An armless caster?

[Shadowbane13]

Is there any possible feat or maybe item that could allow you to cast spells without a free hand?

[Morcleon]

Is there any possible feat or maybe item that could allow you to cast spells without a free hand?

Fluff your somatic components as tap dancing or rapidly making lots of odd facial expressions? :smallbiggrin::smalltongue:

Other than that, you'd either have to Still Spell all of your spells or get a regenerate spell for your arms.

[nedz]

A 1 level dip in Daggerspell Mage - but only if you are holding at least one dagger.

[Tiri]

Fluff your somatic components as tap dancing or rapidly making lots of odd facial expressions? :smallbiggrin::smalltongue:

Other than that, you'd either have to Still Spell all of your spells or get a regenerate spell for your arms.

The SRD says:

Somatic (S)
A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. You must have at least one hand free to provide a somatic component.

So you can only use your hands for somatic components.

[AvatarVecna]

Beyond combining the "Still Spell" feat with some means of metamagic reduction? Um...

:biggrin: DID SOMEBODY SAY BEHOLDER MAGE?!!! :biggrin:

[Necroticplague]

Is there any possible feat or maybe item that could allow you to cast spells without a free hand?

Still Spell. Does exactly what you want. Eschew Material may also be needed, since you need to a hand to take the components out.

[Arcanist]

Still Spell and just ask your DM if you can take Easy Metamagic from Dragon Magazine #313. However I would like to point out that you shouldn't have to take a feat tax (or any tax for that matter) to play an amputee character, if it is what you want to play. If anything, just ask your DM if it is going to be a problem if you play an amputee and if you would still be allowed to make the somatic components necessary for spellcasting. You're character isn't ignoring them, just doing them differently; Maybe you're making sufficient movement in the rest of your body to satisfy the needs of the spell or something. If you're looking for an item, then I am at a loss.

Not going to lie, this question made me think of Ming-Hua (http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Ming-Hua).

[HunterOfJello]

A 1 level dip in Daggerspell Mage - but only if you are holding at least one dagger.

They should combine this with a dagger tied to the end of a braid. The person swings their braid around to cast spells via their dagger.

[ATHATH]

Is Mage Hand technically a free hand?

[Shadowbane13]

So if I were to take still spell I wouldn't need a free hand to cast any spell?

[Necroticplague]

Is Mage Hand technically a free hand?

1.Note really.
2.Mage's Hand itself has a somatic component.

[AvatarVecna]

So if I were to take still spell I wouldn't need a free hand to cast any spell?

Well, "Still Spell" increases the spell's casting level require by 1, so you couldn't cast your highest level spells unless you had some method of metamagic reduction. But yeah, you could cast all your other spells without any need for jazz hands.

[Arcanist]

So if I were to take still spell I wouldn't need a free hand to cast any spell?

That is correct. But it's a metamagic so it increases the spell slot required for it by 1. A 1st level becomes a 2nd level, which becomes a 3rd level and so on and so forth.

Ninja'd.

[DrMotives]

Why do you have no hands? Because naga casters do well without hands, I think they just fluff tail movements for hand movements & call it good. Wild shape druids take a feat to allow whatever animal things they do count.

[Arcanist]

Why do you have no hands? Because naga casters do well without hands, I think they just fluff tail movements for hand movements & call it good. Wild shape druids take a feat to allow whatever animal things they do count.

Oh, you just reminded me that Surrogate Spellcasting is an option as well.

[Bohandas]

The SRD says:

Somatic (S)
A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. You must have at least one hand free to provide a somatic component.

So you can only use your hands for somatic components.

BUT, IIRC beholder mages canonically cast spells by wiggling their eyestalks

[AvatarVecna]

BUT, IIRC beholder mages canonically cast spells by wiggling their eyestalks

What he posted was the general rule for somatic components, which applies even if you have no arms (unless your amputee mechanic includes something like "you can use {blank} in place of normal somatic component"); Beholder Mages have a specific exception to the rule, but that exception is for Beholder Mages only, not for armless casters in general.

[With a box]

a spell to power erudite?
is throws wizard spells around and as being a psionic they don't need components.

