Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th
Slot hands; Price 16,200 gp; Weight —
Once per day, the wearer of these oxblood leather gloves can bend the fabric of space to touch a distant location. The wearer speaks the command word and chooses a five-foot square that is within line of sight. For the next five rounds, the wearer can touch anything in that square, so long as it remains within line of sight. Once per round, as a free action, she may change her targeted square.
When acting on the square, the wearer's hands and arms appear in the square, and can be the target of actions. She can use and manipulate objects in the square, but she cannot bring anything back to her square. Her own possessions land in her square if dropped or thrown.
The wearer can use her hands, hand-held items or melee weapons against anything in the square. She threatens from every direction, ignoring cover and causing targets to be flanked by other opponents who threaten them. Grapples, ranged attacks and attacks requiring movement are not possible.
Interacting with the distant location is distracting. If the wearer does so while her own square is threatened, she is treated as flanked.
If the wearer or a targeted square is subject to an effect that stops teleportation or dimensional travel, the gloves do not work.
Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, teleport; Cost 8,100 gp
Well now we are getting somewhere. This is one of the cooler items of this type I have seen. I think d-door is a better construction requirement spell than teleport, but I can live with teleport.
This author has clearly thought through some of the mechanics impacted by this item that you dont see in a lesser submission. Targeting, manipulating, threat, flanking, grapple, user being distracted and flanked if threatened, doesnt work if teleport or dimensional travel is stopped. That's good stuff.
The one thing that is not specifically stated, though seems clear, is that the user can use touch range spells on targets in the far off square.
I like that it is once per day.
I have concerns about line of sight because that has some real long range outdoors.
Oh, and good name. That's worth something in my book.
The design of this item is pretty tight, though I think "ignoring cover" is a bit too vague and can be misread.
Kept.
I've got a few questions about this, but I don't think any are deal breakers. At the end of the day it's pretty cool, and a great utility item. Even though you can attack with it, it's not a great choice. I'm not sure really how it works with creatures attacking you and I don't get the "her own possessions land in her square if dropped or thrown" element (so can a wearer use a key she has on a door across the room or not?). Flat-footed would have probably been a better choice then flanked there at the end too.
All that aside, still like it.
Like it
So, we have another pair of gloves, do we? I think I like these very much! I agree with Clark that dimension door makes far more sense than teleportation or even a displacement spell with the Enlarge Spell feat might be a cool additional requirement to throw into the mix. But, overall, it's a cool effect that can give you another combat option. Touch spells seem a natural to go with this...and if you included that...I might suggest spectral hand get into the mix somehow. As it's written, though, I can't really tell if that's a plausible use of this item.
Other cool effects would seem to give a rogue the ability to safely pick a lock or disarm a trap from far, far away. That line-of-sight factor might be a little too much. It's a bit too uber-range mage hand to me. I see the potential for a lot of abuse in this item as player's activate tanglefoot bags, alchemist's fire, etc. directly into a targeted square at much greater range with no need for a ranged touch attack. That said, the visuals and practical use for this item seem very much in line with something a wizard would eventually look to craft.
Bottom line, you've done a good enough design to make it into the ranks of RPG Superstar! Congratulations and best wishes for future rounds of the competition. If I have any advice for you, it's to make sure you think through the potential uses and abuses of the things you design. Also, work on the clarity of your writing so it doesn't leave unanswered questions for the reader. Best of luck!
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 4
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Star Voter Season 6
aka raidou
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Yeah! Now this is a great piece of work. Innovative effect, pretty easy to figure out, not overpowered, and tightly designed. It does something that isn't done elsewhere.
This item is an arcane trickster's best friend. Set up remote flanking, manipulate remote traps, deliver potions to downed buddies... there is endless fun to be had here.
There are some clarity issues. I'm not clear on whether the hands need to share space with a foe to attack it. If so, I'm not sold on the "threaten from all directions" bit. That seems hard to wrap my head around.
