DnD Rogue
Looking for a Rogue 5e guide? this is it. This guide explains dnd Rogue in details. Lets start with the level table because that is the most important (and probs what you're lookin' for eh?) lets go!
— Atomcal
Looking for a Rogue 5e guide? this is it. This guide explains dnd Rogue in details. Lets start with the level table because that is the most important (and probs what you're lookin' for eh?) lets go!
Unlocking the Shadows
Atomcal
Table Of Content
1. Introduction
2. Level table
3. Class feature
Signaling for her companions to wait, a halfling creeps forward through the dungeon hall. She presses an ear to the door, then pulls out a set of tools and picks the lock in the blink of an eye. Then she disappears into the shadows as her fighter friend moves forward to kick the door open.
A human lurks in the shadows of an alley while his accomplice prepares for her part in the ambush. When their target — a notorious slaver — passes the alleyway, the accomplice cries out, the slaver comes to investigate, and the assassin’s blade cuts his throat before he can make a sound.
Suppressing a giggle, a gnome waggles her fingers and magically lifts the key ring from the guard’s belt. In a moment, the keys are in her hand, the cell door is open, and she and her companions are free to make their escape.
Rogues rely on skill, stealth, and their foes’ vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. They have a knack for finding the solution to just about any problem, demonstrating a resourcefulness and versatility that is the cornerstone of any successful adventuring party.
Skill and Precision
Rogues devote as much effort to mastering the use of a variety of skills as they do to perfecting their combat abilities, giving them a broad expertise that few other characters can match. Many rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine the skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks.
When it comes to combat, rogues prioritize cunning over brute strength. A rogue would rather make one precise strike, placing it exactly where the attack will hurt the target most, than wear an opponent down with a barrage of attacks. Rogues have an almost supernatural knack for avoiding danger, and a few learn magical tricks to supplement their other abilities.
A Shady Living
Every town and city has its share of rogues. Most of them live up to the worst stereotypes of the class, making a living as burglars, assassins, cutpurses, and con artists. Often, these scoundrels are organized into thieves’ guilds or crime families. Plenty of rogues operate independently, but even they sometimes recruit apprentices to help them in their scams and heists. A few rogues make an honest living as locksmiths, investigators, or exterminators, which can be a dangerous job in a world where dire rats—and wererats—haunt the sewers.
As adventurers, rogues fall on both sides of the law. Some are hardened criminals who decide to seek their fortune in treasure hoards, while others take up a life of adventure to escape from the law. Some have learned and perfected their skills with the explicit purpose of infiltrating ancient ruins and hidden crypts in search of treasure.
Creating a Rogue
As you create your rogue character, consider the character’s relationship to the law. Do you have a criminal past—or present? Are you on the run from the law or from an angry thieves’ guild master? Or did you leave your guild in search of bigger risks and bigger rewards? Is it greed that drives you in your adventures, or some other desire or ideal?
What was the trigger that led you away from your previous life? Did a great con or heist gone terribly wrong cause you to reevaluate your career? Maybe you were lucky and a successful robbery gave you the coin you needed to escape the squalor of your life. Did wanderlust finally call you away from your home? Perhaps you suddenly found yourself cut off from your family or your mentor, and you had to find a new means of support. Or maybe you made a new friend—another member of your adventuring party—who showed you new possibilities for earning a living and employing your particular talents.
QUICK BUILD
You can make a rogue quickly by following these suggestions. First, Dexterity should be your highest ability score. Make Intelligence your next-highest if you want to excel at Investigation or plan to take up the Arcane Trickster archetype. Choose Charisma instead if you plan to emphasize deception and social interaction. Second, choose the charlatan background.
