D&D 5E Take enemy weapon with Mage Hand

[JiffyPopTart]

(IMHO) The difference between an Arcane Trickster using the Mage Hand to grab an item and a standard wizard doing the same is that the AT has a chance to do it unnoticed. There is a big difference between a picked pocket and a smash-and-grab.

I think the fairest way to judge this action is to allow the victim to have either a DEX or STR save versus the spellcasters DC. I would give advantage to the save if the item is "in hand" or after the trick has been used once successfully.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

Huh?

Disadvantage doesn't give something -5 to a DC. I'm not really sure what you meant here?

Well disadvantage translates to -5 for passive values, but I guess I could just leave the DC and give true advantage to the dexterity saving throw.

 

[Unwise]

I love Mage Hand on my Acrane Trickster. I love crossbow users. I once had guards looking for me, they had loaded crossbows, so I reached out and squeezed the trigger on one, making one guy shoot another in the back. Combined with a sound illusion of "For the true king!" coming from the 'treacherous' guard, it led to hilarity and an all in brawl. Later the same night, I waited as a guard lined up a companion for a crossbow shot, then simply stole the bolt from the slot at the last second.

In a later engagement, when there really was a rebellious faction of guards, I got some red cloth and using mage hand tied it to the top of peoples helmets and other places that were obvious to others but not to them. When the action started, the guards thought that the guys with the red cloths were signalling their loyalty to the rebellion etc.

Mage Hand moving candles near curtains, or cutting chandellier ropes with razors was fun too. I managed to make some people think their keep was haunted or the fey were angry. Oh, another favorite was closing the flumes on the roaring fireplace in the kings banquet hall.

Anyway, that was really all beside the point and off topic, I will leave you to the actual topic now...

 

[Dit464]

So our Wizard had the idea to "disarm" an enemy at range by using Mage Hand. The enemy has a shortbow that is not currently drawn. The shortbow weights less than 10 pounds, so it should be possible, but I think it's actually quite unlikely to succeed. What would you roll for such an action? Just use the magic attack modifier, as a higher magic modifier means better at handling spells?

I would take this like how some fire spells in the PHB work. Firebolt for instance can light things on fire, but not if it is being worn or carried. I feel this should work in the same way (or if he is so dead set on disarming the mob, I'd have the Wizard do a contest against the mob. I'd use the mob's strength roll vs. an Int. roll from the Wizard or something like that.

A held object that the enemy is paying attention to is unlikely to be disarmed in this way. If the wizard works with the battlemaster fighter buddy who disarms the enemy- THEN the wizard grabs the weapon and moves it out of reach, you have a good combo.

Now if the disarm works in this manner I find this a good example of teamwork in combat; would see no problem with the Wizard wanting to move the weapon out of the mob's reach.