brings two legs close enough together in
such a way that the
bola can entangle both at once. The bola
was historically used
to hunt ostriches,
and in adapting it for use as a weapon against
other men, it became necessary to for the
wielder to wear a
glove of some type to protect the throwing
hand from the
barbed chain, (Boiled leather is ample
protection for this
purpose.)
by Randy Bowman
New Weapons | Equipment | - | Dragon #61 | Dragon magazine |