Happy to be here! We're having fun with it, and we're still trying to find our 'groove' I guess you could say. We have a lot of ideas, but limited time to create. Haha :P
While I agree, in my article I think I linked to some statistical analysis about how often the third d20 doesn't actually help much. It's an interesting bit of math that surprised me. I omitted it mostly because it's a little overhyped, in my opinion, and based on the math I've seen, but I'd never turn anyone away from it. Elven Accuracy is good. :) Thank you for watching and commenting!
Sentinel on a rogue is amazing, especially if they work in tandem with a supporting martial subclass like a cavalier, ancestral guardian, and armorer that increase the rogues defensive capabilities when sacrificing mobility to stay in melee. I like cavalier the best as there are negatives for the creature regardless of if it attacks that fighter or rogue.
I would say the Piercer feat from TCoE is pretty awesome for a rogue because they almost always use piercing damage, and it is applicable to ranged and melee attacks. The Alert feat from the PHB is great for Assassins specifically. If you max out your Dex it gives +10 to initiative which makes it very likely you go early in combat, allowing you to automatically deal your Sneak Atk. Against an enemy of your choice.
I totally agree! I filmed this prior to TCoE release, so I'll add a bit in the description about how Piercer is pretty good too. I said so on social media but forgot to add it to this video's description. :)
My DM let my arcane trickster gain sneak attack damage on my cantrips provided they require an attack role and of course that I have advantage. He justified this as being almost the same as a rogue using a crossbow just more flavorful for a spellcasting rogue. So this gave me incentive to try the spell sniper feat which granted me double range, ignoring partial types of cover, and an extra cantrip from various classes which I took Eldritch Blast. A fair amount of my other spells and skills are more for RP / espionage.
That's great! The Soulknife Rogue in Tasha's is a similar concept, after all, using 'magical' attacks that gain Sneak Attack. You might as well do what sounds fun, and utilizing cantrips more as an Arcane Trickster sounds like a good time.
A few feats I would add to the list for consideration (in no particular order) Sharpshooter for range and +10 damage Martial Adept for Precision Fighting Initiate for +2 ranged attack or damage for dueling Ritual Caster (Wizard) for Find Familiar and enhanced utility without spell slots
Not every rogue, but healer on a Thief is really strong, use bonus action and a healers kit to bring up a downed ally to 1hp or heal an ally with scaling healing since you can use an item with your bonus action.
Hi Jeff! It effectively gives the Thief a close-up Healing Word, haha. If the Thief could use the Healer feat's healing ability as a bonus action too, that'd be super useful. The stabilize is good enough, though. Thanks for pointing it out!
@@FlutesLoot I think it’s the same ‘use an item’ interaction for the heal or the stabilize a downed ally at 1hp so a Thief healer can get a lot of mileage from a 10 use consumable healers kit. That healing can only be applied once per rest to each ally though, so it’s not something you can do over and over again on your frontliners mid encounter.
Mobile is one of the best feats in the game! I just wrote an article about how critical movement tactics are, and it really highlights the usefulness of Mobile for staying out of trouble and kiting enemies.
Now that I think about it, that means you can double your chances to hit an enemy in normal melee. (no stealth, but probably at least one or more allies attacking your target.) You could wield 2 light weapons, and if you miss with a your attack action, you can bonus action to try and hit with the offhand, and still get the sneak attack damage from an ally threatening/attacking your target, and then dip out. And there are plenty of other things to do, like the Mastermind subclass could help an ally, while still disengaging from enemies after attacking.
I really like that you write articles for your videos! Or make videos for your articles? Either way! I like being able to read more about the topic, so thanks and keep it up. Earned a sub from me.
I did poisoner helps with some skill checks and also allows you to make your proficiency bonus worth of them in an hour and on a hit DC 14 con save or take 2/d8 and be poisoned until next turn has some other stuff seems pretty awesome
Strangely, a race I found that gets a lot out of the rogue class is the Lizardfolk (pre book with all races and changes) Around a year ago I did a thought experiment that without multi-classing what combination gave me the most skill proficiencies. That turned out to be a Lizardfolk scout rogue with the sailor background. I think I had 11 out of 18 proficiencies at level 3.
Fighting Initiate can be really helpful, Sharpshooter can demolish any character ir you add the Steady Aim, and Weapon Master can get you access to more DEX weapons if you're not an Elf. There's something truly special in being a Dhampir, climbing a wall, and shooting arrows with a Longbow with advantage due to the Steady Aim and adding Sharpshooter on top of your Sneak Attack.
The Martial Adept Feat seems like prime real estate for most Rogues, other than maybe for the Arcane Trickster. Any two combat maneuvers among Ambush, Riposte, Trip Attack, Commanding Presence, Evasive Footwork, Bait and Switch, and Feinting Attack, seem really good for a Rogue trying to proc Sneak Attack, unless they somehow already have a Familiar (such as Find Familiar and the like). Which reminds me: For Variant Humans especially, the Magic Initiate (Wizard) Feat and Ritual Caster Feat (Wizard) at level 1 seem absurdly good with non-Arcane Trickster Rogues.
Hi Simon, as someone who loves to see Rogues multiclass with Fighters, I agree with you. I've yet to pick the maneuver-based feats, though. They offer such a limited resource that I often go for other things, but maneuvers are still great for Rogues to have.
@@FlutesLoot, I'd say that over 20 levels, if the intended direction for a PC is a split between Rogue and Fighter, then a Dex-based Battle Master Fighter would be right up this PC's alley, via this feat. 3 levels in Fighter to pick up Battle Master subclass, in order to get Combat Maneuvers, seems rather solid, not counting the fact that there's an option to go 2 more levels to get a 2nd attack from the Fighter class (along with an ASI). A person could fairly easily end up with a 17/3 or a 15/5 split, in favor of Rogue (17 Rogue/3 Fighter, or 15 Rogue/5 Fighter). The major complication I see to this approach is that a fair number of modules aren't designed past tier 2 play, and a few others (Curse of Strahd, for example) dead end at early tier 3 play. This makes most types of theorycrafting pointless, unless the type of theorycrafting a PC is going for is for one which comes online no later than between late tier 1, and mid tier 2 (i.e., between levels 4-5, and 7-8). {The only module that's an exception to this rule, that I both know of, and is A.L. legal, is DotMM (Mad Mage), which starts at level 5 and goes to 20.} I'd also make mention that Combat Superiority Dice are a short-rest dependent mechanic, much like a Warlock's spellcasting. Thus, the only real barrier would be how many short rests are the party allowed per day by the DM.
