Rogue (Dungeons & Dragons)
Encyclopedia
The rogue or thief is one of the standard playable character class
in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks. The rogue is stealthy and dextrous, and currently the only official base class from the Player's Handbook
capable of finding and disarming many trap
s and picking locks. The rogue also has the ability to "sneak attack" ("backstab" in previous editions) enemies who are caught off-guard or taken by surprise, inflicting extra damage.
, Fritz Leiber's
The Gray Mouser, and Jack Vance
's Cugel the Clever
.
supplement. They had 4-sided hit dice under the new combat system introduced in that supplement.
. In the 1st edition the Thief character class was the only character class that any nonhuman type, such as an elf or dwarf or halfling could achieve unlimited levels in. In some lights, it must be stated that thieves can be a very noble class indeed, and this is reflected in the AD&D game rules, permitting thieves to be Neutral Good
or even Lawful Neutral, but never Lawful or Chaotic Good. Gary Gygax
has noted in hindsight that this may have been an oversight, as alignment was never meant to be viewed as an absolute hierarchy of best to worst, and character classes should reflect their medieval fantasy counterparts, even into accurate ethical and moral alignment license.
In the Players Handbook, the thief's hit dice improved to a d6. In 1st edition, thieves were swiftest to earn new levels. At the same time, under the 1st edition thieves were sharply limited by having their essential skills (such as Open Locks and Move Silently) defined as beginning at a flat chance of success of perhaps 10-20% regardless of most circumstances, and requiring perhaps ten levels to reach the point where they had much confidence in using them.
and Mentzer
) editions of the Basic
game, they could be Neutral or Chaotic, but not Lawful; also they had to be Human
, even in the Holmes
edition. They retained the same abilities (with the same high failure rates at low levels) as in the Original and Advanced games, and at higher (Companion
and Master) levels gained additional abilities, such as the ability to climb across ceilings.
. According to the second edition Player's Handbook, many famous folk heroes have been larcenous like the thief class, including Reynard the Fox, Robin Goodfellow
, and Ali Baba
.
In 2nd edition the term "Rogue" first appeared, used to describe the group of classes made up of those individuals "living by their wits day to day-often at the expense of others." In the core rules, these "rogue" classes were the thief and the bard
. All alignment restrictions on both classes were lifted.
The thief was the robber, the thug, or the "expert treasure hunter". They specialized in the acquisition of goods, stealth, and disarming traps. Unlike in 1st edition, 2nd edition allows thieves to specialize in skills so that they needed only a few levels to master two skills.
The assassin
class, a sub-class of the thief in first edition, was excluded from the second edition core rules. The assumption was that an assassin could be treated mechanically as a normal thief who simply specialized in assassination-related skills.
Bards, a completely revised class for Second Edition, are "glib of tongue, light of heart, and fleet of foot." Merging thieves, musicians and magic-users
, bards are the "jack of all trades". Bards share many of the thief's skills, albeit with a smaller pool of skill points, coupled with a limited selection of mage spells and a few Charisma-related musical abilities.
The thief class is further detailed in The Complete Thief's Handbook
.
The rogue class is given 8 skill points per level, higher than any other character class. However, the number of skill points is modified by the Intelligence attribute, so it is possible for a very low intellect rogue to be no better off than a particularly bright fighter, although they would still have a broader range of skills to choose from. Also, 3rd edition skills removed the flat percentage rolls that previous thieves had used, using their Difficulty Class mechanic to let a rogue have a better chance against the cheap locks and ordinary guards that might appear in lower-level games.
Modifying the skills system, rogues are normally the only class allowed to search for most traps; nobody else has the training to recognize them. However supplements to core D&D have added a few new classes that can also recognize traps, such as the scout.
The rogue has the ability to deliver a sneak attack whenever an opponent loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (i.e., when the opponent is flat-footed or flanked or cannot see the rogue). The rogue can then take advantage of this momentary weakness to strike at a vital part of the anatomy (provided the creature has a discernible enough anatomy to suffer a critical hit
). This ability was formerly a "backstab," which made it difficult to define when it might be applied in open combat. Allowing flanking (attacking while a teammate is on the opposite side of the target to create a sneak attack) makes the rogue deal a great amount of damage.
The Iconic rogue is Lidda, a halfling
female.
Rogues are not typically intended to act as front-line soldiers, but are instead meant to flank enemies. There they use their unique abilities to inflict great injury to the enemy. A well built rogue is capable of surpassing many other classes in terms of melee-damage, when the rogue is able to gain a special advantage over a target.
