On March 3, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is to be released to audiences across the world, and British star Hugh Grant will be taking on one of Dungeons And Dragons favorite classes - the Rogue.
While it's always easy for Clerics and other support classes to find a solid party, it can be a bit more challenging for players who enjoy playing Rogues, given their abundance. But whether the player chooses to play a conventional Rogue or mix up the party a bit with some more unusual cantrip choices, there are plenty of hilarious memes players will find relatable.
Sneak Attacks
The sneak attack is an essential part of playing a Rogue, and it's also a part that makes players own so many dice. By Level 20, players need to roll as many as 10 different dice just to get the proper damage. It's why asking D&D players to own fewer dice is a pretty unpopular opinion. Rolling that many dice over and over again is a hassle, to say the least.
Still, it's always incredible to see players putting out 30 points of damage on a sneak attack alone. With all the other tricks in their arsenal on top of that, a high-level version of sneak attack certainly helps to ensure that Rogues are still viable in the end game.
Always Spurned
One major part of D&D is having to get used to a chaotic cast of characters. After all, an entirely lawful party doesn't typically exist. Even when it tries to, they tend to devolve pretty quickly into murder hobos. So for stealth-based rogues who want to do the right thing, it can be a bit of a problem.
Stealth is essential to a Rogue's survival, and many parties just don't abide by it. So, while a Rogue may try to sneak through a game, the gnome in full plate or the screaming Barbarian behind them can blow their cover and slaughter an entire village in the time it takes the Rogue to recover.
A Reckless Life
Of course, not every Rogue pretends to be a hero. Sometimes Rogues can be as reckless as a flirting Bard or a Paladin on a conquest. Many times, they might steal the wrong object or assassinate the wrong nobleman, which can cause a lot of problems for the party as a whole.
While new Dungeon Masters may struggle to cope with the chaos a Rogue can cause, one wrong step could mean the entire party is thrown into turmoil. Thankfully, usually the rest of the team can help pick up after their fellow partymember, even if the Rogue might get a stern lecture after.
Love A Fight
While Rogues tend to depend on sneak attacks, there is one major problem with it: Players need to have advantage on the attack to use it. Fortunately, some Rogues can surprise their opposition by launching into an attack without needing to worry about advantage.
The Swashbuckler subclass lets Rogues strike with sneak attacks so long as they're within five feet of the enemy and don't have disadvantage. It makes it a lot easier to navigate the class, and it helps add to the roleplay as they shock the enemies around them by proving surprisingly adept with their swords. It's also just a more fun way to play the class without worrying about advantage every turn.
A Great Class
While there are some underwhelming Rogue subclasses, the class as a whole is incredibly versatile. With the ability to dodge attacks, ensure that they can never actually fail some ability checks, and to increase their proficiencies, they really do manage to accomplish anything they set their minds to.
Where a Bard can have some fun failures, Rogues just do their jobs and do them well. If the party needs a lock picked, a Rogue knows how to manage it and rarely ever needs to worry about screwing up, unless the DC is ridiculously high. It helps to ensure that cocky roleplay really does fit with the skill of the character.
A Little Edgy
While there are some Rogues who break the trope, most Rogues show up in a game with the classic brooding persona and dark clothes that set them apart from the rest of the party. Often played with a dark and gritty backstory, they really can unnerve some of their party members.
Whether the dark Rogue is played straight or satirically, it's a lot of fun to play them, and they always manage to prove just how fun a tragic backstory can be. It's a trope because it works, and it works because it fits the class so well, that it must have been built around the idea.
Sticky Fingers
A classic element of the Rogue is the fact that they tend to steal anything around them. Originally little more than thieves, Rogues have high stealth and light feet, so it's pretty easy for them to knick trinkets or expensive goods from their fellow party members.
Of course, it isn't recommended to steal from the party, but many Rogues still do it as a joke or character-building tool. Given that it often creates major character conflicts, it's also a great way to create drama or move the story along when characters need to start moving.
Usually Hoarders
Rogues have a tendency to hoard gold or any magical items the party finds in D&D. Given how many Rogues are played as selfish or thieves, it makes sense that they would grab whatever they can get their hands on, which often leads to an overabundance of treasure for the Rogue.
While that can sometimes mean that the party can rely on them to carry their treasure, it can also mean the party never even gets to see some of the spoils they earn from fights. After all, the Rogue can sneak it away without anyone noticing. It's a selfish thing to do, but many Rogues do tend to be that way.
Rely On Sneak Attacks
If a Rogue is within five feet of another party member in combat, they can have advantage, which grants them the ability to use their sneak attack — an essential feature of the class. Unfortunately, in a party of long-ranged casters, there isn't really the chance to fight within five feet of others.
Given that some great subclasses like the Mastermind Rogue struggle in combat situations, it can be a major problem for those playing the class. Rogues need to be pretty careful to ensure that they can still get their sneak attack, and not having that ability can risk the entire party. Besides, it's just not as fun to lose a core feature of the class for reasons the player can't really control.
Clad In Black And Brooding
Party members dealing with Rogues can be somewhat awkward. After all, the typical edgy Rogue tends to not want anything to do with them, and upon introduction will just hide in the corner. Since the party needs to stick together to have a game, they tend to embrace their quiet Rogue just to keep the plot moving along.
So, while it can be pretty awkward, Rogues often find themselves loved for being combat assets, thieves, and for quietly brooding in the corner over backstories long forgotten and soon-to-be-discovered. It's a pretty funny realization when players have it, and it usually leads to the Rogue opening up more.