“Rogues rely on cunning, stealth, and their foes’ vulnerabilities to get the upper hand in any situation. They have a knack for finding the solution to just about any problem. A few even learn magical tricks to supplement their other abilities. Many Rogues focus on stealth and deception, while others refine skills that help them in a dungeon environment, such as climbing, finding and disarming traps, and opening locks.”
Introduction
Welcome, scoundrels, ne’er do wells, and charlatans to your guide on roleplaying your Rogue like the legendary figure they purport to be. In this article we will cover the defining narrative characteristics of a Rogue and discuss the important decisions which define your character. We will also highlight the common tropes associated with Rogues in fiction, and offer some advice for how best to emulate, or subvert, these for your character. If you’re ready to forge your Rogue into a figure whose name is only whispered in the corners of gloomy, smoke-filled taverns, then read on.
What makes a Rogue?
Rogues are far more than common thieves and ruffians, they are experts in subterfuge and legerdemain who excel at overcoming obstacles creatively. To reduce a Rogue’s abilities to merely avoiding detection and picking locks is to do them a great disservice, as they are capable of so much more.
A Rogue is an individual who possesses remarkable abilities to remain hidden, deceive the unwary, bypass barriers, and take advantage of a foe’s weaknesses. Though many (yet not all) Rogues lack any magical ability or martial clout, they are the epitome of the traditional adventurer. A treasure-seeker without compare, who lives for the glint of gold in torchlight and has all the skills (and often the flexible morals) to acquire it.
Creating Your Rogue
There are several important questions to ask yourself when creating your Rogue, all of which will define their character and how they see themselves and others in the world. We encourage you to take your time with these questions as they are fundamental to creating a character which aligns with your creative vision, and who fits into the type of game your group is playing.
How did your Rogue hone their skills?
Rogues are highly-skilled individuals, but they must have learned these skills somewhere! Whilst some truly exceptional characters could be naturally gifted in the arts of thievery and stealth, many will have been taught their trade by a mentor or group of some description.
Consider how your Rogue came to possess the abilities they begin their adventures with. Were they part of a thieves’ guild in their home city, honing their skills by picking the pockets of urban merchants and nobility? Were they taken under the wing of a mentor who taught them how to stay quick and quiet, and if so, is that person still around? Perhaps your Rogue found themselves alone from a young age and had to learn fast in order to survive. Your answer here will influence the personal philosophy of your Rogue.
What is their personal philosophy?
How does your Rogue see the world, and their place within it? Has a life on the streets made them tough and cynical, angry at the world which cast them aside? Perhaps they see the world as full of opportunities to be seized, and are always looking for their next big adventure to find their big score. Understanding your Rogue’s motivation to go on dangerous adventures is key to their motivations as a character, and something that is beneficial to spend some time considering.
How your Rogue views themself is also an important part of their personality. If you are creating a dashing scoundrel, they probably have a different opinion of themselves than an assassin trained from youth to be a tool of death.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by starting from scratch, fear not. Luckily, there are many Roguish tropes in fiction from which we can draw inspiration.
Tropes
The Rogue has been an archetype of fiction for decades, in novels, comics, TV, and movies. Unlike some other classes, Rogues vary wildly in their background, appearance, and most common endeavours.
The classic Rogue is the high-fantasy thief, a cloaked figure traversing the shadows with a dagger in one hand and a freshly pilfered coin-purse in the other. These characters are often of dubious moral character, seeking riches which are not rightfully theirs, and who sell their loyalties to the highest bidder. Playing around with tropes is always a lot of fun, and can lead us to create some of our most enjoyable characters.
Others are duplicitous masterminds who concoct schemes to manipulate others to achieve their goals, often without their chosen pawns being aware they are even playing the game. Another trope often associated with Rogues is that of the dashing swashbuckler, and your Rogue need not choose that particular subclass in order to draw from the devilish charm of characters such as Zorro, Han Solo, or the Dread Pirate Roberts.
Whilst these tropes can be used as-is to inspire your Rogue’s creation, you could also use them to subvert expectations. Perhaps your Rogue is a bold, brash loud-mouth who brags openly about their nefarious activities, due to their supreme confidence that no one can stop them. Perhaps your Rogue does not seek riches, but yearns purely for the experience of adventure and donates much of the treasure they come across to charitable causes.
