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Rogue

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Rogue

Rogues are cunning and elusive adversaries who are at their most effective when delivering lethal strikes to flanked or preoccupied opponents. Wearing leather armor and armed with light blades, maces or ranged weapons, rogues are quick to act and hard to hit cleanly. Rogues also serve a vital party role by disabling traps and picking locks.

Jump to (Class): Cleric - Fighter - Rogue - Wizard | Go to (Page): Races


Features[]

  • Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex
  • Starting Hit Points (Lvl 1): 12 + Constitution score (5 hit points per level thereafter)
  • Class Feature:
    • First Strike: At the start of an encounter, the rogue has combat advantage (+2 to attack) against any creatures that have not yet acted in that encounter.

Powers[]

Level 1 (Starting Powers)[]

  1. Sly Flourish
    • Uses: At Will
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
    • Damage: 1[W]+DEX+CHA
  2. Stunning Blow
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
    • Damage: 1[W]+DEX, 1/2 damage on miss.
    • Effect: stun
    • Duration: saving throw
  3. Ranged Attack
    • Uses: At Will
    • Range: As per Ranged Weapon
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
    • Damage: 1[W]+DEX


Level 2[]

At level 2 the player must choose between Dash and Trapsmith. If you play an Eladrin Rogue then you already have fey step which teleports you 5 squares, it's doubtful that you would often find a use for dash. However if you are a Halfing Rogue the extra mobility will come in useful.

  1. Dash
    • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
    • Range: 3 squares
    • Effect: teleport
  2. Trapsmith
    • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
    • Effect: +5 thievery
    • Duration: 1 turn


Level 3[]

At level 3 the player must choose between Setup Strike and Dazing Strike. Both do an equal amount of damage with the main difference being the effect it produces. Daze can be a useful effect if you are able to strike and then Fey Step / Dash away more than one square from a melee opponent (or if that opponent decides to move on his turn).

  1. Setup Strike
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
    • Damage: 2[W]+DEX
    • Effect: target grants combat advantage
    • Duration: 1 turn
  2. Dazing Strike
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
    • Damage: 2[W]+DEX
    • Effect: daze
    • Duration: end of next turn


Level 4[]

  1. Choose two attributes to get +1 point each.


Level 5[]

At level 5 the player must choose between Deep Cut and Walking Wounded. Both do equal damage, however, Deep Cut does 1/2 damage even on a miss and does ongoing damage based off your STR modifier while Walking wounded knocks the target prone and applies a daze, which is the second best status effect right after stun. The ability to do 1/2 damage on a miss is also nice if you have a high STR modifier.

  1. Deep Cut
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs FORT
    • Damage: 3[W]+DEX, 1/2 damage on miss
    • Effect: STR+3 ongoing damage
    • Duration: saving throw
  2. Walking Wounded
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs FORT
    • Damage: 3[W]+DEX
    • Effect: knock prone, daze
    • Duration: saving throw


Level 6[]

At level 6 the player must choose between Heightened Reflexes and Battle Focus. Since there is a better skill that adds +10 to your critical hit range and they do not stack together Battle Focus is a far better choice as it allows you to land almost guaranteed stunning blows when needed.

  1. Heightened Reflexes
    • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
    • Range: Self
    • Effect: +3 critical hit range
    • Duration: 1 turn
  2. Battle Focus
    • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
    • Range: Self
    • Effect: +5 attack roll
    • Duration: 1 turn


Level 7[]

At level 7 the player must choose between Cloud of Steel and Sand in the Eyes. While Sand in the Eyes does more damage vs a single target and weakens, Cloud of Steel is an AOE effect that does 2W damage per target. With two targets it does 4W , three targets it does 6W and four targets 8W.

  1. Cloud of Steel
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Blast 4
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs AC
    • Damage: 2[W]+DEX
  2. Sand in the Eyes
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs REF
    • Damage: 3[W]+DEX
    • Effect: weaken
    • Duration: 1 turn


Level 8[]

  1. Choose two attributes to get +1 point each.


Level 9[]

At level 9 the player must choose between Knockout and Crimson Edge. If you're going for a damage build you will want to take Knockout. With the proper weapons and gear it can do near 80 damage vs a single target and is useful if you need to dispatch a high health enemy quickly. If you have a high STR rogue then Crimson Edge might become a good option.

