Bolas

Bolas were an exotic ranged weapon.

Description
A set of bolas consisted of two or three spheres connected by long cords to a central point. The spheres were typically made of either heavy wood, metal, or leather bags filled with stones. The cords were either woven leather straps, heavy twine, or a lightly barbed chain.

Weaponology
Bolas were held at the connecting point and twirled in a circle high enough that the ground could not interfere. They were then released and thrown at a target, with the intention that they would entangle and wrap themselves around the legs of the opponent, causing them to trip. This primarily worked on bipedal creatures, though it was possible to achieve this effect on quadrupedal creatures as well.

Because they required a lot of skill and practice to use effectively, bolas were classified by many as an exotic weapon.

Almost any weaponsmith or leatherworker was capable of crafting a set of bolas, though they required exact measurements and weights for the cords and balls respectively.

Notable Users of Bolas

 * Avariel were known to extensively train in the use of bolas.
 * The fabled "beastmen" of the Forbidden Plateau were said to have fought with bolas.
 * Humans in Chult were known to fight with bolas.
 * Jungle giants were known to have developed a proportional equivalent of bolas for use in hunting big game in the savannah. Eventually other giant races began to adopt their innovative weapon and personalize it.
 * The Poison Dusk tribe of lizardfolk favored the use of bolas in incapacitating their enemies.
 * Bolas were among the weapons favored by the Tabaxi of Maztica.
 * Tlincalli were known to fight with bolas.