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A Sorcerer is hiding in a bush, giving them Cover, and last round, they used the Hide action to obscure their location. An unremarkable Orc is standing adjacent to the bush.

This round, the Sorcerer approaches the Orc and casts Booming Blade to make an attack, using using one Sorcery Point to apply the Subtle Spell metamagic to eliminate the Verbal and Somatic components of their attack.

Does the Sorcerer's location get revealed?

It's clear that the Orc would immediately notice that it was attacked, but a normal use of Booming Blade would immediately reveal the Sorcerer's location, even if they remain in cover. Does subtle spell negate that reveal?

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Yes, you are revealed, but you make that attack with advantage

Mentioned by Jeremy Crawford on Sage Advice regarding attacking with a cantrip while hidden:

If you attack while hidden, you have advantage on the roll, and you reveal your position on the hit/miss (see PH, 194–5).

This has less to do with the fact that the spell makes sound, but because any attack (whether on a hit or a miss) reveals you if you are hidden.

Compare this with the Skulker feat, which says:

[...] When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.

However, as a DM, I would maybe rule that using Subtle Spell would mean you weren't revealed on a miss, since it cost you a resource and a Sorcerer using stealth is more flavorful than mechanically powerful and the resource upkeep of abusing it is pretty expensive.

Or, in other words, it's too annoying to pull off consistently, so I'll give to you. But not in the case of Booming Blade, since it uses a weapon attack.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Nowhere in the spell description says that it emits sound, except on the title, or the verbal component. Mentioning "this has less to do with the fact that the spell makes sound" seems irrelevant, or even distracting from the main point that you get revealed the moment the attack is resolved (which you do with advantage). \$\endgroup\$
    – Vylix
    Sep 29, 2018 at 6:53
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    \$\begingroup\$ @vylix It does say "sheathed in booming energy", and there's no flavor text in spells like in 4e, so that's relevant. Create Bonfire also doesnt say it creates light. Sometimes, a little bit of decision making has to come from your DM. As a DM, I'd say Booming Blade makes sound as part of the spell, which I also said was nullified by Subtle Spell due to the Rule of Cool. \$\endgroup\$
    – Man_Over_Game
    Sep 29, 2018 at 13:46

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