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A situation came up in last night's game session. The Witch had been paralyzed due to a ghast's touch, and was thus unable to move. But the Witch had a Spectral Hand spell running, with a Bestow Curse spell infused within it.
The question is : is attacking with the Spectral Hand a mental action that requires a Standard Action, and thus the Witch can continue to attack with the hand while paralyzed and the target can be seen (at least as long as the Bestow Curse in on it)? Or is attacking with the Hand regarded as a normal Standard Acton that requires the Witch to be able to attack as normal, as if the Hand wasn't an option (meaning that the Witch cannot attack with the Hand while paralyzed)?
Thanks for any help you can give!
That's a tough one.
I would say no, he can't attack through the spectral hand.
The spell says, "The spell gives you a +2 bonus on your melee touch attack roll, and attacking with the hand counts normally as an attack." Since attacking with the spell requires an attack roll, using the character's Strength (or Dexterity, if he has Weapon Finesse), it's hard to see it not having a physical component. I think that if you are precluded from making a melee touch attack, you couldn't use this spell to make one at range.
I'd always imagined the spectral hand mimicking the caster's own movements, at a distance (although the spell doesn't specify).
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Thanks Heymitch!
You essentially have agreed with the GM in this case. He said that the description essentially says you are merely increasing the range of your melee touch attack.
The Player disagreed, stating that it is obviously a mental action to command the hand, albiet one that requires a standard action, and requires no physical movement on the part of the spellcaster.
The spell says the hand moves "as you desire" or, essentially, how you will it to. I'd rule it's a mental direction, not a physical one. While the spell says that attacking with it counts as an attack, that seems more to geared at dressing action economy than physical mechanics. To make the spectral hand attack, you need to do no more than think about making it attack.
That's how I'd rule it, but *shrug*.
Thanks for your opinion fretgod99!
It is a fairly rare situation. A person has to have cast Spectral Hand,attempted to deliver a touch spell with it and failed, become paralyzed, and still be able to see the enemy.
I'm not sure if it will ever come up again, but both sides want people's opinions on the matter in case it does. :)
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