Gloves of Mimicry (Patreon)

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement by a bard)

These brightly colored gloves extend a peculiar psychic magic to your hands and fingers. While wearing the gloves, you can use an action to cast the mage hand spell from them. In addition, you can use an action to cast the arcane hand spell from the gloves (save DC 16, spell attack +8). Once the gloves have been used to cast this spell, they can't be used to cast it again until the next dawn.

The gloves have 5 charges for the following properties. They regain 1d4 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn.

Applaud. When a creature other than you that can see and hear you rolls a Bardic Inspiration die, you can use your reaction to expend 1 of the gloves' charges to clap your hands together and add your Charisma modifier to the total of the roll. You can choose to use this reaction after the creature rolls the die, but before the GM determines whether the roll succeeds or fails.

Barrier. When you're hit by an attack, you can use your reaction to expend 1 of the gloves' charges and hold your hands out in front of you, as if you were pressed against an invisible barrier. You gain a +5 bonus to AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

Pinch. By holding your thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart, you can use an action to expend 1 of the gloves' charges to visually pinch a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see. That creature must must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw. The creature takes 3d4 psychic damage and 3d4 force damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the creature was concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration.

Taunt. You can use an action to remove one of the gloves and expend 1 of their charges to visually slap a creature that you can see within 30 feet of you with it—as if you were challenging it to a duel. That creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d4 psychic damage and 2d4 force damage and has disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures other than you until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and doesn't suffer disadvantage on its attack rolls. Immediately after the effect, you replace the glove on your hand.

The potions of water breathing worked perfectly, just as the merchant had said, although the group was still without a way to communicate while submerged. Thankfully, the small bard was rather gifted at charades, so when she began to wave her hands to get the group's attention, they locked their eyes onto her to listen.

Big. Hungry. Shark. Be-hind. You.