RickonMcMillen
Villager
Rickon's Rogue: A Resourceful Class
Hi everyone! I am embarking on a quest to revisit most of the 2024 PHB for One D&D, D&D Next, 5.5, or whatever we are calling it now.
- What's the point?
I have two main problems with D&D Next, and with 5e for the most part. First, most classes without spells don't give you enough reasons to keep taking levels in them after tier 2, more or less. Second, there are too many spells that encroach on other classes' territory. That's not all: I also have some personal gripes with how certain classes are written, but the main focus of this project is trying to create a more satisfying progression for the classes that lack it.
Also, it is possible that my revisions will add some complexity to the classes. That is intentional.
- What's the point, specifically, with the Rogue?
In my experience, the Rogue is a class that somewhat lacks in the damage department, but most of all, to me and my friends, it feels like an "auto-pilot" class. You have few to no decisions to make during your turns, no resource to manage, and at high levels you even stop rolling dice in some cases.
I'm trying to change most of this while keeping the Rogue's fantasy and role within the system intact. Another goal of this revision is to make the Rogue the standard for ranged weapon damage. In One D&D, with the changes to Sharpshooter, ranged weapon damage has fallen behind. This is not something that concerns me in general, but it is a design space that someone could fill. In my revision, that role belongs to the Rogue.
I don't think ranged damage should be on par with melee damage, i don't want this rogue to become a fighter that throws things in term of damage per turn.
I'm not trying to impose ranged weapons over melee weapons, but a ranged Rogue should be capable of filling the role of primary ranged damage dealer.
Last Disclaimer before starting:
These revisions have seen little to no playtesting. Most of my games are too deep into the narrative to start radically changing what characters can do. I'm here to get blasted to the moon and back with feedback, so thank you to anyone who spends their time reading this!
Rogue Core Traits
- Primary Ability: Dexterity
- Hit Die: d8 per Rogue level
- Hit Points at Level 1: 8 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points per Additional Rogue Level: d8 + your Constitution modifier, or 5 + your Constitution modifier
- Saving Throw Proficiencies: Dexterity, Intelligence
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose 4: Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth.
- Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons and martial weapons that have the Finesse or Light property
- Tool Proficiencies: Thieves' Tools
- Armor Training: Light Armor
- Starting Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Leather Armor, 2 Daggers, Shortsword, Shortbow, 20 Arrows, Quiver, Thieves' Tools, Burglar's Pack, and 8 GP; or (B) 100 GP
Yes, there is nothing new in the core traits, but I felt I needed to include them nonetheless. My brain would hurt if future revisions changed something in the core traits and I had not included them in this post. I need simmetry.
| Rogue Level | Proficiency Bonus | Sneak Attack | Edge Points | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +2 | 1d6 | - | Expertise, Sneak Attack, Thieves' Cant, Weapon Mastery |
| 2 | +2 | 1d6 | 2 | Cunning Action, Rogue's Edge |
| 3 | +2 | 2d6 | 2 | Rogue Subclass |
| 4 | +2 | 2d6 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5 | +3 | 3d6 | 3 | Cunning Strike, Uncanny Dodge |
| 6 | +3 | 3d6 | 3 | Expertise, Evasion |
| 7 | +3 | 4d6 | 3 | Subclass Feature |
| 8 | +3 | 4d6 | 3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9 | +4 | 5d6 | 3 | Quick Mind |
| 10 | +4 | 5d6 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 11 | +4 | 6d6 | 4 | Improved Cunning Strike |
| 12 | +4 | 6d6 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13 | +5 | 7d6 | 4 | Subclass Feature |
| 14 | +5 | 7d6 | 4 | Devious Strikes |
| 15 | +5 | 8d6 | 4 | Slippery Mind |
| 16 | +5 | 8d6 | 4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17 | +6 | 9d6 | 5 | Subclass Feature |
| 18 | +6 | 9d6 | 5 | Elusive |
| 19 | +6 | 10d6 | 5 | Epic Boon |
| 20 | +6 | 10d6 | 5 | Perfect Opportunist |
Level 1: Expertise
You gain Expertise in two of your skill proficiencies of your choice. Sleight of Hand and Stealth are recommended if you have proficiency in them.
