The Rogue is one of the most versatile classes in Dungeons & Dragons, and they are just as reliable in Baldur’s Gate 3. Whether they are disarming booby-trapped chests or dealing devastating surprise attacks to unsuspecting foes, Rogues are at their best when they are operating out of eyesight and earshot, and the sheer variety of subclasses and abilities they get Rogue’syou to finetune your Rogue’s skillset to your liking.
The road from Levelit’so Level 12 is long, and it’s almost impossible for Baldur’s Gate 3 players to know what kind of skills a Rogue will gain as they progress through the game’s forty-hour story unless they’ve played traditional tabletop D&D before. This guide is here to tell new Baldur’s Gate 3 players every Ability Rogues learn as they progress from level 1 to level 12, so keep reading if you want to learn how to run a Rogue like a pro.
All Rogue Level-Up Rewards in Baldur’s Gate 3
Rogues can be many things, but the one thing they should always be is quick and sneaky. As they level up, Rogues gain abilities that allow them to avoid detection and gain unrivaled mastery in a small group of Skills, enabling them to blend into the shadows and find subversive solutions to almost any issue in combat and social encounters. Here’s what progression looks like for a Rogue in Baldur’s Gate 3.
- Level 1: Snake Attack: Melee (Action), Sneak Attack: Ranged: (Action), Expertise in two Skills
- Level 2: Cunning Action: Hide (Action), Cunning Action: Dash (Action), Cunning Action: Disengage (Action)
- Level 3: Rogue Subclass, Sneak Attack Increase
- Level 4: Feat
- Level 5: Uncanny Dodge (Class Feature), Sneak Attack Increase
- Level 6: Expertise in two Skills
- Level 7: Evasion (Class Feature), Sneak Attack Increase
- Level 8: Feat
- Level 9: Sneak Attack Increase
- Level 10: Feat
- Level 11: Reliable Talent (Class Feature), Sneak Attack Increase
- Level 12: Feat
Level 1
At level 1, Rogues gain their defining Class Feature; Sneak Attack. This Ability allows Rogues to deal an additional 2d6 of damage to enemies they have Advantage against. Advantage is a mechanic that lets you roll two dice for an ability check, saving throw, or attack roll, and it’s easy to get it if you know how.
Using the Hide action during their turn is all it takes to give a Rogue Advantage on most enemies. There’s also a long list of Rogue’sand abilities that a Rogue’s allies can cast or use to give them a perfect shot at a particularly annoying enemy. When used properly, a Sneak Attack from a Rogue can bring a particularly grueling combat encounter to a satisfying close.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Fighter 1-12 Progression: All Skills, Abilities, and Level Up Rewards
Level 1 Rogues also gain Expertise in two Skills they are proficient in. Expertise doubles the Proficiency Bonus a Rogue adds to an ability check, significantly increasing their odds of success. The Rogue is second only to the Bard in the number of Skills they can gain Proficiency in, so choose whichever ones fit the type of Rogue you want to be. I recommend Slight of Hand and Stealth be the first skills you put Expertise into.
Level 2
At Level 2, Rogues gain Cunning Actions, upgraded variants of the Hide, Dash, and Disengage actions that all classes can use. Unlike their box-standard counterparts, Cunning Actions can be used as Bonus Actions, allowing Rogues to hide, double their movement speed, and leave combat without using their Action, giving them more freedom to set up a devastating Sneak Attack or escape a dangerous situation.
Level 3
Level 3 is where a Rogue can choose their Subclass, known to them as a Roguish Archetype. Rogues can, fittingly enough, choose from one of three Subclasses when they reach Level 3.
- Arcane Trickster
- Assassin
- Thief
Each Rogueish Archetype gives you additional abilities alongside the main ones you get as you level up. The three Rogueish Subclasses are radically different from one another, and the one you choose will define the kind of Rogue you become as you gain more levels. If you end up regretting your choice of Roguish Archetype, you can respec by finding and using a Wither.
Arcane Trickster
Arcane Tricksters possess a basic knowledge of magic that other Rogues lack, allowing them to cast spells up to Level 2. The Ability to cast magic dramatically enhances the scope of a Rogue’s capabilities, and the list of spells they can learn is full of great choices, like Mage Hand and Disguise Self. Here’s what the path of progression looks like for an Arcane Trickster.