Rogue Subclasses: Your Specialization
Your Rogue can specialize as they gain levels, further honing and refining their skillset to match their talents and goals. By now you will have a good idea of who your Rogue is and what skills they are likely to have. Use this information as a framework to build the rest of the character, particularly when deciding on the nature and details of their specialization.
Thief
The archetypal Rogue from countless fantasy stories, Thief Rogues are experts at getting where they are not supposed to be, bypassing security measures, and escaping unnoticed. Thief Rogues often prefer to avoid being noticed, let alone endangering themselves in combat. Leave that to the sword-swingers. However, this type of Rogue is often portrayed with a healthy measure of self-preservation, and may prefer to contribute to overcoming the party’s foes in less martially-significant ways.
Like all Rogues, the Thief has an incredibly versatile skill set and, with a little creative thinking, they can undermine their enemies in all sorts of ingenious ways by using mundane items, or the environment, to their advantage.
It is also worth mentioning that these Rogues have a tendency towards stealing anything which isn’t nailed down, as is their prerogative. However, a Rogue who steals from their allies will quickly find themselves abandoned and vulnerable.
Arcane Trickster
Arcane Tricksters are Rogues who have somehow trained themselves to wield magical powers in aid of their deceptions. How they came to acquire such abilities is fertile ground for adding depth to your character, and we recommend taking some time to discuss this with your GM to create a narrative suitable for your game.
Perhaps your Rogue stole a spellbook from a wandering wizard and accidentally gained a measure of their magical energy, or maybe they were taught by a mentor who recognised their potential to learn such incredible abilities. Were they somehow blessed by a god of luck after a fateful encounter with an ancient talisman, or other esoteric relic? The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination!
Consider how your Arcane Trickster views themselves, particularly compared to their dubious peers, and how this might impact their attitude and behaviour. Is your Rogue an arrogant show-off, taking any opportunity to prove their superiority over others? Perhaps they are more humble, concealing their power from all but their trusted allies and friends in order to remain mysterious and inconspicuous.
Assassin
Cold-blooded murderers for hire, Assassins are the deadliest Rogues around. Experts in the creation and administration of poisons, lethal with blade and bow, and able to stalk their prey unseen, Assassins are terrifying individuals. If your Rogue follows this shadowed path, they are likely, though not guaranteed, to be a less sociable sort, slow to trust and quick to disappear. However, even the most individualistic Assassins are sometimes required to work with allies towards a shared aim, such as the removal of a tyrannical ruler.
How did your Rogue gain their deadly skill set? Were they inducted into a mysterious order of murderers after committing a particularly foul deed (looking at you, Dark Brotherhood)? Perhaps they were raised from youth to be a member of a clandestine order of killers for hire. Whatever their history, it is important to consider how your Rogue evolved into the lethal adventurer they have become.
Soulknife
Soulknife Rogues have a range of psionic powers which augment their abilities and allow them to perform extraordinary acts unavailable to other Rogues, including the Arcane Tricksters. Such mysterious and extraordinary power must have a source beyond the Rogue themselves, so this is a great opportunity to work with your GM to create a cool narrative!
Within the official D&D settings there are a few sources of incredible psionic power which spring to mind. The Illithids (Mind-Flayers) have been known to imbue certain individuals with potent psionic abilities, though not always willingly. Perhaps your Rogue is somehow connected to the Illithid psyche and able to harness such a link in all sorts of useful ways in their adventures. Although, such a connection would bear a terrible cost. Another option could be a connection to the Far Realm, a dimension of abhorrent horrors and mind-bending geography unfit for mortals. Once again, a link with such a source would certainly come with some undesirable side-effects.
Whatever you decide, it’s worth discussing your ideas with your GM to make sure your Rogue’s extraordinary powers are within the realm of possibility for your game. Rather than viewing this as a restriction, consider it an opportunity to flex your creative muscles, working together to create the psionic ninja you’ve always dreamed of playing!
Conclusion
By now you should have a clear picture of your Rogue in your mind: who they are, how they gained their skills, and their Specialization. If not, don’t worry! Have a chat with your GM and ask them to help you create a Rogue who fits into the game you all want to play, fits into the world you’re playing in, and has connections with other player characters. Happy adventuring!
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