Hand of the Magus: A Wondrous Item for 5e

Hand of the Magus

Wondrous Item, uncommon (requires attunement)

This mummified hand - once attached to the remains of a spellcaster - hangs from a bronze chain adorned with arcane sigils. When worn around the neck of a spellcaster to which it is attuned, the hand animates and provides the somatic component for any spell its wearer casts. This frees up one of the wearer’s hands to wield a weapon, ready material components, or perform any other action the caster desires. Likewise, a spellcaster with both hands bound or missing can still cast spells with somatic components provided they are wearing a Hand of the Magus to which they are attuned.

Special

Some Hands of the Magus are cursed items crafted not from the mummified hand of a spellcaster but from a crawling claw. These cursed hands function as a normal Hand of the Magus, but there is a cumulative 1% chance the hand turns on its master every time it provides a somatic component. A cursed hand has advantage on attack rolls made against the spellcaster to which it is attuned and deals an additional 1d4 damage against the same.