Exploring RPG Classes: The Rogue
The Cunning and Annoying Character that Everyone Loves
Rogues can be one of the most chaotic classes in any fantasy RPG. People often see them as the annoying character who pickpockets everyone and hoards the loot. They might also hide in the shadows when things go south. This leaves their party to deal with the mess. A stigma surrounds rogues. It portrays them as shady, edgy, and individualistic. Players expect this type to ignore the law and stab everyone in the back. Literally.
Rogues are versatile and can do many things on their own. However, the class isn’t meant for solo campaigns or for ignoring party members. This class is an extremely useful ally, especially when its focus is teamwork. It also needs to fit the party configuration well. Here’s how players can avoid perpetuating that stigma. We’ll help you understand how the rogue class truly operates.
What Is a Rogue?
Rogues are dexterous individuals that offer players a lot of freedom to thrive in different situations. Usually, they can sneak past enemies, deal high amounts of damage, detect traps, scout without being seen, steal and pickpocket, lockpick doors and chests, and even get rid of handcuffs.
However, rogues don’t have to be the shady thief in the corner of an alley. An RPG class is like having proficiency in something, and anyone with any background can fit in those shoes. A sailor can be a rogue, a charlatan with high charisma too, and even a royal bodyguard that has never seen poverty can be a rogue. Remember that a class defines the play style, not the character’s background. So check the RPG: Character Creation for Dummies for more tips and tricks on how to give your rogue character a unique personality and set a badass story for them.
Play Style
The rogue class favors high dexterity builds with small weapons like daggers and knives, and focuses on fast and sneak attacks. Depending on the system, their high dexterity also provides high initiative in combat, allowing them to go early on the round. They’re known for using stealthy actions whenever they can to stay in the shadows and take their opponents by surprise. For that, rogues are deadly weapons that can both infiltrate and escape places with ease. However, rogues are far from being lone wolves and work best when providing information for the party. That makes the rogue a great class for being a strategist, something that people often overlook in RPGs.
The best game to understand the rogue class and all of its possibilities is Blades in the Dark, a TTRPG that splits the general “scoundrel” term into seven unique rogue approaches. The system is also heavily focused on teamwork, making it a great game to understand how to aid the party as a rogue. Now apart from Blade in the Dark, there are three basic archetypes that rogues are known for, in general: the assassin, starting combat with sneak attacks and dealing high amounts of damage, the spy, a master of disguise with enough charisma to persuade people into telling them whatever they want, and the thieve, a master of infiltration and stealing things without getting attention. Focus on particular specialties or mix them to become a walking Swiss knife. That is how versatile the rogue class can be.
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