Previous Hundred Dungeons posts:
The Wild (wilderness exploration)
The Dark (dungeon exploration)
Recuperation (resting and downtime)
We’re going to fall right into the Rogue design, since it’s a straightforward one with few pain points. One of the most important fixes for the Rogue was actually in the Hide rules: it’s clarified that you can move up to 10 feet while remaining hidden, even if you leave your cover. That hopefully makes Sneak Attack much sharper and easy to adjudicate.
Our design goals here, as before, are:
Simplify in-game decision points
Condense the 20 levels down to 10 that cover a similar spread of power
Work in more “always on” features
Balance the pillars (which means removing some combat stuff and replacing it with features that showcase exploration and social activity)
So, without further ado, the Rogue!
ROGUE
Cunning tricksters and dirty fighters, rogues excel when they avoid confronting a challenge directly. If the odds can be bent in their favor with a little preparation or cheating, they snatch the chance. Some rogues work as thieves, others as trapfinders or hired killers. Whether out for blood or treasure, they all work best in the shadows.
Ability Increase: Dexterity
Skills: Detailed Inspection, Second-Story Work, Skulk in Shadows, Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons, Simple Armor
…and one skill of your making
Hit Dice: d6
Starting Hit Points: 6 + Constitution score
Starting Gear:
Pouch
Dagger
Light crossbow
Ammunition (Quiver of 50 bolts)
Grappling hook
Lockpick
5 silver
EXPLOITS
SNEAK ATTACK
Level 1
In Combat, you can Dash, Hide, or Attack with a weapon that has the trait Light using a quick action.
Once per turn, when you hit with a ranged weapon or one that has the trait Light, the weapon inflicts an extra d6 damage for each level of Rogue you have if the target is within 5 feet of a creature hostile to them, or if the attack was mighty.
SIGNATURE SCHEME
Levels 2, 4, & 6
Choose Assassin, Curio Collector, or Thief. Your Signature Scheme grants exploits at levels 2, 4, and 6.
Assassin, Level 2: You can move up to 30 feet and make one quick attack without ending the hidden condition. While hidden, you:
Double the range of your ranged weapons
Ignore the effects of partial cover
Don’t have weak attacks against prone creatures
Assassin, Level 4: Spend 2 days of Recuperation observing a humanoid to assume their identity. You learn to imitate their appearance, voice, and behavior with the aid of a disguise kit (a complex tool costing 50 s). Creatures who know the humanoid well must roll Wisdom at 10 + double your renown to see through your ruse. You gain the skills Deception and Mimicry.
Assassin, Level 6: Your Dexterity rolls to Hide are mighty. While hidden, if you hit a creature with an attack before it has taken a turn in Combat, the attack is automatically a critical hit.
—
Curio Collector, Level 2: You can concentrate for 1 minute instead of 10 to bond with a magic item. You learn to cast the spell identify using Intelligence. It replenishes when you finish a long rest.
Curio Collector, Level 4: You learn the spell magic weapon using Intelligence. It replenishes when you finish a long rest. In Combat, the first action you take using a magic item on your turn (including attacking with a magic weapon) becomes a quick action.
Curio Collector, Level 6: You learn to cast the spell counterspell using Intelligence. It replenishes when you finish a long rest. You can bond with any magic item, regardless of prerequisites.
—
Thief, Level 2: In the Dark, you can cover more distance and tasks than most adventurers. You can move into and interact with up to two areas on your turn. Your Intelligence checks to uncover hidden traits in the Dark are mighty. You gain the skill Sneaky Hands.
Thief, Level 4: You gain a climb speed of 60 feet, and Strength rolls you make to climb or prevent falling are mighty. You gain the skills Climb and Silent Footfalls.
Thief, Level 6: You gain blindsense within 10 feet of you, and nightvision within 60 feet. You gain the skill My Blade is a Tool.
TRAP SENSE
Level 3
When within 5 feet, you automatically spot hazards or traps that trigger by a creature entering a specific space. The mechanism or nature of the danger isn’t always clear to you. You have resistance to the damage dealt by hazards and traps.
EVASION
Level 5
When you use Dexterity to avoid an effect that inflicts half damage on a success, you take no damage if you succeed, and only half damage if you fail.
SCHEME MASTERY
Levels 7 & 9
Choose Blades or Brains. Your Scheme Mastery grants you exploits at levels 7 and 9.
Blades, level 7: In Combat, add your renown to your initiative. You don’t provoke attacks, and provoked attacks you make are mighty.
Blades, level 9: You can make a second Sneak Attack each turn during Combat.
—
Brains, level 7: You’re immune to being surprised. You gain the skill Mastermind.
Brains, level 9: Attack rolls against you can’t be mighty unless you’re incapacitated.
ELUSIVE
Level 8
Concentrate for 10 minutes to remove one of the following conditions from yourself: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, slowed, or stunned. Your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma rolls to avoid spells and magical effects are mighty.
Spymaster
Level 10
During the first round of the Wild, the Dark, or Combat, take two actions without suffering negative effects from exerting yourself. During those actions, you can change the result of one successful ability roll to a natural 20.
NEXT TIME
Hope you enjoyed this take on the Rogue! Let me know what you think, and join me for the Warrior in the next post.
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Hundred Dungeons is created and written by Graham Ward © 2023
Permission granted to copy for personal use only.
