Rogue

“You look surprised to see me. If you’d been paying attention, you might still be alive.”

CLASS TRAITS

Role: Striker. You dart in to attack, do massive damage, and then retreat to safety. You do best when teamed with a defender to flank enemies.
Power Source: Martial. Your talents depend on extensive training and constant practice, innate skill, and natural coordination.
Key Abilities: Dexterity, Strength, Charisma

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather.
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, hand crossbow, short sword, shuriken, sling.
Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12+ Constitution Score.
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6+ Constitution Modifier.

Trained Skills: Stealth, Thievery. From the class skills list below, choose 4 more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Bluff (Cha), Dungeoneering (Wis), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Streetwise (Cha), Thievery (Dex).

Build Options: Aerialist Rogue, Brawny Rogue, Cutthroat Rogue, Trickster Rogue.
Class features: First Strike, Rogue Tactics, Rogue Weapon Talent, Sneak Attack.

Rogues are cunning and elusive adversaries. Rogues slip into and out of shadows on a whim, pass anywhere across the field of battle without fear of reprisal, and appear suddenly only to drive home a lethal blade.
    As a rogue, you might face others’ preconceptions regarding your motivations, but your nature is your own to mold. You could be an agent fresh from the deposed king’s shattered intelligence network, an accused criminal on the lam seeking to clear your name, a wiry performer whose goals transcend the theatrical stage, a kid trying to turn around your hard-luck story, or a daredevil thrill-seeker who can’t get enough of the adrenaline rush of conflict. Or perhaps you are merely in it for the gold, after all.
    With a blade up your sleeve and a concealing cloak across your shoulders, you stride forth, eyes alight with anticipation. What worldly wonders and rewards are yours for the taking?

CREATING A ROGUE

The aerialist rogue, brawny rogue, cutthroat rogue, and trickster rogue are the four rogue builds. Dexterity, Charisma, and Strength are the rogue’s most important ability scores.

AERIALIST ROGUE

Appears in Martial Power
All rogues are known for their agility and daring, but you take both to the next level. Ducking under a giant’s club isn’t enough; you leap over it and cartwheel to safety. You’re a masterful mover and an expert top-story burglar, using your abilities to tumble into the fray, into high openings, and out of all sorts of tight spots. Dexterity is your primary ability score, because you rely on it for your attacks and acrobatic stunts. Charisma is secondary for you, useful in avoiding opportunity attacks if you employ the Artful Dodger tactic. Strength serves you well as a tertiary ability, helping your Athletics checks in particular.
    Suggested Feat: Defensive Mobility (Human feat: Sure Climber)
    Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Perception, Stealth, Thievery
    Suggested At-Will Powers: deft strike, riposte strike
    Suggested Encounter Power: fox’s gambit
    Suggested Daily Power: handspring assault

BRAWNY ROGUE

You like powers that deal plenty of damage, aided by your Strength, and also stun, immobilize, knock down, or push your foes. Your attacks use Dexterity, so keep that your highest ability score. Strength should be a close second—it increases your damage directly, and it can determine other effects of your attacks. Charisma is a good third ability score, particularly if you want to dabble in powers from the other rogue build. Select the brutal scoundrel rogue tactic, and look for powers that pack a lot of damage into every punch.
    Suggested Feat: Weapon Focus (Human feat: Toughness)
    Suggested Skills: Athletics, Dungeoneering, Intimidate, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery
    Suggested At-Will Powers: piercing strike, riposte strike
    Suggested Encounter Power: torturous strike
    Suggested Daily Power: easy target

CUTTHROAT ROGUE

Appears in Martial Power
Leave smiles and misdirection to the tricksters. Instead, you use your animal magnetism in a more beastly way, oozing menace and implying a willingness to allow those who cross you to linger in pain. A friendly manner is for the weak; you achieve your way through tough words, hard looks, and the ability to back up either. Your attacks use Dexterity, so that should be your highest ability score. Charisma follows as a close second, essential for getting your way by using Intimidate. Strength comes in third; it’s useful in delivering brutal attacks if you employ the Ruthless Ruffian tactic.
    Suggested Feat: Press the Advantage (Human feat: Backstabber)
    Suggested Skills: Bluff, Insight, Intimidate, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery
    Suggested At-Will Powers: disheartening strike, sly flourish
    Suggested Encounter Power: termination threat
    Suggested Daily Power: checking jab

TRICKSTER ROGUE

You like powers that deceive and misdirect your foes. You dart in and out of the fray in combat, dodging your enemies’ attacks or redirecting them to other foes. Most of your attack powers rely on Dexterity, so that should be your best ability score. Charisma is important for a few attacks, for Charisma-based skills you sometimes use in place of attacks, and for other effects that depend on successful attacks, so make Charisma your second-best score. Strength is useful if you want to choose powers intended for the other rogue build. Select the artful dodger rogue tactic. Look for powers that take advantage of your high Charisma score, as well as those that add to your trickster nature.
    Suggested Feat: Backstabber (Human feat: Human Perseverance)
    Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Insight, Perception, Stealth, Thievery
    Suggested At-Will Powers: deft strike, sly flourish
    Suggested Encounter Power: positioning strike
    Suggested Daily Power: trick strike

ROGUE CLASS FEATURES

All rogues share these class features.

FIRST STRIKE
At the start of an encounter, you have combat advantage against any creatures that have not yet acted in that encounter.

ROGUE TACTICS
Rogues operate in a variety of ways. Some rogues use their natural charm and cunning trickery to deceive foes. Others rely on brute strength to overcome their enemies.     
Choose one of the following tactics below. The choice you make also provides bonuses to certain rogue powers. Individual powers detail the effects (if any) your Rogue Tactics selection has on them.

Artful Dodger
You gain a bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier against opportunity attacks.

Brutal Scoundrel
You gain a bonus to Sneak Attack damage equal to your Strength modifier.

Ruthless Ruffian
Appears in Martial Power
You are proficient with the club and the mace, and you can use those weapons with Sneak Attack or any rogue power or rogue paragon path power that normally requires a light blade. If you use a club or a mace to deliver an attack that has the rattling keyword, add your Strength modifier to the damage roll.

ROGUE WEAPON TALENT
When you wield a shuriken, your weapon damage die increases by one size. When you wield a dagger, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

SNEAK ATTACK
Once per round, when you have combat advantage against an enemy and hit that enemy with an attack that uses a crossbow, a light blade, or a sling, the attack deals extra damage. If you have dealt Sneak Attack damage since the start of your turn, you cannot deal it again until the start of your next turn. You decide whether to apply the extra damage after making the damage roll. As you advance in level, your extra damage increases.

Level	Sneak Attack Damage
1st–10th	+2d6
11th–20th	+3d6
21st–30th	+5d6

First published in Player's Handbook.

Go to Rogue's Powers List