@@simondiamond9628 All good points. My wife wrote an article entirely devoted to why she loves multiclassing Rogue+Fighter. I swear she made five characters in a row that were different types of Rogue/Fighter haha. You're right that theory crafting is fun but often pointless based on the tiers of play that are reached. I've learned that it's very important to set leveling expectations for a campaign. Even going from 1-20, I'm surprised to hear that some DMs are pretty harsh by disallowing multiclassing. If I were a Rogue/Fighter with the Battlemaster subclass, I'd certainly consider feats to enhance my maneuvers and give me more dice. It's when I haven't multiclassed in that way that I'd probably consider other options first. Still tempting though to get maneuvers!
@@FlutesLoot, as a returning DM myself, your concern with PC's multiclassing deserves some discussion. I think the main two things to consider with multiclassing is as follows: A newer player's lack of familiarity with the game's rules, and more seasoned PC's who dip in order to unbalance the game (i.e., "break the game"). Now the first point isn't as much of a big deal as the 2nd point. Newer players don't really tend to pick up the mechanical nuances of M/C dipping, so often times, dipping tends to become more of a stumbling block for them which tends to stymie their enjoyment of the game. It also tends to slog the game down, depending on the M/C dip, which is why I personally, as a DM, ask players that they have some experience with the game (at least a year or more) before opening up the M/C dip option to them. To be fair, Multiclassing can be good for character arc and storyline progression, and often when I have seen others M/C in this way, it tends to augment their abilities and strengthening their PC's weaknesseses, without disrupting the game. An example of this could be a life domain cleric with a lower than average STR. score taking Warlock or Wizard levels for certain ranged spell attack Cantrips, because they envisioned their Cleric as more of a Preacher type, than a battle cleric. As for more seasoned PC's who dip in order to unbalance the game (i.e., "break the game"), that's where the real issue comes in. Someone who knows the game's nuances can dip into two separate single ability dependent classes and turn their PC into a monsterous powerhouse. [Examples could include a Warlock who dips into Sorcerer, or a Fighter who dips into Barbarian.] Depending on the nature of the dip, how deep the dip is, and the rationale for the dip, that could lead into situations where a PC unbalances a game and makes it oppressive for everyone else sitting at the table by forcing the DM to increase the CR rating for opposing enemy forces. Now as a PC myself, I'm all for bending the game's rules, as long as it's done responsibly, and doesn't completely detract from the DM's ability to run the game. But there is a fine line for that seasoned PC to walk, and it's not an easy one to walk at all. Even single class PC's, depending on their background, can make for potentially unbalanced games unless they're monitored (like a Celestial Pact Warlock taking the Golgari Agent background in order to get access to Animate Dead as a spell). It's definitely a balancing act.
@@simondiamond9628 I hear you. I've personally not had issues with multiclassing becoming a problem. People I play with tend to save the absurd builds for one-shots because they wouldn't want to stunt their characters for the first fifteen levels, lol. I find that campaigns tend to have reasonable characters, but I gather that my experience is in the minority. I personally have never experienced anything gamebreaking, but that may be more indicative of my preference to allow players to do what they want within the rules and see what happens. Have you experienced problems with multiclassing in your games? I've yet to hear of multiclassing as a problem that didn't seem, to me, like a player-to-player issue.
Great video! I think a feat that I would normally just completely ignore in most cases but might actually benefit a rogue would be savage attacker. Since you only get 1 attack per turn and maybe an attack of opportunity, the ability to just freely reroll the damage and get to take either roll is pretty good. May not be a big deal in some campaigns, but if you are in a combat heavy/rp light campaign then it actually might be worth it to up the damage output. Just a thought!
Thanks Ian! I would agree with you on Savage Attacker if it allowed Sneak Attack dice to be rerolled. Since it only works on the weapon's damage dice, it's not a feat I love. However, the new feat Piercer would be a great choice, especially since it will also benefit a Rogue's ranged attacks with crossbows. I don't know why I filmed feat videos before Tasha's came out, haha. I should've waited so I could include them in the video.
I'm going with the Shadow Touched feat for my arcane trickster(currently at level 3). I do this because i only need one charisma increase to increase the modifier. It also gives me two new spells (invisibility and inflict wounds) which i can use once daily without spell slots. That means i can use invisibility earlier (but only once). Inflict Wounds is also a touch spell that can be transferred by a summoned familiar (and after the free daily casting it only costs a spell slot). I'm not desperate to avoid opportunity attacks, since I can use Silvery Barbs, Misty Steps and disengage quite well.
Me too! My Phantom Rogue chose it and can now go into ghost mode with Invisibility. Last week I scouted a whole Yuan-ti temple without any substantial risks.
Martial adept...disarm a spell caster of his spell focus...use familiar to fly by and take it...same for weapons...pact of the chain mix with rogue, its so good
I've currently got a rogue build. Rogue Scout with a 1 level fighter dip, with Sharpshooter. I am a sharpshooter with a longbow, the ultimate back line ranged menace.
You can't go wrong there! Scouts are effective at getting into position to make the most of that longbow range as long as they have line of sight and aren't limited by darkness. I love the Scout Rogue.
I noticed in the description you mentioned that piercer doesn’t apply to sneak attack dice. Just wondering if that’s how you interpret the feat or if you’ve read that somewhere. My interpretation is that you could reroll a sneak attack die, since the wording of piercer says “you can reroll one of the *attack’s* damage dice” and not “you can reroll one of the *weapon’s* damage dice”. You’ve only attacked once, and the damage is all dealt at once, so presumably the sneak attack damage dice count as damage dice for that attack. To my mind, you could reroll a sneak attack die for the same reason you double sneak attack dice on a critical- it’s not extra damage that’s added after the attack, it’s all part of the same attack. Moreover, the entire attack does piercing damage. It’s not as though the only part of the attack that does piercing damage is the damage rolled on the damage die for the weapon- the damage you roll with your sneak attack dice counts as piercing damage as long as you attacked with a weapon that does piercing damage.