[Deophaun]

Surrogate Spellcasting from Savage Species should let you cast spells using your feet instead of your hands.

Edit: And Arcanist beat me. That will teach me to spell correctly when using Ctrl+F.

[ben-zayb]

Might as well get this out of the way: be a Shadowcaster and take the Still Mystery feat.

[Darrin]

Somatic Weaponry (Complete Mage) allows you to use a weapon to replicate whatever your fingers were doing. A natural weapon such as a bite or unarmed strike still counts as a weapon. It can't be taken at 1st level, but doesn't have the Wis requirement of Surrogate Spellcasting.

[Tiri]

Oh, you just reminded me that Surrogate Spellcasting is an option as well.

Well, Surrogate Spellcasting states 'You must still have suitable appendages and vocal organs'. It's not clear whether or not head and feet are 'suitable'.


Somatic Weaponry (Complete Mage) allows you to use a weapon to replicate whatever your fingers were doing. A natural weapon such as a bite or unarmed strike still counts as a weapon. It can't be taken at 1st level, but doesn't have the Wis requirement of Surrogate Spellcasting.

Not exactly. It allows you to 'When holding a weapon (or object of comparable size) in one or both hands, you can use that item to trace the somatic component of a spell, rather than using your fingers'. Which would definitely be a problem for an armless spellcaster.

[Zaq]

Eschew Material may also be needed, since you need to a hand to take the components out.

Not technically true. It's never actually stated as a general rule that you have to do anything with material components other than have them on your person. (PHB pg. 140 and pg. 174 both state the rules for casting with material components, and hands are never mentioned.) The exception is if you're grappling, but if you're not grappling, you don't actually have to do anything with your material components, and you don't have to use a hand to manipulate them.

Certain spells have material component lines that imply or state that you do something with the material components (e.g., Spider Climb's "a drop of bitumen and a live spider, both of which must be eaten by the target" or Tasha's Hideous Laughter's "tiny tarts that are thrown at the target and a feather that is waved in the air"), which may or may not be specific cases where you'd need to do something with the components (you'll notice the passive voice in both of those examples—nothing says that you have to use your hands to throw the tarts or wave the feather, so it's conceivable that the magic of the spell causes those effects without you doing anything beyond casting the spell itself), but there's no general rule stating that you have to hold or manipulate material components (when not grappled). And of course, not every spell's material component line implies an action (e.g., Silent Image specifies "a bit of fleece" but doesn't dictate that you do anything with that fleece, and Fireball requires "a tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur" but doesn't have any verbs involved).

[Jay R]

Isn't there a feat that lets you have your familiar cast spells for you?

[Deophaun]

Well, Surrogate Spellcasting states 'You must still have suitable appendages and vocal organs'. It's not clear whether or not head and feet are 'suitable'.
The example given is of a giant eagle using it's talons, which are the avian equivalent of feet.

[ace rooster]

Girallon's blessing, SC. 3rd level spell that gives you arms. It can be a potion. :smallsmile:

For lower levels I would speak to your DM about homebrewing something, as it is fairly niche. Maybe develop your own spell that gives you an ephemeral arm that is useless for anything other than spell casting. Flavour to taste, but really would not be out of character for a wizard that lost their arms. Travel on a floating disc and you could be completely paralysed and still playable!

Note that the arms would still have the same limitations as actual arms as well as having a physical manifestation, so no using them in grapples or when hit by a hold person, and it is perfectly visable when they are being used.

[Tiri]

The example given is of a giant eagle using it's talons, which are the avian equivalent of feet.

Yes, but eagle talons are much more dexterous than human feet. They have much longer toes and are much better at grabbing (and holding) things. Whether it works is probably something best left to the DM.

Also, I just had a silly idea. Since the rules never specify it must be your own hand or even a biological one, just tie a wooden (or any other material) hand to some part of your body. You can then move that body part (and the hand) in a 'measured and precise' manner whenever you cast a spell.

[Deophaun]

Yes, but eagle talons are much more dexterous than human feet. They have much longer toes and are much better at grabbing (and holding) things. Whether it works is probably something best left to the DM.

Show the DM this, then, as it's basically what we're talking about (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrPA0K4ykcU).