Sleight of Hand
Full rules text, use cases, and edge-case handling for this skill.
Description
Sleight of Hand covers manual dexterity used deceptively — picking pockets, palming objects, planting items on others, and performing stage magic or card tricks. It is the skill of cutpurses, stage magicians, and anyone who needs to move something without being seen doing it.
Check
Sleight of Hand checks are usually contested by the target's Wisdom (Perception). Against an unattended object or inattentive target, the GM may set a flat DC.
| Difficulty | DC |
|---|---|
| Easy | 10 |
| Medium | 15 |
| Hard | 20 |
| Very Hard | 25 |
| Nearly Impossible | 30 |
Common Uses
- Picking a pocket or lifting a small item from a person (contested by Perception)
- Palming a coin, key, or small object
- Planting an item on someone without them noticing
- Concealing an object on your person
- Performing a card trick or prestidigitation for entertainment
- Drawing a hidden weapon without being observed
Contested Checks
Your Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) is contested by the target's Wisdom (Perception). A distracted target — in conversation, watching something else, or in a busy crowd — effectively has a lower Perception result, which the GM may represent as disadvantage on their check or a lower DC for yours.
Passive Score
Passive Sleight of Hand (10 + modifier) represents how naturally unobtrusive your manual actions are — whether your hands are always busy in ways that look innocent to casual observers.
Proficiency
Sleight of Hand is a class skill for Rogues and Bards. Characters who specialize in theft, infiltration, or social manipulation frequently invest here. It is one of the few skills that directly enables a specific type of criminal activity.
Special
- Thieves' Tools: Proficiency with Thieves' Tools (a separate tool proficiency, not a skill) complements Sleight of Hand for lock-picking adjacent manual tasks. They are distinct — tool proficiency doesn't substitute for the skill check.
- Thief Rogue (Fast Hands): Use Sleight of Hand as a bonus action, allowing a pickpocket attempt in the same turn as other actions.
- Mage Hand (cantrip): An invisible Mage Hand (Arcane Trickster) allows Sleight of Hand checks from a distance, dramatically changing the risk profile of theft.
- Distraction: Any ally creating a distraction (a Persuasion check, a Performance, a Deception) functionally helps a Sleight of Hand attempt by lowering the target's effective Perception.