Hi Jaxon, I had included that caveat because I was comparing Piercer's interpretation to the way the Savage Attacker feat was used for all damage dice early in 5e before it was clarified that it was only the damage dice of the weapon itself. After reading your comment, I realized my caveat is not needed. Since Piercer only allows the rerolling of a single die from the attack, and your logic is sound, it seems that Piercer could apply to reroll a Sneak Attack die. This would probably only be helpful if the weapon was smaller than Sneak Attack's 1d6, so it's pretty inconsequential either way. I removed that caveat from my description to avoid confusion and to be more accurate as you described. Thank you!
I've thought about the value of True Strike for a Rogue that isn't an Arcane Trickster, but I'd prefer to pick Find Familiar to have a familiar that can use the Help action. Downside is the familiar can die. True Strike does have a use here (unlike most other places hehe). I guess you could do both! A feat is a heavy price to pay, though. The new optional feature for Rogues in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Take Aim, is something I would allow for a Rogue in my game before starving them for advantage so much that they go for True Strike. :P
Actor is fun, especially with telepathy features, when you can potentially attempt to impersonate someone's inner monologue or something like a sending spell. Might even be able to make someone think someone else said something or some other noise occurs, but that depends on whether your DM allows you to manipulate the directionality of your telepathy to 'throw your voice. '
Good stuff! I'm a big fan of grapple on my Battlemaster, but fir some reason never considered it on a rogue. But I've never played a strength-based rogue. If I'd have thought more about grapple, I probably would have.
Hi Castle Romeo, there was another comment with similar surprise that I excluded Skulker. Here's my reasoning as to why I left it off my list: The average game that I've observed does not use dim light or hiding rules fully or at all, making Skulker all but useless. I don't doubt that some games would allow it to be useful, though I'm not convinced I'd choose it even then. I wrote an article that rates each feat in D&D 5e, including new feats from Tasha's. I wrote the following there about Skulker after rating it poorly: "This feat would be mechanically sound, but the mechanics it attempts to exploit are not widely understood by average DM’s and players. The features of Skulker are almost useless in average games that aren’t taking time to check on lighting that is dim, or how obscured a character is for a stealth roll. I can’t rate Skulker as highly because of this fact. That said, I won’t give it abysmal ratings because I know it can be useful at tables that are honoring these rules. One way to improve Skulker would be to add a benefit of double proficiency bonus (like expertise) to attack rolls against creatures that you are hidden from. This would be appealing to stealthy characters to further guarantee that they don’t miss those stealthy shots, and if they do, their positions are not revealed." Those are my thoughts on Skulker. What are your thoughts?
My Rogue is 4th level and has great proficiency bonuses etc. But I fail almost every roll i make because no matter what dice i use...i roll low. It sucks.
bad stereotype i have for most rouge is that they don't have a good education due to them being criminal or urchins. but that being said they are sharp minded individuals so them being skill monkeys makes sense
I tend to see Rogues as extremely intelligent characters, but in a different way from Wizards. This is reinforced by their proficiency with Intelligence saving throws. :)
@@FlutesLoot i guess they would have knowledge of many things depending on their background, training, and area of work. political assassin or theif. but i often think they use base knowledge they know. a short dagger throw or a long bow shot. intelligent but different
Sentinel is a risky gambit for a Rogue. Sure you get two sneak attacks and stop your target from fleeing. But your the rogue. your not built to take hits and you just used your reaction to sneak attack to instead of using it on uncanny dodge on the attack your new friend is about to deliver to you.
Yup, some Rogues won't choose this option and may even stick to ranged attacks. But it can be advantageous for Rogues like the Swashbuckler who specialize in singling out enemies to use Sentinel to punish retreats or Uncanny Dodge to defend against a single attack's damage. Rogues have many options. :)
Hi sebastian gregg! While I love Duelist, I don't know that I'd classify it as OP when the Rogue already utilizes reactions for opportunity attacks that include Sneak Attack. They can also use their reaction defensively with Uncanny Dodge. However, Duelist can negate damage entirely if the AC bump is right! Extra Attack is helpful for making sure you land a hit, and it's even better if you have other ways to augment your attack damage/effects by multiclassing with something like a Battlemaster Fighter.
play a tabaxi scout rogue with mobile and a wizard near by to cast haste on you. throw in a magic item like some boots that enhance movement speed and you will be about to go at light speed
@@FlutesLoot weavers are basically arachnes (spider people) meaning i have darkvision, spider climb, web sense, web walker, and spider silk. the feat that i chose was the mobile feat.
I find that its benefits don't translate to the way most groups play the game, meaning they don't run stealth/surprise/perception and that sort of stuff as the game designers intended, thus rendering Skulker moot.
Instead of talking about the feat selections i disagree with, i'll just highlight the ones i particularly like for the rogue that you mentioned as well as mention 8 feats that i think you missed out on that are great for rogues: 1. feytouched, alert, mobile, shadow touched, sentinel, elven accuracy, lucky, piercer, magic initiate and war caster are indeed great for rogues. 2. here's other great feats that you missed out on and why i think you should've included them instead of the other feats you did: a. eldritch adept: misty visions-on demand advantage (via obscurement) for the ranged rogue along with being one of the best surprise generators in the game. lots of utility use for the out of combat stuff rogues like to do as well. b. squat nimbleness- half-feat to round out your dex and helps a small/dwarf melee rogue close distance while not being trapped by grapples. c. gunner- assuming firearms are allowed at the table, allows ranged rogues to move up in dmg dice to a d12 ( musket) while also rounding out your dex. i'd take this as my half-feat instead of piercer on any non-assassin ranged rogue. d. martial adept- gives you access to multiple ways to generate off-turn sneak attacks via brace, riposte and quick toss (combined with readying an off-turn sneak). e. fighting initiate: superior technique- see martial adept. you could also just pick up dueling, thrown weapon or archery to improve dmg or accuracy. f. metamagic adept: quicken spell- combined with booming blade and a sorc 2 dip is another way to gain an off-turn sneak attack. subtle spell also has a lot of out of combat applications for the rogue and seeking spell can help ensure your 1 big booming blade sneak doesn't miss. g. mounted combatant- on demand advantage for melee rogues vs. medium or smaller enemies (large if using an elephant) which helps trigger a rogue's sneak attack. h. sharpshooter- i dont get how you missed out on this one given its popularity. good dmg booster that especially helps ranged rogues stay out of mid-range as they can use the long-range distance of their weapons. not to be taken early though as you'd need alot of accuracy boosters to offset that penalty. i. ritual caster- gives rogues alot of versatility outside of combat but the main reasons to pick this are 3 spells: find familiar, unseen servant and phantom steed. find familiar you already highlighted with magic initiate so i won't repeat that. unseen servant is a great way to improve the rogue's action economy in combat pretty much doing most of what you described in your thief vid (using objects like caltrops, ball bearings, bombs). just mind its str when you give it inventory to carry (just 2 str so 30 lbs limit per combat) and to exclude any items that will require an attack roll. phantom steed is a great way to improve mobility and give the rogue a melee ally to trigger sneak attack.
