When they see the phrase "sleight of hand" written under the skills section of their character sheet, the one and only thought most players have is, "Oh, that's how good I am at stealing crap." But could there be more to it than thieving? Of course there could. I'm writing an article here, people. What makes you think I would have started typing if I didn't have a plan?
Getting Handsy
Clearly sleight of hand isn't the most versatile skill and one that even game masters can easily overlook. However, it can be used by more than thieves looking for the extra gold piece to pay for a Potion of Far Sight.
Let's consider the dexterity skills in Dungeons and Dragons (5th edition):
- Acrobatics - movement of the body in graceful or amazing ways
- Stealth - movement of the body in ways that make it hard for people to observe with one or more of their senses (sight, hearing, etc.)
- Sleight of Hand - both of the above combined together
The sleight of hand skill requires the same mental acuity required to leap across a gorge or walk a tight rope (acrobatics), but repurposes it to the hands. As a result, think of the "stealthy" part of sleight of hand as:
- the person not being able to follow what your hands are doing,
- the person not knowing that your hands are doing anything at all, or
- the person not being able to distinguish between what your hands have created and the original.
Finally, just as performing these feats requires some level of expertise, spotting someone else trying to con or steal from you would require a sleight of hand check. Game masters can ask their players to perform a random check and then simply not tell them anything if it fails. Later, they'll find their water skin empty or that they don't have as much gold as they think they have.
How To Do Finger Stuff
- Stealing
- Lockpicking
- Pranks
Tie someone's shoelaces together and then trick them into chasing you or rig a door to drop a bucket of water on someone's head. - Forgery
Replicate a letter that was written in someone else's handwriting or create fake paper money to buy something. - Espionage
Carefully open a letter so that the wax seal doesn't break, plant incriminating evidence, or hack a computer to steal information. - During Combat
Remember that scene in Lethal Weapon 4 when Wah Sing Ku (Jet Li's character) yanks the slide off of Riggs' Beretta? Yeah, I'm thinking something like that where you cut the bow string of an archer. You could pull a Three Stooges where you pull down someone's gun belt around their ankles. I feel that the clothesline move by Rambo in the third movie could be sleight of hand because of the timing. Throwing sand in someone's face to blind them. - Bracing for Battle
If you sense that combat is eminent and want to get the jump on the bad guy by quietly pulling a knife. - Arming/Disarming Traps
Set up a particularly delicate trap to delay any bad guys who might be following you or retrieve a trap that you find in a dungeon for future use or sale (perhaps without breaking it). - Cutting Fabric
Cut a water skin ever so slightly so it leaves a trail of water droplets for you to follow or enter a tent from the rear to surprise a sentry. - Timing
If there was a spinning wheel that you wanted to jam with a log or grab a door before it closes without drawing attention (not jump through it; that's acrobatics). Lasso a target or pulling a tied rope to clothesline someone riding by on a horse. - Tossing a Grappling Hook
- Disabling or Repairing a Cart
Repair work of any kind requires good eye-hand coordination and skill. If you are under a wagon being pulled by a team of horses and you want to unhook the horses so they drag the driver off and leave the cart for you to investigate. - Games of Chance
Rock, paper, scissors anyone? Also good for cheating at cards. If someone asked you to pick a card, could you pick the right one? - Undoing Ropes or Handcuffs
You know when the chandelier falls at just the right moment and lands on the bad guy? That's timing mixed with knot mastery. - Performing an Illusion
Make a coin disappear. Make a person disappear. Personally, I'd combine this with performance. - Thwart Being Searched
How good did you sew that message into the lining of your coat? How desperate is this guard to find it? - Poison or Drug
Quietly drop a bottle of holy water into a dark mage's pocket or spike a drink with a draught of nasty poison.
Have you found some other ways to put your hands in the wrong pockets? Is something listed here better suited for acrobatics or performance. Post your thoughts in the comments and be sure to share this post with your friends on Twitter and Facebook.