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Rogue is a class in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons. There are two rogue subclasses: scoundrel,[PH:116] and thief.[HotFL:168]

Class traits[]

The following traits are common to scoundrels and thieves.

  • Role: Striker. You dart in to attack, do massive damage, and then retreat to safety. You do best when teamed with a defender to flank enemies.
  • Power Source: Martial. Your talents depend on extensive training and constant practice, innate skill, and natural coordination.
  • Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather
  • Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score
  • Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
  • Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier

Rogues are cunning and elusive adversaries. Rogues slip into and out of shadows on a whim, pass anywhere across the field of battle without fear of reprisal, and appear suddenly only to drive home a lethal blade.

As a rogue, you might face others’ preconceptions regarding your motivations, but your nature is your own to mold. You could be an agent fresh from the deposed king’s shattered intelligence network, an accused criminal on the lam seeking to clear your name, a wiry performer whose goals transcend the theatrical stage, a kid trying to turn around your hardluck story, or a daredevil thrill-seeker who can’t get enough of the adrenaline rush of conflict. Or perhaps you are merely in it for the gold, after all.

With a blade up your sleeve and a concealing cloak across your shoulders, you stride forth, eyes alight with anticipation. What worldly wonders and rewards are yours for the taking?

Combat advantage provides the full benefit of your powers, and a combination of skills and powers helps you gain and keep that advantage over your foes. You are a master of skills, from Stealth and Thievery to Bluff and Acrobatics.

Rogues prefer deities of the night, luck, freedom, and adventure, such as Sehanine and Avandra. Evil and chaotic evil rogues often favor Lolth or Zehir.

Those with a love for secrets exchanged in shadows and change for its own sake make ideal rogues, including elves, tieflings, and halflings.

Scoundrels and thieves both receive the First Strike and Sneak Attack class features.

Class skills[]

Scoundrels and thieves are trained in Stealth (Dex) and Thievery (Dex), plus any four skills from the rogue class skill list:

First Strike[]

At the start of an encounter, you have combat advantage against any creatures that have not yet acted in that encounter.

Sneak Attack[]

Main article: Sneak Attack

Once per turn, when a rogue with the Sneak Attack class feature attacks with a hand crossbow, shortbow, or weapon from the light blade or sling weapon groups, and hits an enemy granting combat advantage to the rogue, the attack deals extra damage. This extra damage is 2d6, or 3d6 from 11th to 20th level, or 5d6 at 21st level and above.

Scoundrel[]

Scoundrel is the subclass of rogue introduced in the Player's Handbook. It is sometimes referred to as original rogue or o-rogue.[PH:116]

The "Class Compendium Playtest: The Scoundrel" article in Dragon 400 redefined the original rogue class as the scoundrel subclass, and in the process, made some changes. One of these changes was a reduction in blinding barrage's damage.[Dr400:79] Consequently, Wizards of the Coast made the article available to download without a subscription, as an update to the original rogue class, and finalized the changes in the September 2011 update.

A scoundrel gains the Rogue Tactics class feature, and either the Rogue Weapon Talent class feature or the Sharpshooter Talent class feature.

Rogue Tactics[]

A character with the Rogue Tactics class feature chooses one of the following options:

  • Artful Dodger: The rogue gains a bonus to AC against opportunity attacks equal to the rogue's Charisma modifier.[PH:117] The rogue also gets extra benefits from fox's gambit, opening move, positioning strike, bait and switch, rogue's luck, and other powers that list extra benefits for the Artful Dodger option.
  • Brutal Scoundrel: The rogue gains a bonus to Sneak Attack damage equal to the rogue's Strength modifier.[PH:117] The rogue also gets extra benefits from sly lunge, torturous strike, topple over, imperiling strike, and other powers that list extra benefits for the Brutal Scoundrel option. The Brutal Scoundrel option is a prerequisite for the Brutal Wound feat.
  • Cunning Sneak: The rogue no longer incurs a penalty to Stealth checks for moving more than 2 squares. The rogue incurs a −5 instead of −10 penalty to Stealth checks for running. The rogue can make a Stealth check to become hidden after a movement ending at least 3 squares away from where it started, if the rogue ends the movement with concealment or cover other than cover provided by being behind allies.[MP2:56][U
10/2010] The rogue also gets extra benefits from distracting shot, skip the rock, and other powers that list extra benefits for the Cunning Sneak option.
  • Ruthless Ruffian: The rogue gains proficiency with the club and the mace. The rogue can add Sneak Attack damage to attacks with a club or mace. The rogue can use rogue powers and rogue paragon path powers that require a light blade with a club or mace instead.[U
3/2009] The rogue gains a bonus to damage rolls on attacks with the rattling keyword using a club or mace, equal to the rogue's Strength modifier.[MP:73] The rogue also gets extra benefits from termination threat, brutal trick, enforced threat, and other powers that list extra benefits for the Ruthless Ruffian option.

