Probing Arm

This spell creates a weightless mechanical arm of steel that has an upper arm 3 feet in length, a ball‑swivel elbow joint, a forearm 3 feet long, a ball‑swivel wrist joint, and a fully articulated hand with four fingers and a perfectly opposed thumb (that is, the thumb is opposite the fingers across the palm, not located to one side). The shoulder of the arm always floats in midair closest of any part of the arm to the caster’s head, and the spell range refers to how distant the shoulder can be from the caster before the arm either does not form or dissipates into nothingness.

This arm has an effective Armor Class of 1, a Strength of 19, moves at MV Fly 12 (A), and can lengthen either or both of its arm segments from 3 feet to 30 feet — or any length in between — in response to the caster’s silent will. Though it is most often used to reach distant objects or beings and grab them or pick them up, a probing arm can function as a weapon.

The probing arm can punch for 2d4+7 points of damage, launch weapon attacks at distant foes at a THAC0 one point better than the caster’s own, and grapple with a foe at a +3 bonus to hit. A successful grapple causes 1d6 points of bruising and jostling damage, ruins spellcasting, cuts movement in half, causes opponent missile attacks to be launched at a –3 penalty to attack rolls, and forces item saving throws vs. crushing blow on all fragile items worn, carried, or wielded by the foe.

A probing arm can also reach into a guarded area to spring traps or to grab, recover, or move objects the caster dare not touch or approach, such as diseased or fungus‑covered corpses, burning items, and poison‑using monsters.

A probing arm can open locks by touch, acting as the 2nd‑level wizard spell knock cast by a 12th‑level mage. To use this ability, the probing arm must be commanded to by silent will of the caster. If the unlocking succeeds, the arm vanishes when the locked door opens, since the spell’s magic is exhausted immediately. A probing arm could unlock a massive door and then drag it wide open, fading away only when the opening motion was stopped by the caster of the probing arm, but such an arm would vanish instantly if used to unlock a small door that then fell open by itself. The spell is not exhausted if the arm is used to unlock a door by turning a key or otherwise opening it by its usual mechanical means.

The material components of a probing arm are two short sticks or small straight rods, two smooth wooden or glass balls (or a real socket joint from any dead creature), and two human hairs.