[RPG] Do you need to be able to see the Mage Hand to use it

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One of the characters is an Arcane Trickster who has Mage Hand. She's been pretty creative in using the spell, and I wanted to know what restrictions the spell had.

  1. The PCs were in a castle and were getting shot at through arrow slits by Drow. She made an incredibly high Perception check, so she could see the crossbow. She used the mage hand to pull the bolt from the crossbow. I thought this was amusing and allowed it, although I wasn't sure if this was RAW.

  2. The PCs were behind a locked door that potentially could be opened from the other side. She wanted to use the mage hand to open the door from the other side. I ruled that she couldn't see the other side, so she couldn't use the spell in that way.

So, do you need to be able to see the mage hand to use it? It can be used to pick pockets, but how much can it be used to harass monsters / NPCs?

Mage hand description (PHB page 256):

A spectral, floating hand appears at a point you choose within range.
The hand lasts for the duration or until you dismiss it as an action.
The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if
you cast this spell again. You can use your action to control the
hand. You can use the hand to manipulate an object, open an unlocked
door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or
pour the contents out of a vial. You can move the hand up to 30 feet
each time you use it. The hand can’t attack, activate magic items, or
carry more than 10 pounds.

Possibly related question: Can any spellcaster use Mage Hand to perform a Sleight of Hand check?

Best Answer

You do not need to be able to see the Mage Hand to be able to use it, otherwise ATs wouldn't be able to make the hand go invisible. However, working around corners (or otherwise out of sight) would effectively impart the blinded condition to any action you were going for. As such, you wouldn't be able to interact with a target except by guessing which location it was in (unless you knew the target's location, and it was static (i.e. an unmoving object (keys hanging on an post) or a guard that's asleep in a chair)).

Nothing about the spell itself implies any sensory input gained from the hand, so unless you can see what's going on to direct it, it's going to be pretty difficult to use. As a caveat to that, however: ATs can make the hand go invisible... therefore, they have to be able to at least "feel" where it's at.

If the door was simply a one-way door that didn't actually require a key, I'd say (unless you rule that the handle requires more than 10 lbs of pressure to activate) that it would work if she could get the hand into the room.

If she was suggesting picking the lock, I would say that's not possible because she couldn't get her mage hand or lockpicks to the other side of the door... unless she casts/pushes them through the keyhole/under the door (your ruling on whether the keyhole goes all the way through (in which case, she could pick it from her end)).

RAW: With an invisible mage hand, you can do the following (AT, Mage Hand Legerdemain, PHB p. 98)

  • You can stow one object the hand is holding in a container worn or carried by another creature.
  • You can retrieve an object in a container worn or carried by another creature.
  • You can use thieves' tools to pick locks and disarm traps at range.

In the spell text, it doesn't put any restriction on "any object not worn or carried," so it could definitely be used to take a crossbow bolt, or even pull the trigger prematurely.

RAI: You couldn't possibly see what you're doing with a fine lock or trap at range, so being blinded isn't an issue, because you can "feel" it through the hand. And you don't need to be able to see the hand. If she could get the tools, she could open the door from the other side.


As far as harassing people... that's pretty broad. You could apply 10 pounds of effort in quite a few fashions. Steal a handful of their arrows (and hold them up in the air (no more than 30 feet away from you)), undo their belt, tie their shoes together (or any other myriad wardrobe malfunctions), pull their hair or flick their ears(no damage), put a thumbs-up in their chair as they're about to sit down, use scissors to snip a cross/bow string (cruel, if it's a magic item - maybe only against mundane strings)... the list goes on.