D&D 5E [5e] Arcane Trickster optimization and questions

[Z. H. Darkstar]

Only other advice that I can think of is to make BB your racial cantrip, so you can get 2d8+1d6+3 damage with a rapier at 1st level. At that point, I'd consider going for the Bladesinger dip when you hit character levels 2&3, as your DM might put a target on your back as repercussion for the BB+SA cheese.

 

[bid]

Does Green Flame Blade and Booming Blade work with Sneak Attacks?

Sure, but then you cannot use TWF and have a second chance to apply your SA.

If you go rapier your CA will be disengage. If you go twin shortsword, you can TWF instead of CA with your bonus action and still move out of range. That'd also means you'd have to sheath your offhand to cast a spell.

Check which spells you will take and see how often will you need a good spell DC. You may want to reduce to Int14 and bump Wis12 / Cha10, or bump one and get Con15 for resilient (Con).

The bladesinger dip is a good plan. If you later want more magic, you won't lose any damage since level 6 extra attack compensate for the lost 2d6 SA.

You should race to Dex20, since it's your damage and AC.

 

[Poeta]

Sure, but then you cannot use TWF and have a second chance to apply your SA.

If you go rapier your CA will be disengage. If you go twin shortsword, you can TWF instead of CA with your bonus action and still move out of range. That'd also means you'd have to sheath your offhand to cast a spell.

Check which spells you will take and see how often will you need a good spell DC. You may want to reduce to Int14 and bump Wis12 / Cha10, or bump one and get Con15 for resilient (Con).

The bladesinger dip is a good plan. If you later want more magic, you won't lose any damage since level 6 extra attack compensate for the lost 2d6 SA.

You should race to Dex20, since it's your damage and AC.

I'm not sure TWF is a good option.
Yeah, a second chance to hit a SA is awesome but i don't believe there will be many instances where i'm not better just using the bonus action for CA.

 

[Eltab]

I've found Message to be incredibly good on an Arcane Trickster: it saves time at-table having to re-explain everything I discovered while scouting.
You can also use it on people who are not expecting to hear from you. So if you happen to see somebody lurking around and spying on you, you can seem to ignore him but Message "I know what you're up to," even if you really don't.

Be careful with Disguise Self if you take it - do not try to look like BBEG and just walk anywhere you want. Everybody will note your passing, and may ask you questions that you don't know the answers for. Instead look like a random guard, something innocuous and common and therefore overlooked. You can briefly look like BBEG's lieutenant (who your allies just killed in private) if you plan to tell everybody else to buzz off; you've got the situation under control; you just need a minute to get back on top of your game.

The Mage Hand enhancement can be used to get your DM to become a better describer of details; my favorite use of it is to tie peoples' bootlaces together. If you need to run away fast, use Mage Hand to untie their belts (pants drop, cut their speed way down). Especially embarrassing if the target wears a dress but she may not slow down at all as the scene becomes a 3-way chase.

Arcane Trickster + Ranger1 = full-speed departure through wilderness.

 

[bid]

I'm not sure TWF is a good option.
Yeah, a second chance to hit a SA is awesome but i don't believe there will be many instances where i'm not better just using the bonus action for CA.

BB and disengage is a good plan too, and it keeps you offhand free for spells.

 

[vermilion]

I've played a pair of Arcane Tricksters and think that a high INT is overrated for the class. You're rarely going to use offensive spells and even the new melee cantrips like Green-flame Blade don't depend on your casting stat to hit, so not much need there. Illusions like Disguise Self and Silent Image can be helped by higher intelligence, but that only comes up if an enemy actually takes an action to make an Investigation check against your spell. More importantly, a lot of the options you might take don't use your casting stat at all: Find Familiar, Sleep, Blur, Invisibility, Misty Step, Haste/Fly, etc.

 

[Kithas]

Honestly you won't lose a ton by not multiclassing. Personally I find it boring but it is viable.

As a suggestion;
1-3 levels in Fighter.
1 level gets you proficiency with shields and the Dueling fighting style, +2 damage and +2 ac right there. With a little boost to your con you may not even need to hit and run and would be fine standing and fighting. Since you guys did point-buy it will also be quicker to swap for scale mail for the early levels until you max out your dex, right now you'd have an 18 ac with scale and a shield, that's on par with your paladin I bet. Uncanny dodge and Evasion also go a long way to keeping you alive. The Tough feat wouldn't hurt either.
2 levels gets you Action surge, which is pretty sweet, dropping 2 booming blades on a guy in one turn can definitely be nasty.
3 levels gets you either a 19-20 crit range, or battle master maneuvers. This is really a personal choice and is about even on both sides. Critting on sneak attacks is obviously powerful. Riposte as a reaction lets you use your sneak attack damage twice in one round, also very powerful.

TL;DR you don't have to hit and run, you can just stand there and cut them to ribbons. One level in fighter easily enables this.


p.s. The Savage Attacker Feat is also very very good for this build.
p.p.s I would advise choosing either BB or GFB, they cover most of the same territory for you and Sword Burst/Thunderclap would be really helpful for dealing with groups since most of your damage is single-target. Keep this in mind with your spell selection as well, Thunderwave/Burning hands are great level 1 spells that will get you out of a pinch.

Edit; I know that scale mail has that pesky disadvantage on stealth. Medium Armor mastery takes care of this and gives you a +1 to your ac to boot. This means that 1 level in fighter and 1 asi nets you 2 damage a hit, 4 ac and second wind.

 

[lkwpeter]

I also went for Fighter for the first level. Now I am going Rogue 7, what seems a good way to go. It offers the extra sneak bonus, two lvl2 spells and evasion. Afterwards I am going for some more fighter le

 

[zaratan]

I really think multiclassing after you go deep in Arcane Trickster is to go as fullcaster later. Magical ambush is the best feature to affect enemies saving throw in all 5e, but as pure Arcane Trickster you lack great spells and spell slot to really use it.
You could even dump int and bump cha if you multiclass as sorcerer or bard. Bane turns in a very nasty spell now.

Ok, this is a latter game building, and you're almost dumping your sneak attack (unless your friend use haste on you, or you cast something like dissonant whisppers, command or fear).

 

[miburo99]

Going Bladesinger is another potentially good late-stage option for a melee AT. E.G. Rogue 13/Bladesinger 7. You could go Rogue 4/Bladesinger 7/Rogue X. Or go up the Rogue chain even further for more abilities.

This gets you a huge boost to AC, unrestricted 4th level spells (and higher slots), and two attacks per round. You lose a bunch of Sneak Attacks and higher level Rogue abilities though.