Calimmacil
2021-11-04, 04:50 PM
I've been creating a complicated NPC (iron defender bard, inspired by a Tic Toc video of a prancing dog, and a painting of a fairy riding a corgi).
The biggest challenge I've run into is how to give the dog full use of its spellcasting, since it has no hands.
I'm the DM, so obviously I could just handwave it (har har), but I'd prefer not to have to homebrew if possible. At my table I allow all 1st party published material, and I try to homebrew sparingly.
Here are the solutions I've come up with so far. I'm looking for suggestions on how to make handless casting work. I'll be using Eschew Materials, but Somatic components are harder to resolve.
1. Mouthpick weapon enhancement (allows mouth-held weapon to function as if it were held with 1 or 2 hands, if creature has bite), plus the Somatic Weaponry feat (allows a hand-held weapon to be used to make gestures needed for Somatic components).
2. Druid with Natural Spell feat, prestige class into Hearthfire Fanner.
3. Homebrew a Mage Hand-like spell that would count as hands (Mage Hand doesn't).
4. Homebrew a feat that does for handless creatures what Natural Spell does for druids. For example, other body movements can count as Somatic gestures.
5. Homebrew a feat that allows a Tumble or Dance check to substitute for a somatic component.
I keep feeling I'm missing something better that would do less violence to the rules.
The biggest challenge I've run into is how to give the dog full use of its spellcasting, since it has no hands.
I'm the DM, so obviously I could just handwave it (har har), but I'd prefer not to have to homebrew if possible. At my table I allow all 1st party published material, and I try to homebrew sparingly.
Here are the solutions I've come up with so far. I'm looking for suggestions on how to make handless casting work. I'll be using Eschew Materials, but Somatic components are harder to resolve.
1. Mouthpick weapon enhancement (allows mouth-held weapon to function as if it were held with 1 or 2 hands, if creature has bite), plus the Somatic Weaponry feat (allows a hand-held weapon to be used to make gestures needed for Somatic components).
2. Druid with Natural Spell feat, prestige class into Hearthfire Fanner.
3. Homebrew a Mage Hand-like spell that would count as hands (Mage Hand doesn't).
4. Homebrew a feat that does for handless creatures what Natural Spell does for druids. For example, other body movements can count as Somatic gestures.
5. Homebrew a feat that allows a Tumble or Dance check to substitute for a somatic component.
I keep feeling I'm missing something better that would do less violence to the rules.