Rogue 5eClass Guide & NPC Generator
Archetypes, the Sneak Attack table, Cunning Action, Expertise and the stats that matter — then forge a finished rogue NPC, portrait and all, without typing a thing twice.
A rogue is the answer to “what if one person were simply better at this than everyone”. Expertise makes you twice as good; Cunning Action means you were never standing there; Sneak Attack means once was enough. No spells by default — except the Arcane Trickster.
Choose your subclass
Rogue Subclasses — The Roguish Archetypes
Six ways to be the one who was already gone. Choose one; the forge follows.
The classic
Thief
Fast Hands — use an object, Disengage or pick a lock as a bonus action, every turn. Plus Use Magic Device at 13. Endlessly practical.
Full Thief guide →The Forge
Forge Thief Rogue
Everything you have chosen travels with you and arrives pre-filled. Nothing to type twice — just press Generate.
Thief · level 5 · pre-filled for you
Role in party
The Skirmisher
Rogue = the party’s scalpel — reliable burst damage on one target a turn, the best skills at the table, and never where the danger is aimed.
You want to solve problems the rest of the party can’t — locks, traps, scouts and the one enemy who has to die first — and slip out before anyone lands a hit.
Forged this morning
The Quiet Man
Assassin · Level 9 · Lawful Evil
The Quiet Man
Has never needed a second round. Keeps a ledger, and it balances — which is somehow the most frightening thing about him.
Chosen lineage
Best Races for a Rogue
Dexterity drives everything, so the best lineages either raise it or hand you the skills and tricks a rogue lives on.
Wood ElfGUIDE →
Dexterity and Wisdom, 35-foot speed and Mask of the Wild to hide in the open — the archetypal scout rogue.
HalflingGUIDE →
Lucky rerolls the 1s that ruin a Sneak Attack, and Naturally Stealthy lets you hide behind an ally.
Half-ElfGUIDE →
Float the points into DEX and CON, then take Expertise-worthy skills — the sociable Swashbuckler chassis.
Variant HumanGUIDE →
Alert or Skulker online at level 1 — the build comes together immediately.
Rock GnomeGUIDE →
Gnome Cunning guards your weak saves, and the Intelligence suits an Arcane Trickster.
The whole damage budget
Sneak Attack & Core Tricks
Rogues have no spell list — this is the kit that replaces it. Sneak Attack is once per turn, not per round, so it fires on reaction attacks too.
Where the points go
Rogue Builds — Where the Points Go
Dexterity does six jobs at once — attack, damage, armour class, initiative, Stealth and half your skills. This is the least ambiguous stat spread in the game.
Any rogue
Dexterity is attack, damage, armour class, initiative, Stealth and half your skills. Nothing else comes close.
Arcane Trickster
Intelligence only sets your spell save DC; most of your spells (Shield, Misty Step) do not care. It can stay modest.
Face / Swashbuckler
Rakish Audacity adds Charisma to initiative, and you were going to be the party’s liar anyway.
Top picks
Best Feats for a Rogue
A rogue wins by acting first, hiding well and landing the one attack that matters — so the best feats buy initiative, stealth and range.
Multiclass combos
Best Rogue Multiclass Combos
A few levels elsewhere buy the rogue a second attack, more slots or a subclass trick — all feeding one big Sneak Attack a turn.
Rogue / FighterGUIDE →
Action Surge and a second attack mean two shots at landing Sneak Attack, plus armour and a Fighting Style.
Rogue / RangerGUIDE →
Extra Attack, Hunter’s Mark and a Gloom Stalker’s first-round nova — the deadliest ambush rogue in the game.
Rogue / BardGUIDE →
Bardic Inspiration, more skills and Flourishes stacked onto Expertise — the ultimate face and problem-solver.
Armory
Best Rogue Equipment by Tier
What to carry as you level — from a first set of tools to a legendary blade.
The Long Con
Features by Level
From the forge
Rogues Made Here
Six archetypes, six alibis. Take any one — the whole build travels with it.
Pip Nettlefoot
Small, quiet, and already behind you. Your coin purse feels lighter, doesn’t it?
Use this build →
The Quiet Man
Has never needed a second round. Keeps a ledger, and it balances.
Use this build →
Fenwick Sly
The hand you are watching is not the one doing it. Neither is the other one.
Use this build →
Isolde Marr
Fights alone on purpose and wins anyway, then explains at length how she did it.
Use this build →
Wren Ashfoot
Was never where the ambush was aimed. Has walked out of four that nobody else survived.
Use this build →
Nul
Searched, stripped and locked in — and still armed. They have stopped searching her.
Use this build →Counsel
Frequently Asked
What is a rogue in D&D 5e?
The skill and precision class: Sneak Attack for burst damage, Expertise to be twice as good at what you do, and Cunning Action to hide, dash or disengage every single turn. No spells by default — rogues win by never being where the problem is.
How do I build a rogue in 5e?
Max Dexterity — it is attack, damage, armour class, initiative and Stealth. Constitution second. Take Expertise in Stealth and Perception (or Thieves’ Tools), and pick your archetype at level 3. Get Sneak Attack every turn; nothing else matters as much.
How does Sneak Attack work?
Once per *turn*, not per round: if you have advantage, or an ally is within 5 feet of the target and you do not have disadvantage, add the dice. Because it is once per turn, you can also use it on a reaction attack in someone else’s turn.
What is the best rogue subclass?
Arcane Trickster and Swashbuckler are the strongest. Trickster gets Shield, Booming Blade and Find Familiar — it patches every rogue weakness. Swashbuckler is the only rogue that reliably sneak-attacks with no ally nearby. Thief is the most practical.
Do rogues get spells?
Not by default. The Arcane Trickster archetype grants a small wizard list from level 3 — mostly enchantment and illusion, plus the important ones: Shield, Absorb Elements and Find Familiar. Every other rogue is fully non-magical.
What are the best stats for a rogue?
Dexterity first, and it is not close — attack, damage, AC, initiative and Stealth all key off it. Constitution second for hit points. Wisdom third, since it is the most commonly targeted save. Intelligence only if you are an Arcane Trickster.
Is Reliable Talent as good as it sounds?
Yes. From level 11, any d20 under 10 becomes a 10 on skills you are proficient in — combined with Expertise, a rogue with +11 Stealth literally cannot roll below 21. You stop failing at your specialty, permanently.
You Were Never Here
Read the rules, choose your archetype, and forge the rogue — all on one page. Your first is free.
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