A One-Handed Wizard in Combat Needs Your Help!

[Herremann the Wise]

Hi Everyone,

The wizard in my game has lost his hand to one of the most gruesome of spells - grim revenge from The Book of Vile Darkness. Very bad of me I know to inflict this upon a player but hey, you ahd to be there. Now that he has one hand, I was wondering what the ramifications were.

- Obviously he loses a ring slot.
- Also, it means he must have his single hand free to cast spells with somatic or material components.
- However, our friendly wizard likes using wands. Can his flying raven familiar help him out here? By this I mean if he has the wand in his hand and he wants to cast a spell, does he have any other way of dealing with the wand other than just dropping it (as a free action).
As well, what if his familiar is holding the wand? Is it a free action for him to equip it from the raven's beak or a move equivalent. I think it's a move but the player think's it is a free - the PC does not have quickdraw.

So if you have can think of any other ramifications that you think I'm missing, or if there are any helpful suggestions you can give our wizard, please add them in.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

PS: Luckily for the wizard, he had gained a hand of glory before the incident which we all found amusing. Now however, with this around his neck and his stump, he looks like some bizarre type of... someone who cuts their hand off and then wear's it around their neck. I'm encouraging the player to roleplay this fascinating situation but at the moment, all he seems to be interested in is getting the thing regenerated. Oh well.

 

[szilard]

Well, if the raven is holding an action to hand the wand to the wizard, that would probably help.

-Stuart

 

[Iku Rex]

The regenerate spell?

Other than that he could use polymorph to get two arms. (For the duration of the spell.)

 

[Stalker0]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you do NOT in fact lose a ring slot. You can only have 2 rings, but they can be on yoru fingers anyway you'd like, 2 on the same finger even.

 

[Abe.ebA]

I'd probably let him have the raven pluck the wand out of/drop the wand into his hand as a free action provided that the raven was just hanging out about his person that round.

If he's interested in hand-replacement strategies other than regenerate:
A golem-style animated hand made of stone, metal, or whatever.
A specialized magic item bracer that gives the effect of mage hand localized to the spot where his hand should be.
A bracer that would hold a wand to his wrist such that he could use it as if he were holding it.
Flesh To Stone, Stone Shape, Stone To Flesh. Did that back in a 2e campaign when my fighter lost an arm to a sword of wounding/sharpness and couldn't have it regenerated.
Elven prosthesis. I remember reading that they did such things back in the 2e Elves Handbook.
Depending on level: drop some adventure hooks for the Hand of Vecna and see what happens

 

[thorian]

A glove of storing would help with one item. There is also a bracer that holds several wands, but I can't remember the sourcebook.

There is a 1st level spell in Player's Handbook II called Bigby's Helpful Hand. It lasts 1 hour/level and is basically an extra hand.

 

[exempt]

I played a one-armed elven fighter/wizard for a while and appreciated what I learned in teh process. For what it's worth maybe your player's character could pull wands more easily if he took Quick Draw (I'd allow it to be applied to non-weapons like this).

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you do NOT in fact lose a ring slot. You can only have 2 rings, but they can be on yoru fingers anyway you'd like, 2 on the same finger even.

You have in fact corrected me so thank you.
I just checked this up and you are correct. The character sheets I use have all the slots set out and dumb me thought he would lose the slot.

I'd probably let him have the raven pluck the wand out of/drop the wand into his hand as a free action provided that the raven was just hanging out about his person that round.

If he's interested in hand-replacement strategies other than regenerate:
A golem-style animated hand made of stone, metal, or whatever.
A specialized magic item bracer that gives the effect of mage hand localized to the spot where his hand should be.
A bracer that would hold a wand to his wrist such that he could use it as if he were holding it.
Flesh To Stone, Stone Shape, Stone To Flesh. Did that back in a 2e campaign when my fighter lost an arm to a sword of wounding/sharpness and couldn't have it regenerated.
Elven prosthesis. I remember reading that they did such things back in the 2e Elves Handbook.
Depending on level: drop some adventure hooks for the Hand of Vecna and see what happens

Some fantastic solutions here! (Except the Vecna one - which funnily enough is in the game already).

A glove of storing would help with one item. There is also a bracer that holds several wands, but I can't remember the sourcebook.

There is a 1st level spell in Player's Handbook II called Bigby's Helpful Hand. It lasts 1 hour/level and is basically an extra hand.

This spell is certainly a solution that I like the look of - and is much cheaper than getting a regeneration performed. I kind of feel bad that I'm forcing the player to cough up the coin for it but oh well, such is the life of the adventurer.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Quidam]

[edit] D'oh- I should read all of the posts before I add a redundant one.

 

[Ragnar69]

Eschew Material should be his next feat
I would allow the raven in his action to place/take the wand in/from the wizards hand at no cost for the PC.
Or maybe fastening the wand on his bracers.