Needless to say, you've impressed all of us with this item. I look forward to similar innovative and clever design in future rounds. Best of luck in the challenges ahead!
I'm not 100% sold on this item. There are things I like and things I don't like. On the up side, It's a fun idea with a lot of interesting applications. The item also scales well with the players' creativity, which I always appreciate.
On the down side, I'm worried that it's a much better version of ranged legerdemain (an arcane trickster ability). I don't know if this ability made it into Pathfinder, but farming out superior versions of a prestige classes' abilities as magical items can be problematic, especially considering the relatively low price of the item. Granted it's only a once a day thing, so it is limited to that degree.
I have a lot of other questions too. What happens if the distant square is hit with area of effect damage? What happens if an archer has line of sight on the distant square, but not the glove wearer? What happens if another creature enters the distant square? I can infer answers to the these questions and make a call, but my players may try to argue otherwise, which always slows down play.
I think you have a great item at the core here, it just needs a few rough edges smoothed out first.
I agree with K.B. about the rough edges, but this is pretty damn neat. It doesn't just fiddle with some game mechanics, it rips them out wholesale and replaces them with something different but still cohesive. The word "bonus" is notably absent, which resonates with my own design sensibilities: the underlying math of this game is a necessity, but not the main attraction. Perhaps more importantly, this is the kind of thing which rewards player creativity without triggering Zurai's catchphrase, "physics is a house rule."
Neat! Now you really can be crushing the Big Bad's head while he's trying to give his Grand Villainy Speech. I agree with the call to make the user flat-footed rather than flanked, but this is a clever item indeed.
This is a fun little whatsit.
It has a lot of utility, but mostly, I'm thinking of all the playful things you can do with it. Practical jokes, slight of hand, games with goblins. This seems like an item goblins and gremlins would love!
It reminds me of the portable hole. Has a sense of fun.
Wow. Thanks for the great critiques everyone! It was a fun challenge to work on this item, and I'm blown away by the chance to go into round two. There are some great items in the top 32. I'm already plotting how to get them into games I run and games I'm in. (Goblin Skull Bomb has to show up. That thing is awesome.)
Well thought out, good luck in the next round.
...I see the potential for a lot of abuse in this item as player's activate tanglefoot bags, alchemist's fire, etc. directly into a targeted square at much greater range with no need for a ranged touch attack.
Since dropped or thrown items land in the wearer's square, I don't think tanglefoot bags and alchemist's fire would be a great idea to use, and potentially the reason that restriction was included
...I see the potential for a lot of abuse in this item as player's activate tanglefoot bags, alchemist's fire, etc. directly into a targeted square at much greater range with no need for a ranged touch attack.Since dropped or thrown items land in the wearer's square, I don't think tanglefoot bags and alchemist's fire would be a great idea to use, and potentially the reason that restriction was included
I actually went back and assessed that, but didn't post to change my previous commentary. It's possible you could "activate" those types of alchemical items by simply slamming them down on someone...or the floor...while still holding onto it. But, then, that would beg the question of whether it would affect your "displaced" hands (which it presumably should), but I can see this type of question coming up in a game. Regardless, I think the item's cool.
When I have a sorcerer that specializes with melee touch attacks, play a rogue, or multiclass both, I'd definitely want this item!
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This item was also in my top 10.
First, being a player that enjoys the monk class, I immediately thought of flurry of blows from 400 feet away, and my monk has combat reflexes, which is icing on the cake with this item.
I think this is one of the tighter designed items. I am sure the judges went out of their way to make sure this item made it to the next round because this had design mojo along with "cool idea" mojo.
There are so many things I like about this item that I could write a book (like neil) on all its merits. However, I will simply say that I will be looking forward to your next entry with anticipation.
CC
This item was also in my top 10.
First, being a player that enjoys the monk class, I immediately thought of flurry of blows from 400 feet away, and my monk has combat reflexes, which is icing on the cake with this item.
