Rogue 5e: The Complete Class Guide

The Rogue is the class for players who want to solve problems sideways. Locked door? The Rogue picks it. High wall? The Rogue climbs it. Intimidating guard? The Rogue convinces the guard they're supposed to be there. Unwinnable fight? The Rogue is already gone.

Mechanically, the Rogue is a single-attack burst damage class with best-in-class utility, stealth, and skill coverage. They don't dominate raw combat numbers, but they handle every non-combat pillar of D&D better than anyone.

The Pitch

Rogue core features:

• Expertise at level 1. Double your proficiency bonus on two skills (Thieves' Tools counts). Scales up with Expertise in two more at level 6.
• Sneak Attack at level 1. Extra damage on one attack per turn when you have advantage or an ally is adjacent to the target. 1d6 at level 1, scaling to 10d6 at level 19.
• Thieves' Cant. Secret language.
• Cunning Action at level 2. Bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
• Roguish Archetype at level 3.
• Uncanny Dodge at level 5. Use your reaction to halve damage from a visible attacker.
• Evasion at level 7. Take half damage on failed Dex saves, no damage on successful ones.
• Reliable Talent at level 11. Rolls of 9 or lower on ability checks you're proficient in become 10s.
• Blindsense at level 14. Aware of hidden creatures within 10 feet.
• Slippery Mind at level 15. Proficiency in Wisdom saves.
• Elusive at level 18. No attack rolls can have advantage against you unless you're incapacitated.
• Stroke of Luck at level 20. Turn a miss into a hit or a failed check into a 20, once per short rest.

The chassis is "skill monster with a burst damage attack and great escape tools."

Stat Priorities

1. Dexterity (primary). Attacks, damage, AC, initiative, stealth.
2. Constitution. HP.
3. Wisdom or Charisma depending on build. Wisdom for Perception and saves. Charisma for Persuasion / Deception (and Arcane Trickster uses Intelligence).
4. Intelligence. Only if Arcane Trickster.
5. Strength. Dump.

A classic Rogue: STR 8, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 12, CHA 14.

Sneak Attack: How It Actually Works

Sneak Attack is the Rogue's damage feature. Let's get the rules right.

Trigger conditions (must meet at least one):

1. You have advantage on the attack roll, OR
2. An enemy of the target is within 5 feet of the target (not incapacitated), and you don't have disadvantage on the roll.

Scope:

• Finesse or ranged weapon.
• Once per turn, not once per attack. If you miss with one attack and hit with another, the hit gets sneak attack.
• It's "your turn" but also can happen on opportunity attacks and other reaction attacks.

Damage:

• 1d6 at level 1
• Scales to 2d6 at level 3, 3d6 at level 5, +1d6 every two levels after
• 10d6 at level 19 (Reliable Talent kicks in for checks, but sneak attack scales for attacks)

Triggering Sneak Attack Solo

This is where solo Rogues get tricky. You don't have allies to flank. How do you get advantage?

Options:

1. Hide every turn. Cunning Action lets you Hide as a bonus action. Attacks from hidden (unseen) attackers have advantage. You attack, break stealth, then Cunning Action Hide again.
2. Shoot from range with advantage from cover or surprise. Hiding behind obstacles, using terrain.
3. Class features that grant advantage. Assassin (Assassinate at level 3), certain spells.
4. Find an ally, even a temporary one. Summons, charmed enemies, NPCs.
5. Use spells or items. Faerie Fire, True Strike, potion of heroism.

A well-played solo Rogue is always plotting how to get advantage next turn.

Cunning Action: The Other Core Feature

Bonus action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide. This is arguably as important as Sneak Attack.

• Dash: Double your movement, avoid opportunity attacks if leaving melee.
• Disengage: Leave melee without provoking opportunity attacks.
• Hide: Make a Stealth check against enemies' passive Perception. If you succeed, you're hidden, and your next attack has advantage (= Sneak Attack).

Hide-as-bonus-action is the key to solo Sneak Attack. Repeat each turn. In-combat stealth is fiddly in 5e (rules about line of sight, lightly obscured conditions) but works in the AI's implementation.

