Uses for Mage Hand

[galaras]

I've tried using this cantrip a few times in different situations: picking up an item out of reach, stealing, activating levels or buttons, using lockpicks, but none of it works.

Am I doing something, or is it just not used in ways I am used to when playing tabletop D&D?

[Huey]

Originally posted by Medic:

Originally posted by Huey:

I've used it many, many times. I don't understand why I keep seeing this topic brought up. There are many creative ways you can use it.

Ok, what have you used it for many times?

see:

Originally posted by Huey:

There are many holes and tunnels you can use the hand with. There are traps you can activate and items you can throw to party members. There are buttons and levers you can manipulate, despite what OP says - on two occasions in the underdark I used the hand to pull levers.

[Garviel Loken]

Originally posted by Huey:

There are many holes and tunnels you can use the hand with. There are traps you can activate and items you can throw to party members. There are buttons and levers you can manipulate, despite what OP says - on two occasions in the underdark I used the hand to pull levers.

I can see the traps but I just disable them with rogue and I get that nice dopamine hit for getting a solid 30+ each roll, I can't really think about when I ever needed an item thrown to a team mate that was not a potion but it can't do that without an inventory, and with holes and tunnels can the hand move stuff to other people's inventories? Maybe it's just my play style but I guess that's D&D. It's whatever works for you.

[Bubsy]

Originally posted by Huey:

There are many holes and tunnels you can use the hand with. There are traps you can activate and items you can throw to party members. There are buttons and levers you can manipulate, despite what OP says - on two occasions in the underdark I used the hand to pull levers.

I feel like I get more play as a shapeshifting druid but good to know if I ran out of charges I can use the mage hand for small holes. Sounds like I wasn’t thinking more out of the box as far as covering traps etc. thanks for the tips

[Huey]

I honestly don't even know how you guys got to the top level of the wizard's tower without mage hand. Shapeshifting? I haven't played as a druid yet.

[Toblm]

Originally posted by galaras:

I've tried using this cantrip a few times in different situations: picking up an item out of reach, stealing, activating levels or buttons, using lockpicks, but none of it works.

Am I doing something, or is it just not used in ways I am used to when playing tabletop D&D?

Mage Hand should easily manipulate items out of reach and active buttons and levers.

Ledgermain, an Arcane Trickster specific Mage Hand improvement, does things like stealing and lock picking.

[Garviel Loken]

Originally posted by Huey:

I honestly don't even know how you guys got to the top level of the wizard's tower without mage hand. Shapeshifting? I haven't played as a druid yet.

I just took the portal up there.

[Huey]

Originally posted by Bubsy:

I was wondering the same thing. Every time I try and use it for something out of reach it just poofs faster than I was done with it or only to find out the idea I had does not work.

I think the ambush idea was the best option I didn’t think to try yet.

It sounds like you aren't using turn-based mode

[Bubsy]

Originally posted by Huey:

I honestly don't even know how you guys got to the top level of the wizard's tower without mage hand. Shapeshifting? I haven't played as a druid yet.

The tower in under dark? Yeah I main as a shapeshifter Druid and I can just fly my ass everywhere or transform into a cat to get into small holes. I used the mage hand for a distraction to get past a couple turrets. Otherwise I had no problems getting through the tower. Kept everyone else back and let my Druid turn off the turrets.

So far playing as a main Druid has been the best decision I ever made. I use mage hand like hardly at all in comparison.

[Huey]

Originally posted by FE15 Illusion:

Originally posted by Huey:

I honestly don't even know how you guys got to the top level of the wizard's tower without mage hand. Shapeshifting? I haven't played as a druid yet.

I just took the portal up there.

Portal? I used the mage hand to break into the basement then turn on the lift.

[Garviel Loken]

Originally posted by Huey:

Originally posted by FE15 Illusion:

I just took the portal up there.

Portal? I used the mage hand to break into the basement then turn on the lift.

Oh you mean that tower. Yeah I just sent in a rogue to break in and do that. It's not that hard.

[Hex]

Originally posted by Bubsy:

Originally posted by Huey:

I honestly don't even know how you guys got to the top level of the wizard's tower without mage hand. Shapeshifting? I haven't played as a druid yet.

The tower in under dark? Yeah I main as a shapeshifter Druid and I can just fly my ass everywhere or transform into a cat to get into small holes. I used the mage hand for a distraction to get past a couple turrets. Otherwise I had no problems getting through the tower. Kept everyone else back and let my Druid turn off the turrets.

So far playing as a main Druid has been the best decision I ever made. I use mage hand like hardly at all in comparison.

You can also run from cover to cover in turn based mode and line-of-sight them. That's how I did it.

They are also vuln to lightning so you can use the lvl1 spell to destroy them.

[Toblm]

Originally posted by Hex:

Originally posted by Bubsy:

The tower in under dark? Yeah I main as a shapeshifter Druid and I can just fly my ass everywhere or transform into a cat to get into small holes. I used the mage hand for a distraction to get past a couple turrets. Otherwise I had no problems getting through the tower. Kept everyone else back and let my Druid turn off the turrets.

So far playing as a main Druid has been the best decision I ever made. I use mage hand like hardly at all in comparison.

You can also run from cover to cover in turn based mode and line-of-sight them. That's how I did it.

You can shoot them too. Most damages dont work. Some do.

[Lithurge]

Originally posted by Huey:

Originally posted by FE15 Illusion:

I just took the portal up there.

Portal? I used the mage hand to break into the basement then turn on the lift.

Invisibility and featherfall to jump down to the basement area.

[Ommamar]

Besides what others mentioned it seems very useful for fine manipulation of items. As an example I have used the trick of picking up the tanks on the ship you start in then dropping them near the mindflayer and commander while they fight. I usually can get the commander to drop his sword by using Shadowheart's command spell but I had yet to actually kill both the mindflayer and commander. Using magehand I was able to get the tanks much closer then where I could drop them. The result was the explosion when I hit the tanks with a fire bolt did much more damage allowing Shadowheart to finish him of with sacred flame. I think it gave 150 experience but it also killed the mindflayer who I know gives 75 experience.

[Hex]

Originally posted by Lithurge:

Originally posted by Huey:

Portal? I used the mage hand to break into the basement then turn on the lift.

Invisibility and featherfall to jump down to the basement area.

You don't need featherfall even as there are mushrooms you can use to hop down to the lowest level without dying.