Awakened Bola's

[DoctaDajman]

The Bola is a throwing weapon with 3 seperate ends of cordage tied together with heavy weights on the end of each of them. When thrown the weapon reaches out into a wingspan the length of the cords and as any part of it hits a target it will entangle it. 

As good as it is already, there are very few things that can't be strengthened by awakening. And I think the weights would allow a rope to be  thrown quite a bit further than one with no weights. Also awakening the rope to hold onto its target as it leaves your hand is probably the best way to secure a soon to be captured enemy. 

But what about the throw and what the awakened rope can do in the air?  Do you think it could choose to flex itself in a way to improve accuracy?  

I know awakened rope has been used to sling stones. With that in mind could you almost forgot the bolas Idea and simply put a weight on a piece of cordage that was significant enough that the cord could attempt to throw the rock and if that rock was tied to it the cord would simply follow the rock from there? 

As far as hard to beat options for awakened less lethal weapons I think this could be a solid one. Maybe even small small weighted ones that could be loaded into a sling as they are awakened to tie someone up before being sling down range at the bad guy.  

[Wits instant noodles he/him]

On 12/6/2024 at 10:16 PM, DoctaDajman said:

But what about the throw and what the awakened rope can do in the air?  Do you think it could choose to flex itself in a way to improve accuracy?  

 

I think it’s possible but there are some issues, first off it would be a different command then “grab what your thrown at” because that command doesn’t encompass the idea of steering. And secondly sense the ropes don’t know your intended target, you’d have to use a command like adjust to fly straight when thrown or something to improve accuracy.

here they purpose the idea of using Arrows or Darts that way they don’t require more commands sense they already do damage on contact. 

 

 

On 12/6/2024 at 10:16 PM, DoctaDajman said:

I know awakened rope has been used to sling stones. With that in mind could you almost forgot the bolas Idea and simply put a weight on a piece of cordage that was significant enough that the cord could attempt to throw the rock and if that rock was tied to it the cord would simply follow the rock from there? 

I think this could work for sure, but I still think a bola would work better as it almost ensures that the rope hits the target and not just the rock.

 

On 12/6/2024 at 10:16 PM, DoctaDajman said:

As far as hard to beat options for awakened less lethal weapons I think this could be a solid one. Maybe even small small weighted ones that could be loaded into a sling as they are awakened to tie someone up before being sling down range at the bad guy.  

I think a sling would require the rope to be too small to be effective in order to be launched. But I love the idea of an awakened bola! I think it could be very effective. 

[DoctaDajman]

13 hours ago, Wits instant noodles said:

I think it’s possible but there are some issues, first off it would be a different command then “grab what your thrown at” because that command doesn’t encompass the idea of steering. And secondly sense the ropes don’t know your intended target, you’d have to use a command like adjust to fly straight when thrown or something to improve accuracy.

here they purpose the idea of using Arrows or Darts that way they don’t require more commands sense they already do damage on contact. 

 

 

I think this could work for sure, but I still think a bola would work better as it almost ensures that the rope hits the target and not just the rock.

 

I think a sling would require the rope to be too small to be effective in order to be launched. But I love the idea of an awakened bola! I think it could be very effective. 

I think the trick to "what your thrown at" is going to be found in the visualization. You could make the visualization a combo of the physical features of the person getting wrapped up. Perhaps you could include whatever the lifesense feels like of the person as well. 

In the end you would be awakening the rope itself and not the weights. In the case of adding some golf balls or whatever for weights the bolas would have some bounce too. Perhaps even if they miss short they would bounce their way back towards the target? With the rope being awakened to pursue the person in your mind and who you are throwing it at... I mean a straw man went and stole keys. I bet bolas could identify who you are thinking. 

The coolest part about the weapon in my opinion is that it can potentially have a 6 foot wingspan and if any portion of that 6 feet hits the target the awakened rope would simply do the rest to bind them up. 

I could see this as an expensive method if you were using multiple sets through the day. For sure you would want to add some blood or hair into the ropes to act as a focus and cut the breath cost down a bit. I imagine each set of bolas could run you 50-100 breaths to awaken it but we don't have great figures for this do we?  

[+robardin he/him]

A thrown bola cannot alter its own trajectory, Awakened or not.

But as technology progresses, one wonders what would be possible in Awakening complex machinery. Like, how much Investiture and what kind of detailed Command or Intent would be needed to Awaken a flying drone to independent action (based on what kind of technical knowledge of its workings)?

We see a little bit of this kind of thing in Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, I suppose?

That said, we've all but seen Awakened objects with Commands to lie in wait for specific stimuli to then do something, where that something could be to attack. Like, imagine if you set a coil of thick rope on a shelf next to a door and Awakened it with the Command, "strangle things that aren't me".

Or when Vasher Awakened his cloak with the Command, "protect me", which rustled and then settled on his shoulders like normal. (Though I don't think we ever get to see exactly how the cloak would have acted to protect him?)

And then later, that exact Command was an example that Denth gave to Vivenna to be careful of:

Quote

"'Protect me' is another good one, though it can be interpreted in fairly strange ways if you don't imagine exactly what you want."

"Imagine?" Vivenna asked.

He nodded. "You have to form the Command in your head, not just speak it. ... If you're good -- and practiced -- the things you Awaken will do what you expect of them. They're part of you. They understand, just like your hands understand what you want them to do."

How a simple "mercenary" with no perceptible Biochromatic Aura would have such intricate and didactic knowledge of Awakening should have been suspicious, if only Vivenna knew better at that point, LOL.

[Treamayne]

4 minutes ago, robardin said:

Or when Vasher Awakened his cloak with the Command, "protect me", which rustled and then settled on his shoulders like normal. (Though I don't think we ever get to see exactly how the cloak would have acted to protect him?)

We do see it, but not until Vivenna tries using the Command. Warbreaker:

Spoiler

Ch 53

Quote

 

Vivenna put them on. Vasher’s spare cloak followed. It smelled like him, and was cut—like his other one—into the vague shape of a man. She understood, at least, one of the reasons his clothing looked so tattered.

She pulled out a couple of colorful handkerchiefs. “Protect me,” she Commanded the cloak, imagining it grabbing people who tried to attack her.

 

Ch 55

Quote

There did appear to be some decorative stonework that could serve as handholds, but she grew dizzy even thinking about climbing them.

An arrow snapped against the stone beside her, making her jump. Several guards below had bows.

Colors! she thought, pulling herself up to the next block. She heard a whoosh behind her, and cringed, feeling as if she should have been struck, but nothing happened. She pulled herself up onto the block, then twisted around.

She could just barely see a corner of her cloak holding an arrow. She started, grateful that she had Awakened it. It dropped the arrow, then returned to normal.

Handy, that, she thought, climbing up the last block. 

 

Hope that helps