Spectral Hand and Wands

[trickybob]

Can you use Spectral Hand to deliver a touch spell that you cast from a wand? I assume you can as the spell says any spell you "cast", but I just wanted to check!

 

[Wycen]

This came up in our game ages ago and I can't remember our ruling. It would depend on the interpretation of how wands work, if I remember what we talked about.

Ah yes, just had to reread the spell itself. Cut and paste from the spell's description:

The hand is incorporeal and thus cannot be harmed by normal weapons.

The hand is incorporeal. Thus it can't hold anything that isn't affected by ghost touch, so it couldn't ordinarily hold wands. Earlier in the description it also states the hand is meant to cast spells, so while it would be cool to use it to deliver potions (which I think technically we've done, oops, or hmmm) and hold a wand, I think it is just a hair outside of what the spell was created to do.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

Can you use Spectral Hand to deliver a touch spell that you cast from a wand? I assume you can as the spell says any spell you "cast", but I just wanted to check!

Well, I don't think you are actually casting a spell when you use a wand; nonetheless, I don't see a problem.

 

[trickybob]

Ok, if you're holding a wand of Vampiric Touch and trigger it, does that count as "casting a spell", and therefore could you get the Spectral hand to deliver it? I tend to agree with Wycen that this would be outside of the spells intended use, but I wanted some confirmation on that.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

Ok, if you're holding a wand of Vampiric Touch and trigger it, does that count as "casting a spell", and therefore could you get the Spectral hand to deliver it? I tend to agree with Wycen that this would be outside of the spells intended use, but I wanted some confirmation on that.

Activating a spell completion item is "the equivalent of casting a spell." A wand is a spell trigger item, so it's easier to activate but does pretty much the same thing. Again, if I were your DM, I'd let you do it, but I'm not sure if you'll find anything absolutely definitive on this.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Activating a spell completion item is "the equivalent of casting a spell." A wand is a spell trigger item, so it's easier to activate but does pretty much the same thing.

Yep, I'd allow it too.

I started a thread a few weeks ago about an NPC wizard who took a lot of ranks in Bluff and the Improved Feint feat so that he could deny an opponent their Dex bonus (as a move action) and then hit them with a touch spell that was cast from a wand and delivered via spectral hand.

When I ran the encounter, it was never actually practical for my NPC spellcaster to try it. Maybe I'll find another situation soon to try it in...