No fantasy adventure party would be complete without Rogue and Dungeons and Dragons is no exception. As the only class to gain four basic skills as well as expertise, they can handle the game's pillars of exploration and social interaction with ease. They sometimes struggle in combat because they rely on Sneak Attack and thin AoE options, but few things can end a boss fight. Dungeons and Dragons as fast as a critical hit from Rogue.
Like most classes, Rogues choose a subclass D&D at the third level, which can drastically change the way the game is played. So far, 11 Rogue subclasses have been released from official sources, and some are definitely more powerful than others. Any Rogue can bring cunning and guile to the party, but some subclasses will have an easier time than others.
Offensive abilities, Sneak Attack synergies, base ability unlock levels, skill boosts, and focus specializations are all major factors taken into consideration when building this list.
Dungeons and Dragons Best Paladin Oath Level List
Paladins are one of the most famous and powerful classes in Dungeons and Dragons, but not all of its subclasses are created equal.
S-Tier: Skill and combat experts
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Curious
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Ghost
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Scout
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Thief
Insightful Fighting Inquisitive Rogues guarantee that they can get a Sneak Attack against all but the most deceptive of opponents. Features like Ear For Deceit, Eye For Detail, Steady Eye, and Unerring Eye aren't great for combat, but they help fulfill this all-around Sherlock Holmes fantasy better than anyone else. The additional Sneak Attack dice from Eye for Weakness also help balance the cost of Cunning Strike – a happy coincidence considering the subclass was printed 7 years before Rogues gained the ability in D&D 2024 Player's Handbook.
Between a free skill or a skill in each rest and their ability to parry their Sneak Attack on a second target, Phandom Rogue has a little bit of everything. While Tokens of the Departed used to be too limited, the buffs seen in Dungeons and DragonsThe recent Horror Unearthed Arcana made this subclass even better. Stick in Ghost Walk's ability to move through walls, Speak with Dead via Voice of the Dead, and general improvements to every part of the subclass with Death's Friend, and you have Phantom Rogue as a contender for the strongest on this list.
Scout Rogues can surpass even Rangers and Druids when it comes to outdoor arts thanks to their bonus Outdoor Expertise and Survival skills. While Skirmisher and Superior Mobility help scouts stay a safe distance away, the subclass really comes online at level 13 with Ambush Master. Advantage on initiative and marking a target to grant advantage on allied attacks against it make them dangerous unit commanders, and Sudden Strike, which grants access to Sneak Attack twice per turn, allows them to pump out truly over-the-top damage numbers in D&D.
While Thief would have previously been much lower on this list, 2024 Player's Handbook catapulted this Rogue subclass to the top. Using magic items as a bonus action means a thief with the right wand or wand can cast spells almost as well as a wizard, and even more so once they can use spell scrolls at level 13. The extra buff slot, the ability to stay hidden after an attack, and superior mobility with second story work would be amazing on their own, but the thief's second turn of all combat abilities can grant the most powerful abilities in combat. Dungeons and Dragons.
A-Tier: Excellent subclasses with powerful tricks
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Arcane Trickster
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Murderer
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Scion of three
Arcane Trickster gains access to spellcasting, which automatically makes him a pretty strong choice for Rogues. Unfortunately, that's all they get for a while, like Mage Hand Legerdemain D&D ability is mostly taste. That said, Magical Ambush can help their otherwise low DC spells stick, and Spell Thief can let them counter and temporarily learn spells that aren't on their list. All-around Trickster is also good, but forces them to use Trip Cunning Strike to get the benefits out of it.
Assassin is another subclass that greatly benefited from the 2024 rules update. Assassinate and Death Strike no longer require the target to be stunned to grant damage bonuses, and now gain increased combat effectiveness at levels 9 and 13 with Roving Aim and Envenom Weapons. With an even split between skills and combat support, the Assassin has become an incredibly solid subclass.
Scion of the Three, introduced in Dungeons and Dragons' Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerun sourcebook, is a dream come true for fans of Dark Urge z Baldur's Gate 3. However, the class revolves around a single gimmick in the form of Bloodthirst. Fortunately, being able to attack out of turn, allowing another sneak attack to be used in the process, is a fantastic trick. Even so, Bloodthirst's 30ft range means ranged weapons are pretty much off the table, and its Strike Fear and Aura of Malevolence features are both specialized due to its reliance on Frightened, low damage, and short range.
B-Tier: Solid subclasses with few flaws
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A magical thief
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Mastermind
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Jerk
The Magic Stealer from the recent Mystic Subclasses Dungeons and Dragons Unearthed Arcana is an Arcane Trickster for Rogues who don't want to use spells. He can pump up his sneak attack by stealing power from spells, end spells with Drain Magic, and even thwart enemy spellcasters with Magical Sabotage and Eldritch Implosion. This means that most of his features are dependent on you facing enemy spellcasters or fighting alongside those allies, which can limit spellstealers in certain matchups or team compositions.
With abilities like Master of Intrigue, Insightful Manipulator, and Soul of Deceit, Mastermind Rogue is perfect for players who want to play a super spy or criminal. However, while Mastermind excels in social scenarios, it suffers in combat. His only usefulness in battle comes with Master of Tactics and Misdirection, and while the former allows them to play a unique support role on the battlefield, Misdirection competes with the generic Uncanny Dodge ability, which is more reliable and unlocked earlier.
Few Rogue archetypes are as iconic as the Swashbuckler Dungeons and Dragons. The subclass is born to mix it up in melee, with Fancy Footwork letting them slip in and out without breaking away from sneaky action, and Rakish Audacity granting an initiative bonus over another way to gain Sneak Attack. Unfortunately, Panache and Elegant Maneuver are basically just ways to gain advantage on certain ability checks, meaning they don't get much additional Master Duelist combat utility at level 17, which is insufficient due to the once-per-rest limit.
C-Tier: A psionic subclass whose primary function is to paralyze them
Soulknife is in dire straits. While the Psionic subclass has a lot of cool tricks, it runs out of Psionic Energy dice quickly at early levels. While this is somewhat rectified at higher levels, they then run into another problem: their entire subclass relies on using their Psychic Blades in battle, which means they have powerful magical weapons that can be found in D&D almost half of their functions would be useless.
- Franchise
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Dungeons & Dragons
- Original release date
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1974
- Designer
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E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
