Keep in mind a Rogue Mage Hand is invisible. I think the intent would be for the belt to qualify as a container. It is pretty clear I can steal his component pouch if it is in his pocket or buried in a backpack, but I can't steal it if it is hanging on his belt? That makes no logical sense. The component pouch itself certainly is a container too, so I can remove the components from the pouch if the DM wants to be such a hardarse.Yea it's that ruling that is unusually lenient. In my games the component pouch would be attached to the belt for easy access. It would be 'the container' and wouldn't be in a container itself and so couldn't be grabbed per the additional rules. It would be attached to the caster so couldn't just be taken away via normal mage hand rules either. At the minimum there would be a check there and that really depends on how it's envisioned being tied on. I mean I suppose if some mage did keep his component pouch in a pocket, I would allow it to be taken from that pocket - but that's a big if.
There is a check, it is in the description of mage hand legerdemain. It is SOH countered by perception. I never suggested this was automatic and I agree if stealing something was automatic that would be a lenient DM. That said I am going into that with 16 dex minimum and expertise, so it is usually successful.
I think it is pretty clear what is intended, they intend the Rogue to be able to do the things with the hand he would normally do with a SOH check himself. Most (all) DMs would allow a Rogue to try to pickpocket someone and steal his component pouch if he was next to him invisible and trying to swipe something off a belt is far less complicated than trying to pick a lock.
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