Halaster's Grappling Hand

This spell creates a translucent, 5-foot tall magical left hand of force. Silent and non-corporeal, the hand appears within ten feet of the spell-caster and moves with him. It can pass through non-magical, unliving matter easily; door frames, missiles, and so on do it no harm. It lasts without concentration while the caster engages in other activities, including spellcasting.

The hand acts only when a magical attack, such as a magic missile or lightning bolt, is directed at the caster, or when a hostile creature armed with magic attempts to attack the caster. The spell intercepts any magic targeted directly on the caster. The hand does not stop wide area effects that incidentally include the caster, such as a fireball.

The hand moves to block any creatures armed with magic that try to approach the caster, stopping them as if it were a solid barrier. Innately magical creatures (such as most constructs) are generally blocked, though their natural attacks inflict full damage. Special creatures with virtual immunity to most spells are unaffected (for example, a true golem would walk right through the hand unless it was actually carrying a magical weapon).

The hand is lightning-quick, and can defend against several magical attacks or one creature in a round. It tries to intercept all such attacks, taking their damage itself. The hand is AC 0, has the same hit points as the caster in full health, and has the caster's saving throw against special attack forms. Magical weapons can damage the hand, inflicting one point of damage for every combat bonus of the weapon. For example, a dagger +2 inflicts two points of damage upon the hand. Individuals or monsters without magical weapons, items, or armor pass freely through the hand.

The caster should make a Dexterity check to see if the hand successfully intercepts a magic-based attack. If it does, all damage is suffered by the hand (if the hand is destroyed, any damage it did not stop affects the caster). Dispel magic, negation, or cancellation effects and spells destroy the hand instantly. Once a grappling hand has been created, it cannot be ended by will of the caster or anyone else before its duration runs out; to remove it, a dispel magic must be used.

The grappling hand does not stop and is not affected by normal missiles or any non-magical thrown item. Most creatures cannot harm a hand by attacking it, unless using enchanted weapons (which inflict only their magical bonuses as damage to the hand).

Notes: Known to Halaster, archmage of the Forgotten Realms setting.