I have yet to play a monk, but now that you mentioned that, it would definitely be useful there too. I think what is good about this item that it isn't necessarily confined to a specific class; it has a wide range of usefulness beyond a niche item where I can see a number of PCs clamoring for it if found in a treasure hoard.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Star Voter Season 6, Star Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9
aka JoelF847
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Great job making the top 32! This is a very clever item, and gets extra points from me for reminding me of the 1st edition boggle. I have to admit, after reading only the first paragraph of your entry, I couldn't help but think - "the wearer can touch anything in that square", oh, so the wearer can grope people at range, which made me laugh - even though I figured what the rest of the description would detail.
As for the details of the item, a) I'd round the price to 16,000 - generally items over 5K are rounded to the nearest thousand, b) I'd prefer a version that worked a certain number of times per day, with each use lasting only 1 round. A version that worked 3 times per day even would be more worthwhile than the one you present at 1/day for 5 rounds.
I'm not really sure what your intent is with the "Her own possessions land in her square if dropped or thrown." part. Does this effectively give you 5 rounds of the returning property for a weapon if you throw it? Is this to prevent you passing objects to someone far away (which would be a shame, as passing a potion would be handy)
Again, great concept, and I'm looking forward to seeing your future round's entries.
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Caveat; I kinda loathe expensive items that can only be used once per day.
In this case, I think I'd like it better if there was only 1 round of duration (grab or toss what you want *fast*) but it could be activated three times a day or something.
Alternately, one could make it usable for a minute in a non-combat application (attempting to pull a lever or disarm a trap or pick a lock across the room), or a round in a combat application could work (or even just a single action, in a combat application, making it not usable for a full-round attack).
It reminds me (in a good way) of a Warhammer Quest sword that can lash out to hit anyone within six squares, the Serpent Blade (or something). Very cool concept (which would be broken all to heck in D&D, I imagine), and I like the idea of items / abilities that warp space in this manner quite a bit.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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The design of this item is pretty tight, though I think "ignoring cover" is a bit too vague and can be misread.
Kept.
That was my first thought as well, but other than that the item seems to have all the mechanical bases covered and the idea is fun and well described. It takes mage hand up a hundred notches, and I like that you didn't forget to talk about what happens to the person using the remote control hands (tho I think Wes' comment is spot on: flat-footed would be a better condition than flanked).
In sum: Very nice. Fun item, well executed. A very good beginning.
I can see using this as a necessary item to enter a tomb or vault - the unlocking mechanisms are spread out and/or inaccessible without this item. Very cool and lots of story potential.
Agreed. This item would be invaluable in, say, the Tomb of Horrors or the Mud Sorcerer's Tomb.
(Random observation: Game designers REALLY like the word 'tomb'.)
I really appreciate everyone's great comments. Now that my Round Two entry is submitted (at least I hope it went through) I'll swing by tomorrow and try to reply to all the comments.
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Contributor
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Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9
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There are lots of potential great uses for this item. I like it.
One question I have is: Is there a mechanic for the number of hit points the hands have? For example, if your hands are targeted with disintegrate, what is the effect?
Congratulations and best of luck in the competition!
Well now we are getting somewhere. This is one of the cooler items of this type I have seen. I think d-door is a better construction requirement spell than teleport, but I can live with teleport.
I thought about using dimension door, but that spell explicitly forbids any actions on the same turn in which you use the spell. As such, an item that allows actions seemed a little against the spirit of the spell.
This author has clearly thought through some of the mechanics impacted by this item that you dont see in a lesser submission. Targeting, manipulating, threat, flanking, grapple, user being distracted and flanked if threatened, doesnt work if teleport or dimensional travel is stopped. That's good stuff.
I made sure to give myself a few days editing time, so I would have opportunities for the "what if this happens" questions to jump out to me.
The one thing that is not specifically stated, though seems clear, is that the user can use touch range spells on targets in the far off square.
