Playing a character with a missing hand

[Faily]

Recently I've been watching Blue Eye Samurai (on Netflix, recommended!), and I love the character Ringo in it. He's missing both his hands, but is still a very useful and helpful party member.

Inspired by that idea, I'm looking to play a character with one missing hand, and I'm trying to think of how to figure out the penalties, what sort of tools they could have to make up for the missing hand (like could they have a clamp or some such to grab on to a weapon?).

Ideas and input appreciated!

[Gol Golarion]

There are a few classes and equipment combinations that can make this work out of the box. Prosthetics are a thing too, but that may or may not work with the aesthetic you're going for.

Swashbucklers of course want to be holding a one-handed weapon and keep a hand free anyway, so that works great if you're fine with a dex build.

Strength builds are a little tougher since their big draw is the two-handed multiplier, but you can pull off a mean TWF Slayer or Ranger with a one-handed weapon and armor spikes for your secondary attacks.

Most magicians are likely fine too, though things like staves and wands can complicate things. Having a little familiar to valet your equipment to help keep your hands free can help.

Psychic casters don't even care about hands, mostly.

[Pizza Lord]

I think the most reasonable thing to expect is that you can have a prosthetic. Different actions might have penalties (or bonuses) depending on the form and function of the prosthesis. Let's take the typical pirate with a missing hand that's replaced with a hook. Obviously you can't manipulate tools or hold anything with a hook, but it could double as a piercing weapon if it was sharp, or you GM could let you use it like a zip-line to slide down ropes or even chains.

As for bonuses, I think you would follow the rules for a masterwork tool. Generally you can have a +2 bonus to a specific task (not necessarily a skill). So you could pay the cost and have a hand that gives you a +2 to Athletics for climbing (and it might be a hook), you might have one that gives you a +2 to grapple checks to hold an opponent (but not to break free) because it's got a lot of barbs. You'd have to chance them out, but I think for the most part, as long as you have even a crude prosthesis, you can manipulate or moves things as long as it isn't fine manipulation. Obviously unless you have one that's incredibly complex or magic and basically works like an actual hand.

[Melkiador]

There is an archetype for having a golem arm: Jistkan Artificer

I don't think there are numerical penalties for not having a hand. You just can't use most weapons using that hand.

[TxSam88]

Skulls and Shackles has a character trait where you are missing a leg (you have a pegleg instead), but you have had it long enough that you have grown accustomed to it, and as such have no penalty.

I would do the same for a character with a missing hand, you've become accustomed to it and know enough work arounds to act normally.

[Derklord]

Faily wrote:

I'm trying to think of how to figure out the penalties

The penalty is only having one hand. No two-handed weapons, no casting while holding a rod, stuff like that.

But that's should be it, barring situational stuff like lifting something where you absolutely can only use your hands.

This may be an almost negligible penalty or a huge hinderance, depending on the class. But that's fine, finding ways to compensate is what people with such disabilities have to do. An unarmed strike using Monk for example would work virtually unhampered, polymorphing can "regrow" the arm for a limited time, fleshcrafting could help, archetypes like the one Melkiador linked...

Faily wrote:

what sort of tools they could have to make up for the missing hand (like could they have a clamp or some such to grab on to a weapon?).

Not without magic of pseudomagic. Effectively using a weapon requires way more than just holding it, with the possible exception of some projectile weapons.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

4Winds press has some rules for this sort of thing.

Ringo struck us as a D&D game where an experienced player made a support character whereas the other made an optimized combat monsters with edgy backstory.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

...and I responded to my own SO/player.
This is why it's important to check who is writing as well as what they write.