The Rogue Table
|
Level |
Proficiency |
Sneak |
Features |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1st |
+2 |
1d6 |
|
|
2nd |
+2 |
1d6 |
|
|
3rd |
+2 |
2d6 |
|
|
4th |
+2 |
2d6 |
|
|
5th |
+3 |
3d6 |
|
|
6th |
+3 |
3d6 |
|
|
7th |
+3 |
4d6 |
|
|
8th |
+3 |
4d6 |
|
|
9th |
+4 |
5d6 |
|
|
10th |
+4 |
5d6 |
|
|
11th |
+4 |
6d6 |
|
|
12th |
+4 |
6d6 |
|
|
13th |
+5 |
7d6 |
|
|
14th |
+5 |
7d6 |
|
|
15th |
+5 |
8d6 |
|
|
16th |
+5 |
8d6 |
|
|
17th |
+6 |
9d6 |
|
|
18th |
+6 |
9d6 |
|
|
19th |
+6 |
10d6 |
|
|
20th |
+6 |
10d6 |
Class Features
As a rogue, you have the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per rogue level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per rogue level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords
Tools: Thieves’ tools
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) a rapier or (b) a shortsword
- (a) a shortbow and quiver of 20 arrows or (b) a shortsword
- (a) a burglar’s pack, (b) a dungeoneer’s pack, or (c) an explorer’s pack
- Leather armor, two daggers, and thieves’ tools
Expertise
At 1st level, choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves’ tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
At 6th level, you can choose two more of your proficiencies (in skills or with thieves’ tools) to gain this benefit.
Sneak Attack
Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe’s distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.
You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.
The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Rogue table.
Thieves’ Cant
During your rogue training you learned thieves’ cant, a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide messages in seemingly normal conversation. Only another creature that knows thieves’ cant understands such messages. It takes four times longer to convey such a message than it does to speak the same idea plainly.
In addition, you understand a set of secret signs and symbols used to convey short, simple messages, such as whether an area is dangerous or the territory of a thieves’ guild, whether loot is nearby, or whether the people in an area are easy marks or will provide a safe house for thieves on the run.
Cunning Action
Starting at 2nd level, your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Roguish Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you emulate in the exercise of your rogue abilities: Thief, detailed at the end of the class description, or one from another source. Your archetype choice grants you features at 3rd level and then again at 9th, 13th, and 17th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 10th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Uncanny Dodge
Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
Expertise
At 6th level, choose two more of your skill proficiencies, or one more of your skill proficiencies and your proficiency with thieves’ tools. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of the chosen proficiencies.
Evasion
Beginning at 7th level, you can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as an ancient red dragon’s fiery breath or an ice storm spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Reliable Talent
By 11th level, you have refined your chosen skills until they approach perfection. Whenever you make an ability check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
Blindsense
Starting at 14th level, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 10 feet of you.
Slippery Mind
By 15th level, you have acquired greater mental strength. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.
Elusive
Beginning at 18th level, you are so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll has advantage against you while you aren’t incapacitated.
Stroke of Luck
At 20th level, you have an uncanny knack for succeeding when you need to. If your attack misses a target within range, you can turn the miss into a hit. Alternatively, if you fail an ability check, you can treat the d20 roll as a 20.
Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Roguish Archetypes
Rogues have many features in common, including their emphasis on perfecting their skills, their precise and deadly approach to combat, and their increasingly quick reflexes. But different rogues steer those talents in varying directions, embodied by the rogue archetypes. Your choice of archetype is a reflection of your focus—not necessarily an indication of your chosen profession, but a description of your preferred techniques.
Thief
You hone your skills in the larcenous arts. Burglars, bandits, cutpurses, and other criminals typically follow this archetype, but so do rogues who prefer to think of themselves as professional treasure seekers, explorers, delvers, and investigators. In addition to improving your agility and stealth, you learn skills useful for delving into ancient ruins, reading unfamiliar languages, and using magic items you normally couldn’t employ.
Fast Hands
Starting at 3rd level, you can use the bonus action granted by your Cunning Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action.
Second-Story Work
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to climb faster than normal; climbing no longer costs you extra movement.
In addition, when you make a running jump, the distance you cover increases by a number of feet equal to your Dexterity modifier.
Supreme Sneak
Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on a Dexterity (Stealth) check if you move no more than half your speed on the same turn.
Use Magic Device
By 13th level, you have learned enough about the workings of magic that you can improvise the use of items even when they are not intended for you. You ignore all class, race, and level requirements on the use of magic items.
