Level
Cantrip
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
30 ft
Components
V, S
Duration
1 Minute
School
Conjuration
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Utility
A spectral, floating hand appears at a point you choose within range. The hand lasts for the duration or until you dismiss it as an action. The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this spell again.
You can use your action to control the hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it.
The hand can't attack, activate magic items, or carry more than 10 pounds.
So the assumption is all based on your perception of time. It's already stated that a round is supposed to represent roughly 6 seconds. So, moving it a full 30 feet is only moving it 5 feet per second. With that expectation, it breaks your idea.
That could be an interesting house rule.
Part of a reason why using a shield gives you +2 AC is that you can quickly reposition the shield to deal with incoming attacks.
When you attack someone, you try to hit them in a weak spot, a place that's open to attack, 10% of the time that the 2AC from the shield makes a difference, it's likely because the user moved the shield to protect themselves - it's rarely because the attacker mindlessly put their sword swing into the shield.
In addition, when you brace a shield against a weapon attack, you're usually bracing against significantly more than 10 pounds of force.
If you hold a shield up with a mage hand, it doesn't really function as well as "using a shield" - the mage hand can't quickly maneuver the shield to block attacks, and many damaging blows from weapons would just knock it aside and continue through to the person behind it. So I wouldn't say that a shield held by a mage hand has an appreciable impact on your AC.
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Think of it like this. If a shield was placed on a display stand, and you stood next to it, would you consider that to be worth 2AC? partial cover? - I think most DMs would rule no.
Because someone with perceived authority said so.
Using the Reduce spell to get your character under 10 pounds, you could use Mage Hand to fly. Albeit, flight time would be limited to the duration of the "Reduce" spell.
As long as the character is less than 80lbs to start, you're golden.
Gnome, Halfling, Goblin, Kobold, and probably Fairy and Harengon and certain 'lineages' too. Probably even more options if the character happens to be lighter/adolescent.
Also consider Polymorphed characters or Druid Wild Shapes that have a very light weight.
Can the hand drop say a 10 pound item from a height of 30 feet? The 10 pound object would be traveling at almost 30 mph when it would hit. Could this be something that could be used to cause say bludgeoning damage?
This would classify as an attack, which the mage hand explicitly can't do.
I can move a 10 pound object 30 feet with my hand but i cant turn a 1 pound object into a bullet
would the hand be large?
Could you use this spell and have it accelerate your hand to said speed? If so, then you could throw a rock or coin or something at... Whatever speed moving 30 feet instantaneously is (or however long your arm is, whether you're using Transformation or not) ... Then you could bypass the rule stating it can't attack.
Sure, why not. But how accurate will the shot be if you habe to aim it from afar? A warning shot? Yes! A aimed shot? Have fun with disadvantage, no proficency bonus, and something like an additional -5 to hit. Also the Hand would have its own dex sooo yeah.
Mage Hand doesn't say you need to see it, but how would you be able to do something useful while not being able to see what it's doing?
Changed Control Fire to this, seems a lot more practical.
this spell is so good
Does anyone know if a Mage Hand has force feedback? In other words, if you wave it through a space that appears to be empty, but is occupied by something invisible, would the caster know if the hand had met an obstruction? In this case the Mage Hand is invisible, since it's gained through the Telekinetic Feat.
The hand can’t attack. It is a paciFIST.
Re: 'help' type actions with mage hand. If distracting an enemy is something spelled out as the benefit of a level 13 unique subclass feat, it's probably something that can't be done without that feat.
Just like you mentioned with the stealing section, that kind of behaviour is described by 'Versatile Trickster' the level 13 Arcane Trickster feat. If you could confer advantage in combat by doing this kind of thing at level 1 without being in that subclass, what's the point of the feat? It clearly exists because it's not something you can normally do.
For balencing purposes, I would not allow the hand to do something like that. Mage Hand is a cantrip, and it isn't even supposd to deal damage. It allows you to manipulate objects from a distance. You can use it to open a chest from a distance (in case that chest might be trapped), or you can disarm a trap at range (you are safe if you accidently set it off). This can also help you reach objects that are out of reach. Similar to minor illusion, phantasmal force, or prestidigitation, the only limit is your imagination (and the mechanical constraints).
If I allowed players to attack with the hand, I would probably use the same rules as an unarmed strike, but using your spellcasting ability instead of Strength, and dealing force damage instead of bludgeoning. This damage would be smaller than cantrips specifically designed for attacking, but mage hand gets its virtue by having a lot of potential utility.
Can a spectral hand move through objects? Like if i wanted to sneak the hand into an area through the ground grab an item and drag the item across the roof and out of a room. Would that be possible?
No, that's an attack. The hand cannot do anything to attack. It is (unfortunately) quite the pacifist.