The most effective way of using a rogue's combat abilities is to position him or her in the back of the party, in the shadows at the fringes, or a like position with a bow. Using the hide skill to evade notice, the rogue can then sneak attack enemies within thirty feet and, in theory, not get damaged in the process. The disadvantage of this method is that that the bow rate of attack is lower than that of a melee weapon. Alternatively, the rogue can fight using two weapons and hence get multiple sneak attacks dealing extraordinary damage. Rogues are especially effective at eliminating enemy casters at the onset of battle due to their ability to sneak close and surprise the spell casters, who normally cannot survive a sneak attack due to them having low HP. Outside of combat, however, the rogue's role is determined largely by their skill selection. For example, although most rogues disable locks and traps, one rogue might be an acrobat who relies on climbing and balance skills, while another might rely on his ability to read obscure texts and use magical items.
Quite aside from their combat ability, having a rogue in the party is often essential in order to deal with traps, secret doors, and other mechanical contrivances that may impede the party's progress. Of course, some players can be trapped into believing that this is the sole reason for the class and neglect other benefits rogues can offer. They can be employed in scouting and intel, persuasion and barter (friendly or otherwise), and with a wealth of skill points, high-Intelligence rogues can turn their hand to almost anything. In the third edition, class abilities such as evasion and uncanny dodge, and skills such as tumble, can leave them unscathed in the face of hazards which would cripple a fighter or other conventional tank.
The value of rogues lies in the fact that they are versatile in numerous situations, including the cunning circumstances other characters may not be equipped to exploit.
Character class (Dungeons & Dragons)
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by his or her chosen class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes in order to...
in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. A rogue is a versatile character, capable of sneaky combat and nimble tricks. The rogue is stealthy and dextrous, and currently the only official base class from the Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
capable of finding and disarming many trap
Trap (tactic)
A trap is a device intended to catch an intruder or prey. "Trap" may also refer to the tactic of catching or harming an adversary. Conversely it may also mean a hindrance for change, being caught in a trap.-Device:*Animal trapping*Bird trapping...
s and picking locks. The rogue also has the ability to "sneak attack" ("backstab" in previous editions) enemies who are caught off-guard or taken by surprise, inflicting extra damage.
Creative origins
The abilities of the thief class were drawn from various archetypes from history and myth, but clear debts from modern fantasy literature can be traced to characters such as J.R.R. Tolkien's Bilbo BagginsBilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
, Fritz Leiber's
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
The Gray Mouser, and Jack Vance
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance is an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen...
's Cugel the Clever
The Eyes of the Overworld
The Eyes of the Overworld is a fantasy fixup by Jack Vance published in 1966, the second in the Dying Earth series. It features a series of linked stories detailing the travails of the self-proclaimed Cugel the Clever...
.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)
The thief class was introduced in the original 1975 GreyhawkGreyhawk (supplement)
Greyhawk is a supplementary rulebook written by Gary Gygax and Robert J. Kuntz for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
supplement. They had 4-sided hit dice under the new combat system introduced in that supplement.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
The thief was one of the standard character classes available in the original Player's HandbookPlayer's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
. In the 1st edition the Thief character class was the only character class that any nonhuman type, such as an elf or dwarf or halfling could achieve unlimited levels in. In some lights, it must be stated that thieves can be a very noble class indeed, and this is reflected in the AD&D game rules, permitting thieves to be Neutral Good
Neutral good
In economics, neutral goods are goods that have a demand that is not dependent to the income.Examples of neutral goods include prescription medicines for people with medical conditions, such as insulin for diabetics...
or even Lawful Neutral, but never Lawful or Chaotic Good. Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
has noted in hindsight that this may have been an oversight, as alignment was never meant to be viewed as an absolute hierarchy of best to worst, and character classes should reflect their medieval fantasy counterparts, even into accurate ethical and moral alignment license.
In the Players Handbook, the thief's hit dice improved to a d6. In 1st edition, thieves were swiftest to earn new levels. At the same time, under the 1st edition thieves were sharply limited by having their essential skills (such as Open Locks and Move Silently) defined as beginning at a flat chance of success of perhaps 10-20% regardless of most circumstances, and requiring perhaps ten levels to reach the point where they had much confidence in using them.
Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)
Thieves were available as a character class in the game's "Basic" edition. In the later (MoldvayTom Moldvay
Tom Moldvay was a game designer and author most notable for his work on early materials for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons .-Career:...
and Mentzer
Frank Mentzer
Jacob Franklin "Frank" Mentzer III , is an American fantasy author and game designer best known for his work on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He was a performing folk musician from 1968 to 1975, and played one concert at the White House during the...
