Complete Guide To Rogues In Baldur's Gate 3

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Rogue Overview

Skills, Proficiencies, and Starting Equipment

Feats

Subclass: Arcane Trickster

Subclass: Thief

Subclass: Assassin

If stealthy and smooth are two words you'd use to describe your playstyle when choosing a class for Baldur's Gate 3, then look no further than your tried-and-true Rogue. A powerful class hogging all the Bonus Actions and turn economy for themselves, Rogues make Fighters jealous and Clerics weep.

These dextrous mischief-makers are a staple for any stealth operation or under-the-table dealings, and they make for one of the best ranged-support characters in the game. Perfect for newbies and experts alike, the Rogue is a class with a bunch to brag about and few caveats to suffer.

Rogue Overview

Astarion Uses Hide At Edge Of Goblin Sight On Goblin Camp Bridge

"With stealth, skill and uncanny reflexes, a rogue's versatility lets them get the upper hand in almost any situation."

The Rogue is a stealth class that specializes in anything that may make use of Dexterity. Lockpicking, pickpocketing, sneak attacks, and more all fall under the umbrella of the Rogue's talents. And speaking of talents, their use of Expertise means that not only are these Rogues skilled, but they're also great at passing skill checks.

Although typically a very squishy class with a lower health pool and preference for Light Armor, they don't actually need the benefits other classes rely on. With the ability to reliably hide and dip in and out of combat, you need not fear damage when you're rarely in the position to take any.

In addition, the Rogue has the opportunity to deal massive amounts of damage through their Sneak Attack feat. With their defenses covered, great roleplay utility, and offensive capabilities, they are a deadly class worth considering for any party.

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Sneak Attack Damage	Feats
1	2	1d6	Sneak Attack (Melee and Ranged), Expertise
2	2	1d6	Cunning Action (Dash, Disengage)
3	2	2d6	Subclass Choice
4	2	2d6	Ability Score Improvement or Choice of Feat
5	3	3d6	Uncanny Dodge

Skills, Proficiencies, and Starting Equipment

As a Dexterity-based class, the Rogue is granted access to skills that capitalize on this stat. Additionally, their use of Intelligence is as much a bonus for their skills as it is an open door for the Rogue's spellcasting subclass: Arcane Trickster.

Their health is relatively average-to-low with a starting amount of 8 + your CON modifier and then an additional 5 + your CON modifier for each level-up.

Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Sleight of Hand, or Survival. Then choose any two of your proficient skills (from class, background, or race) and gain expertise with them.
Proficiencies: Light Armor, Simple Weapons, Rapiers, Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Shortswords, Thieves' Tools.
Starting Equipment: Dagger, Shortbow, Thieves' Tools, two Grease Bottles, Leather Armor, Leather Boots.

Rogues begin with only a dagger and a shortbow for weapons, so they'll be relying mostly on ranged attacks at the start for survivability's sake. Finding better weapons, like Rapiers, is a must along any adventure to ensure the Rogue has a reliable weapon for melee.

Otherwise, their starting gear of Thieves' Tools and decent Leather Armor is a helpful start that allows you to begin lockpicking things from hour one and some okay gear that will need replacing at higher levels but is passable at the start.

Feats

Astarion Uses Dash To Climb Craggy Rockface Wall

The feats for both the Rogue and its subclasses are where any Rogue build shines.

Sneak Attack is a large part of the Rogue's charm, allowing this normally squishy class to deal large amounts of damage. Getting it to work, however, requires skill and good planning on the player's part. After all, it only works when you have advantage against an enemy, achieved through:

Being unseen by a target when you attack it (e.g., Hiding).
The target being Prone.
An ally being within five feet of the target.

The additional bonuses of Cunning Action are helpful as well, allowing you to increase your movement capabilities for maximum positioning or to slip out of enemies' grips without issue. However, Uncanny Dodge is a huge boon to a class that can't take many hits, sparing you large chunks of damage that might have otherwise been threatening.

Feat Level	Feat	Effect(s)
1	Sneak Attack	When wielding a finesse weapon (melee) or a ranged weapon and you have advantage on an opponent, deal additional Sneak Attack damage as a bonus with your weapon's damage on a successful hit. This damage increases by 1d6 for each uneven level the Rogue gains (see chart in Rogue Overview for level-appropriate damage die).
2	Cunning Action	Gain the ability to use Dash and Disengage as a Bonus Action.
5	Uncanny Dodge	When a seen attacker hits you with an attack, use your Reaction to halve the damage. If you have already halved the damage against an attack where you made a DEX saving throw, take no damage.

