Arcane Hands

[Noxangelo]

while the beholder mage is broken in the same way that ore coming out of an industrial crusher is also broken, i find this ability very interesting.

technically a constant mage hand with a strength score equal to the beholder mage level. it can also use magic items, except items that must be worn and can be used in combat and if the mage has monk levels it can be used for unarmed strikes and flurries.

what are cool things that could be done with that?

also how would you get around the no worn items things?

[Segev]

There’s nothing stopping you from wearing the items that need it. Well, except unusual body shape, but I’m unclear if your hypothetical is using a beholder mage or is giving the ability to a non-beholder spellcaster.

All it does for the beholder mage is replace their telekinesis eye when they lose it, really. And not as well as the TK worked.

One frightening thing about non-PC beholder mages (who have to use shenanigans to qualify that limit their use of beholder eye rays severely) is that, if they’re not level 10 in the class yet, they still can use normal eye beams in addition to their spell stalks. So they still have a number of at-will abilities. The upgrade to a spell stalk is worth it, Mind, but the normal eye rays are still fully functional.

I’d probably give up TK last, myself, or at least wait until I was getting the spell of the same name as a stop-gap for when I needed the oomph.

[Noxangelo]

i'm asking what would you do with that ability because it is quite different, without any of the beholder mage stuff.

[The Viscount]

If silver key is any indication, you could probably use it to pick locks or open chests at a distance, and it could also be used to set off small booby traps on such items.

Depending on the mechanism, you could also send it ahead of you to push on the floor, bang on the walls, etc. to set off traps that lay in your path.
You can reload crossbows while your hands are occupied (such as by dual wielding crossbows).

For what it's worth, there are a couple ways to get similar effects without beholder mage. Silver key as mentioned gets a very weak version.
Shadowcaster gets a buffer version that can lift heavier objects (and can use sleight of hand if you take quicker than the eye).

[Skysaber]

What would I use it for?

In combat, not so much. Even PCs tend not to spend most of their time in combat, though they tend to gloss over that, and aside from delivering jars of acid up the sleeping BBEG's nose, they don't lend themselves to much.

Out of combat? It could swiftly become your most favorite power. Scrub you own back in the shower, unblock clogs in the plumbing, girls could reach that zipper in the back of her dress to snug it tight before going out on the town, lift down objects from high shelves, dust cobwebs out of corners, pluck fruit from tree branches out of reach, control the TV without a remote, reach that hard-to-reach part while performing repairs, sneak an extra cookie from the jar when your mother wasn't looking...

...have it chase the cat...

... do dangerous experiments with chemicals you don't want to stand near...

...wash your windows without you getting wet, scrape ice while you keep your hands warm and dry, make snowmen...

...leave really creepy, hand-shaped 'footprint' trails in the snow outside of your neighbors bedroom window at night so they wake up in the morning and freak out...

...help treat the sick or comfort the dying without exposing you to germs...

Really, what's your pleasure? Whatever you are doing, having an extra hand would doubtless help with that.