Do you mean spells with "Range: Touch" or do you also mean ranged touch attacks (e.g., scorching ray)? It was intended that the former would work, but not the latter.
I like that it is once per day.I have concerns about line of sight because that has some real long range outdoors.
The long distances were a concern for me too. I finally decided that using teleport justified line of sight, since one could certainly use that spell to get anywhere within sight. If I'd used dimension door, I may have tightened it up.
Thanks for the comments, Clark. Thank you also for the encouragement you gave everyone here.
I'm not sure really how it works with creatures attacking you and I don't get the "her own possessions land in her square if dropped or thrown" element (so can a wearer use a key she has on a door across the room or not?).
The "her own possessions" bit is definitely still too muddy. The intent was that nothing on her person could be left behind.
So she could turn the key, but she'd need to hold on to it the whole time.
Maybe this would work better:
"Her own possessions instantly appear back in her square if she breaks contact with them."
Flat-footed would have probably been a better choice then flanked there at the end too.
I went with flanked because I imagined the level of distraction caused by using the gloves to be comparable to facing a physical threat. Your work in the distant square isn't a very big threat (unless someone targets your hands), but it is an unusual demand on your attention. I think the combination of less threat but more focus makes it equal to a regular threat. Thus, when an actual threat appears, you are facing the equivalent of two threats.
That said, it seems flat-footed has fans here. :) But no one says why they like it better. I'd love to hear a case for flat-footed if anyone has a chance.
I have a lot of other questions too. What happens if the distant square is hit with area of effect damage?
If the hands are in the square at the time, they take damage. The gloves don't confer any special protection against that.
What happens if an archer has line of sight on the distant square, but not the glove wearer?
I'm not sure what the question is. Do you mean what happens if an archer wants to target the hands?
What happens if another creature enters the distant square?
I guess that depends on how big the hands are. A colossal creature with a pair of these might not have much room to share. :)
The size of the hands do matter for whether the space can be shared, but I would suggest that a creature entering the square would provoke an AoO just as if moving into a normally occupied square.
I actually went back and assessed that, but didn't post to change my previous commentary. It's possible you could "activate" those types of alchemical items by simply slamming them down on someone...or the floor...while still holding onto it. But, then, that would beg the question of whether it would affect your "displaced" hands (which it presumably should), but I can see this type of question coming up in a game. Regardless, I think the item's cool.
I would count that as "dropped" and have the fire or goo appear in her square. But that's definitely a sentence in need of some clarity.
In response to Wes, I suggested this:
"Her own possessions instantly appear back in her square if she breaks contact with them."
Of course, breaking contact with tanglefoot goo could be hard. ;)
As for the details of the item, a) I'd round the price to 16,000 - generally items over 5K are rounded to the nearest thousand
Good point. I'll have to keep that in mind for future magical goodness. :)
b) I'd prefer a version that worked a certain number of times per day, with each use lasting only 1 round. A version that worked 3 times per day even would be more worthwhile than the one you present at 1/day for 5 rounds.
Perhaps: "May be used for five rounds per day. These rounds do not have to be consecutive."
I'm not really sure what your intent is with the "Her own possessions land in her square if dropped or thrown." part. Does this effectively give you 5 rounds of the returning property for a weapon if you throw it? Is this to prevent you passing objects to someone far away (which would be a shame, as passing a potion would be handy)
The intent was that the thrown or dropped item would never have a chance to hit anything before returning. (Although the next paragraph makes ranged attacks impossible anyway.) It's also to prevent someone from setting a necklace of fireballs on the ground and then dropping one last bead into the mix. That said, I definitely see how this line can be clarified.
Again, great concept, and I'm looking forward to seeing your future round's entries.
Thanks for the comments and questions. This part of the process as much an education as making the item.
Congrats on making the top 32!
Thanks!
I'd say that spectral hand would have been a better choice than teleport or d-door.
One of the reasons I went with teleport is because the wearer uses her own hands, so I wanted the item to use magic that could move her hands through space.
