Manus Magister (5e Class)

A Manus Magister taking a rest on her mage hand. (By Quel)

Manus Magister

Favored by the Arcane Deities

Manus Magister's are born with innate magical talent, much like that of a sorcerer, but very different. Manus Magister are born with rare superior magical intellect granted too them by a certain deities of the arcana domain, such as Vecna, Selûne, Corellon, Savras, Mystra, Deneir, Azuth, Sseth... This knowledge results in a unique way of learning spells explained in the Spellcasting section of this page.

Cursed Wizards

A long time ago, a wizard wanted to experiment with the spell mage hand. He wanted it to do more, to be more efficient. He studied for years, both in books and as apprentices for other wizards. His extensive research made little progress, until he decided one day to ask the gods themselves for help. Using his arcane knowledge, he found a way to speak to the gods, and they granted his wish... but for a price.

They thought the wizard was a fool for pursuing a goal so ultimately worthless, but were also intrigued and impressed by his perseverance and struggle for knowledge, so they granted his wish. They gifted him the knowledge he needed to conjure a mage hand more powerful than ever before, but the price he payed for this feat was great. Knowledge was gained, and as a result, knowledge was lost. He had acquired something important to him, but had in turn lost something equally important.

Wizards cast a wide array of spells based on their knowledge and study of spells, but the Manus Magister began to lose his knowledge of spells. He had been cursed. He quickly forgot how to cast simple spells other than mage hand, and therefore, he was too ashamed to show other wizards his achievement. The deities of the Arcanum soon grew sympathy for the broken wizard, and decided to withdraw some of the curse's power. They decided that the Manus Magister could learn spells through dreams granted to him by the deities, but his spells were still to be limited.

Time went by, and the first Manus Magister died, having lived the rest of his life as a traveling magician, showing off the techniques he had learned. Soon, other wizards wanted the same power, and the deities, moved by his legacy, made him a martyr, and spread the curse to a handful of wizards that sought the knowledge and power that he had.

And thus Manus Magisters came to be.

It's All In the Wrist

"Manus", meaning "Hands", and "Magister", meaning "Mage" or "Master", the Manus Magister is a certain type of wizard that has mastered a peculiar and rare technique of magic, the so-called "hand mage".

"Look at the flicketh of the wrist". A popular saying amongst Manus Magisters, and for a good reason. Manus Magisters can control a number of magic hands in varying sizes, and use them with great efficiency both in and out of battle... They do this by performing various sign with their hands and wrists, and then their hands will mimic them.

Creating a Manus Magister

Quick Build

You can make a Manus Magister quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose the Sage background. Third, Choose a quarterstaff, an arcane focus, an explorer's pack, and one simple weapon. Next, pick the Magic Mage Hand Specialty.

Class Features

As a Manus Magister you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per Manus Magister level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Manus Magister level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light
Weapons: Simple
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Intelligence and Constitution
Skills: Arcana, and choose one from, History, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Medicine, and Perception

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
• (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
• (a) a scholar's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• (a) one simple weapon or (b) two daggers
• leather armor
• If you are using starting wealth, you have 4d4 in funds.

Table: The Manus Magister

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
					1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	+2	Mage Hand Master, Superior Mage Hand	2	--	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+2	Magic Fingers, Sign Language	2	2	2	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	Mage Hand Specialty, Free Will	3	3	3	—	—	—	—
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement, Handy Hands	3	4	3	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	Invisible Mage Hand, Mage Hand Movement	3	4	4	2	—	—	—
6th	+3	Subclass Feature	3	4	4	2	—	—	—
7th	+3	Quick Thinking	3	5	4	3	—	—	—
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	3	6	4	3	—	—	—
9th	+4	Subclass Feature	3	6	4	3	2	—	—
10th	+4	Helping Hand	4	7	4	3	2	—	—
11th	+4	Increased Control, Free Will (2)	4	8	4	3	3	—	—
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement, Subclass Feature	4	8	4	3	3	—	—
13th	+5	Strong mentality	4	8	4	3	3	1	—
14th	+5	Strong Fingers	4	8	4	3	3	1	—
15th	+5	Subclass Feature	4	9	4	3	3	2	—
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	4	9	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+6	Overflowing With Magic	4	10	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Subclass Feature	4	10	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement, Hand to Hand	4	11	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Magic Fluke, Improved Spell Critical	4	11	4	3	3	3	2

