One D&D: New Rogue Steals the Show With Playtest Buffs
The new Rogue in One D&D may very well steal all our hearts, thanks to some pretty incredible buffs. Check out what’s new!
Rogues got a fairly big buff in the new One D&D Playtest Packet. From core class features getting reworked, to new ones being added, there’s a lot to love about the new and improved Rogue.
But it takes more than just revamped class features to make a class fun and fun to play. Can the One D&D Rogue hold up to that? Almost certainly yes. But don’t take my word for it, take a look at what’s new for yourself.
New Rogue Overview
First and foremost, the One D&D version of the new Rogue is all about being Roguier faster. To wit, starting at 3rd level, the Steady Aim feature which was introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron (at a higher level) is just in the core game now. And it’s part of the base Rogue package, meaning ranged Rogues can have a reliable means of getting Advantage. Similarly, Reliable Talent got moved down to 7th level, meaning most Rogues might actually see it in play.
But the real winner is Cunning Strike. This is a new 5th Level Rogue feature that adds a ton of versatility, both to the class and the subclasses. Cunning Strike lets you exchange Sneak Attack damage dice for extra effects. When you first get this, you can give up 1d6 of damage (which is subtracted after a Crit, so you’re only ever giving up 1d6 or so on) to potentially knock someone down, disarm them, or poison them. All three are solid options.
But then the Rogue gets more improved options at higher levels, including the ability to Daze or Blind enemies. And what’s more, this is a resource that the subclasses can use as well. All four Rogue subclasses use these for fun effects.
The rest of the class is just icing on the cake, including the new level 20 feature that lets you turn any miss/fail into a natural 20.
Arcane Trickster and Assassin – Better Than Ever
Speaking of Subclasses though, they are all improved. The Arcane Trickster gets a little bit of love and a lot of flexibility with a much less restricted selection of spells. Now you only have to have two Enchantment and Illusion spells, meaning you can take much more on your Rogue. Versatile Trickster also lets you Cunning Strike up to two targets with Disarm or Trip.
The Assassin, though, really kills it with this new set of rules. To begin with, they no longer work off of creatures being surprised. It used to trigger all of the Assassin’s class features, and if that didn’t work, you were just playing a weaker Rogue. Now it keys off of going before creatures act in the first round of combat.
And with Advantage on Initiative Rolls, you’ll likely go first. This means you’ll always get your features, including extra damage on Sneak Attacks (instead of the auto crit it used to give). A worthy exchange. At 9th level, Infiltration Expertise just gives you advantage on Disguise and the ability to completely mimic someone, making it a much-improved version of the baseline Assassin’s 13th level feature four levels early. Envenom Weapons is a new feature that feels like it should always have been there. Add 2d6 poison damage to a target any time they fail their save against the Poison Cunning Strike option.
Finally, Death Strike is amazing. It doubles all damage you do if you hit with a Sneak Attack on the first round of combat. Including potentially doubling a Critical Hit’s doubling of dice! Which is a massive buff.
New Rogue – Swashbuckler and Thief
Swashbuckler is largely the same until you hit 9th level. And then Swashbucklers get a massive buff with two new Cunning Strike options. First is Goad, which makes an enemy target you and second is Awe, which Charms creatures of your choice within 30 feet when you show off with panache.
13th level gives you even more options with Parrying Stance that adds a d6 buff to your AC for a turn, and since it’s not a Reaction can combo with abilities like Shield or a Figher’s Riposte. Invigorate gives you a way to buff an ally with an extra d6. Finally Master Duelist lets you make an extra attack after you hit with a Sneak Attack, which you’ll be getting almost every round if you play your cards right.
Finally the Thief, which is much improved in this version. The new Thief gets better Fast Hands, now you can throw alchemists fire as a bonus action, thanks to Use an Object. But you can also use a magic item as a Bonus Action, where it might normally take an action to do so. At higher levels, Supreme Sneak keeps you Invisible if you are hit with a Sneak Attack as long as you end the turn behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover.
Add Skulker and you can stay Invisible no matter what, potentially for a whole combat. Meanwhile, the capstone ability, Thief’s Reflexes, gives you TWO TURNS during the first round of combat, which is amazing.
All in all, we like the new Rogue. What do you think?
