I Need Some Help With An Arcane Trickster Build/ Cool Spell Uses

[Allistar1801]

So recently I had the urge to play a rogue again and then I started to think about a build. Because I had gotten a bit tired of my playgroup's usual murder-hobo style I wanted to do a lot more deception, and investigation type stuff. This all got me looking into the arcane trickster and the awesome uses for their spells in tandem with some tactical wit. Core build wise I was thinking about the usual studded leather, rapier, dagger, and crossbow stuff, but just accent it with some magic and trap making in order to stack the deck in my favor. I was also trying to come up with some creative uses for spells and wanted to run them by the forums and get some more ideas

My cantrips are Mage Hand, Shape Water, and Minor illusion.
My first levels are Disguise Self, Silent Image, and Find Familiar

Mage hand is obvious and its required but I really like the versatility that it offers.
Along the same lines shape water can be used to do a lot of stuff (break locks by freezing water inside of them, make fake blood by changing the color and stuff).
Also minor illusion because making a sound far away or making an image of the guy who was standing watch directly before being stabbed can be pretty useful.
Silent image is basically the same as minor illusion but a bit more flexible and has a wider area.
Find familiar and disguise self were pretty much just because nothing else looked interesting, plus a quick disguise and another set of eyes can never hurt.

I really have no idea how to implement them in a higher capacity though so if y'all have any creative ideas for how these spells can be used they would be much appreciated.

 

[aco175]

A lot may depend on the DM and how much he lets you use the powers. If you are in dungeons all the time, disguise self may be ok to make yourself look like a orc or something to help scout, but in a city, the spell becomes more powerful in getting in places and getting away from being seen in places.

Some other stuff may be a bit more DM dependent, like shape water. I may not allow it to break locks by freezing inside, but I may give advantage to the check or allow you to make sling stones and such.

 

[Fenris-77]

If I was picking a list based on your character type and picking with effectiveness as the primary it would probably be as follows

Cantrips: Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Booming Blade (if you're using SCAG)

Booming Blade works with your sneak attacks and is just generally awesome, even if it's a little outside your fluff. If you're dead set against melee, even for SA, then I might take a ranged damage cantrip instead or possibly Friends if your campaign will make reasonable use of the social interaction pillar, although if your do take friends then also take disguise self as the synergy there is excellent (or get access to and proficiency with a disguise kit).

First Level: Sleep, Silent Image, Find Familiar (or disguise self as discussed above)

Sleep is too good not to take, and it fits with your fluff nicely, so no reason not to go there. Silent image is great. I know why you want find familiar, and I suspect we like the same shenanigans, so go nuts. If you plan on making the social interaction pillar a real thing for your character, especially an infiltration type of skillset, then disguise self might be the better pick.