At Rogue level 6, you gain Expertise in two more of your skill proficiencies of your choice.
No changes here.
Level 1: Sneak Attack
You know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack roll if you have Advantage on the roll and the attack uses a Finesse or a Ranged weapon. The extra damage's type is the same as the weapon's type.
You don't need Advantage on the attack roll if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the target, the ally doesn't have the Incapacitated condition, and you don't have Disadvantage on the attack roll.
The extra damage increases as you gain Rogue levels, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Rogue Features table.
No changes here.
Level 1: Thieves' Cant
You picked up various languages in the communities where you plied your roguish talents. You know Thieves' Cant and one other language of your choice, which you choose from the language tables in chapter 2.
No changes here.
Level 1: Weapon Mastery
Your training with weapons allows you to use the mastery properties of two kinds of weapons of your choice with which you have proficiency, such as Daggers and Shortbows.
Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can change the kinds of weapons you chose. For example, you could switch to using the mastery properties of Scimitars and Shortswords.
No changes here.
Level 2: Cunning Action
Your quick thinking and agility allow you to move and act quickly. On your turn, you can take one of the following actions as a Bonus Action: Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
No changes here.
Level 2: Rogue's Edge
You gain a number of Edge Points that represents your ability to capitalize on even the smallest advantage in combat, as shown in the Edge Points column of the Rogue Features table. You can expend Edge Points to fuel special Rogue features.
You can expend only one Edge Point per turn.
You regain all expended Edge Points when you finish a Long Rest. When you finish a Short Rest, you regain 1 expended Edge Point.
Follow-Through:
After you deal Sneak Attack damage to a creature on your turn, you can expend 1 Edge Point to make one attack with a Finesse or Ranged weapon against a different creature as a Bonus Action.
If the attack qualifies for your Sneak Attack, you can deal your Sneak Attack damage to the target again, despite having already used Sneak Attack this turn.
If the attack misses, or if it hits but doesn't qualify for Sneak Attack, the Edge Point is still expended.
This is the "resourceful" part. I think the Rogue needs some kind of resource management to stop being an "auto-pilot" class. I didn't want something that shifted the focus too much away from Sneak Attack, which is why the uses are fairly limited. In one of the first drafts of this Rogue, it was capable of targeting the same enemy for the second Sneak Attack, but after running some calc, it felt like it might have been a little too much in tier 3 and 4.
Level 3: Rogue Subclass
You gain a Rogue subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Rogue levels: 3, 7, 13, and 17.
No changes right here.
No Steady Aim?
No, no Steady Aim. Between Cunning Action, Follow-Through, and Quick Mind, a new feature at level 9, I think the Rogue's Bonus Action is already crowded. Steady Aim is expendable, there are already many ways to give Advantage to your attacks, and I would prefer the Rogue to make more tactically meaningful decisions than "stay still, get Advantage."
Level 4: Ability Score Improvement
You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Rogue levels 8, 10, 12, and 16.
No changes here.
Level 5: Cunning Strike
Using your ability to read the battlefield, you can turn a precise hit into a debilitating strike. You gain the following Cunning Strike options.
When you hit a creature with an attack roll and deal Sneak Attack damage to it, you can expend 1 Edge Point to use one Cunning Strike option available to you.
When you use a Cunning Strike option, the target takes extra damage equal to a number of d6s equal to half the number of your Sneak Attack dice, rounded up. This extra damage has the same damage type as the weapon.
If a Cunning Strike option requires a saving throw, the save DC equals 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your Proficiency Bonus.
Trip
The target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or have the Prone condition.
Distract
The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or be unable to take Reactions until the start of your next turn.
Awareness
Until the start of your next turn, attack rolls made by the target against you have Disadvantage.
This is where the Edge Points really kick in. I never really understood the original Cunning Strike; I don't think you need to lower the Rogue's damage. I wanted options that hit different saving throws. In the original PHB 2024, martial characters tend to force saving throws only on physical stats, or at least they rarely target mental stats. I also think this creates a neat parallel between the Rogue's saving throw proficiencies and the saving throws it forces with this feature.
Level 5: Uncanny Dodge
When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack roll, you can take a Reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.
