To add to the idea of using mage hand to hold a shield, it would seem like it could also then create half cover for a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws.

You guys who are proponents of this obvious broken exploit of the spell-casting system are overlooking (some I think intentionally) a few basic physics principles.  1st, there's the issue of vectors.  I can see the mage hand propelling the rock (or a sling bullet, w/e) through that 30 ft.  Gravity exerts a force of approx. 32 lbs-force or 4.4 Newtons on a 1 pound (2.2 kg) object at ground level (disregarding miniscule changes in gravity the higher you rise until you're out of the gravity well....micro-gravity environment then....NOT completely free of the effects of gravity....btw...that is infinite). The mage hand can lift 10 lbs or 22 kilos.  That's the outer-limit of how much force the mage-hand can propel an object through 30 ft, ~ 3 meters.  10 lbs of force.  22 Newtons (N).  That's it.  Anymore and the object goes through the mage-hand. (It's magic, we basically don't have to explain kaka about HOW it does it). 

2nd, the amount of energy required to propel a 9mm bullet to the above specified speed  also depends on the amount of grains in the bullet (or slug in the next example of a projectile).  So, if you guys are trying to justify using mage-hand as a way to duplicate a bullet or slug being fired from a firearm, your physics are very wrong.  So, when you  use mage-hand to push the 10 lb object (hoping to deliver the killing blow in a combat, glorifying the wizard/caster for their ingenuity), you also have to consider all the vectors involved, not just the straight line distance the object travels. Remember, gravity is exerting a force on the object too.  That's two forces already.  Mage hand exerts enough force to push the object UP from gravity's force DOWN. 

3rd, you're forgetting Newton Laws of Motion. I basically don't have a lot of time, so I'll just post a link to a physics tutorial site in the hopes even one of you will decide to look at it and RE-learn some basic secondary school physics, since someone above actually brought in real physics into the argument earlier....in a FANTASY setting.  Chickens forbid someone actually knows what the term "Suspension of Disbelief" actually means.  Here's the link   https://www.physicsclassroom.com/Physics-Tutorial/Newton-s-Laws  Copy and paste into your browser, then spend about an hour reviewing all the concepts, rather than clicking them, then one second later saying "Okay, I'm bored. Moving on." 

The mage-hand spell is a CANTRIP or 0-LEVEL SPELL FOR A REASON.  It's easy to cast, takes virtually no magical energy (mana?) to cast, and the virginous spell-caster learns the nature of spells that have the "force" descriptor in them. 

Quit trying to weasel stuff into the game through rules-lawyering.  Besides, if the GM says "NO" then that's it.  Either you comply or you pick up your toys and go to another sandbox.

So a better question is can something hit my mage hand? if I am sending my mage hand over to an area to pick up an item can an opponent hit my mage hand to prevent it from picking said item up?

taven03,

There are no rules as written about that situation in the spell description and I couldn't find any Sage Advice columns about it either.

I would rule it that the hand while not being actively controlled by someone as their action just maintains its position and what it is holding. So a person, with what I'd assume is a strength score of 1 (carry capacity of 10 suggests 1 strength score or less), would be too easy to have any average person in the D&D game overpower the mage hand. It's not a sentient creature and it requires an action to manipulate it so it doesn't really have a way to oppose someone from taking it from them.

If you wanted to make it a contested roll you could make it opposed strength (athletics) checks. In that case I'd probably give the Mage Hand disadvantage and assume it's strength score is 1 giving it a -5.

As for hitting it sure they could, I'd probably give it an AC of something like 10, but since it doesn't have HP they don't really do damage to it. What you want is dispel magic to stop the spell, but that seems like overkill for a cantrip that should be easily dealt with by any adventurer.

I'd have to say it would be strength vs intelligence, for a contested role.

Quote from ShaitanPyrik >>

I'd have to say it would be strength vs intelligence, for a contested role.

The major problem with that is say you have a strength based fighter on their turn using their action to take something away from what as written can’t fight back. So you’re giving them both the dominant stat, likely to be the same, to a random roll. A -5 to the mage hand seems more in line with the deficiencies of the spell. 

Just reflavor your Eldritch Blast as your mage hand throwing rocks really fast.

Oof my friend wants to make yondu

 Based off this

Using a shield to gain its AC bonus requires proficiency with shields. A mage hand is not proficient with shields (and most of the time neither is the person casting it, but I wouldn't transfer the caster's proficiency to the non-creature anyway).

The shield is an obstacle at that point. You dont need proficiency to use an obstacle as cover. The obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature. As long as it blocks half of the pc from the attack, it provides half cover. 

Someone explain the difference between an arcane trickster (rogue) with mage hand cantrip and a rogue (not arcane trickster) with magical initiative feat (bard) and access to the mage hand cantrip?

Pretend both are proficient in stealth, slight of hand and theives tools at level 20, full dex stat.

 Simply put , Arcane Tricksters can use Mage Hand to disable traps,pick locks and pick pockets up to 30 ft away with the Rogue's Sleight of Hand proficiency, and while using the rogue's tools too! Also, when Arcane Tricksters use Mage Hand, it is invisible.

Ok, but what happens when a non-arcane trickster rogue uses mage hand with high stats and proficiency? Does it act like mage hand would for any other character class or have they become so skilled and proficient that they bupass the need for mage hand ledgermaine?

All other classes( even with Magic Initiate feat ) that use Mage Hand, use it as spell's description above( can carry, but can't use tools and is spectral, not invisible )

Got it so MHL has nothing to do with your proficiencies or dex modifier. You either have it because you're an arcane trickster or you don't.

It just gets confusing because I have seen people describe it like your mage hand is super dexterous to use theives tools and steal from people which inadvertently suggests "oh so if I get really high slight of hand I can do that too" which to me is a bad way of describing the feature. 

As for invisible does that mean it passes all perception checks since it can't be seen. Can items it is holding be seen like a small gold coin floating in the air from pocketing someone? Would it be impossible to know if mage hand was cast on a door to open it with theives tools?

 If you're a gnome or halfling can you cast reduce on yourself and then use mage hand to fly?

I've seen a few things talking about it, and I really don't see why not. Although unless you specifically want to go up (or lower yourself down), it would be a lot faster to just use the Dash action, since controlling the hand takes your action. 

Actually, it can move anywhere up to 30 feet away from the caster. It doesn't have a listed speed. 

Quote from The_Scehaeons >>

Someone explain the difference between an arcane trickster (rogue) with mage hand cantrip and a rogue (not arcane trickster) with magical initiative feat (bard) and access to the mage hand cantrip?

Pretend both are proficient in stealth, slight of hand and theives tools at level 20, full dex stat.

Quote from camoflaugerocker >>

 Simply put , Arcane Tricksters can use Mage Hand to disable traps,pick locks and pick pockets up to 30 ft away with the Rogue's Sleight of Hand proficiency, and while using the rogue's tools too! Also, when Arcane Tricksters use Mage Hand, it is invisible.

 Another quite important difference: an Arcane Trickster may control the hand as a Bonus Action instead of a standard Action.

Quote from MOMOtamagotchi >>

Actually, it can move anywhere up to 30 feet away from the caster. It doesn't have a listed speed. 

 "You can move the hand up to 30 feet each time you use it", not "anywhere withing 30 feet away from you". So if it's already 30 feet ahead of you, you can move it back to yourself, but you cannot move it 30 feet behind you with the same action, because then you would move it 60 feet in total. It is not described as its speed, because the amount of movement cannot be altered by anything that alters speed.