PF: I need prostheses to have an hand slot

[APersonAmI]

I have a character concept I'd like to play: a person who has lost their arms, but instead of having them regenerated, they have acquired replacements. What ways are there to attain this in Pathfinder? what about 3.5? Are there items meant for the hand slot for characters without hands? Is there some weird half-golem template that would do the trick? My preference here would be to find something metal, perhaps mechanical or clockwork. Whether this problem is solved by magical or mechanical means do not matter to me, since both solutions seem interesting. Any suggestion appreciated.

[Trekkin]

Warforged Graft: Arms would work nicely; I can't recall which Eberron sourcebook it's in, though. The arms could easily be refluffed as coming from a clockwork construct rather than a warforged.

[Larpus]

RAW, I don't think it was ever addressed. Ever.

However, a small/tiny construct or a simple clockwork arm should work fine and, as long as you don't plan on making augmentations (CANNON ARM!!!), you shouldn't need any extra rules.

EDIT: Ninjaed and wrong...hmmm, I'm on a roll!

[Chilingsworth]

Let's see:

In savage species, there are two items of interest:
1. the arms of the naga, a torso slot item that gives you a set of functioning arms (or an extra set if you already have one.)

2. Gloves of Humanity (I think that's the name): turns the ends of your forelimbs (or one pair of such limbs if you have more than two) into usable hands with fully opposable thumbs.

There's also an item in the 3.0 book Defenders of the Faith that replaces an arm, plus gives you some stat bonuses (+2 str and +2 dex, I think) and a deflection bonus to AC. Only works for good-aligned creatures, though and I forget the name.

[Ravens_cry]

A hand of glory (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/h-l/hand-of-glory) gives one an extra ring slot at the cost of a neck slot, but that is not quite what you were looking for. There is prosthetic limbs available (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services#TOC-Prosthetic-arm-hand-foot-leg-) but it is unclear whether they count as an item slot for someone who has lost their natural limbs.

[NNescio]

I have a character concept I'd like to play: a person who has lost their arms, but instead of having them regenerated, they have acquired replacements. What ways are there to attain this in Pathfinder? what about 3.5? Are there items meant for the hand slot for characters without hands? Is there some weird half-golem template that would do the trick? My preference here would be to find something metal, perhaps mechanical or clockwork. Whether this problem is solved by magical or mechanical means do not matter to me, since both solutions seem interesting. Any suggestion appreciated.

The half-golem template can be found in the Monster Manual II (AKA the Book of What Were They Smoking).

[deuxhero]

I seem to think the template is also in some article on the WotC site.

[Ravens_cry]

At the very least, some variations (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20020803a) on the theme.

[APersonAmI]

Warforged Graft: Arms would work nicely; I can't recall which Eberron sourcebook it's in, though. The arms could easily be refluffed as coming from a clockwork construct rather than a warforged.
Actually, while I’ve heard of Warforged before, I know next to nothing about them except that they are some form of golem. And yeah, this does sound like a nice solution.

At the very least, some variations (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20020803a) on the theme.


Let's see:

In savage species, there are two items of interest:
1. the arms of the naga, a torso slot item that gives you a set of functioning arms (or an extra set if you already have one.)

2. Gloves of Humanity (I think that's the name): turns the ends of your forelimbs (or one pair of such limbs if you have more than two) into usable hands with fully opposable thumbs.

There's also an item in the 3.0 book Defenders of the Faith that replaces an arm, plus gives you some stat bonuses (+2 str and +2 dex, I think) and a deflection bonus to AC. Only works for good-aligned creatures, though and I forget the name.

These are certainly options if I chose the route of treating the lack of arms as a handicap mechanically speaking, rather than a character who just so happens to have golem hands, again mechanically speaking. At which point, I must ask: how does one accommodate for something like this at character creation? Starting without hands are a rather hefty setback to ones adventuring career, after all. I’ve heard of flaws, changing character setbacks for feats. Would that be a solution?

[Mustard]

I'd recommend just leaving it as part of your character's description, with no impact on game mechanics. These artificial limbs pretty much work like regular arms, right? So just have mechanical arms that function the same as regular arms for all intents and purposes, assume that the advantages and disadvantages perfectly counter each other, so don't add extra management stuff to your character sheet.

Otherwise, homebrew. I'm imagining something simple, like +2 STR, -2 DEX. Or -2 Diplomacy, +2 Intimidate, -1 on DEX-based skill checks requiring fine manipulation, +1 or +2 on Knowledge checks for mechanics (you have to maintain them, after all). Something like that, but I wouldn't get too carried away. Something that results in a neutral net effect.

[Alleine]

At which point, I must ask: how does one accommodate for something like this at character creation? Starting without hands are a rather hefty setback to ones adventuring career, after all. I’ve heard of flaws, changing character setbacks for feats. Would that be a solution?

*EDIT*: sorry for double post. It was done by mistake, and i do not know how to fuse my two comments.

