I will use the color coding scheme which has become common among Pathfinder build handbooks, which is simple to understand and easy to read at a glance. How to Sneak Attack Consistently: D&D 5e Rogue Combat Mechanics. You like the chase, and and know that you can’t be caught. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Clever Cantrip Uses : Prestidigitation (DnD 5E), Clever Cantrip Uses : Minor Illusion (DnD 5E), Clever Cantrip Uses: Thaumaturgy (DnD 5E), Which Bard College should you pick? Versatile Trickster is also pretty weak and potentially tricky to utilize at higher levels. When you ambush enemies, you can spring surprise spells that catch them off guard. Flutes’ Evaluation (5/5): The Thief is among the most undervalued subclasses in the game. If you really want to excel with this class, look through all the different items that would usually cost you an action, including wands, and picture yourself using them as a bonus action without sacrificing an attack with sneak damage. Theme: A magic wielding thief with a penchant for fiddling with things from afar. For the rogue, the most vanilla option is the thief. Theme: A leader in combat who no one saw coming. I, however, enjoy the base Sneak Attack feature without having to use Rakish Audacity. This site contains affiliate links that will earn Flutes Loot a little commission. Alchemist (5e Rogue Subclass) From D&D Wiki. I hear mixed opinions about the Rogue class, but I love Rogues because I understand them on a spiritual level. Basically, the Arcane Tricksters abilities are not great, but you can’t go wrong with spellcasting. I love this subclass! Your interpretation may differ, and if it does, please share how! If I recall correctly, this is the most popular Rogue subclass. “Steampunk Cat Burglar” by spirit815, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 LicenseThis article contains affiliate links that add gold to our coffers. In contrast, a Soulknife strikes and infiltrates with the mind, cutting through barriers both physical and psychic. Nice work by the game designers making the abilities crappy… I guess… It just makes it feel less cool though! Panache requires an action to beguile someone, so it’s tough to rate it highly. Soul of Deceit is pretty cool, but it’s nearly useless in most campaigns. It slows down the game and feels bad, so you end up helping them out. One of the best parts of the brand new Tasha's Cauldron of Everything that's just come out for the 5th Edition of Dungeons and Dragons are the subclasses it offers. This is the subclass for players who want to play a real rogue. So I gotta lower the fun rating by one star, which will just barely cost this subclass a 5/5 overall rating. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Ranger - Monster Slayer: Best subclass if you want to be a Castlevania expy. Also known as The Loner Rogue. Theme: Like the druid, the scout enjoys being wild and untouched. XGtE (p. 9) Path of the Battlerager. Game Mechanics: Moves in response to enemies, and skilled in natural survival. I do like that Fancy Footwork is like a mini version of the Mobile feat in that you can safely move away from someone you’ve attacked (even if your attack misses). Rogue class features are strong enough that subclasses can afford to slack off, but there are still several exceptional subclasses while others have niche fits in D&D 5e. Theme: A magic wielding thief with a penchant for fiddling with things from afar. I’m playing in a campaign presently that would put it to good use since it’s a high-magic political game where knowing information is dangerous as memory can be extracted and distorted by many people. Play-style: You like being self-sufficient, and you work well without supervision. Green: Good options. This list isn’t the way you are expected to play the subclass, but my own interpretation of what the subclass archetype is trying to be. Summary of subclass: Perform elegant maneuvers as you strike with precision in one-on-one combat. Rogue: Swashbuckler is a little bit tricky but really good, Scouts are probably the best ranged Rogues, and some people really like Assassin's nova, although it is not that consistent if … Flutes’ Evaluation (4/5): Since its release, the Swashbuckler has been a popular Rogue subclass. Eye of Deceit is like a mini Reliable Talent feature that the Inquisitive gets early on. Here are some quick summaries of each subclass, which will give a bit of insight to the theme, generalized game mechanics, and the likely play style to expect. Path of the Ancestral Guardian. Your ability to disarm traps as a bonus action will only be useful if your DM uses traps in combat encounters, which I’ve found to be rare. To help narrow down the long list of contenders, consider these few options above all others: high elves, forest gnomes, variant humans, and the yuan-ti pureblood all make for especially strong artificers. Worst - mastermind, it just seems like an npc subclass Sorcerer Best: as much as I hate the subclass divine soul is amazing Worst: wild sorcerer, I don’t like random Warlock: Battle in DnD 5e Rogue. It may not have spellcasting, but this subclass is massively useful. A rogue is just a dual-wielding thief, aren’t they? They also get automatic proficiency in the Perception skill. Character optimization guide for the DnD 5e Rogue's subclasses. Spring into action when trouble shows its face to make surgical attacks on multiple foes as you trim the enemy forces as soon as possible. