While looking over the classes, it occured to me that Rogues are the only "battler" class (Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin, Monk, Ranger, and Rogue) that don't every get the Extra Attack feature. The other five classes all get it at 5th level. Is there some reason behind this? They are limited to one sneak attack per turn, so it isn't as though they could get more sneak attacks or something. I thought maybe one of their archetypes would get it at least, like College of Swords for Bards, but there wasn't anything there either.
While enough rogue nerfing has been going on, would it be crazy to unnerf them a bit and allow Extra Attack at some point? If not 5th level (like most others, except Bard), then 6th?
Thoughts, anyone?
I wouldn't say it's
crazy per se but I would say rogues, generally speaking, don't need Extra Attack to be balanced versus the classes you listed. Expertise is dope, reliable talent is dope, evasion is dope, uncanny dodge is dope, most rogue archetype abilities are pretty solid. That said, it doesn't make a lot of sense that the Rogue Archetypes Scout and Swashbuckler don't ever award an Extra Attack, even a conditional Extra Attack. There are numerous Warlock, Sorcerer, and Wizard builds that excel best outside of combat, so I am fine with Rogues shining best outside of combat as well.
Not sure if you remember 3.5/have played 3.5 but Rogues were terribad, esp. in combat, and relegated solely to the position of skill monkey, an even less desirable party role than "heal bot". The problem was that undead, constructs, elementals, plants, and so on were all immune to sneak attack (as well as, annoyingly for everyone, critical hits). Allowing Rogues to Sneak Attack anything (
with anything, by the way, don't say nowhere in the rules a rogue can't sneak attack with a greatsword if he's proficient with it from a one level dip into fighter or whatever else) was the huge, major unnerf they needed to be playable in this edition, and they got it.
However, having mentioned Sorcerers and Wizards (and for that matter, Clerics and Druids; all the full casting classes) Extra Attack would push Rogues towards parity with them, but they'd still be weaker overall than the full casting classes, just like Barbarians, Fighters, Monks, Rangers, and (probably) Paladins & Warlocks too.