Interposing Hand question

[Mr. Patient]

Does interposing hand occupy actual squares on the battlefield? From the spell description, I can't tell if it simply provides a two-dimensional force that grants a +4 cover bonus against one opponent, or if it occupies a full 10 ft. square, preventing an attacker from even reaching the caster. The former seems entirely too weak for a 5th-level spell, but the latter isn't clearly spelled out in the text. Maybe it's just me.

Here's the text:

Interposing hand creates a Large magic hand that appears between you and one opponent. This floating, disembodied hand then moves to remain between the two of you, regardless of where you move or how the opponent tries to get around it, providing cover (+4 AC) for you against that opponent. Nothing can fool the hand—it sticks with the selected opponent in spite of darkness, invisibility, polymorphing, or any other attempt at hiding or disguise. The hand does not pursue an opponent, however.

An interposing hand is 10 feet long and about that wide with its fingers outstretched. It has as many hit points as you do when you’re undamaged, and its AC is 20 (-1 size, +11 natural). It takes damage as a normal creature, but most magical effects that don’t cause damage do not affect it.

The hand never provokes attacks of opportunity from opponents. It cannot push through a wall of force or enter an antimagic field, but it suffers the full effect of a prismatic wall or prismatic sphere. The hand makes saving throws as its caster.

Disintegrate or a successful dispel magic destroys it.

Any creature weighing 2,000 pounds or less that tries to push past the hand is slowed to half its normal speed. The hand cannot reduce the speed of a creature weighing more than 2,000 pounds, but it still affects the creature’s attacks.

Directing the spell to a new target is a move action.

Thanks in advance.

 

[shilsen]

There's no indication in the spell description that it takes up a space, so I'd say that it doesn't. And while it may not seem like such a great spell, don't forget a small, often overlooked bonus. It prevents AoOs from the chosen target, since you can't take AoOs against someone with cover relative to you.

 

[SadisticFishing]

Plus, it's a new type of AC. Yay things that stack!

 

[javcs]

It's Large size, as indicated by the -1 AC from size.

As for the latter portion, look at the second to last paragraph:

Any creature weighing 2,000 pounds or less that tries to push past the hand is slowed to half its normal speed. The hand cannot reduce the speed of a creature weighing more than 2,000 pounds, but it still affects the creature’s attacks.

 

[Mr. Patient]

As for the latter portion, look at the second to last paragraph:

When it says that creatures of a certain weight can move past the hand at half or normal speed, does that include the selected opponent? My first guess is no, because the hand automatically moves to interpose itself between the opponent and the caster, and quite explicitly can't be fooled, no matter what the opponent tries. But then it talks about the hand still affecting that creature's attacks. I would love to see more arguments and analysis from the experts on this.

 

[javcs]

Pushing past someone by brute force is not the same as fooling them into letting them let you past.

Also, if it does not take up space, why does it have a -1 size penalty to it's AC?

 

[Mr. Patient]

Pushing past someone by brute force is not the same as fooling them into letting them let you past.

I wasn't really suggesting that, but now that I look at what you are saying more closely, I can visualize what's going on, and the text now makes sense to me. So my question about that particular paragraph is withdrawn. Thanks for the help on that one.

Also, if it does not take up space, why does it have a -1 size penalty to it's AC?

I'd agree that the part about the hand being Large is a piece of evidence in favor of the space hypothesis, but I'm still not sure. Are there any other two-dimensional effects in the game where something has an AC but doesn't take up space?

 

[SadisticFishing]

"Interposing hand creates a Large magic hand "

The Large has a capital L. It exists, methinks.

 

[javcs]

I wasn't really suggesting that, but now that I look at what you are saying more closely, I can visualize what's going on, and the text now makes sense to me. So my question about that particular paragraph is withdrawn. Thanks for the help on that one.

Happy to be of aid.

I'd agree that the part about the hand being Large is a piece of evidence in favor of the space hypothesis, but I'm still not sure. Are there any other two-dimensional effects in the game where something has an AC but doesn't take up space?

Not to my knowledge. At least, of this sort of thing (2-dimensional objects, ie paintings and such have an AC, but I don't think that's what we're looking for here).


Sadistic Fishing has a good point as well. I considered citing it in my first post, but then decided against using it because it could (theoretically) be argued that it was a capital L because of editing errors. I would agree with Sadistic Fishing (obviously) that it takes up space, but not solely because of that sentence as there are other points in favor.

 

[Mr. Patient]

Sadistic Fishing has a good point as well. I considered citing it in my first post, but then decided against using it because it could (theoretically) be argued that it was a capital L because of editing errors. I would agree with Sadistic Fishing (obviously) that it takes up space, but not solely because of that sentence as there are other points in favor.

I think that's reasonable, and you may very well be right, but at the same time, if the hand took up space, wouldn't we expect to see some sort of verbiage in the spell description about what happens when you try to cast the spell if all or part of the 10 ft. square between you and the opponent is occupied (compare to the various "wall" spells, for example)? All it says is that it "appears between you and one opponent." And how would you handle scenarios where the selected opponent maneuvers around the caster in such a way as to leave no room for a 10 ft. by 10 ft. hand? Would you simply say the hand prevents the opponent from going there in the first place? I find it strange that the text is silent on that issue, since it seems like that would happen rather a lot. Overall, I think the spell is easier to adjudicate if the hand *doesn't* take up space, so I may play it that way no matter what, but I'd like to know what the RAW is first.

Sorry if I'm being difficult here. Just trying to get a better handle on it. Thanks again for your help, and everyone else's.