Hi Xavolion UnSo, do you have experiences with the Skulker being a good feat to take? I personally do not. The average game that I've observed does not use dim light or hiding rules fully or at all, making Skulker all but useless. I don't doubt that some games would allow it to be useful, though I'm not convinced I'd choose it even then. I wrote an article that rates each feat in D&D 5e, including new feats from Tasha's. I wrote the following there about Skulker after rating it poorly: "This feat would be mechanically sound, but the mechanics it attempts to exploit are not widely understood by average DM’s and players. The features of Skulker are almost useless in average games that aren’t taking time to check on lighting that is dim, or how obscured a character is for a stealth roll. I can’t rate Skulker as highly because of this fact. That said, I won’t give it abysmal ratings because I know it can be useful at tables that are honoring these rules. One way to improve Skulker would be to add a benefit of double proficiency bonus (like expertise) to attack rolls against creatures that you are hidden from. This would be appealing to stealthy characters to further guarantee that they don’t miss those stealthy shots, and if they do, their positions are not revealed." Those are my thoughts on Skulker. What are your thoughts? People convince me to change my mind all the time ;)
@@FlutesLoot I found that it might be very helpful, since I always try to be a stealthy rouge, but I understand how you mean that it would not be as useful if the DM already makes stealth viable, but my DM always attempts to un-stealth me, due to the assassin's perk to deal a crit towards surprised enemies on hit. I like the idea on how to buff it, from you.
My view of it has improved since rating it as I've heard many shout the Swashbuckler's praises, but when I'm being objective, I still don't think it's a 5/5 subclass. I think it would be really good in some campaigns, but in some it would almost be a vanilla Rogue.
If you are sneaking and the enemy has not seen you yet and you decide to attack the enemy before they notice you from Melee or Range. The enemy does not get to roll initiative before you do so, you simply make your attack. Why the heck would they? You and anyone else can make that argument all day. It makes no sense. I have not played at a single table where it is played differently.
Ms. Periwig bought a pound of bacon at the market the other day. Brought it home and that damnable mutt of hers tore open the pantry and ate the whole thing. Tragic, really. *Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more*
What prompted the comment on this? It's true, though you could potentially use two reactions in a round because it resets on your turn. It's more accurate to say you get one reaction per turn cycle for your character.
Hi Bruce, If more D&D groups used RAW for being lightly obscured, hidden, revealed, and in dim light, Skulker might be a good feat. Even then, it would be difficult to pick it over other options. Have you had game-changing experiences with Skulker as a Rogue?
saying that tasha's was not relesed then having it in the background has lead me to assume that tasha's was not released before scriping or what is less likely they lied so they can be lazy
Haha I can explain! I wrote the article pre-Tasha's, and didn't update the article afterward (at that point). I used my article as a script, so the video wasn't updated for the Tasha's that I owned :P I see why the way I wrote the explanation was not clear, so I'll edit that. My article was published August 17, 2020 (several months before TCoE). I don't consider Piercer to be crazy good, so it's hardly an omission, in my opinion.
I'm playing a phantom Rogue for a Strahd campaign soon and I'm brainstorming my rogues feat selection. I'm thinking either magic initiate for the booming blade (can reflavor as my spirits attacking) and a familiar. Another route I can take is going with shadow touched for the invisibility, stat boost and maybe inflict wounds or disguise self then taking piercer or elven accuracy a little later on.
I love seeing new dnd UA-camrs. The more on the scene the better
Happy to be here! We're having fun with it, and we're still trying to find our 'groove' I guess you could say. We have a lot of ideas, but limited time to create. Haha :P
I recommend Elven Accuracy. Getting an additional dice to your advantage is so useful for your sneak attack
While I agree, in my article I think I linked to some statistical analysis about how often the third d20 doesn't actually help much. It's an interesting bit of math that surprised me. I omitted it mostly because it's a little overhyped, in my opinion, and based on the math I've seen, but I'd never turn anyone away from it. Elven Accuracy is good. :) Thank you for watching and commenting!
Id also like to mention the skilled feat. Profitiency with 3 other skills on which you cant roll less than a 10 can be pretty nice to have in a party
Great point! Rogues are extremely consistent with their skill checks once they hit level eleven for Reliable Talent.
I am currently playing a high elf rogue and the elven accuracy racial feat and sharpshooter feat are absolutely game changing
Sounds like fun! What are the common ways that you gain advantage with your character so you can use Elven Accuracy?
If you are an Arcane Trickster with familiar, then it is so good
Sentinel on a rogue is amazing, especially if they work in tandem with a supporting martial subclass like a cavalier, ancestral guardian, and armorer that increase the rogues defensive capabilities when sacrificing mobility to stay in melee. I like cavalier the best as there are negatives for the creature regardless of if it attacks that fighter or rogue.
That's a great point! Any feat that gives a Rogue attacks as a reaction is great since it can use Sneak Attack.
I would say the Piercer feat from TCoE is pretty awesome for a rogue because they almost always use piercing damage, and it is applicable to ranged and melee attacks. The Alert feat from the PHB is great for Assassins specifically. If you max out your Dex it gives +10 to initiative which makes it very likely you go early in combat, allowing you to automatically deal your Sneak Atk. Against an enemy of your choice.
