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I'm playing a backstabbing halfling rogue and I keep seeing Deft Palm, conceal weapon, Hide Blade, Underhanded etc.
But I can't really see what benefits this gives besides hiding a blade from someone outside of combat.
Does it give any benefits in terms of surprise attack or sneak attack?
(I know Underhand gives max dmg in a surprise round)
It depends a lot on the type of game you're playing.
If your DM just throws you from dungeon encounter to dungeon encounter, you'll likely have very little benefit from hiding your weapons.
However, D&D allows for other gameplay that isn't just one combat after another. Let's use an example to show what I mean:
You are tasked with assassinating an important figure of the resistance. Your chosen spot to do so is a fairly crowded area, so you can easily blend in with the crowd. You move up to the target and...AAAH HE HAS A KNIFE!
If you don't hide your weapons, you're going to have a difficult time walking up to somebody. Not only are civilians going to feel very uncomfortable with you walking up to somebody with a knife, but if there are observant guards around, you'll be arrested long before you can even assassinate the guy.
That's where hiding your weapons comes in. If you're not allowed to bring weapons, or it would raise too much suspicion, you can hide your weapon somewhere on your body so you don't immediately end up in city jail long before completing your mission.