Rogue Weapon Talent[]

A character that selects the Rogue Weapon Talent class feature rather than Sharpshooter Talent increases the size of the weapon die by one when wielding a shuriken, increasing it from 1d4 to 1d6. The character also gains a +1 bonus to weapon attack rolls with a dagger.[U

9/2011] Kukris and parrying daggers count as daggers for purposes of this feature.[AV:10]

Sharpshooter Talent[]

A character that selects the Sharpshooter Talent class feature rather than Rogue Weapon Talent gains Far Shot as a bonus feat regardless of prerequisites. The character also chooses either the crossbow or the sling weapon group, and gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with the chosen weapon group.[MP2:56]

Thief[]

Thief is the subclass of rogue introduced in Heroes of the Fallen Lands.[HotFL:169]

A thief's class features at 1st level are:

At 2nd level:

At 3rd level:

At 4th level:

  • Extra Rogue's Trick

At 5th level:

Backstab[]

Backstab is a thief subclass feature which grants the backstab power.[HotFL:176] At 3rd level, thieves gain the Improved Backstab class feature, which allows an additional use of backstab per encounter, but no more than once per round.[HotFL:181] At 13th level, thieves gain one more use of backstab per encounter, but they can still use it only once per turn.[HotFL:187] At 19th level, thieves gain the Evasive Backstab class feature, which allows the thief after using backstab, the thief can immediately shift up to 3 squares as a free action.[HotFL:189]

Cunning Escape[]

A thief gains the cunning escape power at 5th level.[HotFL:181]

Improved Backstab[]

Main article: Improved Backstab

A thief gains an additional use of backstab per encounter at 3rd level. Backstab can still be used only once per turn.

Rogue's Trick[]

A character with the Rogue's Trick class feature chooses two of the following utility powers at level 1, and can use them at-will. Additional Rogue's Trick powers can be gained at higher levels.

Thief Weapon Talent[]

A character with the Thief Weapon Talent class feature gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls with light blades, hand crossbows, shortbows and slings.[HotFL:179]

Weapon Finesse[]

When a character with the Weapon Finesse class feature makes a melee basic attack, he can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack roll and the damage roll. In addition, he gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls of weapon attacks using light blades, hand crossbows, shortbows, and slings.[HotFL:175] At 9th level the bonus to damage rolls increases to +3.[HotFL:184] At 15th level the bonus to damage rolls increases to +4.[HotFL:188]

Rogue powers[]

Rogue powers, having a martial power source, are also called exploits.

At-will attack exploits

1st level

Encounter attack exploits Daily attack exploits Utility exploits

1st level

1st level

2nd level

3rd level

5th level

6th level

7th level

9th level

10th level

13th level

15th level

16th level

17th level

19th level

22nd level

23rd level

25th level

27th level

29th level

Rogue paragon paths[]

These paragon paths have the rogue class, or hybrid/multiclass rogue, as a prerequisite. Additional prerequisites are noted.

Of these paragon paths, the Thief is designed for use with the Master Thief paragon path.

Rogue epic destinies[]

These epic destinies have the rogue class, or hybrid/multiclass rogue, as a prerequisite. Additional prerequisites are noted.

Rogue feats[]

These feats have the rogue class, or hybrid/multiclass rogue, as a prerequisite. Additional prerequisites are noted.

Heroic tier (any level) Paragon tier (11th level or higher)
Epic tier (21st level or higher)

Multiclass rogues[]

Characters who did not start as rogues and who do not already have a multiclass feat of a type other than multiclass rogue may multiclass as rogues by taking one of the following entry feats.

Rogue entry feat Prerequisites Benefits
Ruthless Efficiency [MP:150] Str 13
Dex 13
The character gains the Ruthless Ruffian rogue class feature. The character also becomes trained in Stealth.
Sly Dodge [MP:150] Dex 13
Cha 13
Once per encounter, the character can add his or her Charisma modifier to his or her AC against an enemy's opportunity attack. The character also becomes trained in either Bluff or Intimidate.
Sneak of Shadows [PH:208] Dex 13 The character gains the Sneak Attack rogue class feature, but can use it only once per encounter. The character also becomes trained in Thievery.
Twilight Adept [MP2:146] Dex 13 or Int 13 Once per encounter, the character can take a free action during his or her own turn to gain the benefit of the Cunning Sneak rogue class feature. The character also becomes trained in Stealth.

In addition, each rogue entry feat grants all of the following benefits:

  • The character counts as a rogue, in addition to his or her original class, for the purpose of meeting prerequisites for feats, paragon paths, etc.
  • The character may take Novice Power, Acolyte Power, and Adept Power feats to exchange powers for rogue powers.
  • If the character takes a multiclass encounter, a multiclass utility, and a multiclass daily feat (such as Novice, Acolyte, and Adept Power), the character can paragon multiclass in rogue instead of taking a paragon path. Paragon multiclassed rogues select additional rogue powers instead of paragon path powers, and may take the First In[MP:149] feat to gain the First Strike rogue class feature.

Hybrid rogues[]

A character may be created as a hybrid of rogue and another class other than rogue. The hybrid rogue bonus to defense is +1 Reflex. A hybrid rogue is trained in two extra skills from the rogue class skill list. The hybrid's rogue class feature is Sneak Attack (hybrid), which is the same as Sneak Attack except that it can only be used with a rogue class power or rogue paragon path power.

When a hybrid rogue gains the Hybrid Talent feat, he or she chooses one hybrid talent option from either of his or her hybrid classes. The rogue hybrid talent options are:

First Strike
The hybrid rogue gains the First Strike rogue class feature.
Rogue Combat Talent
The hybrid rogue gains one of the following rogue class features: Rogue Weapon Talent, or Sharpshooter Talent.
Rogue Tactics
The hybrid rogue gains the Rogue Tactics rogue class feature.[PH3:149]

Pre-generated rogues[]

Scoundrels[]

Thieves[]

  • Ander, halfling thief (Red Box supplemental card)
  • Chali, drow thief (D&D Encounters season 10, "Council of Spiders")
  • Keira, elf thief (D&D Encounters season 4, "March of the Phantom Brigade")
  • Nina Knifehaven, halfling thief (D&D encounters season 7, "Beyond the Crystal Cave")
  • Merric, halfling thief (D&D Encounters season 3, "Keep on the Borderlands")
  • Thia, elf thief (Red Box supplemental card)
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