) editions of the Basic
Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set
The original Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set boxed set was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1977, and comprised a separate edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, distinct from the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, which was initially published in the same...
game, they could be Neutral or Chaotic, but not Lawful; also they had to be Human
Human (Dungeons & Dragons)
Humans are a race available for player characters in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Although short-lived by comparison, humans are the most populous of all Dungeons & Dragons races. They are renowned for their diversity and ambition, and although they lack specializations like...
, even in the Holmes
John Eric Holmes
John Eric Holmes, M.D. , was a former associate professor of neurology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine, an author and promoter of fantasy role-playing games, a noted fan and enthusiast of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and an American writer of non-fiction, fantasy and science...
edition. They retained the same abilities (with the same high failure rates at low levels) as in the Original and Advanced games, and at higher (Companion
Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set
The Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...
and Master) levels gained additional abilities, such as the ability to climb across ceilings.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
The thief, as part of the "rogue" group, was one of the standard character classes available in the second edition Player's HandbookPlayer's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
. According to the second edition Player's Handbook, many famous folk heroes have been larcenous like the thief class, including Reynard the Fox, Robin Goodfellow
Puck (mythology)
In English folklore, Puck is a mythological fairy or mischievous nature sprite. Puck is also a generalised personification of land spirits. In more recent times, the figure of Robin Goodfellow is identified as a puck.-Etymology:...
, and Ali Baba
Ali Baba
Ali Baba is a fictional character from medieval Arabic literature. He is described in the adventure tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves...
.
In 2nd edition the term "Rogue" first appeared, used to describe the group of classes made up of those individuals "living by their wits day to day-often at the expense of others." In the core rules, these "rogue" classes were the thief and the bard
Bard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The bard is a standard playable character class in many editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The bard class is versatile, capable of combat and of magic . Bards use their artistic talents to induce magical effects...
. All alignment restrictions on both classes were lifted.
The thief was the robber, the thug, or the "expert treasure hunter". They specialized in the acquisition of goods, stealth, and disarming traps. Unlike in 1st edition, 2nd edition allows thieves to specialize in skills so that they needed only a few levels to master two skills.
The assassin
Assassin (Dungeons & Dragons)
The assassin is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It first appeared in 1975 in the Blackmoor supplement, as a thief sub-class. It next appeared in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons again as a thief sub-class...
class, a sub-class of the thief in first edition, was excluded from the second edition core rules. The assumption was that an assassin could be treated mechanically as a normal thief who simply specialized in assassination-related skills.
Bards, a completely revised class for Second Edition, are "glib of tongue, light of heart, and fleet of foot." Merging thieves, musicians and magic-users
Wizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
, bards are the "jack of all trades". Bards share many of the thief's skills, albeit with a smaller pool of skill points, coupled with a limited selection of mage spells and a few Charisma-related musical abilities.
The thief class is further detailed in The Complete Thief's Handbook
The Complete Thief's Handbook
The Complete Thief's Handbook is a supplemental rulebook published in 1989 for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
.
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
The thief became known as the rogue in 3rd edition. The class was renamed "rogue", to reflect the supposed new scope of any skilled and stealthy character. Spies, scouts, detectives, pirates, and sundry ne'er-do-wells, as well as thieves and just about any other character who relies on stealth or a broad range of skills, are stated to fall under the rogue class. In fact, the character class still bears only three large divergences from other character classes, namely their superior aptitude for skills, their capacity to notice traps, and their signature "sneak attack" maneuver.The rogue class is given 8 skill points per level, higher than any other character class. However, the number of skill points is modified by the Intelligence attribute, so it is possible for a very low intellect rogue to be no better off than a particularly bright fighter, although they would still have a broader range of skills to choose from. Also, 3rd edition skills removed the flat percentage rolls that previous thieves had used, using their Difficulty Class mechanic to let a rogue have a better chance against the cheap locks and ordinary guards that might appear in lower-level games.
Modifying the skills system, rogues are normally the only class allowed to search for most traps; nobody else has the training to recognize them. However supplements to core D&D have added a few new classes that can also recognize traps, such as the scout.
The rogue has the ability to deliver a sneak attack whenever an opponent loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (i.e., when the opponent is flat-footed or flanked or cannot see the rogue). The rogue can then take advantage of this momentary weakness to strike at a vital part of the anatomy (provided the creature has a discernible enough anatomy to suffer a critical hit
Critical hit
In many role-playing games and video games, a critical hit is a successful attack that deals more damage than a normal blow.-Origin:The 1975 role-playing game Empire of the Petal Throne introduced the concept of critical hits...
