JiffyPopTart
Bree-Yark
Let's suppose you are GM in a game in which I am a player. I am playing an Arcane Trickster.It indicates to me something that is quite noticeable and distinctive as a spell, and that is how I run it at my tables.
The scene is a small inn common room, and my mission is to steal the jail keys off a guard who came in for a drink.
The fire is cracking and there are a couple tables filled with some locals but mostly the place is empty. The noise level is quiet dinner conversation in the place.
The guard saddles up to the bar and orders a whiskey. I say "I want to cast Mage Hand , and when he is distracted by throwing back his whiskey I want to try to grab those keys off his belt.
Do you....
A) Envision my rogue quietly mumbling and gesturing to himself in order to avoid attention while he casts Mage Hand and then let me make a skill check to grab the keys unnoticed.
B) Envision my rogue suddenly loud talking some gibberish in a strange language nobody understands while doing jazz hands under the table so that it looks like he is self pleasuring as everyone in the place looks his way including the guard he wants to pickpocket who glaces over to see a disembodied hand floating under the table?
I just wrote a scene for my next adventure, actually.