The Rogue is an adaptable high-damage and low-durability class in Baldur's Gate 3 that relies on stealth, cunning, and sometimes poison or magic to dish out tons of damage through sneak attacks made on surprised or threatened targets. Rogues are great for players who wish to start the fight before the enemy knows what hit them and deal huge single-target damage from the shadows.
In addition, many of the Rogue subclasses optimize or branch out from the core concept of stealth and sneak attacks. With all that in mind, this guide will go over the best way to build a Rogue.
Best Race For Rogue
As a Rogue, races that help with staying hidden or closing the gap on your enemies are all appreciated as they reinforce the core function of a Rogue's role in a party. Since Rogues are primarily melee-focused, being able to get to cover or close the gap on your target is vital for surviving as a Rogue. Stats aren't as impacted by Race in Baldurs Gate 3 as they are in tabletop, so the race you choose isn't a big deal unless you want to have the most optimal build possible.
Lightfoot Halflings
Lightfoot Halflings get Advantage on Stealth checks and are small and harder to see behind cover. They also get Advantage on saving throws against being Frightened with their Brave trait. In addition, they have the Lucky trait which lets them reroll any 1's you roll on attacks, ability checks, or saving throws. Because of their small size, they have less movement which makes them a bit better as a ranged-focused Rogue.
Deep Gnomes
Deep Gnomes are also a contender for the same size and Stealth Advantage reasons that Halflings get with the addition of Superior Darkvision. Gnomes also have an innate advantage against magical effects with their Gnome Cunning which grants you Advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. They have the same movement issue as Halflings which also makes them better as ranged sneak attackers. It's not a huge deal, but movement is very important for closing the gap and getting sneak attacks in. Cunning actions can help a bit with a free dash.
Drow
Drow is a great choice if you want the same benefits from being an Elf like Charm and Sleep resistance but with some very handy weapon proficiencies with Rapiers, Longswords, and Hand Crossbows which are all great weapons you can use if daggers aren't your style. Ranged sneak attacks with dual-hand crossbows are great for a ranged-focused attack as you can still attack a second time with your bonus action.
Best Background For Rogue
Backgrounds are mostly there for flavor so taking one that fits the style of roleplay you are looking for will lead to more Inspiration, allowing for rerolls at pivotal moments. Rogues are able to get very high buffs to their skills with their Expertise and can become very specialized in a few tasks. Because of this, the background you choose is almost entirely for roleplay purposes as these buffs can be gained in numerous ways as a Rogue.
The background you choose will typically come with a +5 or a +7 to their corresponding skill
Charlatan
This background is all about manipulation and gives you proficiency in Deception and Sleight of Hand. This combination synergizes well with a playstyle that seeks to profit off manipulating others and helps with your lies and lockpicking/pickpocketing. All the social skills like Deception and Persuasion are best for a character who will be talking to people. Granted they can also be good if you get caught somewhere you are not supposed to be, so they can, in general, be good for getting yourself out of bad situations.
Criminal
This background is one of a lawbreaker and will be best for someone trying to use a lot of Deception and Stealth. Charisma is a decent stat to take on a Rogue who will be a face, so this is a nice bonus to help you lie your way through situations or for Stealth to avoid talking to anyone in the first place. Stealth is important for any playstyle so take this if the Deception buff fits the type of Rogue you are trying to build.
Urchin
A survivor of the streets, this background is great for Stealth as you get proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Stealth which are both tied to your Dexterity bonus, which will be quite high. This is a great background, especially for a Thief who will be doing both types of checks should you choose to steal things.
Best Ability Scores & Proficiencies For Rogue
As a Rogue, your best ability scores to focus on are Dexterity and Constitution. Dexterity is your modifier for most things like Acrobatics, Stealth, and Sleight of Hand. The secondary stat is kind of flexible. Since Rogues can specialize in many things it will depend on the kind of playstyle you want to adopt. Constitution is a great ability score to prioritize secondarily as being in melee with light armor will make you the target of attacks while you are detected, so the survivability is really helpful. But if your Rogue is the party's face, you might want Charisma, and if you are an Arcane Trickster you will want some Wisdom for your casting.
Best Rogue Subclass
Regardless of what subclass you choose, the Rogue will naturally be sneaking around and dealing stealth attacks. The subclass you choose really reflects most what kind of playstyle you want. For example, Assassin will net the most damage, the Thief is a great utility with its second bonus action, and Arcane Trickster adds spells. It all depends on what niche in your party you are trying to fill and what role you want your Rogue to play.
Thief
The standout feature of the Thief subclass is that you get a second bonus action which really suits a class like Rogue that likes to add poisons, jump, attack, or even use a second cunning action to maneuver around the battlefield and dip in and out of stealth and melee range. This subclass also gets a better jump and takes less damage from falls. However, to really maximize the effectiveness of this subclass, it is best to approach it as a multiclass as lots of classes like Monk can take advantage of a second bonus action really well.
Assassin
This subclass focuses on Sneak Attacks to start combat with. The Assassinate feature grants you Advantage on attacks against enemies that haven't taken a turn yet and guarantees critical hits on surprised enemies. Assassin's Alacrity makes it so that you restore your action and Bonus Action at the start of combat, so if you start the fight with a sneak attack, it enables you to do it again which is a ton of damage. The action refreshing is great for dealing tons more damage to a single target, but it requires knowledge of fight locations so that you can start combat with the Assassin when the time is right to get the most value out of the subclass. This will often mean foregoing talking and instead striking your foes first. It can be helpful to character swap during dialogue that you know is going to end in combat, so you can surprise them.
