Dungeons & Dragons: 5 Tips For Building A Rogue

Dungeons and Dragons

By Elizabeth Orchard

Published May 25, 2024

In Dungeons & Dragons, rogues are one of the most iconic and easy-to-understand classes, perfect for beginners and veterans alike. They are exactly as advertised: conniving scoundrels armed with cloak and dagger, sneaking through the shadows looking for throats and purses to cut. Their vast utility in and out of combat makes rogues a necessity in any balanced adventuring party.

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However, building a Dungeons & Dragons character takes some work and can be daunting for some newer players. A good Dungeon Master will be more than happy to help out with character creation, but here are a few tips to get players thinking about what kind of rogue they want to be.

Note: This article will be using content from The Player’s Handbook . Additional sources and homebrew content will not be included.

5 Race/Subrace

The Forgotten Realms Has Many Walks of Life

Like any good fantasy world, the Dungeons & Dragons universe contains many otherworldly races. After choosing a character’s class, their race is the next big step. Now, players can play whatever they like to suit their character’s vision. However, each race does have certain unique characteristics called “Racial Traits” that make them better suited for some classes than others.

For example, elves make for excellent rogues, thanks to their +2 to Dexterity and Perception Proficiency. Lightfoot Halflings have bonuses to both Dexterity and Charisma, and their “Naturally Stealthy” trait makes them great at hiding. Forest Gnomes have +1 to Dexterity and can cast Minor Illusion (perfect for creating a diversion), while Tieflings have +2 to Charisma, which is a rogue’s second-most important stat.

4 Ability Scores

The Foundation of All Character Sheets

Dungeons & Dragons uses six base stats: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma. When building a character, players will use a set of six numbers and decide which number to assign to each stat. There are several methods of generating these numbers, from manually rolling dice to using the standard array. The focus here is that different classes prioritize different stats.

When assigning stats to a rogue, Dexterity should always be at the top. The second most important will either be Charisma (for the smooth-talkers) or Intelligence (for the investigators). A good Constitution score is also a good priority since it increases the amount of health points. Last but not least is Strength and Wisdom (since rogues aren’t known for their brute strength or wise life choices).

3 Skill Proficiencies

Building A Rogue With A Specific Set of Skills

Vax'ildan, receiving a flower made from the Druidcraft of Keyleth.

Everyone has stuff they’re good at. In Dungeons & Dragons, those things are called Proficiencies. They allow players to add their Proficiency Bonus to any roll regarding that skill. At level 1, rogues can be Proficient in four of the following skills. When choosing them, players should consider which skills their rogue will rely on most, as well as their base stat modifiers.

Skill	Core Stat	What Is It Good For?
Acrobatics	Dexterity	Performing tricky stunts.
Athletics	Strength	Climbing, swimming, and jumping.
Deception	Charisma	Telling a convincing lie.
Insight	Wisdom	Understanding another person's intentions or behavior.
Intimidation	Charisma	Threatening others into submission.
Investigation	Intelligence	Searching for clues.
Perception	Wisdom	Scanning the area.
Performance	Charisma	Entertaining an audience.
Persuasion	Charisma	Convincing another person.
Sleight of Hand	Dexterity	Performing a task discreetly.
Stealth	Dexterity	Moving without being spotted.

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Among the selected Profiencies, players can also choose two of them to have Expertise in, which doubles their Proficiency bonus. They can also use one of these Expertises towards their Thieves' Tools. This is highly recommended since rogues will be lockpicking a lot.

2 Subclasses

Time For Rogues To Branch Out

Jarlaxle Baenre poised to attack the side of the image, Dungeons & Dragons

At level 3, each D&D class chooses their subclass. For rogues, the choices are Assassin, Thief, or Arcane Trickster. Some players may already have a subclass in mind when first creating their character. Others, especially newer players, may need to play with their rogues for a while and see what they like best about the class first.

For example, players who love sneaking, stabbing, and doing loads of damage should go with Assassin. Players who prefer agility and skullduggery ought to consider being a Thief. And for those who might be feeling some FOMO toward all the spellcasters in their party should go with Arcane Trickster.

1 Backgrounds and Feats

The Final Customization Options

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Many Dungeons & Dragons players give their beloved characters backstories to explain why they are who they are and do what they do. Others just prefer to focus on stats and combat rather than storytelling. Regardless, each character has an official Background to give them a little extra flair. Some ideal Backgrounds for rogues include Charlatan, Criminal, or Urchin.

Similarly, feats are additional talents a character obtains as they level up, making their playstyle more unique. At levels 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, and 19, rogues can either increase their ability scores or select one of the following suggested Feats:

Feat:	Benefit:
Alert	+5 to Initiative Cannot be Surprised Enemies don’t get advantage on attack rolls when you can’t see them
Dungeon Delver	Advantage on Perception/Investigation check to look for hidden doors Advantage on saving throws to avoid/resist traps Resistance to damage from traps Traveling quickly doesn’t decrease Passive Perception
Mobile	Speed increases by 10 feet. Dashing while on difficult terrain doesn’t decrease movement speed. After making a melee attack against a creature, moving away from them doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
Sharpshooter	Making a ranged attack at a long range does not impose Disadvantage on the attack roll Ranged attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover If you succeed on a Dexterity savings throw and only take half damage, you can use your reaction to reduce it to no damage.
Skilled	Gain proficiency in any three skills or tools of your choosing.
Skulker	You can hide in lightly obscured areas When you make a ranged attack and miss while hidden, your attack doesn’t reveal your position Dim lighting doesn’t give Disadvantage to sight-based Perception checks.