← Hand Drum All Items Handaxe →
Item

Hand of Vecna

Item · Artifact · Requires attunement

Dungeon Master's Guide (2024) Page 259
Value
Weight
Damage
Range

Attunement

required

Description

Vecna was a mighty wizard who, through magic and conquest, forged a terrible empire. For all his power, however, Vecna feared death and took steps to prevent his demise by becoming a lich.
A treacherous lieutenant named Kas brought Vecna's rule to an end in a terrible battle. Of Vecna, all that remained were one hand and one eye, grisly Artifacts that still seek to work Vecna's will in the world.
The and the Hand of Vecna are separate Artifacts that might be found together or separately. The eye looks like a bloodshot organ torn free from the socket. The hand is a shriveled left extremity.

The Hand of Vecna has the following random properties:

  • 1 Artifact Properties; Minor Beneficial Properties property
  • 1 Artifact Properties; Major Beneficial Properties property
  • 1 Artifact Properties; Minor Detrimental Properties property

To attune to the hand, you must press it against the stump where your left hand was. The hand grafts itself to your arm and becomes a functioning appendage. If the hand is ever removed, you die.

When you are attuned to the hand, your alignment is Neutral Evil, and you gain the following benefits:

  • Great Strength.

    Your Strength becomes 20 unless it is already 20 or higher.

  • Icy Touch.

    Any melee spell attack you make with the hand and any melee attack made with a weapon held by it deals an extra Cold damage on a hit.

  • Spellcasting.

    The hand has 8 charges and regains expended charges daily at dawn. You can cast a spell on the Spells table from the hand (save DC 18). The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell. Each time you cast a spell from it, the hand casts on you (save DC 18; no required), demanding that you commit an evil act. The hand might have a specific act in mind or leave it up to you.

    Hand of Vecna Spells
    SpellCharge Cost
    5
    1
    2
    3

Your Strength becomes 20 unless it is already 20 or higher.

Any melee spell attack you make with the hand and any melee attack made with a weapon held by it deals an extra Cold damage on a hit.

The hand has 8 charges and regains expended charges daily at dawn. You can cast a spell on the Spells table from the hand (save DC 18). The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell. Each time you cast a spell from it, the hand casts on you (save DC 18; no required), demanding that you commit an evil act. The hand might have a specific act in mind or leave it up to you.

Hand of Vecna Spells
SpellCharge Cost
5
1
2
3

If the and the Hand of Vecna are both attached to the same creature and that creature is slain by the , both the eye and the hand burst into flame, turn to ash, and are destroyed. Any other attempt to destroy the eye or hand seems to work, but the Artifact reappears in one of Vecna's many hidden vaults, where it waits to be rediscovered.

Confirmation

Are you sure?