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Scouts differ from other Rogue subclasses in that their abilities at higher levels are good! Play-style: You hit, and then quickly run out of range. It’s a good thing you get both of these abilities at level three, but you’ll also get Insightful Fighting that allows you to size up a foe to potentially gain advantage against them for one minute. Theme: Dealing damage while moving all over the battle map, taunting while you run around. The Best and Worst Rogue Subclasses of D&D 5e. Misdirection is an ability that you’ll need to be very mindful of because most DMs don’t treat creatures as partial cover, so it won’t feel natural for you to do so. Follow this guide to discover how to best optimize the skills, weapons, features, and abilities for a D&D 5e Rogue class character build. Eye for Weakness is a negligible damage boost for your Sneak Attack considering it’s a level-seventeen ability. Aarakocra: [+2 Dex, +1 Wis] Flight at level one. Flutes’ Evaluation (2/5): The immediate utility of Eye for Deceit is useful because I’ve yet to meet a D&D player that hasn’t tried to determine if someone is lying. Summary of subclass: Become swift and skilled at searching for threats and hidden details, and with reading people’s motives. ( Log Out /  Eye for Detail, another level-three ability, is comparatively less useful since most DMs I’ve played with have not required a search action in combat, instead allowing a character to look around freely. In the right game with hidden threats and illusory tricks, this subclass will be strong, but the average game will weigh the Inquisitive and find it light. First, the artificer will need to be one of the many races available in 5e. Pick a subclass that suits your creativity, then run with it. Do you think I was fair or unfair? This class is also the ultimate lonewolf subclass for Rogues since they can’t on the stealth scrubs that populate the other slots of the party. (DnD 5E), Which Druid circle should you pick? Red: Bad, useless options, or options which are extremely situational. How to Play a Mounted Rogue: D&D 5e Character Concepts. Let’s roll initiative on these ratings and get started! Summary of subclass: Navigate the wilderness with ease and move quickly as you set up ambushes. Oct 10, 2016 - Explore Zachary Bair's board "Rogue Archetypes" on Pinterest. Though the other abilities are not as powerful, they are thematically rich, and they can shine in suitable circumstances. Inquisitive (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything). Grab a whip and pick undead as your Favored Enemy. The Assassin subclass likely sounded good to designers before 5e came out, but time has shown it to be a flawed concept in practice. Theme: Incredibly perceptive, with an eye for weakness, treasure, and illusions. Game Mechanics: Deal damage, and then disengage without penalty. Arcane Trickster (Rogue) Path of the Totem Warrior (Barbarian) College of Lore (Bard) School of Divination (Wizard) Eldritch Knight (Fighter) Circle of the Moon (Druid) The Fiend (Warlock) Divine Soul (Sorcerer) Oathbreaker (Paladin) Forge Domain (Cleric) I also invite you to browse some of our other articles about Rogues, so here are a few: Splendid poem in this guppy! Rogue: Best - I prefer swashbuckler, it makes sneak attacking alone so much easier, and the role playing flare. Thief. You would never want to lose face in a duel, so you charismatically woo foes into false security as you end them with flair. Sorcerer - Storm: MADE WITH LIGHTNING! Ideally you’re looking for something with +Dex and potentially Darkvision. Check our article for the Best Rogue Spells to see what they can do. In regards to battle, rogues prioritize cunning over brute power. Flutes’ Evaluation (5/5): Spellcasting is very powerful if you know what you’re doing. The option to act with the Use an Object action as a bonus action (that’s a mouthful) is remarkably useful at lower levels, but it might drop off as you level up and have less powerful options for items to use. Much like the assassin subclass Alchemists specialize in the art of killing discreetly (or not who am I to judge) the few rogues that chose this class are masters at using potions to control life and death Tools of the trade. A rogue prefers to make one exact attack, putting it precisely where the attack will most damage the goal, then wear down an opponent with a barrage of strikes. Flutes’ Evaluation (2/5): While it’s balanced to make it difficult to achieve a one-hit kill on someone, this class falls short for a lot of people who expect to be assassinating folks all the time. 1. Game Mechanics: Limited spell access, with a telekinetic focus (mage hand). Warlock - Hexblade: Second best Gish subclass, and also just really cool. › official warlock subclasses 5e ... All 7 Official Rogue Subclasses, Ranked. Learn how your comment data is processed. Mastermind (Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything). (that’s Thieves’ Cant for “Happy Adventuring!”), try{(function(){window.mc4wp=window.mc4wp||{listeners:[],forms:{on:function(evt,cb){window.mc4wp.listeners.push({event:evt,callback:cb});}}}})()}catch(e){console.log(e)}. Sizing up foes to compare to yourself can be useful in gathering information and seeing through deception. You’ll also get what is essentially Expertise in two abilities: Nature and Survival. ... Hunter is probably the best one in general. Please cast Sending in the comments below to let me know what you think. Bonus proficiencies: disguise kit, forgery kit, gaming set of choice, two languages. Bonus proficiencies: disguise kit, poisoner’s kit. ( Log Out /  Theme: The prototypical purloiner of other people’s property. Sneaky in nature, Rogues embody the adage that a dagger in the night is as good as an army in the day (as long as the rest of the party doesn’t mess it up. Game Mechanics: More bonus actions, like sleight of hand during combat, and better climbing speed. Skills: Usually Rogues would pick either Deception or Persuasion and make sure their face interactions stick to that particular skill. Second-story Work could potentially enable you to quickly jump over gaps and difficult terrains without slowing down or detouring around.