No changes here.
Level 6: Expertise
You gain Expertise in two of your Skill Proficiencies of your choice.
No changes here.
Level 6: Evasion
You can nimbly dodge out of certain area effects. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the save and only half damage if you fail.
You can't use this feature while you have the Incapacitated condition.
No changes to the feature itself, but it has been moved from level 7 to level 6. I needed to free up level 7.
Level 7: Subclass Feature
You gain a feature from your Rogue subclass.
This is why Evasion was moved to level 6. The original progression leaves too many levels without anything from your subclass, so I wanted this feature to come a little sooner. I have not yet begun working on the subclasses, but as a rule of thumb, the idea here is to expand the Cunning Strike options with subclass-themed Cunning Strikes. The rest of the subclass progression is unchanged, so I won't call out each subclass feature separately from here on. For later levels, just refer to the class table.
No Reliable Talent?
I really hate Reliable Talent. I don't understand a feature that practically tells you to stop rolling dice in a game where you are supposed to roll dice. It has been replaced with a new feature at level 9 that should be more proactive in nature while maintaining the "skill monkey" fantasy of the Rogue.
Level 9: Quick Mind
Your mind moves as quickly as your hands. You can take the Study, Search, or Influence action as a Bonus Action. When you do so, the action follows its normal rules, and you can use the following skills with each action:
- Study: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion.
- Search: Insight, Medicine, Perception, or Survival.
- Influence: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion.
Here it is, the replacement for Reliable Talent. It came to mind after seeing the Keen Mind and Observant feats played at the table. I know it will crowd the Rogue's Bonus Action, but this feature is not meant to be used every other round. The idea is that when something non-combat-related must be done during combat, the Rogue is the one who can do it without losing its whole turn.
Level 11: Improved Cunning Strike
Your ability to capitalize on an opening has improved. You are less likely to lose your advantage and better at exploiting being unseen.
Edge Reclaimed
When you expend an Edge Point to use Follow-Through and the attack misses, you regain the expended Edge Point immediately after the attack.
Unseen Strike
When you use a Cunning Strike option against a target that can't see you, the target has Disadvantage on its saving throw against that option.
I thought that, at level 11, Follow-Through would have been too punishing if you lost an Edge Point when the attack missed. Unseen Strike is there because I wanted something that interacted directly with hiding.
Level 14: Devious Strikes
Your ability to turn the tables on your enemies has reached scarier and stronger heights. You gain the following additional Cunning Strike options.
Debilitate
The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or gain 1 Exhaustion level.
Disorient
The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or, until the end of its next turn, it can either move, take an Action, or take a Bonus Action, choosing only one of the three. During that time, it also has Disadvantage on Constitution saving throws to maintain Concentration, including the save triggered by this attack.
Here I tried to strike a difficult balance. I wanted Cunning Strike options that felt stronger, but I didn't want the old ones to become obsolete. I tried giving every option different saving throws, also keeping the philosophy I talked about in Cunning Strike at level 5. I know Debilitate can be strong, but I don't think it is too dangerous. In my opinion, the Constitution saving throw holds it back enough.
Level 15: Slippery Mind
Your cunning mind is exceptionally difficult to control. You gain proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws.
No changes here.
Level 18: Elusive
You're so evasive that attackers rarely gain the upper hand against you. No attack roll can have Advantage against you unless you have the Incapacitated condition.
No changes here.
Level 19: Epic Boon
You gain an Epic Boon feat or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. Boon of the Night Spirit is recommended.
No changes here.
Level 20: Perfect Opportunist
You exploit every opening with unmatched speed and precision.
At the start of each of your turns, if you have expended any Edge Points, you regain 1 expended Edge Point.
Finally, once per short rest, when you fail an ability check that uses a skill or tool proficiency you have, you can expend 1 Edge Point to succeed instead.
Maybe it's too much? I am a bit dubious about this one, but I also don't really believe in balance at level 20. I think the "1 Edge Point per turn" restriction holds this feature back enough.
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For the future, aside from the feedback i hope to get, i am already thinking about something for thieves' cant that i feel is too much DM dependent and maybe needs something that make it shine more, even as a ribbon feature
