Order of the superior mage hand
While most mages learn to use a handy spell known coloquially as mage hand and even some gifted individuals learn how to turn said mage hand invisible and increase it's range, few wizards, if any, truly try to reach the maximum potential that this magic can offer, contempt with mediocre results. The wizard of the order of the superior mage hand are different. They know that there's great power to be harnesses and used if one tries to push the limits of this spell hard enough. Other wizards will ridicule them for focusing all their efforts in such as simple spell, but their minds are simply locked to the truth: Mage hand is only the beginning...
Arcane Traditions
At 2nd level, a wizard gains the Arcane Tradition feature, which offers you the choice of a subclass. This homebrew contains the superior mage hand tradition.
Primary mage hand exploits
Starting at level 2 you can turn your mage hand invisible at will, as well as increase it's range by 30 feet. If you also have the telekinetic feat, increase the range of the spell by 60 feet instead.
Strong hand
Also at level 2 your mage hand is stronger. You can lift up to 30 pounds with it.
Improved maged hand
Starting at level 6 you have finally managed to make a breakthrough in your mage hand training. When you cast the mage hand spell you can now use a first level spell slot instead of no spell slot. If you do so, your mage hand gains the following benefits:
- Your mage hand can now attack, provided that it is carrying an item that would allow you to attack. As an action you order the hand to attack a creature that is within 5 feet of the hand. For the purpose of the attack roll your mage hand adds your intelligence modifier, but it is never proficient with the weapon it attacks, even if you are proficient.
- You increase the magical power of the hand. It lasts for 1 minute longer, provided that you don't dismiss it early.
Twice the hand
Also starting at level 6, you can have more than one mage hand active at a time. When you have one mage hand active, you can cast another one as a bonus action. Controlling this secondary hand uses your bonus action. Dismissing this mage hand also costs your bonus action.
Elevated mage hand
Starting at level 10 your mage hand improves even more. You can use a spell slot of up to 3rd level to upcast mage hand. When you do so the mage hand that you upcasted gains the following benefits:
- Your mage hand can attack even if it's not carrying a weapon. The unarmed mage hand attack deals 1d4 force damage. If you have two mages hands and they are besides each other than can now use twohanded weapons, provided that they don't separate. If you used a 3rd level spellslot your mage hand also gains your weapon proficiencies.
- Your mage hand increases in size, being as big as the hand of a large creature. It can now carry 60 pounds or 120 pounds if you use a 3rd level spellslot.
- Your mage hand can push or shove a creature that is of size small. If you used a 3rd level spellslot it can push or shove a creature that is of size medium.
Supreme mage hand
At level 14 you have finally reached the true power that mage hand can unleash in this world. You can now upcast mage hand with any spell slots, and you can add the following benefits when you do so:
Level 4 spell slot
Your mage hand has all the benefits of a 3rd level upcasted mage hand and it now lasts up to 6 minutes.
Level 5 spell slot
Your mage hand has all the benefits of a 4rd level upcasted mage hand and it can now activate magic items. You can also add your intelligence modifier to your unarmed mage hand attacks.
Level 6 spell slot
Your mage hand has all the benefits of a 5th level upcasted mage hand and it can now last up to 1 hour. Your mage hand is proficient with any weapon it may be holding, and it's unarmed strike damage dice becomes a d8.
Level 7 spell slot
Your mage hand has all the benefits of a 6th level upcasted mage hand and it can now casts spells of level 1 or lower, using your spell slots, provided the spell does not have a verbal component and the mage hand is carrying any material components the spell requires. If the spell makes a spell attack the hand uses your spell attack bonus. If it has a saving throw, it uses your spell DC.
Level 8 spell slot
Your mage hand has all the benefits of a 7th level upcasted mage hand it can now last up to 8 hours, it becomes the size of a gargantuan creature's hands, allowing you to push or shove large creatures. It can also wield two handed weapons that don't use ammunition on it's own. It can also carry up to 200 pounds and equip 1 item and still carry another item.
Level 9 spell slot
Your mage hand has all the benefits form all the previous levels, can cast any non level 7 or higher spell, even if it requires a verbal components; has a maximum range of 100 feet; it can carry up to 500 pounds, equip up to 2 items and still carry another one; it's unarmed strike damage dice becomes a d12 and it lasts until you dismiss it.
Extra information
The hand doesn't take any damage. Each mage hand must be upcasted individually.
Mage hand can still be counterspelled even after succesfully being cast. In this case you must make an intelligence saving throw against the enemy's spellcaster's DC. On a fail the mage hand that they targeted ends early. A mage hand that has been upcasted with a 6th level or higher spell slot reduces the enemy's spellcasters DC for this saving throw by -2 for each level above 6 of the spent spell slot.
For the purpose of verbal components, your mage hand emits your voice, unless it has some way of ignoring verbal components, like carrying an item that gives such benefit. Your mage hand can ignore material components if it's holding a spellfocus.
Most spells require 1 free hand to be casted. As such, in order to cast a spell successfully, two mage hands must be besides each other.
Concentration
For the purpose of concentration spells, the following actions break the concentration of your mage hand:
- Being ordered to move or cast any other spell (even if it doesn't require concentration)
- Entering an anti-magic field or being targeted by counterspell
- Being targeted by an attack. the AC of the hand for this purposes is 10 and it can only be hit by magical weapons or spell attacks. When the hand has to make a concentration check, treat it's constitution modifier as -5, unless it's a level 8 or higher upcasted mage hand, in which case it's constitution modifier is 0.