Subclasses

The SRD Rogue is Thief.

Thief

• Fast Hands at level 3. Use your Cunning Action to make a Dex (Sleight of Hand) check, disarm a trap, open a lock, or use an object. This is a huge buff to out-of-combat utility.
• Second-Story Work at level 3. Climb speed equal to walking speed. +10 feet on jumps.
• Supreme Sneak at level 9. Advantage on Stealth checks if you move no more than half your speed.
• Use Magic Device at level 13. You can use magic items meant for other classes.
• Thief's Reflexes at level 17. Take two turns on the first round of combat (one at normal initiative, one at your initiative - 10).

Thief is the utility Rogue. Fast Hands is the standout feature, letting you spray potions, throw flasks of oil, and generally act twice per turn in non-combat scenarios.

Outside the SRD

Assassin (Assassinate: advantage and crits on surprised creatures, massive opener damage), Arcane Trickster (Wizard spells subset), Swashbuckler, Inquisitive, Mastermind, Scout, Phantom, Soulknife.

Thief is fine. Arcane Trickster adds spells. Assassin adds burst. Any works for solo.

Rogue in Solo Play

Rogue is B/A-tier solo depending on how you play:

Strengths:

• Best-in-class stealth, lockpicking, trap detection.
• Uncanny Dodge + Evasion makes you durable vs. damage.
• Cunning Action mobility lets you dictate engagement.
• Reliable Talent (level 11) makes skill checks nearly automatic.

Weaknesses:

• One Sneak Attack per turn caps damage.
• d8 hit die is modest.
• Advantage generation solo is harder than in a party.
• Assassin's Assassinate shines best with a party.

Solo Thief is good. You're the party's skill monkey and your own bodyguard. Hide-attack-hide loop is effective. Fast Hands lets you use potions and consumables mid-fight.

For more, see our classes ranked for solo play.

Leveling Path

• Level 1: Expertise (2 skills), Sneak Attack (1d6), Thieves' Cant.
• Level 2: Cunning Action.
• Level 3: Subclass.
• Level 5: Uncanny Dodge.
• Level 6: Expertise (2 more skills).
• Level 7: Evasion.
• Level 10: ASI.
• Level 11: Reliable Talent.
• Level 14: Blindsense.
• Level 15: Slippery Mind.
• Level 17: Thief's Reflexes (for Thief).
• Level 18: Elusive.
• Level 20: Stroke of Luck.

Common Rogue Mistakes

Forgetting Cunning Action. Bonus action Hide is your Sneak Attack pipeline. Use it every turn.

Trying to melee without Sneak Attack setup. If you can't trigger Sneak Attack, your damage is weak. Always set it up.

Dumping Constitution. d8 HP is already low. Don't make it worse.

Ignoring Expertise picks. Stealth and Perception are always good picks. Sleight of Hand (Thieves' Tools) is also strong. Don't waste Expertise on rarely-used skills.

Forgetting Uncanny Dodge. It's a reaction, cost nothing, halves damage. Use it every time a big hit comes in.

The Endlessness and the Rogue

Our AI Dungeon Master handles the "advantage/disadvantage" check for Sneak Attack, tracks Cunning Action usage (bonus action), and manages Thieves' Tools checks, stealth, and Fast Hands (a double-bonus-action effectively for Thief). The line-of-sight and concealment rules for Hide-as-bonus-action work correctly.

For more, see our action economy guide, combat rules, and our post on the full D&D 5e spell list if you're building Arcane Trickster.

Final Verdict

Rogues are the class to pick when you want to solve problems through stealth, skill, and precision damage rather than raw numbers. They excel at exploration, scouting, and social encounters.

For a new solo player, the Thief subclass is simple and rewarding. For an experienced player, the nuances of setting up Sneak Attack every turn make Rogue one of the more tactically interesting classes.

Start a Rogue on The Endlessness, pick Thief, and see how many locks you can pick while being invisible.