I noticed the new weapon, Bolas.
It can do a ranged trip and it's not uncommon.
It is Martial,so not a choice for everyone.
My question is it worth it for anyone?
Maybe for an Investigator?
For any martial character as an opener?
Hadn't though of flying creatures, good call.
Though they'd have to be fairly close, which works for all those hovering w/ Reach.
Against a ground opponent, why take the -2 penalty assuming you can move 20' to get to them? Will there be some situations it'd be useful, yes, except how often would you start with the weapon out for it to be an opener and how often would it be worth drawing?
That said, it's worth carrying since it's L Bulk, and Ferious Thune pointed out a very important use for most any martial.
Also now realizing that a low Dex warrior might want it for throwing since Trip w/ Athletics keys off of Strength (if you can't bridge that 20' gap for some reason). Bola's definitely have a niche or two.
Far Shot w/ Strong Arm would be funny, totally knocking creatures out from 60' in the air. (If building a thrower already perhaps.)
If you have good athletics you can probably still trip mooks with assurance - and since thrown is dexterity territorry you still can do it with dex instead of strength
for the gymnast it's also nice if you need panache and don't habe a fourth action to spare to move to an enemy before you move to the main target for a finisher
This is good feedback.
So it's a good fit for melee fighters that need to bring down a flyer or for a throwing build.
I wish it could be used with Dex, making viable for more ranged builds.
If you have good athletics you can probably still trip mooks with assurance - and since thrown is dexterity territorry you still can do it with dex instead of strength
for the gymnast it's also nice if you need panache and don't habe a fourth action to spare to move to an enemy before you move to the main target for a finisher
Yea, I was wondering about the thrown & Dex aspects.
I don't think it'd be either/or, but rather which stat always (unlike Finesse where you can choose)."Thrown" references ranged attacks which then does mention using your Dex modifier yet also references your weapon proficiency, so we can't copy-paste those rules onto this. That's obviously for weapon Strikes, though it does mention "other attack actions" without specifying.
The Ranged Trip trait makes zero mention of Dex when making the Athletics check, and that'd be the best place to mention such a difference. So, tentatively, I'm leaning toward Bola's trip attack being Str-based.
I dislike the implication that somebody who couldn't damage with the Bola might be significantly superior at tripping with it, but that seems to be the case. That's true even when the thrower/tripper has zero proficiency with martial weapons. (This loophole is true of whips too, or other weapons with a combat maneuver. You can use the weapon to do the maneuver without referencing one's proficiency with that weapon. I dislike this, and may make a rare houserule.)
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how often would you start with the weapon out for it to be an opener and how often would it be worth drawing?
If it fits your gimmick (“bring ‘em in alive” or something), I can imagine it as a PC’s default carry in Exploration Mode. I’m not sure how mechanically practical that gimmick is, but I think it would be a fun one to play.
Far Shot w/ Strong Arm would be funny, totally knocking creatures out from 60' in the air. (If building a thrower already perhaps.)
That sounds super cool. Again, not sure how mechanically sound, but it sounds super cool.