- Level 3 – Spellcasting
- Level 3 – Mage Hand Legerdemain
- Level 9 -Magical Ambush
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Wizard 1-12 Progression: All Spells, Abilities, and Level Up Rewards
Assassin
An Assassin is an agent of quick-and-not-so-painless death that can cut enemies down to size in a way few other Classes can. Right off the bat, Assasins gain more opportunities to perform a Sneak Attack that automatically crit, allowing them to whittle down bulkier enemies’ health bars with quick and decisive blows. Here’s what Assassins get when they level up.
- Level 3 – Assassinate: Initiative (Subclass Feature)
- Level 3 – Assassinate: Ambush (Subclass Feature)
- Level 3 – Assassin’s Alacrity (Subclass Feature)
- Level 9 – Infiltration Expertise (Action)
Thief
Thieves sacrifice the magical process of the Arcane Trickster and the deadly efficiency of the Assassin for increased utility. Thieves can sneak, climb, and pick locks better than any other Rogue, allowing them to walk crowded streets unseen and perform daring robberies in broad daylight. Here is what a Thief gets when they level up.
- Level 3 – Fast Hands (Subclass Feature)
- Level 3 – Second-Story Work (Subclass Feature)
- Level 9 – Supreme Sneak (Action)
On top of getting a Rogueish Archetype, Rogues also get a bonus for the damage dealt by their Sneak Attack, with the damage increasing from 1d6 to 2d6.
Level 4
At Level 4, a Rogue gets to pick a Fear from a long list of options. This is the first of many Feats argue gets leveling up, and the best first choice is easily Crossbow Expert. Crossbows are one of the best weapons a Rogue can use, and Crossbow Expert removes many of the weapon’s most significant drawbacks while playing into its strengths.
Level 5
At Level 5, Rogues gain Uncanny Dodge, which allows Rogues to reduce the damage of an oncoming attack by half as a Reaction. This will enable Rogues to withstand being hit by hard-hitting attacks that would carve massive chunks out of their health bar under normal circumstances.
The damage the Rogue’s Sneak Attack deals also increases from 2d6 to 3d6.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Cleric 1-12 Progression: All Skills, Abilities, Spells, and Level Up Rewards
Level 6
Once they’ve reached Level 6, a Rogue can put Expertise into two more skills. Investigation and Acrobatics are excellent choices since Rogues spend a lot of time searching for traps and nimbly traversing hard-to-navigate locations.
Level 7
At level 7, Rogues gain Evasion, allowing them to completely negate damage dealt by spells and other area-of-effect attacks that require a Dexterity-based saving throw. Rogues usually sneak along the edge of the battlefield in most combat encounters, and Evasion allows them to avoid any splash damage that might come their way.
The damage of Sneak Attack also increases from 3d6 to 4d6.
Level 8
Rogues can choose another Feat at Level 8, and Mobile is an excellent addition to any Rogue’s arsenal. This Feat increases the Rogue’s Movement Speed and allows them to move through Difficult Terrain without a movement penalty. It also grants the Rogue immunity to Opportunity Attacks, which usually limits their Ability to move near enemies.
Level 9
At Level 9, the Rogue’s Sneak Attack damage bonus increases from 4d6 to 5d6. This increase is all a Rogue gets at Level 9, but extra damage never hurt anyone. Except for your enemies, of course.
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Monk 1-12 Progression: All Skills, Abilities, and Level Up Rewards
Level 10
Level 10 is yet another Feat level-up for the Rogue, and I’d recommend picking up Dungeon Delver. Dungeon Delver gives a Rogue Advantage on Perception checks used to detect traps and gives them Resistance to damage dealt by traps they fail to find or disarm.
Level 11
The second-to-last level-up a Rogue gets gives them two incredible abilities. The first, Reliable Talent, means that they can never roll lower than a 10 in any Ability Check they make with a Skill they are proficient in. When combined with Expertise, Reliable Talent all but failure-proofs the Rogue since most critical Ability Checks they make will use skills they are probably Proficient in.
The second thing Rogues get at Level 11 is one last improvement to their Sneak Damage. At 6d6 damage, your Rogue’s Sneak Attack is now as powerful as it’s ever going to be, so choose your targets wisely and watch as their bodies hit the floor.
Level 12
Upon reaching Level 12, your Rogue gets to choose one last Feat, and in my humble opinion, there’s only one right choice. The Skilled Feat gives you Proficiency in three skills of your choice. Pick whichever trio of skills you feel would benefit the most from Proficiency and gain even more utility than you had before.
- This article was updated on August 21st, 2023
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