Good luck on the next round!
Thanks again! :)
This raises an interesting question... If magic based on physical contact can go 'out' then is the user of the gloves susceptible to magic based on touch going the other way? Is she still in danger of going *poof* if she 'remotely' picks up a gem prepared with trap the soul, can a ghost with the malevolance power attempt to take control if it's in the same square as her hands?
I would say yes to trap the soul, although I would rule that the wearer's body (minus hands and forearms) would travel across the actual physical distance to be consumed by the gem. Although it would be cool if her horrified companions had to watch as her body was sucked though a hole in space the size of her hands.
For malevolence, I'm torn, but I'd say no. I wouldn't allow even incorporeal creatures to travel through the effect. That said, I'm inclined to add a line of text to clarify how certain effects that can affect the whole body work. (Such as shocking grasp, a ghoul's touch or energy drain.)
Thanks for the great questions!
There are lots of potential great uses for this item. I like it.
One question I have is: Is there a mechanic for the number of hit points the hands have? For example, if your hands are targeted with disintegrate, what is the effect?
Congratulations and best of luck in the competition!
I don't recall Pathfinder covers hit points for body parts, so that'd be up to the GM. I know some GMs already have body location charts or specific house rules for that sort of thing.
I'd be inclined to give the hands and forearms 5% of the characters total hit points (and a +8 AC for size). If they take that much damage, then the stop being useful.
That said, I'd have disintegrate affect the entire body. Although, even if it didn't, losing hands and forearms is an expensive break in an adventurer's career. She'd better hope she has 13th level cleric handy. (Pun very much intended.)
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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Star Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Star Voter Season 9
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There are lots of potential great uses for this item. I like it.
One question I have is: Is there a mechanic for the number of hit points the hands have? For example, if your hands are targeted with disintegrate, what is the effect?
Congratulations and best of luck in the competition!
I don't recall Pathfinder covers hit points for body parts, so that'd be up to the GM. I know some GMs already have body location charts or specific house rules for that sort of thing.
I'd be inclined to give the hands and forearms 5% of the characters total hit points (and a +8 AC for size). If they take that much damage, then the stop being useful.
That said, I'd have disintegrate affect the entire body. Although, even if it didn't, losing hands and forearms is an expensive break in an adventurer's career. She'd better hope she has 13th level cleric handy. (Pun very much intended.)
Thanks for stopping by and answering my (along with everyone else's) questions. Good luck in the monster round.
Congratulations on a strong and innovative start!
I also admire how you jumped in and responded to comments. I got really timid about doing that, so I admire that you weren't daunted.
In my campaign, I can easily see these being on the party rogue's wishlist (if we were using one). This is a really intelligent item. They actually make me a little nervous, they're that cool. That would be my one critique, I'm afraid how the players would figure out how to abuse it. On the surface however, it looks like you have most of the bases covered.
I think you're going to be some tough competition in the Rounds to come! I look forward to it!
Congratulations on a strong and innovative start!
I also admire how you jumped in and responded to comments. I got really timid about doing that, so I admire that you weren't daunted.
In my campaign, I can easily see these being on the party rogue's wishlist (if we were using one).
Thanks Jim! Your Seducer's Bane is an item my rogue would be keen on having. Although she would call it a Diplomat's Aegis. :)
So I really like these. You manage to simultaneously present an item with a fairly complex mechanic, and address and answer most possible questions raised by that mechanic all within your word count. That's really great- a lot of times in previous years items with weird but awesome ideas get through even if the mechanics are a little wonky, because the concept itself sells it. This one has it all.
The ore I think about these, the more fun i think almost any character would have with them. The only drawback, for me, is not being able to bring anything back to your square, since ranged pickpocketing could be a blast. But I suppose that had to go because it would be open to too many forms of- not necessarily abuse, but ruining the DMs day. Plus this way the Arcane Trickster's union doesn't go on strike for having to share one of their special abilities.