Thief’s Reflexes
When you reach 17th level, you have become adept at laying ambushes and quickly escaping danger. You can take two turns during the first round of any combat. You take your first turn at your normal initiative and your second turn at your initiative minus 10. You can’t use this feature when you are surprised.
What to Expect as a Rogue
Rogues are the masters of stealth, deception, and agility. They excel at sneaking past enemies, disarming traps, and delivering precise, deadly strikes. As a Rogue, you can expect:
Sneak Attacks
Rogues can deal devastating sneak attack damage when they have an advantage or an ally engaged with their target.
Skills Galore
With a wide range of skills like Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Persuasion, you're a versatile problem solver.
Subclass Variety
Choose a Rogue archetype that suits your style, whether it's the cunning Thief, the arcane Trickster, or the shadowy Assassin.
Flutes
Quick Build Steps for a Rogue
Creating a Rogue character can be quick and easy. Just follow these steps:
Choose a Race
Select a race that complements your Rogue's strengths. Races like Halflings and Elves can make excellent Rogues due to their agility and Dexterity bonuses.
Distribute Ability Scores
Prioritize Dexterity for your Rogue's finesse and Agility. Charisma or Intelligence can be secondary depending on your chosen archetype.
James Haeck
Choose a Background
Your Rogue's background can add depth to their story. Consider backgrounds like Criminal, Spy, or Urchin to align with the Rogue's skills.
Select Skills
Rogues are skill monkeys. Choose skills that match your character concept. Stealth, Perception, and Acrobatics are excellent choices.
Pick a Rogue Archetype
Depending on your playstyle, select a Rogue archetype at 3rd level. For stealthy types, Assassin or Thief may suit you, while the arcane Trickster adds magic to your toolkit.
Equip Yourself
Rogues rely on finesse weapons like daggers and rapiers. Don't forget your trusty thieves' tools for lock-picking.
Plan Your Backstory
Create a compelling backstory that explains how your Rogue became skilled in thievery, espionage, or other Rogue-like activities.
Paul Hughes
Organize D&D Campaigns via a Calendar
To ensure your Rogue can attend sessions and coordinate with your party, use a shared calendar. This can help schedule game nights and ensure everyone's availability. Here's a guide on creating events in Discord.
Atomcal
Example
Meet Kellen, the Halfling Rogue
Race: Halfling - Kellen's small size and agility make him a natural Rogue.
Ability Scores: Kellen prioritizes Dexterity, making it his highest score. His quick reflexes and nimble fingers aid him in stealth and combat. He also invests in Charisma for charm and social finesse.
Background: Criminal - Kellen grew up on the streets, learning the art of thievery and deception.
Skills: Kellen excels in Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Perception, allowing him to slip into shadows unnoticed and uncover hidden secrets.
Rogue Archetype: Thief - Kellen specializes in theft and infiltration, using his skills to steal valuable treasures and secrets.
Equipment: Armed with a dagger, a shortbow, and a set of thieves' tools, Kellen is prepared for various challenges.
Backstory: Kellen's tragic past led him to a life of crime, but his agility, street smarts, and silver tongue have made him a masterful Rogue. He now walks the fine line between law and chaos, seeking adventure and fortune.
External Resources
For more in-depth information on playing a Rogue in D&D, check out these external resources:
- D&D Beyond - Rogue Class Guide: A comprehensive guide to the Rogue class, including subclass options and tips on playing the class effectively. Read the Guide
- Critical Role - Rogue Spotlight: Watch the experts at Critical Role explore the intricacies of playing a Rogue in their campaign. Watch the Video
- The Rogue's Den - Rogue Tips and Tricks: A YouTube channel dedicated to Rogue gameplay and strategies. Visit the Channel
Lets go on your Rogue adventure with confidence, and remember that a world of shadows, secrets, and thrilling heists awaits you.
Whether you're sneaking past guards, uncovering hidden truths, or delivering precise strikes from the shadows, playing a Rogue offers a unique and exhilarating D&D experience.