Can the hand of Vecna be forced on a player?

[TheChangelingMC]

Pretty much as the title says, if another PC or and NPC were to cut off a players hand and places the hand of Vecna against the stump, what would happen?

Would it automatically connect and begin changing the player or does the recipient of the hand have to consciously accept it?

[Segev]

I think it would automatically attach, though there's little preventing the unwilling bearer from chopping it back off (other than the obvious aversion to pain). He also can refuse to use its powers. Or at least try.

[nickl_2000]

It requires attunement, which you have to concentrate on an item over a short rest. The only way that I could see that happening is by use of some sort of charm spell.

Although, I don't see it being all that difficult if the character is power hungry. A Suggestion of "This is a powerful artifact and will grant you skill beyond you wildest imagination, you should attune to it" would probably do it.

[hymer]

Generally, attunement is a voluntary, active process, but the wording at the hand does leave a little wriggle room. It could be argued either way.

Due caution: Doing this to a PC has the potential to be the Taj Mahal of assholic behaviour.


I think it would automatically attach, though there's little preventing the unwilling bearer from chopping it back off (other than the obvious aversion to pain). He also can refuse to use its powers. Or at least try.

There's also the dying part. You die if the arm is ever separated after having been attached.

[nickl_2000]

I think it would automatically attach, though there's little preventing the unwilling bearer from chopping it back off (other than the obvious aversion to pain). He also can refuse to use its powers. Or at least try.


From the DMG

To attune to the hand, you must lop off your left hand at the wrist and the press the artifact against the stump. The hand grafts itself to your arm and becomes a functioning appendage. If the hand is ever removed, you die.


So it needs to be attuned, and death stops you from lopping it off

[hymer]

So it needs to be attuned, and death stops you from lopping it off

That could be said to mean "Instead of attuning as you usually do, here you have to have the arm attach to your stump." It's fairly ambiguous.

[The Glyphstone]

So it needs to be attuned, and death stops you from lopping it off

Or at least impedes you. If you're at a level where major artifacts are floating around, you're very likely to be able to go to a temple where they can cast Raise Dead+Regeneration and/or Resurrection, and stump yourself there after pre-arranging the revival. Assuming it's a good temple, they shouldn't have any issue with helping you remove the influence of a cursed evil artifact. If it's an Evil temple, make sure they are Lawful and get an ironclad deal signed first, but they'll be happy to have the hand for their own use after.

[nickl_2000]

Or at least impedes you. If you're at a level where major artifacts are floating around, you're very likely to be able to go to a temple where they can cast Raise Dead+Regeneration and/or Resurrection, and stump yourself there after pre-arranging the revival.

Good point, at least it's inconvenient to remove it.

[TheChangelingMC]

Or at least impedes you. If you're at a level where major artifacts are floating around, you're very likely to be able to go to a temple where they can cast Raise Dead+Regeneration and/or Resurrection, and stump yourself there after pre-arranging the revival. Assuming it's a good temple, they shouldn't have any issue with helping you remove the influence of a cursed evil artifact. If it's an Evil temple, make sure they are Lawful and get an ironclad deal signed first, but they'll be happy to have the hand for their own use after.

You would think they would have access, but no, they're level 4's and 5's. They were investigating a crypt and got captured by [unknown cult]. When they woke up they were all missing their left hands and are currently working on a way to escape.

[Matrix_Walker]

It requires Attunement, so technically, no.

A GM can certainly cut off a players hand and give the the choice to bleed out, or attune under the circumstances...

I wouldn't do this unless the player was definitely down for it though.

[The Glyphstone]

You would think they would have access, but no, they're level 4's and 5's. They were investigating a crypt and got captured by [unknown cult]. When they woke up they were all missing their left hands and are currently working on a way to escape.

A DM throwing Major Artifacts into a level 5 game? I think that sums up the situation by itself better than any commentary would.

[Maxilian]

A DM throwing Major Artifacts into a level 5 game? I think that sums up the situation by itself better than any commentary would.

Doesn't that depends a lot on the campaign? It works nice if you want to give the players the "heroic" feel (mainly when you have small groups of players -smaller than the 4 man party-)

[Battlebooze]

I have a great campaign idea, centered around an evil one handed warlord who is basically immortal for some reason.
Throw in a prophecy..."The evil bastard can't be killed by mortal hand!"

And there you go. The players have to steal the Hand of Vecna, get the Warlord to use it, then cut it off again. :)

[Potato_Priest]

A similar, but unrelated objective of mine is to sovereign glue the amulet of ultimate good to a BBEG.

[Finback]

Maybe the hand protects itself from being removed forcibly.

And now I'm wondering what class Ash would be. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIUoUHoPlEs)

[Cespenar]

A similar, but unrelated objective of mine is to sovereign glue the amulet of ultimate good to a BBEG.

Universal solvent?

[Kane0]

Forcibly affixing the hand of vecna to an unwilling captive sounds like a kickass BBEG ritual to me. I can see the moustache twirling now.

[Mandragola]

Yes. Maybe you could even have the party fight a guy who's a captured npc paladin, who has had the misfortune to have this done to him.

[Maxilian]

I have a great campaign idea, centered around an evil one handed warlord who is basically immortal for some reason.
Throw in a prophecy..."The evil bastard can't be killed by mortal hand!"

And there you go. The players have to steal the Hand of Vecna, get the Warlord to use it, then cut it off again. :)

Oh, i though you meant i had to use the hand to kill him... well... **** *Says the Paladin as he looks at his new hand*

[MeeposFire]

Perhaps the hand is attached but if you do not attune to it you do not get its bonuses or have it directly influence you. However it will always try to get you to attune to it and since you cannot remove it then it believes it is merely a matter of time before you give in. At the same time others will find out you have it and covet it and you may start to think you cannot save yourself without using the power of the hand...

Keeps it being tempting to go the next step.

[Maxilian]

I just added the Hand and Eye of Vecna in my game (my players have them, but i will try to evade having one of them with both items), mainly added it to give a connection between the players (none of them have equiped or attuned to it) so i make them take WIS save or they will:

A) Get visions
B) Have Nightmares
C) Hear Vecnas voice
D) Try to replace the body part (like you try to chop your hand, basically just hitting yourself once and taking X damage, before going back into your senses)

[Battlebooze]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the head of Vecna.

http://www.blindpanic.com/humor/vecna.htm

[Matrix_Walker]

OMG that is freakin' funny