Mage Hand Master

You know the Mage Hand cantrip, and can cast it at will without any type of components needed. This cantrip does not count towards cantrips known. Due to rigorous training, the duration of your mage hand is infinite as long as you are conscious or until it is dispelled. You can cast Mage Hand on your bonus action.

Superior Mage Hand

When casting Mage Hand, you can choose to summon two Mage Hands. You do not need to use a bonus action to control them. You can move each hand freely as if it had it's own movement action.

Magic Fingers

At 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to feel sensory information through your mage hand as it interacts with objects until the end of your turn. While this effect is active, if you make contact with an object or creature that would normally cause damage upon contact, you make the necessary saving throw as normal. If you fail, you take half the damage, but the damage type becomes Psychic.

Sign Language

At 2nd level, you are profficient in sign language. When trying to explain something or convey a message through body language, you can make a performance check with advantage.

Mage Hand Specialty

At 3rd level, you chose a specific specialty you want your hands to specialize in. Choose between Magic, Brawler, or Weapon, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3th and again at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th.

Free Will

Starting at 3rd level, your mage hands start to gain "free will" based on your own train of thoughts. On your turn, one of your mage hands can take an action. Starting at 11th level, your mage hands can take an additional action.

You can also use your action to give your mage hand another action.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Handy Hands

At 4th level, your hands have gotten used to a certain type off tool. Choose one artisans tool, you gain proficiency in that tool.

Invisible Mage Hand

At 5th level, you can make your mage hands invisible for up to one minute by expending a spell slot.

Mage Hand Movement

At 5th level, once per turn, you can use your main action to move yourself up to 15 ft with your mage hands. When moving with your mage hands you hover up to 5 ft above the ground. When out of combat, you can alternatively move via. a mage hand. When doing this your base movement speed is 30ft, and you can hover up to 5 ft above the ground. You can not dash whilst moving via a mage hand, and you can only move one creature at the time. If the creature isn't you, it must weigh the same, or less, than you.

Mental Workout

At 6th level, your Mage Hands can push, lift, and drag things equal to your Intelligence modifier times twenty (IntMod*20) in pounds.

Quick Thinking

At 7th level, your superior intellect makes you a "fast thoughter", resulting in your Mage Hands also becoming faster. Your Mage Hands gain +10 ft of additional movement.

Helping Hand

At 10th level, your mage hands can assist a friendly creature, by distracting or annoying an enemy. You can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on an enemy's attack roll, or to impose advantage on a friendly creatures attack roll, by making your mage hands help the friendly creature.

Increased Control

At 11th level, your Mage Hands' range increases with an additional 10 ft. When you cast a spell that require you to touch a target, you can instead choose to touch the enemy with a mage hand.

Strong Mentality

At 13th level, your Mage Hands can push, lift, and drag things equal to your Intelligence modifier times Fourty (IntMod*40) in pounds.

Strong Fingers

Continues use of your fingers have gained you certain skills. At 14th level, you gain proficiency in slight of hand, and your strong grip gives you advantage on strength checks for holding onto things, as your fingers have become unnaturally strong. If you're already proficient in Slight of Hand, you gain expertise.

Overflowing With Magic

At 17th level, you can cast one 3rd-level spell without expending a spell slot, once per short rest.

Hand to Hand

At 19th level, when out of combat, you can give one mage hand as a physical inanimate object to another creature. The mage hand can then be used as a magical communication device via. connecting with your other mage hand, for up to 1000 ft. Through this your mage hands it is possible to speak with one and another.

Magic Fluke

At 20th level, Whenever you roll a critical hit with any damaging spells, you roll another d20. If the roll is at least 10, you may roll the spells damage an additional time.

