Mage Hand

[yilduz]

I was thinking about something that would be kind of cool. A Mage Hand spell that the caster can use to make melee touch attacks with. What level would you guys say a spell like that would be? If you were creating it, how would you make it?

[Hat-Trick]

There's a spectral hand spell or something that does that already. I know the cleric has it, but I'm not sure about wizards. They probably do.

[yilduz]

There's a spectral hand spell or something that does that already. I know the cleric has it, but I'm not sure about wizards. They probably do.

I just looked it up and that is a very nice spell. My wizard has prohibited necromancy, though. :smallannoyed:

[talus21]

Well research and devise a similar spell that would use a different school.

[Flickerdart]

The Archmage high arcana Arcane Reach lets you make melee touch attacks 30ft away (60ft if taken twice) at the cost of a 7th level spell slot.

[Hat-Trick]

There's Reach Spell, from Complete Divine. It's a metamagic, but it should do the trick, turns touch spells into 30ft ranged touch.

[Korivan]

Or Bigby's Clenched Fist?

[Sinfire Titan]

Obtain Familiar+Improved or Exalted Familiar for an Imp, Quasit, or Coure (sic), and have them deliver the touch spell while invisible/intangible.


Alternatively, an Earth Elemental familiar can sneak up underground and whack them from the safety of the dirt to deliver the touch spell for you.

[lsfreak]

Really, you should be able to just make a copy of Spectral Hand that is exactly the same in every respect except that it's Conj(creation).

[AvatarZero]

Really, you should be able to just make a copy of Spectral Hand that is exactly the same in every respect except that it's Conj(creation).

Seconded. I don't think there's anything about Spectral Hand that requires it to be necromancy. In fact, with a different title and a change of one word ("ghostly") it hardly fits the school at all. Evocation (for the Bigby line), Conjuration or Transmutation (for the spell basically being Improved Mage Hand) fit well enough. Pick your favourite.

[Fitz10019]

So...

Bigby's Delivering [and Having Nothing to Do with Necromancy, Honest] Hand

[shadow_archmagi]

put it in evocation, evocation is rather lacking in awesome spells.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Seconded. I don't think there's anything about Spectral Hand that requires it to be necromancy. In fact, with a different title and a change of one word ("ghostly") it hardly fits the school at all.
I'd agree, but the fluff (read, not that important if creating a varient) says it's of YOUR OWN LIFE FORCE.
Come to think of it, how'd one come up with a way to justify the HP loss?
Not all in white is secret.

[FMArthur]

So in your campaigns, I can totally negate any disadvantage to barring schools by inventing new, identical spells and putting them into different schools? You don't see anything wrong with that?

[lsfreak]

So in your campaigns, I can totally negate any disadvantage to barring schools by inventing new, identical spells and putting them into different schools? You don't see anything wrong with that?

There's already orbs versus evocation, illusion that has better defenses than any abjuration spell, hell illusion replaces one entire school of magic, mind-tinkering that's enchantment, illusion, or necromancy on a whim, and so on. So when it's something like letting you spend an action to make touch attacks at range, sure.

[Hawriel]

I just looked it up and that is a very nice spell. My wizard has prohibited necromancy, though. :smallannoyed:

Bigby's Hand of Touching 3rd level.

A human sized hand made of force energy can up up to 30 feet plus 10 feet every odd level after 5th. Max range 100 feet.

This shand can do every thing a mage hand can do in addition to delivering melee touch attacks. The user mush consintrate on the hand in order to attack with it. Only one type of touch effect my be on the hand at a time.


This brought to you by the makers of...

Bigby's vulgar gesture.
Bigby's vulgar gestrure with verbal component.
Bigby's diabolical 5 iron.
Bigby's bitch slap.

[holywhippet]

Even if it's from a barred school you can access it via potions or command word items. I'm not sure if you can cast it from a wand, technically it's on your class spell list even if it's from a barred school for your character.

[Fishy]

Spells of the prohibited school or schools are not available to the wizard, and she can’t even cast such spells from scrolls or fire them from wands.

So there's that, then.

I have to say I'm with FMArthur on this one. Given how much is overpowered about wizardry, I can't see good things happening from taking away one of their few limitations.

[Haven]

Bigby's Hand of Touching 3rd level.

:| That's no good.

[LibraryOgre]

Bigby's Hand of Touching 3rd level.

I NEED AN ADULT!

[Irreverent Fool]

There's a feat somewhere that allows you to learn a few spells of a school you've prohibited.

Found it. Diversified Casting from Dragon magazine 325 lets you grab three spells from a single school you have prohibited. It also says specifically that taking the feat also allows you to use spell completion or spell trigger items requiring those spells which suggests that when you ban a school the banned spells are not considered part of your list.

The base rules probably mention that.

Dragon 325 should be available on .pdf from Paizo for about five bucks if you need a hard copy. It's got a few other handy feats for casters too. If you just need a reference, crystal keep's feat index lists pretty much the whole description.

Edit: I think there is enough 'crossover' in spells without using spell research to simply duplicate spells in other schools. I think spell research ought to be used by wizard characters to modify spells (in significant ways, not just changing the school) or to create entirely new and unique spells the match the personality of the character. I mean, where would we be today if Bigby had simply copied charm person into the evocation school?

obnoxious
sig

[Ent]

Do you have a familiar? Think of a clever way to protect it's tiny *** and send it in!

[ericgrau]

So you ban a school to get a bonus then try to bypass all the negative consequences thereof by making the spells you want in another school? Tisk tisk. I like ideas like the familiar idea better.

[Claudius Maximus]

There's already another spell like Spectral Hand: Graz'zt's Long Grasp from the BoVD. It's Transmutation [Evil] and it uses your real hand, so be careful with it.