Other Feats

Spoilers Are Ahead

Drow Rogue Gains The Ability To Use Inkblot Illithid Power In Camp

When activating your Illithid Powers enough times, you'll gain a special feat specific to your class.

The Rogue's Illithid Power is "Inkblot." This power is essentially a Bonus Action Fog Cloud spell that does not require any spell slots to use.

Name	Type of Action	Effect(s)
Inkblot	Bonus Action	Create a cloud of magic darkness and attempt to hide. All creatures within are Heavily Obscured and Blinded. Ranged attacks cannot be made in or out of the cloud. Can use once per short rest.

Drow Rogue Levels Up And Chooses Arcane Trickster Subclass With Chill Touch

"Some rogues enhance their fine-honed skills of stealth and agility with magic, learning tricks of enchantment and illusion."

Feat Level

Feat

Effect(s)

Spellcasting

You learn how to cast spells.

Mage Hand Legerdemain

When casting Mage Hand, you can perform additional tasks like:

Stow an object held by the hand on a person or in a container.
Retrieve an object held by a person or in a container.
Use Thieves' Tools or Trap Disarming Kits at range.

You can use your Cunning Action to Bonus Action move this hand, and enemies must roll a Perception against your Sleight of Hand to notice this hand when performing any of these tasks.

The Arcane Trickster capitalizes on using sneaky magic tactics to get the upper hand on targets from a distance. Contrary to the Thief, which prefers to do things a little more up-close-and-personal, the Arcane Trickster can use their Mage Hand to get into antics without being anywhere nearby.

As a spellcaster, the Arcane Trickster is a Wizard class that uses an Intelligence spellcasting ability. This means:

Spell Save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + Intelligence modifier.
Spell Attack Modifier: 8 + Intelligence modifier.

Additionally, you have a set number of cantrips and spells known. One of your cantrips known will always be Mage Hand, and it will not factor into the chart below. These known spells can be swapped on level-up.

Arcane Trickster			Spell Slots
Level	Cantrips Known	Spells Known	1	2	3	4
3	2	3	2	-	-	-
4	2	4	3	-	-	-
5	2	4	3	-	-	-

