Blade Hands (spell)

Blade Hands is a level 5 Transmutations spell that greatly increased your damage in Unarmed Combat.

Useful Info

Casting this spell gives you the Blade Hands status for a spellpower-dependent duration. You'll gain the following:

Combat Bonuses

• Unarmed Combat: 22 base damage.
• Your off-hand punch gains +6 damage.

Restrictions

• Melded Gear: Weapon, shield, and gloves. Claws are also melded.
• You can't throw items.
• Makes spells harder to cast (increases raw spell failure rate by +20%).

Blade Hands does not block mutations (other than claws), does not change your size, and gives no innate bonus to HP / AC. It is considered its own form, so it'll end other statuses like Ice Form or Dragon Form.

Strategy

Blade Hands is essentially two-handed Unarmed Combat. Even at 0 Unarmed Combat skill, you'll hit as hard as a giant spiked club, while keeping the off-hand punch and swinging faster. It's certainly strong. However, the spell takes quite a bit of investment to get running, especially if you want to use heavy body armour. And if you're in light armour, then your defenses will be low.

Tips & Tricks

• Like all slashing attacks, Blade Hands is a terrible choice for fighting hydras.
• This spell will meld away even cursed weapons, allowing Ashenzari worshipers to have their hands bound and still use Unarmed Combat.

History

• Blade Hands was replaced with the Blade talisman in 0.31.
• Prior to 0.27, Blade Hands could be found in the Book of Changes, and thus the Transmuter start. This spell also lowered felids' stealth.
• Prior to 0.22, Blade Hands, and most other transformations, prevented usage of wands.
• Prior to 0.20, Blade Hands' base damage scaled with strength and dexterity (8 + (str + dex) / 3).
• Prior to 0.10, Blade Hands had higher base damage and lower dependence on stats.