Solasta: Crown of the Magister is heavily based around the structure of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons, and as such players have a lot of things to do after selecting a class. The Rogue is a class that has several more options to it and is much less structured than a class like the Cleric or Paladin. Due to this, it can be a bit confusing as to what players should invest in.
The biggest choices players have to make are Race, Background, Class, and Subclass. The Race, Background, and Class of the character will affect what the character is good at and what skills they will be proficient in. Beyond this, the Subclass is defining what aspect of the class is the focus of the character.
Best Races, and Skills for a Rogue in Solasta: Crown of the Magister
The first thing that a player will choose when crafting their own character is race. Race plays a big role in what sort of bonuses are granted to the player. In general, Rogues want high dexterity, and either charisma or intelligence. Due to this, the best race options within the game for a rogue are Half-Elf, High Elf, Island Halfing, Marsh Halfling, Snow Dwarf, and Sylvan Elf. Out of these, the top choices are Island Halfing, Snow Dwarf, and Sylvan Elf. However, all of these can make decent rogues.
- Half-Elf - Gain a +2 to Charisma and a +1 to two other scores of their choice. They have Darkvision, two bonus skills, and are immune to Charm and Sleep spells.
- High Elf - Gain a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Intelligence. They have Darkvision, an extra cantrip, are proficient in Perception, and are immune to Charm and Sleep spells.
- Island Halfling - Gain a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Charisma. They have Darkvision, are Brave (advantage on saving throws against being frightened), are Lucky (can reroll a natural one once per day), and Nimble (can fit through the space of a creature larger than them.) They also gain an advantage on Dexterity and Acrobatics checks.
- Marsh Halfling - Gain a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Constitution. They have Darkvision, are Brave (advantage on saving throws against being frightened), are Lucky (can reroll a natural one once per day), and Nimble (can fit through the space of a creature larger than them.)
- Snow Dwarf - Gain a +2 to Constitution, and a +1 to Dexterity. Resistant to poison, and gain proficiency with the Heavy Crossbow, as well as Darkvision.
- Sylvan Elf - Gain a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Wisdom. They have Darkvision, are proficient in Perception, Survival, and Athletics, and are immune to Charm and Sleep spells.
After selecting a class, players will get a couple of choices to make to specialize their rogue. These choices are over which four skills the player wants to be proficient in, as well as selecting their expertise to double the proficiency of two skills. Proficiency gives the player a bonus based on the player's level on the rolls made for certain activities. The available skills are Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
Which skills are chosen depend on a couple of things. Is the player more interested in adding to their social repertoire, becoming a shadow on the wall, or in alternative ways to traverse the terrain? Another good question to ask is, based on the player's chosen race and background, what proficiencies do they already have? Would it be better to pair similar or different skills alongside those?
For more of a charismatic character Deception, Insight, Intimidation, and Persuasion are great options, though players may not need to invest in all of them. For a fully stealthy character skills like Acrobatics, Insight, Perception, and Stealth are great options. Or for a character that has sticky fingers a mixture of Acrobatics, Investigation, Performance, and Sleight of Hand would be useful.
Which Subclass and Feat to Pick for a Rogue in Solasta: Crown of the Magister
There are three subclasses players can choose between when they reach level three of the Rogue. These subclasses are the Thief, Darkweaver, and Shadowcaster. Players should be considering which of these types of Rogues they want to become even at the beginning of the game as it may affect other choices.
Thief works fairly typically and is all about stealing and hiding away. The Darkweaver is about keeping distance between themselves and the enemy while using poisons on their arrows and bolts. Lastly, the Shadowcaster is a sort of rogue wizard that can stealthily use magic. Strictly thinking about what would work the most efficiently, there are a couple of options for each subclass.
Thief
- Best Races: Island Halfling, Sylvan Elf, or Half-Elf.
- Best Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Investigation, Perception, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.
- Best Backgrounds: Lowlife, Sellsword, or Spy.
Darkweaver
- Best Races: Island Halfling, Marsh Halfling, Snow Dwarf, or Sylvan Elf.
- Best Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Perception, and Stealth.
- Best Backgrounds: Academic, Lowlife, Sellsword, or Spy.
Shadowcaster
- Best Races: Half-Elf, High Elf, or Sylvan Elf.
- Best Skills: Deception, Insight, Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, and Stealth.
- Best Backgrounds: Academic, Aristocrat, Lowlife, Philosopher, or Spy.
While these are the most efficient choices, they may not always fit for the role-playing aspect and should be changed for a better fit for the player. The last thing that players will pick beyond this is a feat at level four. Out of the choices currently available, the best for a rogue are Acute Senses, Lock Breaker, and Master Alchemist. Acute Senses is a general feat that enables the character to wake up quickly if they are attacked while asleep. Lock Breaker doubles its proficiency with thieves' tools, making it much easier to pick locks. While Master Alchemist enables players to identify potions and poisons they find, and faster at making them.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister is available now on Mac OS, and PC.