Halaster's Shaking Hand
Halaster's Shaking Hand is a D&D 3.5 spell (Evocation) from CSW. On class lists for Sorcerer (Level 6), Wizard (Level 6), Abjurer Variant (Level 6), and others. Range or area: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level); Saving throw: None; Duration: 1 round/level (D); Casting time: 1 standard action.
- School
- Evocation
- Casting Time
- 1 standard action
- Components
- V, S, F
- Range
- Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
- Effect
- 10 ft. hand
- Duration
- 1 round/level (D)
- Saving Throw
- None
- Spell Resistance
- Yes
As Bigby’s interposing hand, except the hand can also grapple the magic hand created by the following spells: Bigby’s clenched fist, Bigby’s crushing hand, Bigby’s forceful hand, and Bigby’s grasping hand. The shaking hand gets one grapple attack per round. Its grapple bonus against another magic hand is your level + your Intelligence or Charisma modifier (for wizards or sorcerers, respectively), +9 for the hand’s Strength score (29), +4 for being Large.
Once grappled, a magic hand can only escape the shaking hand by making an opposed grapple check, unless the duration of the grappled hand exceeds the duration of the shaking hand. In cases where no Strength score is given, assume the magic hand has a Strength score of 17 + twice the level of the spell. Once a grapple is broken, nothing prevents your shaking hand from attempting another grapple attack.
For example, a wizard uses Halaster’s shaking hand to grapple a sorcerer’s Bigby’s forceful hand, rolls a 10 on a d20, adds +4 for his own Intelligence score (18), adds +9 for the hand’s Strength score (29), and adds +4 for the hand’s size (Large), for a total of 27. The sorcerer seeks to break the handshake; he rolls a 14 on a d20, adds +4 for his own Charisma score (18), adds +8 for the hand’s Strength score (27), and adds +4 for the hand’s size (Large) for a total of 30. The "handshake" (grapple) lasts for at least 1 more round. If, however, the sorcerer had rolled a 15 or higher, the handshake would have been broken, at least until the shaking hand successfully grappled the forceful hand again.