Improved Spell Critical

At 20th level, your spell attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.

Spellcasting

Manus Magisters are cursed wizards who have made a deal with a deity of the Arcane. In exchange for having the unique abilities of a Manus Magister, they must sacrifice their ability to learn spells by study. Instead, they are granted spells trough dreams. Here their deity bestows the knowledge needed to cast certain spells either trough nice dreams or horrifying nightmares. IF a Manus Magister were to try to learn a spell by reading a spellbook, their curse would render the text completely intelligible. And if someone were to read the spellbook aloud for them, the information would instantly be forgotten.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

At 1st level, a Manus Magister's knows two cantrips spells from the Manus Magister spell list, detailed at the end of the page.

The Spells Known column of the Manus Magister table shows when you learn more Manus Magister spells of your choice of 1st level and higher. A spell you choose must be of a level no higher than what’s shown in the table’s Slot Level column for your level. When you reach 9th level, for example, you learn a new Manus Magister spell, which can be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the Manus Magister spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Manus Magister spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your spells, so you use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC

= 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier

= your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Mage Hand Specialties'

Magic

With this specialty, you'll be able to use your mage hands as magical weapons, and be able to cast certain hand based spells.

Handy Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you can now prepare up to two of the listed cantrips below for your mage hands during a short rest. They can cast chosen cantrips on their actions. The range of the cantrips is changed to "touch", so your mage hands have to touch a target in order to deal damage with the spell. Other ranged properties of the spell, such as area of effect or thrown capabilities are unchanged by this feature, and the spells DO NOT scale with level.

Cantrips

Thunderclap

Chill Touch

Shocking Grasp

Produce Flame

Spectral Hands

Starting at 6th level, twice per long rest, you can use your main action to make one of your Mage Hands temporarily spectral for up to 1 minute, enabling it to phase through solid matter. If you can't see your mage hand, control of your Mage Hand entirely depends on touch or guesswork.

If your mage hand ends it's turn inside a creature when spectral, or if an enemy ends it's turn with a spectral mage hand inside it, the enemy takes 1d8 + your intelligence modifier psychic damage.

Spooky Hand

Starting at 9th level, once per long rest, you can use your action to cast Vampiric Touch. Vampiric Touch can be used through mage hands for extra range.

Magic Spectrum

Starting at 12th level, you can sacrifice your own sight temporarily, and your Mage Hands grow a visible eye in the palm of their hand. These eyes now function as your own would. The duration is infinite, but with concentration.

This effect can also be transferred to other creatures. If you use an action, you can touch the head of an enemy with a Mage Hand and utter a few words. The enemy must succeed an Intelligence saving throw or have their sight in your control. They can repeat the saving throw on each of their turns.

Replacement

Starting at 15th level, You can switch place with your mage hands in an instant, either as a movement option, or as to dodge something. If you are hit by an attack that requires you to make a dexterity saving throw, you can instead use your reaction to switch places with one of your Mage Hands' if it would put you out of harms way, and you can treat the saving throw as an intelligence saving throw instead. You can use replacement once per turn, either as an reaction or as a bonus action.

Replacing yourself counts as movement. So, you can only move the amount of movement you have at your disposal. For example; if you have a base movement speed of 30 ft, and then replace yourself with a mage hand 30 ft, you have 0 ft of movement left. If you move 15 ft, and then use replacement, you can only move up to 15 ft.

Replacing yourself whilst the mage hand is inside another creature deals 1d8 physchic damage to the creature, and forces your material body 5ft away from the creature.

Bigby's Hand

Starting at 18th level, on your main action, you can turn one of your mage hands into a Bigby's Hand for the spells duration, once per long rest.

Brawler

"Magic is cool and all, but, I want to HIT THINGS". With this subclass, your mage hands pack a punch. You'll be hitting things as often as a barbarian, but instead you actually have more than -3 in your Intelligence modifier, and at the same time you can set fire to things with your strong magically imbued punches.

