Helping hand

Helping hand was an evocation spell that called a spectral hand to lead the subject to the caster.

Effects
This spell could be used to summon help or to direct a person within five miles (8 km) to the caster's location. Upon casting the spell, a spectral hand appeared about 1 ft (30 cm) tall and lasted for an hour per level of the caster. The caster then gave a description of the person or creature that the hand was to seek out and the hand flew away at an extremely rapid pace in search of a being that matched the description. The description had to be of the physical likeness of the target, not ambiguous things like profession. The farther the subject was from the caster the longer the search took; from a few seconds up to four hours at maximum range.

If a being matching the description was found, the hand appeared before it and beckoned. If the target followed the hand, it led the target on the most direct feasible path, hovering 10 ft (3 m) in front and pointing in the direction of the caster. If the subject did not follow the hand, it beckoned until the subject changed their mind or until the spell ran out. Depending on the distance to the target, the spell could expire before the target reached the caster. When the spell expired, the hand disappeared.

If more than one subject within a five-mile radius met the description, the hand located the closest creature (presumably by searching in an ever-widening spiral) and did not seek out another if the first refused to follow. If no creature was found matching the description within the time limit, the hand returned to the caster, displayed an empty palm, and then disappeared.

Only the caster and the subject matching the description could see the hand. Its only ability was to find a match and lead them back to the caster. The hand could not pass through solid objects but could squeeze through bars, cracks, or slits.

Components
The newer version of this spell required only the caster's holy symbol or divine focus in addition to the verbal and somatic components. The older version also required a black silk glove.