Rogue (Scoundrel)

CLASS TRAITS

Role: Striker.

Power Source: Martial. Cunning and furtive, you maneuver about the battlefield, evading attacks and countering with strikes of your own. You are at your best when you work with a defender to bring down tough opponents or another striker to set up flanking attacks.

Key Abilities: Dexterity; Strength, Charisma

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather.

Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, hand crossbow, short sword, shuriken, sling.

Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12+ Constitution Score.

Hit Points per Level Gained: 5

Healing Surges per Day: 6+ Constitution Modifier.

Trained Skills: Stealth, Thievery. From the class skills list below, choose 4 more trained skills at 1st level.

Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Bluff (Cha), Dungeoneering (Wis), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Streetwise (Cha), Thievery (Dex).

Build Options: Aerialist Rogue, Brawny Rogue, Cutthroat Rogue, Shadowy Rogue, Trickster Rogue.

Class features: First Strike, Rogue Tactics, Scoundrel Weapon Talent, Sharpshooter Talent, Sneak Attack.

A fair fight is not in the scoundrel’s vocabulary. Scoundrels find success on the battlefield by using every trick at their disposal to deceive, mislead, and ambush their enemies. They draw on their many skills to give them an edge in combat, whether that edge enables them to snatch a treasure from a villain or leap away at the last moment to thwart an attack. Scoundrels are survivors, and they are not above getting their hands dirty to win the day.

A scoundrel relies on clever planning and quick wits to survive. A thief focuses more broadly on acrobatics and unpredictable maneuvers. Scoundrels trade the thief ’s reliable tricks for a broader, more unpredictable range of abilities. These martial powers, or exploits, mirror the scoundrel’s preferred tactics and arise from a mix of training, improvisation, and skill. Some scoundrels favor punishing exploits, focusing on hitting hard and inflicting terrible injuries. Others use witty banter and feints to frustrate and misdirect opponents. Others still favor acrobatics, menace, or secrecy.

Scoundrels are adventurers first and foremost. One might have learned the trade on the streets, might have developed his or her powers out of necessity after fate betrayed them, or could have been apprenticed to a master thief. Some scoundrels join adventuring parties for the promise of treasure and have few reservations about exploring dusty tombs and labyrinthine dungeons as long as there’s a reward on the other side. Not all scoundrels are that mercenary, however. There are things other than loot that are worth fighting for.

CREATING A ROGUE (SCOUNDREL)

AERIALIST ROGUE

All rogues are known for their agility and daring, but you take both to the next level. Ducking under a giant’s club isn’t enough; you leap over it and cartwheel to safety. You’re a masterful mover and an expert top-story burglar, using your abilities to tumble into the fray, into high openings, and out of all sorts of tight spots. Dexterity is your primary ability score, because you rely on it for your attacks and acrobatic stunts. Charisma is secondary for you, useful in avoiding opportunity attacks if you employ the Artful Dodger tactic. Strength serves you well as a tertiary ability, helping your Athletics checks in particular.

Suggested Feat: Defensive Mobility (Human feat: Sure Climber)

Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Perception, Stealth, Thievery

Suggested At-Will Powers: deft strike, riposte strike

Suggested Encounter Power: fox’s gambit

Suggested Daily Power: handspring assault

BRAWNY ROGUE

You like powers that deal plenty of damage, aided by your Strength, and also stun, immobilize, knock down, or push your foes. Your attacks use Dexterity, so keep that your highest ability score. Strength should be a close second—it increases your damage directly, and it can determine other effects of your attacks. Charisma is a good third ability score, particularly if you want to dabble in powers from the other rogue build. Select the brutal scoundrel rogue tactic, and look for powers that pack a lot of damage into every punch.

Suggested Feat: Weapon Focus (Human feat: Toughness)

Suggested Skills: Athletics, Dungeoneering, Intimidate, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery

Suggested At-Will Powers: piercing strike, riposte strike

Suggested Encounter Power: torturous strike

Suggested Daily Power: easy target

CUTTHROAT ROGUE

Leave smiles and misdirection to the tricksters. Instead, you use your animal magnetism in a more beastly way, oozing menace and implying a willingness to allow those who cross you to linger in pain. A friendly manner is for the weak; you achieve your way through tough words, hard looks, and the ability to back up either. Your attacks use Dexterity, so that should be your highest ability score. Charisma follows as a close second, essential for getting your way by using Intimidate. Strength comes in third; it’s useful in delivering brutal attacks if you employ the Ruthless Ruffian tactic.