  1. Knockout
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs FORT
    • Damage: 5[W]+DEX
    • Effect: slow
    • Duration: saving throw
  2. Crimson Edge
    • Uses: Once per encounter
    • Range: Melee
    • Attack Roll: DEX vs FORT
    • Damage: 3[W]+DEX, 1/2 damage on miss.
    • Effect: 5+STR ongoing damage, target grants combat advantage
    • Duration: saving throw


Level 10[]

At level 10 the player must choose between Piercing Strike and Coordinated Speed. Piercing strike all but ensures you will likely land a critical strike on your next attack and works wonders when used in combination with Knockout vs a single high health opponent. Coordinated Speed is nice but not as useful as Piercing Strike.

  1. Piercing Strike
    • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
    • Range: Self
    • Effect: +10 critical hit range
    • Duration: 1 turn
  2. Coordinated Speed
    • Uses: Once per encounter, free action
    • Range: Burst 2
    • Effect: +1 reflex, +2 speed
    • Duration: 1 turn

Designing a Rogue[]

Rogue Attributes[]

  • When designing a rogue keep in mind that his primary attribute is Dexterity. This is the attribute that he will use for his AC, Attack and +Damage Rolls and Reflex saves.
  • Strength is important only if you plan on taking powers that deal ongoing damage.
  • Charisma is only important for your at-will attack power Sly Flourish (which should hardly get used at high level play).
  • Constitution can be a very good choice as a secondary attribute as it boosts your FORT and maximum Health and can be coupled with the Blacksmith's Band which adds your CON modifier to damage (see the max damage build below).
  • Intelligence and Wisdom are not used by the rogue. It is unclear if either of these attributes add anything to perception or thievery skills. With so many items and potions giving bonuses to thievery it is not worth the expense of trying to increase these skills through attributes.

Race Choice[]

  • Only two races should be selected when building a rogue: Eladrin or Halfling.
  • Both races recieve a bonus to Dexterity with Eladrin reciving a bonus to Intelligence and Halfling recieving a bonus to Charisma. The Halfling bonus to charisma is more useful than the Eleadrin bonus to Intelligence.
  • Halflings receive a +1 bonus to AC when flanked (which happens often to rogues), however, Eladrin recieve fey step which allows your rogue to teleport 5 squares once per encounter adding much needed mobility for early round stuns on powerful (but far away) enemies.

Equipment Choices[]

  • It's important to factor in what equipment you plan to use at level 10.
  • The best weapon for a rogue to use is Fist of the North as testing has shown it outdamages all other weapons in the game.
  • If you plan on having a high Constitution score the Blacksmith's Band is an excellent choice for a ring, the Ring of Battle and the Ring of Blinding Swiftness are also good choices if your CON is not high.
  • +3 Hunter's Leather Armor is more than likely the goto armor for rogues. It provides good defense and speed and initiative bonuses that rogues will get plently of use out of.
  • For offhand item the Vial of Illithid Mucous adds +3 ongoing psychic damage (this type is least likely to be resisted by monsters).


Builds[]

Rogue's Purpose Build (Max Thievery Build)[]

With this build, I focus not only on what is good to use for the creator, but what also is most likely to have that character chosen by "friends" to be used (and is most useful for them), thus increasing your daily gold supply. In short, this means that I not only experience these "toons"/my builds from a creator's viewpoint, but from a "user's/friend's" viewpoint as well.

What with all of the discussion on damage and the like, it seems that the actual purpose of a Rogue has been often overlooked. This is simply a short discussion of a build for a Rogue for its originally intended purpose: 99%+ sucess rate of disarming traps and unlocking doors/chests... particularly on "Heroic" quests for max experience.

This build focuses on both being a Fighter replacement, while assuring that you never miss a Thievery check (aside from a roll of 1/always failure). It also focuses on being a first strike character, -to take advantage of the bonus that a Rogue recieves against enemies that have not as yet moved in an encounter- as well as taking into account the need to quickly cross a battlefield and thus be able to stun or daze (in the case of stun resistant bosses) a prime target. As a secondary attribute, it focuses on STR, for Deep Cut and Crimson Strike bonuses/damage over time.

