Fun/Clever Uses for Sleight of Hand

[Maelynn]

I'm making a lvl 6 character and am considering the Urchin background. This gives me proficiency with the Sleight of Hand skill (as well as stealth), and with 18 DEX it would mean I'd get a +7 on either check.

This got me thinking on how I could use this skill for some fun, perhaps some personal gain, maybe an advantage here and there... unfortunately, most results I found focused on the Thief ability and how to combine it with Fast Hands and/or Use Object, which is not applicable to my char. So what other things can I do with it?


try to remove/replace the (stashed) weapon of someone not in combat
slip someone an item that would incriminate them if found
remove a magic item (steal a necklace, unclasp a cloak so it drops, etc)


Can anyone think of more fun/clever ways to use Sleight of Hand for a non-Rogue? I'd love to get some inspiration here.

[Damon_Tor]

A rogue in one of my games used it to shove poison ivy down the back of an enemy's cuirass. The mechanical implications were limited iirc, but it was fun.

[Man_Over_Game]

I allowed the Rogue that, whenever he'd be able to perform a Sneak Attack in melee combat, he could instead make a Sleight of Hand check (with advantage if the attack would have advantage) to attempt to pull something the target isn't holding. DC is the target's Wisdom or Dexterity Saving Throw, whichever's higher.

If he draws a weapon this way, he can immediately attack with it with Advantage. He'd do a lot of shenanigans with it, like initiating a fight by stealing your sword then hitting you with it.

[Misterwhisper]

When I played a swashbuckler, because my initiative would be so high I would draw my opponents weapon.

Not a disarm because it was not being held yet.
Not a slight of hand because I did not bother being stealthy about it.

If it was a finesse weapon I would just fight with it. If not I would usually toss it.

[Maelynn]

When I played a swashbuckler, because my initiative would be so high I would draw my opponents weapon.

Not a slight of hand because I did not bother being stealthy about it.

Sleight of Hand and Stealth are entirely different things. You'd have to be fast enough to remove the weapon before the other person gets a chance to act upon it, which is what a Sleight of Hand check is - see the description on p177 of the PHB.

I didn't consider combat situations for removing weapons, because I reckoned that most enemies have drawn their weapons before the combat starts. That's what happens in our combats, anyway. Though I'll admit we never paid much attention to it either; it was never specifically said when the enemies would draw theirs. Hm, maybe something to keep an eye out for.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Honestly, I'd be interested just to see a full list of everything people can think to do with Sleight of Hand. From where I'm looking, it's the narrowest skill in the game.

The PHB and XGtE suggest:
Pick pockets
Plant an object on someone
Put something into your own pocket without being seen
Cheat at a board game
Tie knots
And three of those are basically the same thing! Granted, it's a fairly useful thing, but it still feels narrow to me.

[Pefgis]

I had an entertainer sorcerer who used slight of hand for stage magic tricks. Sometimes as part of a show a dex ( performance) was called for, or a sleight of hand ( charisma), but pulling coppers from kids' ears or having a card or scarf up a sleeve for a flourish,when used spontaneously,was usually a regular dex sleight of hand,and was pretty fun. As was serruptitiously coughing and dropping a fork to make a switch of some mcguffin on the ground . Slipping something in a drink, swapping something with a counterfeit,all seem fair game.

[Chronos]

One that I've done (admittedly, with an Arcane Trickster) was not to actually cheat at a card game, but to make it look like someone else was cheating. It was the stereotypical group of guards killing time by playing cards, who didn't notice the rogue who had snuck up on them. When the dealer drew a card, he "actually" drew two at once, and "accidentally" dropped the second one.

It didn't actually work (I rolled poorly) but I still think it was a good idea.

[Cybren]

Honestly, I'd be interested just to see a full list of everything people can think to do with Sleight of Hand. From where I'm looking, it's the narrowest skill in the game.

The PHB and XGtE suggest:
Pick pockets
Plant an object on someone
Put something into your own pocket without being seen
Cheat at a board game
Tie knots
And three of those are basically the same thing! Granted, it's a fairly useful thing, but it still feels narrow to me.

add your proficiency bonus to relevant dexterity ability checks provided you and your DM agree that the proficiency would apply

[BoxANT]

any job you'd do with your hand

very useful

[Mad_Saulot]

- Cheating at a game
- Stealing/Planting
- Hold an unusual amount of items without a problem
- Juggling
- "Fast Draw" draw a light weapon before initiative DC:20 (a fail by 5 or more and you drop the weapon)
- Swap two or more items without being seen
- Make a small object vanish
- Make a small object apear.
- "Trick Signiture" (this is where you get two documents, one of which looks reasonable but false, hiding another that is hidden but real and trick a person to sign the document you want)
- "Magic Card Trick" have a person pick an item from your hand that looks like they are choosing but it is you who choose.
- Tying/Untying
- Steal Enemy Weapon: during combat you take an undrawn weapon or object DC:20 (enemy gets advantage on next attack against you if you fail by 5 or more)
- Get a clay "imprint" from an unattended (DC20)/ attended object (DC25) in public without being seen.
- "Covert Drop" Drop an object into a specfic hiding place without being noticed in public (DC15)
- "Distraction" perform a simple action in public without being noticed (DC15)
- "Covert Recovery" extract a small object from a hiding place in public without being noticed (DC15)
- "Unbuckle" unclasp, untie, undo garment or armour binding (DC= enemy AC) effects DM discretion, armour requires multiple attempts.
- Conceal a small item while being body searched (opposed test versus enemy perception)


Literally anything that requires advanced manual dexterity

[Zetakya]

I've used it on a Monk to make a "one inch punch" attack that I could use to trigger stunning strike without it being immediately obvious to everyone around me what I had done.

It basically allowed me to stun the one guy and then get a surprise round... mostly helped by the fact that the targets weren't expecting the town drunk who had just been telling them he loved them to turn out to have been a Monk all along!