D&D 5E Newbie optimizer help requested on Dwarf Str Rogue Inquisitive

[Spartan_MD]

Hi,

I was working on a concept of a trap finding , melee character. I was toying with the idea of a Str based rogue with medium armor. I was debating between Mountain and Hill dwarf, as mountain would give better Str and armor, but hill would give wisdom bonus. My thought is that he would be moderately well armored and use a crossbow, but mostly get up in melee and use either an ax (if DM would allow) or short sword(s). Perhaps pick up a shield. Not a sneaky guy.

Mountain Dwarf starting stats of S17 D14 C14 I10 W13 Ch8

Skills in Perception (ExP) and Insight (Exp)

Thoughts?

 

[iserith]

It really depends on how your DM presents traps and adjudicates the actions you describe. How a DM handles traps can vary from table to table. Do you have experience with this DM such that you could describe how it typically goes to us?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Iserith's point is a good one: if a DM generally asks for Investigation checks to find traps, and bases Thieves Tools checks to disarm them on Intelligence, that is going to change your priorities to if they use Perception and Dexterity.

Depending on how you want to realise your concept, you could go for a Fighter or Ranger class, pick up proficiency in Thieves tools and other skills from background. There are UA feats that grant expertise and additional bonuses you may want to check out if your DM allows them as well.

Your current setup is fine though. Insight is a fairly unusual skill to pick for expertise, given that your other social skills are going to be bad with that Charisma, but you might be able to double-team with another party member.

 

[Spartan_MD]

I was going to try adneturer’s league at my local gaming store, so I don’t know the answers to your questions.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[iserith]

Iserith's point is a good one: if a DM generally asks for Investigation checks to find traps, and bases Thieves Tools checks to disarm them on Intelligence, that is going to change your priorities to if they use Perception and Dexterity.

Depending on how you want to realise your concept, you could go for a Fighter or Ranger class, pick up proficiency in Thieves tools and other skills from background. There are UA feats that grant expertise and additional bonuses you may want to check out if your DM allows them as well.

Your current setup is fine though. Insight is a fairly unusual skill to pick for expertise, given that your other social skills are going to be bad with that Charisma, but you might be able to double-team with another party member.

On the Insight front, its efficacy is also highly dependent on how the DM runs social interaction challenges. If the DM runs them per the DMG social interaction rules, it's a good pick-up for a non-Charismatic character because Insight might be called for when trying to discern an NPC's agenda, traits, ideal, bond, and flaw. Knowing those things can impart advantage on subsequent Charisma checks. But it's a rare DM in my experience who actually runs social interaction challenges this way.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I was going to try adneturer’s league at my local gaming store, so I don’t know the answers to your questions.

Thanks for the feedback!

Ah. No problem.

The UA feats aren't valid for the Adventurer's League though, so you can ignore that part of my post.

 

[jaelis]

Hi,

I was working on a concept of a trap finding , melee character. I was toying with the idea of a Str based rogue with medium armor. I was debating between Mountain and Hill dwarf, as mountain would give better Str and armor, but hill would give wisdom bonus. My thought is that he would be moderately well armored and use a crossbow, but mostly get up in melee and use either an ax (if DM would allow) or short sword(s). Perhaps pick up a shield. Not a sneaky guy.

Mountain Dwarf starting stats of S17 D14 C14 I10 W13 Ch8

Skills in Perception (ExP) and Insight (Exp)

Thoughts?

I guess you won't be able to sneak attack with an axe in AL.

In general playing a rogue like a tank doesn't seem like a great idea to me, but I guess it could work. Certainly you want the armor from mountain dwarf. Might consider using gadgets like caltrops and hunting traps, seems like it fits the concept and gives you something interesting to do when you can't sneak attack.

 

[BookBarbarian]

I guess you won't be able to sneak attack with an axe in AL.

In general playing a rogue like a tank doesn't seem like a great idea to me, but I guess it could work. Certainly you want the armor from mountain dwarf. Might consider using gadgets like caltrops and hunting traps, seems like it fits the concept and gives you something interesting to do when you can't sneak attack.

Uncanny dodge can make a rogue quite tanky. expertise in Athletics for grapples and shoves works well too.

OP, Crossbow is a ok idea but you'll be limited by only having 14 dex, It will work OK, but you'll have a better chance to hit with Melee or Thrown weapons. For melee consider using a Rapier, and remember Rogues don't get Shield proficiency, so unless you are multiclassing, that's going to be a bad idea to try and use one. Disadvantage is bad news. Also, Dual Shortswords is great on a Rogue.

However, Strength based Rogues benefit greatly from a level or two in Barbarian so you may want to go that route with Rapier+Shield. A Rogue/Barb using strength to Attack with a Rapier, can Reckless attack to activate sneak attack, and get Sneak Attack Damage and Rage Damage on the same hit.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

So you want to optimize a character for an Int/Dex type of class using a Str/Con-or-Wis race?

 

[jaelis]

Uncanny dodge can make a rogue quite tanky. expertise in Athletics for grapples and shoves works well too.

Have you seen it in play? I haven't. I did wonder about it, but first it only works 1/round and it seems like a tank would like to take more than that. Second it takes away your OA, so you lose stickiness. And of course you have to survive to 5th level...