D&D 5E Using a Flaming Sphere while hidden

[ECMO3]

In 5e if it doesn't explicitly say something, it's not there. Crawford has made that abundantly clear several times.

It does not explicitly say that you can move it when you can't see it. Adding the ability to not have to see it makes it a house rule. It's reasonable, but then so is adding that you can't move it if you can't see it, inferring that limitation from the general spell rules.

It says explicity that you can move it with a bonus action. That is explicit and being able to see it is irrelevant to that. Now if you can't take bonus actions that is a different story.

Maybe. The text does not explicitly say that, and in 5e the lack of explicit language means that it is not in the RAW.

The text explicitly says you can move it with a bonus action. There is nothing about seeing it mentioned.

Crawford also said that they use the phraseology that you need to see something when you in fact need to see it and he pointed out that being blinded eliminates a lot of spells because of that specific (and explicit) verbiage.

Let me ask you these questions:
Can I move it while wearing armor?
Can I move it while charmed?
Can I move it while frightened?
Can I move it while prone?
Can I move it while holding a weapon?
Can I move it while wearing clothes?
Can I move it while deafened?
Can I move it while underwater?
Can I move it while exhausted?
Can I move it in combat?
Can I move it if I am a Halfling?

Why is being unable to see it any different than any of these, some of which are actual conditions? The spell says nothing about them "specifically".

 

[Paul Farquhar]

How would you know where to move it if you couldn't see where you are moving it?

Move 20 ft. north, 10 feet east.

 

[greg kaye]

Move 20 ft. north, 10 feet east.

You sunk my battleship!!

 

[greg kaye]

Move 20 ft. north, 10 feet east.

Another way it could work, depending on DM ~response to player, might be to instruct the sphere to move to/toward a position x feet ft or east and y ft north or south from the position of the character. (Depending on DM ruling, the player may or may not know if the sphere may have previously been impeded by an obstacle).
I think this is how the spell most intuitively works. When a caster is looking around the most logical thing to think is, "I want to move the sphere to there". You choose a destination and the sphere moves.
The spell specifies:
Range: 60 feet
and that:
"As a bonus action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet."
For instance you might perhaps be able to specify an initial destination upto, say, 60 ft north and 20 ft east, or 55ft north and 30ft east etc.

However, there's no Mage Hand like provision in the spell such as "The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you or if you cast this spell again." I guess that participants can interpret this as they will.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You could move the sphere 360 ft. from you in the duration of the spell. Hidden? You don't even need to be in the same building!

 

[greg kaye]

hidden or not, IF the DM allows the sphere to go beyond its [initial] range.
I wouldn't allow or ask for it, but there's a curious lack of a mage hand type provision.
What happens if you cast the spell and teleport? I'd say it stays.
What if you move beyond the 60ft range? Can you call it after you?

 

[greg kaye]

The specification for the spell merely says: "A 5-foot-diameter sphere of fire appears in an unoccupied space of your choice within range...". How is it's movement affected if you cast it in Spelljammer type space, on the astral plane or in water?