  • Race: Eladrin (for Fey Step)
  • Starting Stats: 20 DEX, 11 CON, 14 STR, 8 CHA 12 INT
  • Ending Stats: 22 DEX (+6), 11 CON , 16 STR (+3), 8 CHA, 12 INT
  • Powers; make sure to pick at a minimum:
    • TRAPSMITH (Lvl 2, see Note 1)
    • Dazing Strike (Lvl 3)
    • Deep Cut (Lvl 5)
    • Battle Focus (Lvl 6)
    • Cloud of Steel (Lvl 7)
    • Crimson Edge (Lvl 9, see Note 2)
    • Piercing Strike (Lvl 10)
  • Powers: Notes
    1. Dash, the alternative to Trapsmith, is rarely needed with this build as it also focuses on speed (and thus makes up for the whole 3 spaces Dash gives) and has the Fey Step. On the very rare occasions you might need the extra step that Dash gives over this build (at the cost of 5 Thievery), hopefully you have a Wizard with Ice Storm (and max initiative, assuming the highest "dungeons") who can daze and slow the prime target. Giving up 5 Thievery forever for a very rarely needed extra "step" means you (or "friends" using your build) will have to burn through Cat's Grace potions or Thieves tools, where even Enchanted Thieves Tools cannot make up the difference.
    2. As for Crimson Edge vs. Knockout for in this build, some can say it is debatable. I highly suggest Crimson Edge. A main focus is making sure that your attacks hit the target for that first strike; however, it somewhat depends on what weapon you use. Knockout will give 5 times your standard weapon attack (+Dex bonus) in a single blow... and slow the target even if you miss (not all that important, generally) but deal no damage. Crimson Edge will only do 3 times the weapon damage (+Dex bonus) +5 +STR (which is 3 at 16 STR) of ongoing damage, as well as lower AC for other party members) for a +8 ongoing damage until the target makes a save (usually two rounds, thus 3*weapon damage +16, but averaging in 1 round saves, 3*weapon +12). It depends on which weapon you ultimately choose. However, note that for this build you will not be using the Blacksmith's Band (and thus not using the Fist of the North), but rather using the Ring of Battle (and thus using Venom (5-11 +3 poison DoT), the +3 Shadar-Kai Blade (4-9 +4 necrotic DoT) or Drake Fang (4-13 +2 fire DoT)). It also depends if you use one or two Clerics generally, where the Cascade of Light spell can increase each DoT (Damage over Time) by 5 until a save is made (this also works for Knockout, but has to be applied before the Knockout attack, while for Dots the Cascade of Light spell can be applied after). A final couple of notes is that (1) Crimson Edge also attaches a +2 attack bonus for your other characters until the target's next turn, as well as (2) delivering 1/2 damage even on a miss (vs. nothing on a miss for Knockout).
  • Equipment:

Final Stats:

  • 22 DEX, 11 CON, 16 STR, 8 CHA, 12 INT:
  • 26/27 AC, +9 to attack
  • +13/+12 to thievery (including Trapsmith skill)
  • +3 ongoing damage/DoT (plus weapon DoT)
  • +3/+5 initiative
  • +2 to speed
  • +2 to healing recieved
  • +3 FORT
  • Note: Make sure to pick up a Devious Hood as soon as you can (a level 6 helm with a +3 thievery bonus that is most easily obtained in "Heroic" mode of Hatchery in the Woods (consult the item page's known locations for any updates). Focus on obtaining it during levels 4 thru 8, (Note, as of 04/17/2012, Devious Hood does not seem to be dropping) . At Level 9, The Trapmaster's Hood becomes a better option due to the +5 bonus to thievery. As for the Crown of Mastery, it can be incredibly difficult to obtain (burning through 10 Potions of Luck on each try... personally, I have gone through 16 attempts without "luck") At level 9 or 10, it is best to obtain the Trapmaster's Hood as a base helmet and look for the Crown of Mastery only as a bonus.
  • Note that the cleric spell CASCADE OF LIGHT adds 5 damage to every applicable ongoing damage type. For example, if a Rogue inflicts psychic, fire, and physical (non-magical) ongoing damage to a target, casting CASCADE OF LIGHT on the affected target will apply an additional +5+5+5=15 damage.
  • The Vial of Illithid Mucous is a serious alternative when you (or friends) are dealing with sub-Lvl 9 dungeons (remember that "Heroic" is +4 to dungeon level). Added to a Clerics CASCADE OF LIGHT spell (+5 damage for each, this means an extra +8 damage/round (+ 8 more for each round that the enemy fails a save beyond the first damage set). However, without the Cleric spell, it is only +3 damage, at a cost of -5 thievery for any unlock/disarm attempts... so juggle them at your discretion.
  • Note, however, that the cleric spell CASCADE OF LIGHT is currently the only stackable damage in the game, meaning that if you were to have two Clerics cast CASCADE in a case of a Rogue landing a psychic, fire, and physical "ongoing damage" attack, the +5+5+5 increases to +10+10+10; furthermore, the first CASCADE adds +5 damage to the second CASCADE', even upon a "miss" (much like a Wizard's FIREBALL spell, even a "miss" grants 1/2 damage). This can quickly overwhelm most resistances.


~ 'Cyntyrr D'Soulshorne/Marketta D'Marketta

Max Damage Build[]

The Max Damage Build aims to maximize the total amount of damage that a rogue can do in one hit. This build is capable of delivering 90+ damage single hits with the Knockout power. It's weakness is that it has a lower chance to hit due to using the Blacksmith's Band in favor of the Ring of Battle The favored race is Eldarin.