I totally agree! I filmed this prior to TCoE release, so I'll add a bit in the description about how Piercer is pretty good too. I said so on social media but forgot to add it to this video's description. :)
My DM let my arcane trickster gain sneak attack damage on my cantrips provided they require an attack role and of course that I have advantage. He justified this as being almost the same as a rogue using a crossbow just more flavorful for a spellcasting rogue. So this gave me incentive to try the spell sniper feat which granted me double range, ignoring partial types of cover, and an extra cantrip from various classes which I took Eldritch Blast. A fair amount of my other spells and skills are more for RP / espionage.
That's great! The Soulknife Rogue in Tasha's is a similar concept, after all, using 'magical' attacks that gain Sneak Attack. You might as well do what sounds fun, and utilizing cantrips more as an Arcane Trickster sounds like a good time.
A few feats I would add to the list for consideration (in no particular order)
Sharpshooter for range and +10 damage
Martial Adept for Precision
Fighting Initiate for +2 ranged attack or damage for dueling
Ritual Caster (Wizard) for Find Familiar and enhanced utility without spell slots
Great suggestions!
Not every rogue, but healer on a Thief is really strong, use bonus action and a healers kit to bring up a downed ally to 1hp or heal an ally with scaling healing since you can use an item with your bonus action.
Hi Jeff! It effectively gives the Thief a close-up Healing Word, haha. If the Thief could use the Healer feat's healing ability as a bonus action too, that'd be super useful. The stabilize is good enough, though. Thanks for pointing it out!
@@FlutesLoot I think it’s the same ‘use an item’ interaction for the heal or the stabilize a downed ally at 1hp so a Thief healer can get a lot of mileage from a 10 use consumable healers kit. That healing can only be applied once per rest to each ally though, so it’s not something you can do over and over again on your frontliners mid encounter.
@@jeffdybdal656 oh maybe you're right. I was thinking I had read otherwise, but it still seems to qualify for the Use and Object action. Nice!
Don't forget about Mobile, being able to disengage without having to use a bonus action to do it is fantastic for rogues!
Mobile is one of the best feats in the game! I just wrote an article about how critical movement tactics are, and it really highlights the usefulness of Mobile for staying out of trouble and kiting enemies.
Now that I think about it, that means you can double your chances to hit an enemy in normal melee. (no stealth, but probably at least one or more allies attacking your target.) You could wield 2 light weapons, and if you miss with a your attack action, you can bonus action to try and hit with the offhand, and still get the sneak attack damage from an ally threatening/attacking your target, and then dip out. And there are plenty of other things to do, like the Mastermind subclass could help an ally, while still disengaging from enemies after attacking.
I really like that you write articles for your videos! Or make videos for your articles? Either way! I like being able to read more about the topic, so thanks and keep it up. Earned a sub from me.
I'm glad you like our article+video combinations! Thanks for subbing :)
I did poisoner helps with some skill checks and also allows you to make your proficiency bonus worth of them in an hour and on a hit DC 14 con save or take 2/d8 and be poisoned until next turn has some other stuff seems pretty awesome
I like Poisoner and would like to try it on a character soon.
Strangely, a race I found that gets a lot out of the rogue class is the Lizardfolk (pre book with all races and changes)
Around a year ago I did a thought experiment that without multi-classing what combination gave me the most skill proficiencies.
That turned out to be a Lizardfolk scout rogue with the sailor background. I think I had 11 out of 18 proficiencies at level 3.
I love grabbing heaps of proficiencies as a Rogue. It's fun for me. Lizardfolk is a useful race for proficiencies and more!
Fighting Initiate can be really helpful, Sharpshooter can demolish any character ir you add the Steady Aim, and Weapon Master can get you access to more DEX weapons if you're not an Elf. There's something truly special in being a Dhampir, climbing a wall, and shooting arrows with a Longbow with advantage due to the Steady Aim and adding Sharpshooter on top of your Sneak Attack.
That sounds a lot like my current character, haha.
The Martial Adept Feat seems like prime real estate for most Rogues, other than maybe for the Arcane Trickster.
Any two combat maneuvers among Ambush, Riposte, Trip Attack, Commanding Presence, Evasive Footwork, Bait and Switch, and Feinting Attack, seem really good for a Rogue trying to proc Sneak Attack, unless they somehow already have a Familiar (such as Find Familiar and the like).
Which reminds me: For Variant Humans especially, the Magic Initiate (Wizard) Feat and Ritual Caster Feat (Wizard) at level 1 seem absurdly good with non-Arcane Trickster Rogues.
Hi Simon, as someone who loves to see Rogues multiclass with Fighters, I agree with you. I've yet to pick the maneuver-based feats, though. They offer such a limited resource that I often go for other things, but maneuvers are still great for Rogues to have.
@@FlutesLoot, I'd say that over 20 levels, if the intended direction for a PC is a split between Rogue and Fighter, then a Dex-based Battle Master Fighter would be right up this PC's alley, via this feat.
3 levels in Fighter to pick up Battle Master subclass, in order to get Combat Maneuvers, seems rather solid, not counting the fact that there's an option to go 2 more levels to get a 2nd attack from the Fighter class (along with an ASI).
A person could fairly easily end up with a 17/3 or a 15/5 split, in favor of Rogue (17 Rogue/3 Fighter, or 15 Rogue/5 Fighter).
The major complication I see to this approach is that a fair number of modules aren't designed past tier 2 play, and a few others (Curse of Strahd, for example) dead end at early tier 3 play. This makes most types of theorycrafting pointless, unless the type of theorycrafting a PC is going for is for one which comes online no later than between late tier 1, and mid tier 2 (i.e., between levels 4-5, and 7-8).
{The only module that's an exception to this rule, that I both know of, and is A.L. legal, is DotMM (Mad Mage), which starts at level 5 and goes to 20.}
I'd also make mention that Combat Superiority Dice are a short-rest dependent mechanic, much like a Warlock's spellcasting. Thus, the only real barrier would be how many short rests are the party allowed per day by the DM.