At level one character creation? You either make it entirely a fluff aspect, AKA you have hands as normal but just describe them as mechanical, or you go talk to the DM as you can't afford any of these things that early.. At character levels 3 and up? You can purchase the warforged arm graft for 1000 gp. Easily affordable. Of course, depending on the character build, a lack of hands is entirely viable. Psionics of course suffers no penalty due to a lack of hands, and I'm pretty sure there are stump knives in a splat book somewhere.

Oh, and as for the double post, there's an option at the top of the page when you edit to delete a post. So you could just copy/paste one post into another and delete one.

[Barstro]

Let's see:

In savage species, there are two items of interest:
1. the arms of the naga, a torso slot item that gives you a set of functioning arms (or an extra set if you already have one.)

2. Gloves of Humanity (I think that's the name): turns the ends of your forelimbs (or one pair of such limbs if you have more than two) into usable hands with fully opposable thumbs.

Interesting. I wonder if Quadruped (or Serpent) Eidolons can use those so they don't need to waste time on another limb(arm) evolution.

[APersonAmI]

I'd recommend just leaving it as part of your character's description, with no impact on game mechanics. These artificial limbs pretty much work like regular arms, right? So just have mechanical arms that function the same as regular arms for all intents and purposes, assume that the advantages and disadvantages perfectly counter each other, so don't add extra management stuff to your character sheet.

Otherwise, homebrew. I'm imagining something simple, like +2 STR, -2 DEX. Or -2 Diplomacy, +2 Intimidate, -1 on DEX-based skill checks requiring fine manipulation, +1 or +2 on Knowledge checks for mechanics (you have to maintain them, after all). Something like that, but I wouldn't get too carried away. Something that results in a neutral net effect.

This. This is exactly what I was looking for. More specifically, this neutral net effect mentality as an already existing game mechanic, but, as you point out, no reason not to use homebrew. The game mechanic is more for flavor than anything, anyway.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, they were of huge help to me.:smallsmile:

[Ravens_cry]

You know, it's kind of funny there is spells and items to help with loss of limbs, yet I can think of little, if anything, that can actually remove individual limbs by RAW.
Some of it is legacy material from AD&D, where things like the Sword of Sharpness could remove limbs, but new material like half-golems and Pathfinders period appropriate prosthesis seems a little odd to this one.

[Chilingsworth]

Interesting. I wonder if Quadruped (or Serpent) Eidolons can use those so they don't need to waste time on another limb(arm) evolution.

well, those items were intended to make characters from races that don't naturally have hands more viable. However, Savage Species is in a grey area between 3.0 and 3.5 In Pathfinder? If you DM allows you to use 3.x material, then probably.

Specifically, the Arms of the Naga were fluffed as being commonly used by, well, naga (i.e. serpentine creatures.) The gloves wouldn't be usable by limbless creatures, though.

[Prime32]

There's also the maug grafts in Fiend Folio. Two replacements are available (Locking Hand + Shoving Arm), each 2,000gp. The former makes you good at grabbing things, the latter lets you pretend to be Big O (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlOoIMd9524).

Things like Gloves of Man and Arms of the Naga are intended to add to creatures who don't normally have arms, rather than replacing existing arms, so in this case they're very expensive while giving no benefit at all (IIRC Arms of the Naga would actually give you a penalty).


EDIT:

This. This is exactly what I was looking for. More specifically, this neutral net effect mentality as an already existing game mechanic, but, as you point out, no reason not to use homebrew. The game mechanic is more for flavor than anything, anyway.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, they were of huge help to me.:smallsmile:+2 Str/-2 Dex is not a neutral net effect. It makes any barbarian stronger, and any wizard weaker.

[APersonAmI]

(snip)
+2 Str/-2 Dex is not a neutral net effect. It makes any barbarian stronger, and any wizard weaker.
Oh, I totally misread that. Yeah, it’s pretty obvious to me +2 Str/-2 Dex is not balanced in the least for a no slot effect. I intended something more akin to equal modifiers to relevant skill checks, not ability modifiers. Flavor, not game breaker. I want it to be there, but I don't want it to be mechanically beneficial for everyone of relevant class or party role in the campaign world to have artificial limbs. To the extent that can be avoided.

[legomaster00156]

Prosthetics? Done. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services#TOC-Prosthetic-arm-hand-foot-leg-) You would be significantly weaker than most, however.

[Ravens_cry]

Prosthetics? Done. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/goods-and-services#TOC-Prosthetic-arm-hand-foot-leg-) You would be significantly weaker than most, however.
I mentioned those in post #5. Like I said, it is unclear whether they can count as a magic slot.

[grarrrg]

OH! OH! Pick me! Pick me!

Step 1: Start with no arms.
Step 2: Take 4 levels of Alchemist taking the "Arms" discovery twice.
Step 3: ????
Step 4: Profit!

[Fax Celestis]

There's Arms of Man in Savage Species, and Third Arm in Magic of Eberron.