Final Stats 22 DEX, 18 CON, 13 STR, 10 CHA, 12 INT = +10 to damage, +6 to Hit.

Another Option :

It is worth noting that with either of these builds you are looking at a plus hit of +14 (+3 from weapon, +6 from stats, +5 from half your level). Upper heroics tend to be in the 24-27 AC range, this means you will have to roll a 10+ to hit on a 20 sided "die". Your hit chance can be improved with consumables. Also don't forget the extra +2 bonus when you flank your target.


Combat Utility Build[]

Max Damage = Max Hit!... Without the Ring of Battle the lvl 10 Rogue has about a 50% chance to hit. Adding the ring (now +3 hit) increases you chance to 65% which is an increase of 30% (which means your average damage goes up by 30%). Who cares about +3 dmg from the Blacksmith's Band ! Once you drop the Blacksmith's Band it isn't a given that you should use a Mace. The highest theoretical DPS on a non-favored target (dragons for Drake Fang etc) is from the dagger Venom (5-11 +3 poison) closely followed by the +3 Shadar-Kai Blade (4-9 +4 necrotic) and Drake Fang (4-13 +2 fire) even if we only look at the recurring dmg for one round and disregard crits (11, 10.5 and 10.5 respectively). Venom and the SK have higher crits BUT poison and necrotic are worse recurrning than fire (given all the undeads).

Another reason to favor Hit is that most of the Rogue abilities include crowd control features (stun, daze, slow, knock-down). Those add value over and above the damage dealt and is, in my view, the main reason for a Rogue. Because of that I also favor mobility and initiative to be able to take out (stun) the most dangerous targets before they can wreck havoc.

Preferred Combat Utiliity Build:


Ongoing Damage Build[]

This is essentially a variant of the Max Damage build but with a focus on STR instead of CON and hit rate over damage. With this build, your character won't deal as much raw damage per turn as a Max Damage rogue and it won't be as effective at crowd control since it loses Walking Wounded in favor of Deep Cut but it'll have a very useful role. The main purpose of this build is to inflict as much ongoing damage as possible to finish off low HP npcs other characters couldn't kill.

  • Preferred Race: Eladrin (E) for Fey Step or Halfling (H) for +2 Charisma = +1 CHA modifier = +1 damage with Sly Flourish.
  • Initial Ability Scores: 20 DEX, 14 STR, 11 CON, INT 10(H) or 12(E), WIS 8, CHA 10 (E) or 12(H)
  • Ending Ability Scores: 22 DEX, 16 STR, 11 CON, INT 10/12, WIS 8, CHA 10/12 (add +1 DEX/+1 STR at Lvl 4 & 8)

Recommended Equipment:

Helm:

Armor:

Weapon:

  • Drake Fang (+2 ongoing fire) for dragon/undead adventures.

Implement:

Ranged Weapon:

Ring:

Build Powers:

  • Deep Cut (Lvl 5), 3 from STR +3 from power +3 psychic= +9 ongoing dmg
  • Crimson Edge (Lvl 9), 3 from STR +5 from power +3 psychic= +11 ongoing dmg

Notes:

  • Focus on initiative and speed gear to be able to move across the map to reach all targets before their turn comes. If you're too far to use a melee power, use a ranged attack.
  • A good strategy would be to hit an npc with a ranged attack on one turn and hit the same creature with a melee attack at the next turn to stack different types of ongoing damage. It helps to have more than one melee weapon or crossbow in your inventory to optimize your ongoing damage and minimize resists (see equipment notes above).
  • When your character lands a hit on an npc, keep in mind that ongoing damage of one type doesn't stack. (If a creature already has 3 ongoing psychic, you can't add another 3 ongoing psychic on top at the next turn.)
  • With the Ring of Battle (and Battle Focus), your character's attacks won't miss very often but if they do, you're sure to get atleast half damage with Deep Cut and Crimson Edge.
  • Another option would be to choose Trapsmith instead of Dash at lvl 2 for +5 thievery but in my opinion, if you equip a Crown of Mastery and Dashing Rogue's Glove (for a total thievery bonus of +5) and have a 20+ DEX score, you'll be able to disable the vast majority of locks/traps (say 90% success rate) wihout using any consumables. Traps in this game have very low DC and thievery is mostly useful at lower levels, don't sacrifice attack bonuses to have more thievery bonuses. In some cases, being able to move 3 squares farther to daze, stun or knock a target prone is much more useful than being able to unlock a chest with a small amount of gold at the end of an encounter. Use your judgement to see what suits your character best.
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