Twisted Claw (Magic Claw)

This palm-sized, silver sculpture looks like a gnarled beast's claw, its unnaturally long talons wind over each other and around themselves in a boneless manner, forming an almost spherical mass. The claws can easily be bent, but they don't break.
A twisted claw is inactive until carried next to its owner's skin for at least one day. After this time, the claw can be controlled by the mental commands of its wielder.
A claw can be thrown up to 40' at an opponent with the thrower's normal THAC0 and willed to activate if it hits. Another common method is to curl the claw around the end or edge of a bludgeoning or slashing weapon, perhaps even transfixing it on the point of a piercing weapon, and willing the item to take effect if the weapon hits. A claw does not cause damage, either by itself or in addition to a weapon it rides. It causes any victim it strikes to twist, writhe, and flail in pain the round after it strikes, no applicable saving throw. This gives the victim's Armor Class a penalty of +2, prohibits any spellcasting or other attacks, and causes all held items to be dropped (2% chance per level or Hit Die of the victim of retaining hold on any item). The claw vanishes after one-use. A twisted claw cannot affect any undead creature, though its magic is not wasted if used against such beings.
A twisted claw can override a ring of free action or similar magical protection; it was specifically designed to override such things. It can be rendered inoperative by an antimagic shell, until removed from the shell's area of effect.
Category:Encyclopedia Magica Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Claws