Please, not my hand! Wizard hook as a different weapon

[Bronsonfu]

I'm playing a wizard in my buddy's game. I recently came across the wizard hook magic weapon when trying to decide what I might want to craft. Could I craft the wizard hook as a different weapon instead? It seems I have no choice but to lop of my own hand in order to use it but I'm in no rush to commit to such a horrific act. Is there a rule on making a specific magic weapon out of a different but similar weapon during the crafting process? I was thinking something like a gauntlet, spiked gauntlet or even a scizore. Can my poor hand be spared or am I doomed to a stump =( ?

Here is the srd link for the item

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/wi zard-hook/

[UnArcaneElection]

I wonder if it would work to use Alter Self to change yourself temporarily into a Humanoid form lacking one hand.

[roguerouge]

Actors have been faking wearing a hook and other prosthetics for decades prior to CGI. I'm sure you can use one of those by strapping it on.

[Bronsonfu]

That would be fine by me but the item description calls out multiple times that it needs to be attached to a wrist stump.

Pirates who lose a hand in the course of their adventures sometimes attach hooks to their wrists.

Your opponent cannot use a disarm action to disarm you of a hook hand. Hook hands generally do not interfere with routine activities, but you cannot use another weapon two-handed if you have a hook hand attached. You cannot use any type of weapon if both your hands are hook hands, and you may have trouble with routine activities.

Hook hands presume that the wrist joint is intact. If the wrist joint is not intact, use the prosthesis statistics instead. It takes 1 minute to attach or detach a hook hand.

Hook Hand.

[Revan]

Simple math tells us the unique ability of the Wizard's Hook costs an extra 2000 gp market price compared to a regular +1 Hook Hand. So now we have a cost for the unique ability, and you should be able to add it to any given weapon. Many DMs get testy about the idea of altering unique weapons, though, some even suggesting that you can't even add more +1s.

[SlimGauge]

Seems like you're trying to get a LOT.

A wizard hook is a hook hand (a simple light melee weapon).
A wizard hook grants proficiency in wizard hook.
A wizard hook can be used to perform somatic components.
A wizard hook can be used to combine a weapon attack with a spell's touch attack.
That's the equivalent of several feats and a class feature.

If you allow this unique ability to be applied to other than a simple light melee weapon, the utility goes up, so the price should as well.

If you allow this unique ability to grant proficiency in the weapon it is applied to, the utility goes up, so the price should as well.

There was a v3.5 feat, Somatic Weaponry (Complete Mage p.47) that allowed one to use one's weapon for somatic components. It had a prerequisite of Concentration 5 ranks and Spellcraft 5 ranks.

There is a third-party (Kobold Press) Pathfinder feat, called Somatic Weapon that is quite similar. It has a prerequisite of Weapon Focus in the weapon you intend to use.

Under the Core rules for holding a charge, one can deliver a touch spell as/with an unarmed strike. The wizard hook is substituting for the unarmed strike in this case. Allowing a different weapon to be substituted is the equivalent of the Magus class feature Spellstrike. The utility has gone up, so the price should as well.

Or maybe I'm a testy GM.

Perhaps get yourself a locked gauntlet and lock a wizard hook in that.

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

Maybe enchant it with the transformative weapon power

[SlimGauge]

Tiny Coffee Golem wrote:

Maybe enchant it with the transformative weapon power

blackbloodtroll beat you to it.

[Bronsonfu]

SlimGauge wrote:

Seems like you're trying to get a LOT.

A wizard hook is a hook hand (a simple light melee weapon).
A wizard hook grants proficiency in wizard hook.
A wizard hook can be used to perform somatic components.
A wizard hook can be used to combine a weapon attack with a spell's touch attack.
That's the equivalent of several feats and a class feature.

If you allow this unique ability to be applied to other than a simple light melee weapon, the utility goes up, so the price should as well.

If you allow this unique ability to grant proficiency in the weapon it is applied to, the utility goes up, so the price should as well.

There was a v3.5 feat, Somatic Weaponry (Complete Mage p.47) that allowed one to use one's weapon for somatic components. It had a prerequisite of Concentration 5 ranks and Spellcraft 5 ranks.

There is a third-party (Kobold Press) Pathfinder feat, called Somatic Weapon that is quite similar. It has a prerequisite of Weapon Focus in the weapon you intend to use.

Under the Core rules for holding a charge, one can deliver a touch spell as/with an unarmed strike. The wizard hook is substituting for the unarmed strike in this case. Allowing a different weapon to be substituted is the equivalent of the Magus class feature Spellstrike. The utility has gone up, so the price should as well.

Or maybe I'm a testy GM.

Perhaps get yourself a locked gauntlet and lock a wizard hook in that.

Well alright. I could make the wizard hook with a gauntlet (also a simple light melee weapon), and forgo the somatic component affect as it wouldn't be necessary anyways. How would you personally rule that as a GM?

[SlimGauge]

Bronsonfu wrote:

I could make the wizard hook with a gauntlet (also a simple light melee weapon), and forgo the somatic component affect as it wouldn't be necessary anyways. How would you personally rule that as a GM?

I'd certainly allow you to make a wizard hook that is a locked gauntlet attachment so that you can retain your hand. Otherwise it's a standard locked gauntlet with a standard wizard hook attached.

[Bronsonfu]

SlimGauge wrote:

Bronsonfu wrote:

I could make the wizard hook with a gauntlet (also a simple light melee weapon), and forgo the somatic component affect as it wouldn't be necessary anyways. How would you personally rule that as a GM?

I'd certainly allow you to make a wizard hook that is a locked gauntlet attachment so that you can retain your hand. Otherwise it's a standard locked gauntlet with a standard wizard hook attached.

Yes, I would be okay with that. That's a decent ruling. No chopping off my hand!

[Murdock Mudeater]

Bronsonfu wrote:

I'm playing a wizard in my buddy's game. I recently came across the wizard hook magic weapon when trying to decide what I might want to craft. Could I craft the wizard hook as a different weapon instead? It seems I have no choice but to lop of my own hand in order to use it but I'm in no rush to commit to such a horrific act. Is there a rule on making a specific magic weapon out of a different but similar weapon during the crafting process? I was thinking something like a gauntlet, spiked gauntlet or even a scizore. Can my poor hand be spared or am I doomed to a stump =( ?

Here is the srd link for the item

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/specific-magic-weapons/wi zard-hook/

Why do you not want a Hook Hand? They are pretty awesome....

Anyway, does seem like the Wizard hook is balanced by the Hook Hand rules. Otherwise, every weapon would be enchanted for somatic components.

And, more seriously, I don't think the intention is to require characters lob off their hand for this weapon. The intention is to give characters with a lobbed off hand a fighting chance should they become wizards before regeneration is availible.

If you already have a working hand, the Gauntlet is a weapon that allows free motion of your hands for spellcasting. Lots of others exist. In example, you could Enchant a Mithral Light Shield as a weapon, leaving your hand free for spell casting, but remaining a light weapon.

The Wizard Hook is only amazing if you've lost your hand...

[OmniMage]

I don't think this is a big deal.

You can already cast spells holding no weapons, wielding a 1-handed weapon, and holding a 2-handed weapon. This weapon merely makes it possible to wield 2 weapons and cast spells.

I would be totally chill with the idea adding this ability to other weapons.