Suggested Feat: Press the Advantage (Human feat: Backstabber)

Suggested Skills: Bluff, Insight, Intimidate, Stealth, Streetwise, Thievery

Suggested At-Will Powers: disheartening strike, sly flourish

Suggested Encounter Power: termination threat

Suggested Daily Power: checking jab

SHADOWY ROGUE

As your allies charge into battle, you hang back and take cover. While swords swing and spells explode, you carefully choose your target, line up your shot, and fire. The enemy staggers from your deadly attack, and by the time it has begun to look for you, you’ve vanished. You send death hurtling from your crossbow or sling, relentlessly assaulting your enemies. You pepper your foes with missiles, lending support to your allies without risking your own skin.

Shadowy rogues use powers that improve concealment and cover. Shadowy rogues want powers they can use from range, though it’s a good idea to pick a few melee powers as well. Any powers that let you move as part of your attack are excellent choices, because they can help you become hidden using the Cunning Sneak class feature.

Class Feature: Cunning Sneak, Sharpshooter Talent

Suggested Feat: Swift Footwork

Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Dungeoneering, Perception, Stealth, Thievery

Suggested At-Will Powers: gloaming cut, piercing strike

Suggested Encounter Power: distracting shot

Suggested Daily Power: scattering shot

TRICKSTER ROGUE

You like powers that deceive and misdirect your foes. You dart in and out of the fray in combat, dodging your enemies’ attacks or redirecting them to other foes. Most of your attack powers rely on Dexterity, so that should be your best ability score. Charisma is important for a few attacks, for Charisma-based skills you sometimes use in place of attacks, and for other effects that depend on successful attacks, so make Charisma your second-best score. Strength is useful if you want to choose powers intended for the other rogue build. Select the artful dodger rogue tactic. Look for powers that take advantage of your high Charisma score, as well as those that add to your trickster nature.

Suggested Feat: Backstabber (Human feat: Human Perseverance)

Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Insight, Perception, Stealth, Thievery

Suggested At-Will Powers: deft strike, sly flourish

Suggested Encounter Power: positioning strike

Suggested Daily Power: trick strike

ROGUE (SCOUNDREL) CLASS FEATURES

All rogues share these class features.

FIRST STRIKE

At the start of every encounter, you have combat advantage against any creatures that have not yet acted in that encounter.

ROGUE TACTICS

You gain one of the benefits described below, depending on your choice of Rogue Tactics. Your choice also provides additional benefits to certain rogue powers, as detailed in those powers’ descriptions.

Artful Dodger

You gain a bonus to AC against opportunity attacks. The bonus equals your Charisma modifier.

Brutal Scoundrel

You gain a bonus to Sneak Attack damage. The bonus equals your Strength modifier.

Cunning Sneak

You don’t take a penalty to Stealth checks for moving more than 2 squares, and you take a –5 penalty instead of a -10 penalty to Stealth checks for running.

If you end your movement at least 3 squares away from your starting position, you can make a Stealth check to become hidden if you have any concealment or any cover, except for cover provided by intervening allies.

Ruthless Ruffian

You are proficient with the club and the mace, and you can use those weapons with Sneak Attack or any rogue power or rogue paragon path power that normally requires a light blade. If you use a club or a mace to deliver an attack that has the rattling keyword, add your Strength modifier to the damage roll.

SCOUNDREL WEAPON TALENT

When you wield a shuriken, your weapon damage die increases by one size. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus to weapon attack rolls with daggers.

SHARPSHOOTER TALENT

This class feature replaces the Rogue Weapon Talent class feature.

Choose crossbows or slings. You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with any weapon of the chosen group. You gain Far Shot as a bonus feat, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites.

SNEAK ATTACK

When you make an attack with a light blade, a hand crossbow, a shortbow, or a sling and hit an enemy granting combat advantage to you, that enemy takes extra damage based on your level (see the Sneak Attack table). You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.

SNEAK ATTACK

Level

Extra Damage

1–10

2d6

11–20

3d6

21–30

5d6

(9/30/2011)

Updated in Class Compendium.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 116, Class Compendium.