Hello everyone!

Since my last post about the Transmutation Wizard received so much positive feedback, I decided to share another one of my personal favorite subclasses, one that I think a lot of people overlook, especially as a full class.

Most players only use Thief as a 3-level dip on various multiclass builds to gain the extra Bonus Action, but I think it also performs incredibly well as a monoclass.

Disclaimer

This build was played on Solo Honour Mode, the ability scores, gear, races, feats, and multiclass options listed here are only recommendations, not requirements. Feel free to adjust them to suit your own playstyle.

Some of the interactions mentioned in the Tips & Tricks section are exploits or unintended game mechanics. Use them if you want, but the build performs perfectly well without relying on them.

The Build

There are a few different ways to play this:

• 12 Rogue – Gains a fourth feat.
• 11 Rogue / 1 Fighter – Fighting Style, weapon and armor proficiencies.
• 11 Rogue / 1 Wizard – Utility spells and ritual casting.

Races

I'm not the biggest fan of optimizing around race since I love playing my Elf, but there are still a few worth considering:

• Half-Orc – Extra critical hit Die.
• Githyanki – Medium Armor Proficiency.
• High Elf / Half-Elf – Wizard cantrip.
• Male Dwarf – Has a unique interaction that allows two attacks with a single Bonus Action. I'll explain this in the Tips & Tricks section.

Ability Scores

• Strength: 16 (+2 from the Potion of Everlasting Vigor)
• Dexterity: 17 (+1 Auntie Ethel's Hair, +2 Mirror of Loss)
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 8
• Charisma: 10

Feats

• Alert
• Savage Attacker
• Athlete
• Sharpshooter
• Magic Initiate: Wizard
• Heavy Armor Master
• Crossbow Expert

Equipment

Head

• Covert Cowl
• Grymskull Helm
• Haste Helm
• Balduran's Helm
• Helldusk Helmet

Cloak

• Cloak of Protection
• Vivacious Cloak
• Shadeslayer Cloak
• Deathstalker Mantle
• Cloak of Displacement
• Wavemother's Cloak

Chest

• Bhaalist Armour
• Adamantine Splint Armour
• Adamantine Scale Mail
• Helldusk Armour
• Armour of Agility
• The Graceful Cloth

Gloves

• Flawed Helldusk Gloves
• Helldusk Gloves
• Craterflesh Gloves
• Gloves of Power

Boots

• Boots of Speed
• Evasive Shoes
• Disintegrating Night Walkers
• Boots of Striding
• Boots of Persistence

Amulets

• Broodmother's Revenge
• Amulet of Branding
• Periapt of Wound Closure
• Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet
• Amulet of Greater Health

Rings

• Ring of Protection
• Killer's Sweetheart
• Risky Ring
• Ring of Free Action
• Caustic Band

Weapons

Melee

• Rhapsody
• Dolor Amarus
• Bloodthirst
• Practice Sword
• Assassin's Shortsword
• Shadow Blade
• Crimson Mischief
• Knife of the Undermountain King
• Slicing Shortsword

Ranged

• Hellfire Hand Crossbow
• Ne'er Misser
• Titanstring Bow
• The Dead Shot

Tips & Tricks

Three Bonus Actions in Act 3

The Helmet of Grit grants an additional Bonus Action while you're below half health. With this trick, you can keep the extra Bonus Action even with a different Helmet and after healing back to full health.

How it works

1. Place the Helmet of Grit somewhere in your inventory.
2. Sort your inventory so the helmet changes position.
3. Drag your current helmet onto the Helmet of Grit to equip it.
4. Trigger the Helmet of Grit's effect.
5. Unequip it and heal back to full health.
6. Reequip your other helmet

Sneak Attack

If you didn't already know, Sneak Attack scales at every odd Rogue level. At level 11 it deals 6d6 bonus damage (12d6 on a critical hit), on top of your weapon's normal damage.

Sneak Attack also changes its damage type depending on the weapon you're using.

The Practice Sword is the only finesse weapon in the game that deals bludgeoning damage, making it surprisingly powerful on a Rogue. Bludgeoning vulnerability is incredibly easy to inflict, so it became my go-to weapon throughout Act 2.

I highly recommend setting Sneak Attack to Ask in the reaction tab. This gives you much more control over when you use it and prevents wasting your Sneak Attack on a weaker target or a situation where you might want to save it for a better opportunity.

Easy Sources of Advantage

Sneak Attack requires Advantage (or an adjacent ally) to activate, here is a list of the easiest ways to get Advantage:

• Risky Ring
• Prone – Thrown enemies are guaranteed prone.
• Shadow Blade – Advantage against Lightly or Heavily Obscured.
• Hide or Cunning Action: Hide
• Invisibility
• Tadpole Elixir – After using an Illithid power, you gain Advantage on all attacks for 3 turns.
• True Strike

Offensive Use of Reliable Talent

Reliable Talent treats every proficient ability check below 10 as a 10.

If you combine this with Advantage on Stealth checks you can maintain Greater Invisibility very reliably. Pair it with poisons and you can eliminate enemies outside of combat before they even know you're there.

Two Attacks with One Bonus Action (Male Dwarf)

Male Dwarves have a unique interaction.

If you wield a dagger in your main hand and a shortsword in your off hand, then attack from just outside melee range so your character has to walk toward the target, they'll perform two attacks instead of one.

You can also take advantage of this by disguising yourself as a Male Dwarf.

Offensive Use of Evasion

Evasion allows you to take no damage from Smokepowder Bomb explosions on a successful Dexterity saving throw.

That said, this isn't completely risk free. While the odds with advantage are very low, it's still possible to blow yourself up, so I wouldn't rely on it all the time.

Bloodthirst (Orin's Dagger)

While equipped in your off hand, it grants +1 AC and allows you to use Riposte whenever an enemy misses you.

Keep in mind that Riposte can trigger Sneak Attack. If you use Sneak Attack during the Riposte, it won't be available on your next turn.

If you have any questions about the build, I'd be happy to answer them!