@@simondiamond9628 All good points. My wife wrote an article entirely devoted to why she loves multiclassing Rogue+Fighter. I swear she made five characters in a row that were different types of Rogue/Fighter haha. You're right that theory crafting is fun but often pointless based on the tiers of play that are reached. I've learned that it's very important to set leveling expectations for a campaign. Even going from 1-20, I'm surprised to hear that some DMs are pretty harsh by disallowing multiclassing.
If I were a Rogue/Fighter with the Battlemaster subclass, I'd certainly consider feats to enhance my maneuvers and give me more dice. It's when I haven't multiclassed in that way that I'd probably consider other options first. Still tempting though to get maneuvers!
@@FlutesLoot, as a returning DM myself, your concern with PC's multiclassing deserves some discussion.
I think the main two things to consider with multiclassing is as follows: A newer player's lack of familiarity with the game's rules, and more seasoned PC's who dip in order to unbalance the game (i.e., "break the game").
Now the first point isn't as much of a big deal as the 2nd point. Newer players don't really tend to pick up the mechanical nuances of M/C dipping, so often times, dipping tends to become more of a stumbling block for them which tends to stymie their enjoyment of the game. It also tends to slog the game down, depending on the M/C dip, which is why I personally, as a DM, ask players that they have some experience with the game (at least a year or more) before opening up the M/C dip option to them.
To be fair, Multiclassing can be good for character arc and storyline progression, and often when I have seen others M/C in this way, it tends to augment their abilities and strengthening their PC's weaknesseses, without disrupting the game. An example of this could be a life domain cleric with a lower than average STR. score taking Warlock or Wizard levels for certain ranged spell attack Cantrips, because they envisioned their Cleric as more of a Preacher type, than a battle cleric.
As for more seasoned PC's who dip in order to unbalance the game (i.e., "break the game"), that's where the real issue comes in. Someone who knows the game's nuances can dip into two separate single ability dependent classes and turn their PC into a monsterous powerhouse. [Examples could include a Warlock who dips into Sorcerer, or a Fighter who dips into Barbarian.] Depending on the nature of the dip, how deep the dip is, and the rationale for the dip, that could lead into situations where a PC unbalances a game and makes it oppressive for everyone else sitting at the table by forcing the DM to increase the CR rating for opposing enemy forces.
Now as a PC myself, I'm all for bending the game's rules, as long as it's done responsibly, and doesn't completely detract from the DM's ability to run the game. But there is a fine line for that seasoned PC to walk, and it's not an easy one to walk at all. Even single class PC's, depending on their background, can make for potentially unbalanced games unless they're monitored (like a Celestial Pact Warlock taking the Golgari Agent background in order to get access to Animate Dead as a spell).
It's definitely a balancing act.
@@simondiamond9628 I hear you. I've personally not had issues with multiclassing becoming a problem. People I play with tend to save the absurd builds for one-shots because they wouldn't want to stunt their characters for the first fifteen levels, lol. I find that campaigns tend to have reasonable characters, but I gather that my experience is in the minority. I personally have never experienced anything gamebreaking, but that may be more indicative of my preference to allow players to do what they want within the rules and see what happens.
Have you experienced problems with multiclassing in your games? I've yet to hear of multiclassing as a problem that didn't seem, to me, like a player-to-player issue.
Great video! I think a feat that I would normally just completely ignore in most cases but might actually benefit a rogue would be savage attacker. Since you only get 1 attack per turn and maybe an attack of opportunity, the ability to just freely reroll the damage and get to take either roll is pretty good. May not be a big deal in some campaigns, but if you are in a combat heavy/rp light campaign then it actually might be worth it to up the damage output. Just a thought!
Thanks Ian! I would agree with you on Savage Attacker if it allowed Sneak Attack dice to be rerolled. Since it only works on the weapon's damage dice, it's not a feat I love. However, the new feat Piercer would be a great choice, especially since it will also benefit a Rogue's ranged attacks with crossbows. I don't know why I filmed feat videos before Tasha's came out, haha. I should've waited so I could include them in the video.
I'm going with the Shadow Touched feat for my arcane trickster(currently at level 3). I do this because i only need one charisma increase to increase the modifier. It also gives me two new spells (invisibility and inflict wounds) which i can use once daily without spell slots. That means i can use invisibility earlier (but only once). Inflict Wounds is also a touch spell that can be transferred by a summoned familiar (and after the free daily casting it only costs a spell slot).
I'm not desperate to avoid opportunity attacks, since I can use Silvery Barbs, Misty Steps and disengage quite well.
Me too! My Phantom Rogue chose it and can now go into ghost mode with Invisibility. Last week I scouted a whole Yuan-ti temple without any substantial risks.
Martial adept...disarm a spell caster of his spell focus...use familiar to fly by and take it...same for weapons...pact of the chain mix with rogue, its so good
I always love spell focus theft!
Lol
I've currently got a rogue build. Rogue Scout with a 1 level fighter dip, with Sharpshooter. I am a sharpshooter with a longbow, the ultimate back line ranged menace.
You can't go wrong there! Scouts are effective at getting into position to make the most of that longbow range as long as they have line of sight and aren't limited by darkness. I love the Scout Rogue.
I noticed in the description you mentioned that piercer doesn’t apply to sneak attack dice. Just wondering if that’s how you interpret the feat or if you’ve read that somewhere.
My interpretation is that you could reroll a sneak attack die, since the wording of piercer says “you can reroll one of the *attack’s* damage dice” and not “you can reroll one of the *weapon’s* damage dice”. You’ve only attacked once, and the damage is all dealt at once, so presumably the sneak attack damage dice count as damage dice for that attack. To my mind, you could reroll a sneak attack die for the same reason you double sneak attack dice on a critical- it’s not extra damage that’s added after the attack, it’s all part of the same attack. Moreover, the entire attack does piercing damage. It’s not as though the only part of the attack that does piercing damage is the damage rolled on the damage die for the weapon- the damage you roll with your sneak attack dice counts as piercing damage as long as you attacked with a weapon that does piercing damage.
Hi Jaxon, I had included that caveat because I was comparing Piercer's interpretation to the way the Savage Attacker feat was used for all damage dice early in 5e before it was clarified that it was only the damage dice of the weapon itself. After reading your comment, I realized my caveat is not needed. Since Piercer only allows the rerolling of a single die from the attack, and your logic is sound, it seems that Piercer could apply to reroll a Sneak Attack die. This would probably only be helpful if the weapon was smaller than Sneak Attack's 1d6, so it's pretty inconsequential either way. I removed that caveat from my description to avoid confusion and to be more accurate as you described. Thank you!