Arcane Trickster Spell List

Spell Level	Spell Name	Casting Time	Concentration? (Y/N)	Effect
Cantrip	Acid Splash	1 Action	N	Throw a bubble of acid that deals 1d6 Poison damage to a struck target on a failed DEX saving throw. Those that start their turn on the acid must also roll to avoid taking damage and suffer a half movement penalty.
Cantrip	Blade Ward	1 Action	N	Gain resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from weapons.
Cantrip	Chill Touch	1 Action	N	Touch a creature and deal 1d8 Necrotic damage. They are prevented from healing on their next turn, and undead creatures receive disadvantage on their attacks for one turn.
Cantrip	Dancing Lights	1 Action	Y	Create wisps of light in a 9m radius.
Cantrip	Fire Bolt	1 Action	N	Deal 1d10 of fire damage.
Cantrip	Friends	1 Action	Y	Enchant a creature to gain advantage on Charisma-based checks against it for up to 10 turns. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was Charmed.
Cantrip	Light	1 Action	N	Infuse object with light for 100 turns. If used on a creature, they must succeed a DEX saving throw or be illuminated.
Cantrip	Mage Hand	1 Action	Y	Create spectral hand to interact with and move objects up to 18m away.
Cantrip	Minor Illusion	1 Action	N	Create a distracting illusion that compels a creature to investigate. Does not interrupt hiding.
Cantrip	Poison Spray	1 Action	N	Puff noxious gas and deal 1d12 Poison damage on a failed CON save.
Cantrip	True Strike	1 Action	Y	Gain advantage on your next attack roll against a chosen target.
Cantrip	Shocking Grasp	1 Action	N	Melee attack spell that deals 1d8 Lightning damage. Gain advantage when attacking metal-clad enemies with this spell. Additionally, on a failed INT save, the target loses their ability to make Reactions for one turn.
1	Burning Hands	1 Action	N	Shoot fire from your hands for 3d6 Fire damage on a failed DEX save or half as much on a successful one.
1	Charm Person	1 Action	N	Gain advantage on ability checks made against the charmed creature and prevent it from attacking on a failed WIS saving throw. Enemies have advantage on their saving throw. At the end of the spell's duration, target may accuse you of having charmed them.
1	Colour Spray	1 Action	N	Create dazzling lights that Blinds creatures within a 17ft cone that have 33 or less hit points overall.
2	Chromatic Orb	1 Action	N	Create an orb that deals 3d8 Thunder damage or 2d8 Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Poison damage. This orb creates a surface of its damage type where it lands.
1	Disguise Self	1 Action	N	Change all aspects of your appearance by giving you the choice of changing your race and gender.
1	Expeditious Retreat	1 Action	N	Gain Dash as a Bonus Action until your next long rest.
1	False Life	1 Action	N	Give yourself 7 temporary hit points until your next long rest.
1	Feather Fall	1 Bonus Action	N	Slow the descent on falling creatures and become immune to fall damage.
1	Find Familiar	1 Action	N	Gain the service of a familiar. These familiars can be: Cat - Can distract enemies Crab - Can slow enemies Frog - Skin can poison enemies Rat - Can disease enemies Raven - Can launch precise attacks Spider - Can poison enemies
1	Fog Cloud	1 Action	Y	Create a dense 4m fog that Obscures and Blinds enemies. Ranged attacks cannot come in or out of this fog.
1	Grease	1 Action	N	Cover the ground in grease 4m wide. Creatures that try to move on this ground must make a DEX save or fall Prone.
1	Jump	1 Action	N	Touch a creature to triple its Jump distance.
1	Longstrider	1 Action	N	Increase a touched creature's movement by 3m.
1	Magic Missile	1 Action	N	Fire 3 missiles of 1d4 + 1 Force damage. These attacks never miss.
1	Mage Armor	1 Action	N	When a creature is not wearing armor, increase its AC to 13 + its DEX modifier.
1	Protection from Good and Evil	1 Action	N	Protect one creature against being Charmed, Frightened, or possessed by an aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, or undead. These creatures also have disadvantage on attacking rolls against the target.
1	Ray of Sickness	1 Action	N	Shoot a ray of energy that on a failed CON save deals 2d8 Poison damage to a target. The foe is then Poisoned.
1	Sleep	1 Action	N	Put creatures of a combined 24 hit points to Sleep.
1	Thunderwave	1 Action	N	Release a 5m wide wave that deals 2d8 Thunder damage and pushes enemies and objects back on a failed CON save. On a successful save, creatures take half damage and remain stationary.
1	Witchbolt	1 Action	Y	Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, deal 1d12 Lightning damage. On each subsequent turn, you may use your Action to automatically deal 1d12 Lightning damage again without needing to roll. The spell ends if your concentration is broken or the target moves out of range (18m).

Drow Rogue Levels Up And Chooses Thief Subclass With Fast Hands Feat

"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."

The Thief is one of the best subclasses of the Rogue across the Player's Handbook of D&D and its many affiliated extensions. This is primarily because of the class's creme-de-la-creme: Fast Hands, allowing the class to take a whole additional Bonus Action. Why is this good?

Bonus Action One: Hide.
Action: Make a ranged (or melee) Sneak Attack.
Bonus Action Two: Hide again.
Next Turn: Make another ranged (or melee) Sneak Attack.

The thief allows the abuse of Hiding and Sneak Attack, making it a most useful adversary in stealth or assassination missions within the base game. It also means that this method can help defeat enemies without directly triggering Initiative and Combat Turn Order.

Feat Level	Feat	Effect(s)
3	Fast Hands	Gain the use of an additional Bonus Action.
3	Second Story Work	Gain Resistance against falling damage.

Second Story Work has been severely nerfed and changed from its original form in the Player's Handbook of Dungeons & Dragons. It no longer allows you to climb without a penalty to your movement speed nor allows you to add your Dexterity modifier to the maximum distance of your jump.

Subclass: Assassin

Meeting Astarion For The First Time Cutscene

This subclass of Rogue has been confirmed for the official release. It is not available in Early Access for play. The Assassin will allegedly specialize in first-turn combat and disguises, but the full details are not yet known.

Regardless of what choice you make, the Rogue remains a near-necessary staple for any adventuring party. As good at getting you into trouble as they are at getting you out, you'll never feel a dull moment when you're in the presence of a Rogue - let alone playing one.

NEXT: Baldur's Gate 3: Should You Pick An Origin Character Or Create Your Own?

TheGamer

Baldur's Gate 3: Complete Guide To Rogues