Magical Boxer

Starting at 3th level, your Mage Hands can hit enemies with an unarmed attack for 1d4 + Intelligence modifier, as force damage. ("To hit" for these attacks is your spell attack modifier)

Magically Amplified

Starting at 6th level, once per short rest, you can choose to change the damage type of your Mage Hands to a different magical type. You have the choice between cold, fire, or lightning damage.

Big Brains

You know what they say about Big Brains right?... BIG HANDS. Starting at 9th level, Your Mage Hands become bigger. Your damage die for unarmed attacks with your Mage Hands becomes 1d8

Grasp

Starting at 12th level, your Mage Hands can grapple enemies of medium or smaller sizes as an action. Whichever element your hands currently are modified with, the enemy takes 1d4 of that damage type every turn it spends inside the grasp of your hand. If both your hands work together to grapple a single enemy, they can grapple enemies of large size or restrain enemies og size medium or below.

(Grasp's damage is cumulative with multiple grasps on a single enemy, so if you were to grasp one goblin with both hands, it would take 2d4 damage per turn)

Rushing Blow

Starting at 15th level, If your mage hands move 25 ft in a straight line before striking an enemy, they have +5 to hit, and +10 to damage. If you strike the enemy, they must must make a constitution saving throw, or be pushed 10 ft in the direction of the punch on a failed save.

Knowledge That Packs A Punch

Starting at 18th level, when you make an unarmed attack with your Mage Hands, they now deal 1d10 + your spell attack modifier, as force damage. You can also choose between two new magic damage types for your Mage Hands. Necrotic or Radiant damage. As part of the Magically Amplified feature

Weapon

"Why is the mage doing the most damage with his sword?". With this subclass, your mage hands' can wield weapons and use them with deadly precision.

Mage Weapon

Starting at 3th level, you can spend one hour to attune a one-handed melee weapon to your Mage Hand. The weapon will disappear, and the next time you summon your mage hand(s), you can choose weather you want to summon mage a hand as normal, or summon a mage weapon. When you summon a mage weapon, you summon a mage hand holding the weapon you attuned to it. They have the ability to attack with the weapon you attuned them. If you're not proficient with the weapon you attuned to your mage hand(s), you make attacks with disadvantage. ("To hit" for these attacks is your spell attack modifier, but the damage modifier is still depending on the weapo used)

Even though you only have one weapon attuned, both Mage Hands can use the attuned weapon at the same time.

You can switch out an attuned weapon when attuning a new one, but you won't gain back the weapon that has been removed.

Class features can still be used with mage weapons, such as Helping Hand

Mage Shield

Starting at 6th level, you are proficient with shields. You can attune one shield into your arsenal of mage weapons without it counting towards your maximum amount of attuned mage weapons. Whenever you summon a mage hand with a shield, any friendly creature within 5 ft of the shield, gains +2 AC. They don't gain this bonus if they are already wielding a shield.

Mage Weapon Adept

Starting at 9th level, you are proficient with martial weapons, and you can attune an additional one-handed melee weapon to your arsenal of Mage Weapons. Instead of using Dexterity or Strength for damage bonus, you can use your Intelligence modifier when attacking with mage weapons.

Mage Weapon Warrior

Starting at 12th level, you can make opportunity attack with your mage weapons if an enemy is passing by a Mage weapon.

Braun Over Brain

Starting at 15th level, you can attune two-handed melee weapons.

Hidden Weapon

Starting at 18th level, whenever you use the Invisible Mage Hand class feature, your mage weapons also turn invisible. When you attack a creature with an invisible mage weapon, you do so with +5 to hit, unless you attack a creature that by other/magical means can see your invisible weapons.

Manus Magister Spell List

You can learn all of the spells on the basic Wizard spell list.

Multiclassing

Prerequisites To qualify for multiclassing into the Manus Magister class, you must meet these prerequisites: an Intelligence score of 15 or higher.

Prerequisites When you multiclass into the Manus Magister class, you gain the following proficiencies: Arcana

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