@@FlutesLoot Excellent! Thanks for taking the time to reply 👍🏻
@@JaxonBurn It's the least I could do :) I appreciate that you took the time to talk D&D with me!
Great video man. Keep them up.
Thank you, Justin! :)
Magic initiate + true strike. Sneak attack when there’s no sneak attack
I've thought about the value of True Strike for a Rogue that isn't an Arcane Trickster, but I'd prefer to pick Find Familiar to have a familiar that can use the Help action. Downside is the familiar can die. True Strike does have a use here (unlike most other places hehe). I guess you could do both! A feat is a heavy price to pay, though.
The new optional feature for Rogues in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Take Aim, is something I would allow for a Rogue in my game before starving them for advantage so much that they go for True Strike. :P
Actor is fun, especially with telepathy features, when you can potentially attempt to impersonate someone's inner monologue or something like a sending spell. Might even be able to make someone think someone else said something or some other noise occurs, but that depends on whether your DM allows you to manipulate the directionality of your telepathy to 'throw your voice. '
That's a novel idea! I hadn't thought of impersonating a Sending spell :P
Good stuff! I'm a big fan of grapple on my Battlemaster, but fir some reason never considered it on a rogue. But I've never played a strength-based rogue. If I'd have thought more about grapple, I probably would have.
Str-based Rogue is an interesting build with some options that people don't expect! Rogues are so interesting to me.
I'm surprised you didn't mention skulker
Hi Castle Romeo, there was another comment with similar surprise that I excluded Skulker. Here's my reasoning as to why I left it off my list:
The average game that I've observed does not use dim light or hiding rules fully or at all, making Skulker all but useless. I don't doubt that some games would allow it to be useful, though I'm not convinced I'd choose it even then.
I wrote an article that rates each feat in D&D 5e, including new feats from Tasha's. I wrote the following there about Skulker after rating it poorly:
"This feat would be mechanically sound, but the mechanics it attempts to exploit are not widely understood by average DM’s and players. The features of Skulker are almost useless in average games that aren’t taking time to check on lighting that is dim, or how obscured a character is for a stealth roll. I can’t rate Skulker as highly because of this fact. That said, I won’t give it abysmal ratings because I know it can be useful at tables that are honoring these rules.
One way to improve Skulker would be to add a benefit of double proficiency bonus (like expertise) to attack rolls against creatures that you are hidden from. This would be appealing to stealthy characters to further guarantee that they don’t miss those stealthy shots, and if they do, their positions are not revealed."
Those are my thoughts on Skulker. What are your thoughts?
My Rogue is 4th level and has great proficiency bonuses etc. But I fail almost every roll i make because no matter what dice i use...i roll low. It sucks.
Dice curses are difficult to shake. They require a Wish spell to fix.
bad stereotype i have for most rouge is that they don't have a good education due to them being criminal or urchins. but that being said they are sharp minded individuals so them being skill monkeys makes sense
I tend to see Rogues as extremely intelligent characters, but in a different way from Wizards. This is reinforced by their proficiency with Intelligence saving throws. :)
@@FlutesLoot i guess they would have knowledge of many things depending on their background, training, and area of work. political assassin or theif. but i often think they use base knowledge they know. a short dagger throw or a long bow shot. intelligent but different
Sentinel is a risky gambit for a Rogue. Sure you get two sneak attacks and stop your target from fleeing. But your the rogue. your not built to take hits and you just used your reaction to sneak attack to instead of using it on uncanny dodge on the attack your new friend is about to deliver to you.
Yup, some Rogues won't choose this option and may even stick to ranged attacks. But it can be advantageous for Rogues like the Swashbuckler who specialize in singling out enemies to use Sentinel to punish retreats or Uncanny Dodge to defend against a single attack's damage. Rogues have many options. :)
What an excellent rogue
I'm glad you think so!
duelist feat op if combined with extra attack and sneak attack
Hi sebastian gregg! While I love Duelist, I don't know that I'd classify it as OP when the Rogue already utilizes reactions for opportunity attacks that include Sneak Attack. They can also use their reaction defensively with Uncanny Dodge. However, Duelist can negate damage entirely if the AC bump is right! Extra Attack is helpful for making sure you land a hit, and it's even better if you have other ways to augment your attack damage/effects by multiclassing with something like a Battlemaster Fighter.
top 5 best feats for rogues
5:mobile
4:mobile
3:mobile
2:mobile
1:mobile
play a tabaxi scout rogue with mobile and a wizard near by to cast haste on you. throw in a magic item like some boots that enhance movement speed and you will be about to go at light speed
@@soundsofstabbing3627 that's reaching speeds that can accidentally cause time travel :P
iMobile as a feat? :P
how about a level 4 weaver thief rogue?
Can you tell me more about what that is?
@@FlutesLoot weavers are basically arachnes (spider people) meaning i have darkvision, spider climb, web sense, web walker, and spider silk. the feat that i chose was the mobile feat.
@@kuulest got it, thanks! My first thought was the Mobile feat.
What abt the skulked feat?
I find that its benefits don't translate to the way most groups play the game, meaning they don't run stealth/surprise/perception and that sort of stuff as the game designers intended, thus rendering Skulker moot.
Instead of talking about the feat selections i disagree with, i'll just highlight the ones i particularly like for the rogue that you mentioned as well as mention 8 feats that i think you missed out on that are great for rogues:
1. feytouched, alert, mobile, shadow touched, sentinel, elven accuracy, lucky, piercer, magic initiate and war caster are indeed great for rogues.
