Bigby's Strangling Grip

This spell creates a pair of disembodied hands that will seek out a creature's throat and strangle the creature much like an attack with a garrote.

The hands must make a successful attack roll to grab the creature's throat, attacking with +4 to hit to wizard's THAC0 because of the attack's speed and ferocity. A miss with the first attack allows an attack for damage only in the next round.

The strangling grip established in the first round inflicts 1d4 points of damage, and will strangle its victim to death by the end of the next round unless the creature is freed. The victim can break the grip with a successful bend bars roll (creatures vulnerable to this attack, but without Strength scores, save vs. petrification with a -4 penalty). The grip will be released if the wizard's concentration is broken.

The hands have no effect against any creature that the caster could not himself physically strangle with his bare hands; for example, an ochre jelly, a cow, or any creature above large size (L). Likewise, such throat protection as a hardened leather collar or a metal gorget will frustrate the attack; the spell grants no strength beyond the caster's own. If the attack is not made by surprise or from a blind quarter, the hands can be parried with a ready weapon or limb; a successful parry blocks the attack.

The material components are a pair of gloves sewn into a clutching grip around the neck of a bottle.

Notes: Uncommon or rare (WoG).