Halaster's grappling hand

Halaster's grappling hand was an evocation spell that created a large non-corporeal hand that accompanied the caster for a short time, protecting them from assailants and certain arcane magic. It was developed by the "Mad Mage" of the Undermountain, Halaster Blackcloak.

Effects
The grappling hand was a 5' (1.5m) tall, incorporeal left hand that was comprised of translucent force energy. It silently accompanied the caster, within a range of about 10' (3 m), effortlessly passing through walls or other material obstacles. The hand remained with the caster for at least a minute, but stayed longer depending on the skill and experience of the caster.

The hand only sprang to action when the caster was faced with a threat such as hostile creature, person or if they were the target of specific spells. The hand was designed to identify and stop magical weapons. If the caster or hand was approached by a person or creature wielding such an item, the grappling hand reached out for them and attempted to block any attacks with its own form. Additionally, if the spells magic missile or lightning bolt were directed towards the caster, the hand would similarly place itself in the way of the arcane projectile. The hand could not stop non-magical projectiles or any other spells in this manner.

While the hand was not made of material, it was damaged spells it had intercepted and could be harmed by magical weapons, albeit in a limited manner. The damage dealt to the hand depended solely on the enchantment of the weapon or item, i.e. a +2 dagger was twice as harmful to a grappling hand as a +1 greatsword. The hand could readily be dispelled, cancelled or negated by any appropriate magic, but could not be willed away by the caster.

Casting
This spell only required verbal and somatic components in order to be cast. It required no concentration on behalf of the caster and they were free to perform other actions during the spells duration.