Arcane Trickster
This class grants Rogue the ability to cast spells. It is great utility to have and can be fun, but it is easily the worst of the subclasses in terms of damage and usefulness, especially if you have a true caster in the party. This subclass can fill some gaps in a low-magic party but is made irrelevant by something like a Wizard. It doesn't really compare to Thief's extra bonus action and Assassins' huge sneak attack damage buffs. Instead, you gain Magical Ambush which gives enemies Disadvantage on saving throws while you are hidden which can be good for casting spells that require saves, like Hold Person or Charm. The nice part is that you can just hide while you concentrate on those spells so that you are not hit and lose concentration or follow it up with damage.
Best Multiclasses For Rogue
Rogue is a great class to both stick with for 12 levels and maximize your sneak attack, but it is also a great class to dip into since just one level of it unlocks sneak attacks, granted they aren't very strong without more levels. Most notably, Thief is a great reason to dip three levels into Rogue as you get Sneak Attacks, extra bonus action, Expertise, and the Cunning Actions which is a lot of value for any class trying to be sneaky and deal extra damage.
Gloomstalker Assassin
The Gloomstalker Ranger Assassin Rogue multi-class benefits from Assassin's huge damage from ambushes and sneak attacks with the Dread Ambusher ability of Gloomstalker Rangers for an even larger damage increase. This build thrives on turn-one sneak attacks and deals lots of damage in the process. Dread Ambusher buffs your first turn damage and movement as well as giving you all sorts of helpful stealth things and Ranger abilities like spells and fighting styles.
Shadow Monk Thief
The Shadow Monk is a subclass of Monk that gains access to lots of Stealth things like Pass Without A Trace and other spell casting using Ki. They can also jump around the Shadows which makes them really fun to play stealthy. Combine this with the Thief subclass for Rogue and gain access to sneak attacks as well as a second bonus action that you can use to make two unarmed attacks as a Monk for even more damage. As a Monk, you will want Dexterity and Wisdom and you will want to avoid armor. The Monk unarmored defense ability should keep your AC relatively high since it uses your Dexterity and Wisdom to add to it, so it's not a huge loss but rather something to keep in mind.
Best Feats For Rogue
Rogue is a flexible playstyle and adds lots of flavor to any build or party with its sneaky abilities and cunning both in and out of combat encounters. The feats you take might be heavily customized to the playstyle that fits the Rogue's place in your party. Be it the cunning liar or the stealthy assassin, all demand different feats to empower different playstyles. Here are a few feats that are good on Rogues of all kinds.
- Mobile: Mobility on Rogue is very important and Mobile not only gives you more movement and immunity to the slowing effects of difficult terrain, but it also lets you dart away after a melee strike without provoking an Opportunity Attack from the foe. This is a high-value feat for a Rogue, especially one that darts in and out of melee range from its target.
- Savage Attacker: This gives you Advantage on your melee attack damage rolls to make sure you always get the most damage possible from attacks. When you roll as many dice as a Rogue does on a sneak attack, another roll could mean a huge increase in damage. This is great on Assassins, especially for even more overall DPS.
- Alert: A +5 bonus to initiative is a powerful bonus on the Assassin subclass, particularly, as they have benefits against enemies who have not taken a turn yet. The immunity to being surprised isn't vastly important as you should be the one ambushing, but being immune to surprise will ensure your Rogue isn't killed during a surprise round. Take on Assassin if you aren't getting to go first enough, otherwise take something else.
- Lucky: Lucky can be a fun thing to take on Rogue as it gives them three luck points that can be spent per long rest to allow you to reroll, or force an enemy to do so. Luck allows you to cheat fate and avoid hits that they should have been hit by or turn a missed attack into a hit. This is a cool option to help make sure your crucial hits connect and the enemies have a harder time hitting you with attacks and spells. Just keep in mind the prompt for the reaction will show every single time you are about to get hit, which might annoy some. But being able to reroll a missed sneak attack or saving throw against a devastating spell three times can make those annoying prompts worth it.
- Dungeon Delver: A Rogue's role in the party outside of combat will often be to scout places out for traps, disarm those traps, and pick locks. Dungeon Delver gives them an Advantage on Perception checks to detect hidden objects and on savings throws to avoid or resist the trap damage as well as a resistance to that damage. This option is great for making sure you see every trap possible, and if the party stumbles upon a trap, at least the Rogue will be okay.
- Tough: Because of their stealth, Rogues are pretty limited to Light Armor and Dex bonus to give them the AC to stay alive. Enemies in this game will often target the easiest-to-hit enemy which can make Rogues a number one target, assuming they can be seen and hit. When Stealth fails, you can never go wrong with some extra hit points. Tough can help give you a lot more health, which can help a lot if you are a melee Rogue on a high-difficulty setting.
Best Weapon For Rogue
As a Dexterity-based class, Finesse weapons are your main source of damage. Things like Daggers, Rapiers, and Hand Crossbows allow you to sneak attack and get bonuses off your Dexterity rather than your Strength. Daggers and Hand Crossbows can also be dual-wielded, which lets you attack twice on your turn with them, but only one can be a sneak attack. Bows work until you find two Hand Crossbows, so you at least have a ranged sneak attack option while you look.