). This ability was formerly a "backstab," which made it difficult to define when it might be applied in open combat. Allowing flanking (attacking while a teammate is on the opposite side of the target to create a sneak attack) makes the rogue deal a great amount of damage.
The Iconic rogue is Lidda, a halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
female.
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)
On the offensive, rogues are focused on mobility and single target damage. Like all classes with the martial power source, Rogue powers are called exploits. At character creation, rogues must choose one of three versions of the Rogue Tactics class feature: Artful Dodger, Brutal Scoundrel or Ruthless Ruffian. Artful Dodger provides a defensive bonus against opportunity attacks based on charisma and allows many rogue attack exploits to gain fixed bonuses or charisma-based bonuses; Brutal Scoundrel allows sneak attacks to gain a strength-based damage bonus and allows many rogue attack exploits to gain fixed or strength-based bonuses; Ruthless Ruffian provides proficency with clubs and maces, allows those weapons to be used with sneak attacks in place of light blades, and allows many rogue powers to gain fixed or charisma-based bonuses. The Player's Handbook presented two Rogue builds, the Brawny Rogue, which uses the Brutal Scoundrel version of Rogue Tactics and focuses on strength in addition to dexterity and the Trickster Rogue, which uses the Artful Dodger form of Rogue Tactics and focuses on charisma in addition to dexterity. Two more builds are presented in Martial Power, the Aerialist Rogue, which uses the Artful Dodger version of Rogue Tactics and focuses on mobility-related powers and charisma and dexterity, and the Cutthroat Rogue, which focuses on powers with the Rattling keyword, and on dexterity, strength and charisma. Rogue attack exploits are generally Dexterity-based, and many rogue attack exploits are compatible with both melee and ranged weapons. The Rogue Weapon Talent class feature improves the damage of shuriken and the accuracy of daggers. In 4th edition, Sneak Attacks can be made once per turn against a target the rogue has combat advantage against, and can be made with light blades, crossbows and slings. Sneak Attacks do not need to be declared until after normal damage is rolled for an attack.Party duties
Rogues are deadly but somewhat vulnerable physical combatants. Their combat abilities are similar to those of the monk or the cleric, but they have relatively low Hit Points (1d6 per level) and are proficient only with fairly low-damage weapons. What advantages they have rely on high Dexterity, which augments their armor class and missile weapon aim, and in the Third Edition can be applied to such melee weapons as a rapier using the "Weapon Finesse" feat. The bulk of their skills are also improved by better Dexterity or Intelligence. As such rogues should have high values in one or both of these attributes. In the third edition, they should also have high Charisma, since they have several skills dependent on it as well.Rogues are not typically intended to act as front-line soldiers, but are instead meant to flank enemies. There they use their unique abilities to inflict great injury to the enemy. A well built rogue is capable of surpassing many other classes in terms of melee-damage, when the rogue is able to gain a special advantage over a target.
The most effective way of using a rogue's combat abilities is to position him or her in the back of the party, in the shadows at the fringes, or a like position with a bow. Using the hide skill to evade notice, the rogue can then sneak attack enemies within thirty feet and, in theory, not get damaged in the process. The disadvantage of this method is that that the bow rate of attack is lower than that of a melee weapon. Alternatively, the rogue can fight using two weapons and hence get multiple sneak attacks dealing extraordinary damage. Rogues are especially effective at eliminating enemy casters at the onset of battle due to their ability to sneak close and surprise the spell casters, who normally cannot survive a sneak attack due to them having low HP. Outside of combat, however, the rogue's role is determined largely by their skill selection. For example, although most rogues disable locks and traps, one rogue might be an acrobat who relies on climbing and balance skills, while another might rely on his ability to read obscure texts and use magical items.
Quite aside from their combat ability, having a rogue in the party is often essential in order to deal with traps, secret doors, and other mechanical contrivances that may impede the party's progress. Of course, some players can be trapped into believing that this is the sole reason for the class and neglect other benefits rogues can offer. They can be employed in scouting and intel, persuasion and barter (friendly or otherwise), and with a wealth of skill points, high-Intelligence rogues can turn their hand to almost anything. In the third edition, class abilities such as evasion and uncanny dodge, and skills such as tumble, can leave them unscathed in the face of hazards which would cripple a fighter or other conventional tank.
The value of rogues lies in the fact that they are versatile in numerous situations, including the cunning circumstances other characters may not be equipped to exploit.
External links
- D&D Wiki has all the SRDSystem Reference DocumentThe System Reference Document, or SRD, is a set of reference role playing game mechanics licensed under the Open Game License by Wizards of the Coast and based upon their Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. The SRD forms the basis of WotC's various d20 System role-playing games, including the...
Classes, including the Rogue.