2. here's other great feats that you missed out on and why i think you should've included them instead of the other feats you did:
a. eldritch adept: misty visions-on demand advantage (via obscurement) for the ranged rogue along with being one of the best surprise generators in the game. lots of utility use for the out of combat stuff rogues like to do as well.
b. squat nimbleness- half-feat to round out your dex and helps a small/dwarf melee rogue close distance while not being trapped by grapples.
c. gunner- assuming firearms are allowed at the table, allows ranged rogues to move up in dmg dice to a d12 ( musket) while also rounding out your dex. i'd take this as my half-feat instead of piercer on any non-assassin ranged rogue.
d. martial adept- gives you access to multiple ways to generate off-turn sneak attacks via brace, riposte and quick toss (combined with readying an off-turn sneak).
e. fighting initiate: superior technique- see martial adept. you could also just pick up dueling, thrown weapon or archery to improve dmg or accuracy.
f. metamagic adept: quicken spell- combined with booming blade and a sorc 2 dip is another way to gain an off-turn sneak attack. subtle spell also has a lot of out of combat applications for the rogue and seeking spell can help ensure your 1 big booming blade sneak doesn't miss.
g. mounted combatant- on demand advantage for melee rogues vs. medium or smaller enemies (large if using an elephant) which helps trigger a rogue's sneak attack.
h. sharpshooter- i dont get how you missed out on this one given its popularity. good dmg booster that especially helps ranged rogues stay out of mid-range as they can use the long-range distance of their weapons. not to be taken early though as you'd need alot of accuracy boosters to offset that penalty.
i. ritual caster- gives rogues alot of versatility outside of combat but the main reasons to pick this are 3 spells: find familiar, unseen servant and phantom steed. find familiar you already highlighted with magic initiate so i won't repeat that. unseen servant is a great way to improve the rogue's action economy in combat pretty much doing most of what you described in your thief vid (using objects like caltrops, ball bearings, bombs). just mind its str when you give it inventory to carry (just 2 str so 30 lbs limit per combat) and to exclude any items that will require an attack roll. phantom steed is a great way to improve mobility and give the rogue a melee ally to trigger sneak attack.
Great suggestions! My opinions have certainly changed over time after this video.
I thought you only got a lvl 1 spell with Magic Initiate not cantrips...?
The second sentence of the feat gives two cantrips.
@@FlutesLoot it sure does. I need to read my books when I'm not falling asleep.
@@LannyX2 I'm here to help the sleepy players among us :P
Skulker?
Hi Xavolion UnSo, do you have experiences with the Skulker being a good feat to take? I personally do not. The average game that I've observed does not use dim light or hiding rules fully or at all, making Skulker all but useless. I don't doubt that some games would allow it to be useful, though I'm not convinced I'd choose it even then.
I wrote an article that rates each feat in D&D 5e, including new feats from Tasha's. I wrote the following there about Skulker after rating it poorly:
"This feat would be mechanically sound, but the mechanics it attempts to exploit are not widely understood by average DM’s and players. The features of Skulker are almost useless in average games that aren’t taking time to check on lighting that is dim, or how obscured a character is for a stealth roll. I can’t rate Skulker as highly because of this fact. That said, I won’t give it abysmal ratings because I know it can be useful at tables that are honoring these rules.
One way to improve Skulker would be to add a benefit of double proficiency bonus (like expertise) to attack rolls against creatures that you are hidden from. This would be appealing to stealthy characters to further guarantee that they don’t miss those stealthy shots, and if they do, their positions are not revealed."
Those are my thoughts on Skulker. What are your thoughts? People convince me to change my mind all the time ;)
@@FlutesLoot I found that it might be very helpful, since I always try to be a stealthy rouge, but I understand how you mean that it would not be as useful if the DM already makes stealth viable, but my DM always attempts to un-stealth me, due to the assassin's perk to deal a crit towards surprised enemies on hit. I like the idea on how to buff it, from you.
@@xavolion5577 I hope your DM doesn't rob you of that feature too much. It's the whole point of being an Assassin, after all :P
Swashbuckler is honestly best rogue
My view of it has improved since rating it as I've heard many shout the Swashbuckler's praises, but when I'm being objective, I still don't think it's a 5/5 subclass. I think it would be really good in some campaigns, but in some it would almost be a vanilla Rogue.
Ya ken, ma man, see them hills, ye? Hulbert did 'em. Ya know him, right? Of course ya do. Say no more. Another round, ey?
Cheers 🍻
If you are sneaking and the enemy has not seen you yet and you decide to attack the enemy before they notice you from Melee or Range. The enemy does not get to roll initiative before you do so, you simply make your attack. Why the heck would they? You and anyone else can make that argument all day. It makes no sense. I have not played at a single table where it is played differently.
I wouldn't say it makes "no" sense haha. I know it's not popular the way the rules work for it surprise attacks.
Ms. Periwig bought a pound of bacon at the market the other day. Brought it home and that damnable mutt of hers tore open the pantry and ate the whole thing. Tragic, really.
*Wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more*
*says no more*
You pronounced lewters wrong
Hahaha kinda wanna try that now. Like the 'True Facts' videos.
You only get 1 reaction per round.
What prompted the comment on this? It's true, though you could potentially use two reactions in a round because it resets on your turn. It's more accurate to say you get one reaction per turn cycle for your character.
SKULKER.
Hi Bruce,
If more D&D groups used RAW for being lightly obscured, hidden, revealed, and in dim light, Skulker might be a good feat. Even then, it would be difficult to pick it over other options. Have you had game-changing experiences with Skulker as a Rogue?
saying that tasha's was not relesed then having it in the background has lead me to assume that tasha's was not released before scriping or what is less likely they lied so they can be lazy
Haha I can explain! I wrote the article pre-Tasha's, and didn't update the article afterward (at that point). I used my article as a script, so the video wasn't updated for the Tasha's that I owned :P I see why the way I wrote the explanation was not clear, so I'll edit that. My article was published August 17, 2020 (several months before TCoE).
I don't consider Piercer to be crazy good, so it's hardly an omission, in my opinion.
@@FlutesLoot thanks for replying that help me understand what was happening
If you like good game design, why are you playing 5e?
nice
I'm playing a phantom Rogue for a Strahd campaign soon and I'm brainstorming my rogues feat selection. I'm thinking either magic initiate for the booming blade (can reflavor as my spirits attacking) and a familiar. Another route I can take is going with shadow touched for the invisibility, stat boost and maybe inflict wounds or disguise self then taking piercer or elven accuracy a little later on.
I've DMd Curse of Strahd a few times. Those feats sound solid. A Phantom Rogue sounds extremely thematic and fun for CoS.