Arcane Trickster Rogues have multiple class features that depend on casting Mage Hand, but it has Verbal and Somatic components, takes an action, and only lasts for 1 minute. That means that if you want to use it to pick pocket someone in town, unless you have at least 3 levels of Sorcerer for Subtle Spell, you will be very obviously casting a spell, drawing attention to yourself. If you want to use it to distract an enemy in combat, you have to use an action to cast it, then a bonus action on the second round (and subsequent rounds) before you can benefit.
So I wanted to get feedback on a magic item to make it a bit more useful. The gloves would work as an arcane focus and allow you to cast mage hand as a bonus action without components. They would also allow you to cast another spell you know without components once per short rest, but using spell slots and casting time as normal.
I am aiming for an uncommon item, but would like comments.
Sounds pretty cool to me. I can totally imagine a thief commissioning something like that from some mage. Perhaps a ring instead of a glove, with a small gem that glowed softly when used so as to not make its use completely detectionless.
Maybe make the spell available once per long rest instead of short. And an uncommon rating sounds about right.
If I were a thief I'd buy it...with a five finger discount
I think I might aim for a rare item, but that's mostly because the item as described is something only a 13th level arcane trickster would be able to take full advantage of. Distracting an enemy in combat, I mean. If you're picking someone's pocket or otherwise doing something outside combat, just Hide first, and cast the spell out of earshot. A Trickster's mage hand is invisible anyway.
Perhaps the other spell you can cast without components could be a stored spell? Cast the spell before combat, than unleash it in combat like a ring of spell storing, which are rare items.
Or maybe two items! The uncommon version would just have the mage hand functionality, and the improved, rare version, would add the spell storing ability. And then (and this is just my imagination going crazy) you could have a very rare version that lets you pilfer a level 1-5 spell in combat (as long as the gloved don't already have a spell stored, of course) that's targeting you, and then tossing it back in the spellcaster's face later.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup,
The main problem I see (especially for an Uncommon item that doesn't require attunement) is that it removes the need for any components on that one spell per short rest, so you can lend it to the party's cleric for a Resurrection without the 1000gp diamond, or similar for any other caster class with any kind of spell that requires expensive components.
Onyx, you're right, that was not the intent of the item. I've made a change so it only ignores verbal and somatic components. As an arcane focus it can substitute for non expensive material components anyway. Submitted for republishing.
Arcane Trickster Rogues have multiple class features that depend on casting Mage Hand, but it has Verbal and Somatic components, takes an action, and only lasts for 1 minute. That means that if you want to use it to pick pocket someone in town, unless you have at least 3 levels of Sorcerer for Subtle Spell, you will be very obviously casting a spell, drawing attention to yourself. If you want to use it to distract an enemy in combat, you have to use an action to cast it, then a bonus action on the second round (and subsequent rounds) before you can benefit.
So I wanted to get feedback on a magic item to make it a bit more useful. The gloves would work as an arcane focus and allow you to cast mage hand as a bonus action without components. They would also allow you to cast another spell you know without components once per short rest, but using spell slots and casting time as normal.
I am aiming for an uncommon item, but would like comments.
Sounds pretty cool to me. I can totally imagine a thief commissioning something like that from some mage. Perhaps a ring instead of a glove, with a small gem that glowed softly when used so as to not make its use completely detectionless.
Maybe make the spell available once per long rest instead of short. And an uncommon rating sounds about right.
If I were a thief I'd buy it...with a five finger discount
If I were WotC, I'd want to buy that from you so I could publish it. Brilliant.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
I think I might aim for a rare item, but that's mostly because the item as described is something only a 13th level arcane trickster would be able to take full advantage of. Distracting an enemy in combat, I mean. If you're picking someone's pocket or otherwise doing something outside combat, just Hide first, and cast the spell out of earshot. A Trickster's mage hand is invisible anyway.
Perhaps the other spell you can cast without components could be a stored spell? Cast the spell before combat, than unleash it in combat like a ring of spell storing, which are rare items.
Or maybe two items! The uncommon version would just have the mage hand functionality, and the improved, rare version, would add the spell storing ability. And then (and this is just my imagination going crazy) you could have a very rare version that lets you pilfer a level 1-5 spell in combat (as long as the gloved don't already have a spell stored, of course) that's targeting you, and then tossing it back in the spellcaster's face later.
Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup,
Here it is published
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/47503-gloves-of-mage-hand
The main problem I see (especially for an Uncommon item that doesn't require attunement) is that it removes the need for any components on that one spell per short rest, so you can lend it to the party's cleric for a Resurrection without the 1000gp diamond, or similar for any other caster class with any kind of spell that requires expensive components.
Onyx, you're right, that was not the intent of the item. I've made a change so it only ignores verbal and somatic components. As an arcane focus it can substitute for non expensive material components anyway. Submitted for republishing.
fixed
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/48564-gloves-of-mage-hand