When you play as a Rogue inBaldur’s Gate 3,you start by mastering the art of getting around the world without calling unwanted attention to yourself. At level three, you finally get to specialize by picking one of three subclasses that will determine the course of any further development. Here is our ranking of the best Rogue subclasses inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Note:You don’t have to limit yourself to one character class. If you would like, you can mix two or three of them. For more information, check out our guide explaininghow to multiclass inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Baldur’s Gate 3– best Rogue subclasses, ranked
Not every Rogue will be quite the same. Your good palAstarionalready has some of the aspects down (assassination, mostly). That leaves you the freedom to branch off in other directions, if you wish.Baldur’s Gate 3lets you explore a dangerous world, so consider how you want to play. Thenselect the Rogue subclass that complements your favored approach.
1. Thief (Best)
TheThiefsubclass offers theFast Handsability, which enables an additional bonus action. TheirSecond-Story Workability is less impressive, but could still prove useful.
As a Thief, your Rogue character lives up to their true potential, particularly outside combat. If you have anUrchinbackground andSleight of Hand, you’re already off to a good start. Then you can masterSupreme Sneakat level nine to turn invisible in battle. In general, this subclass is terrific if you want to bide your time and then launch lethal attacks from the shadows. It’s less useful if you plan to stay out in the open. But you are hardly likely to be a Rogue in the first place if that’s your style.
2. Arcane Trickster (Good)
TheArcane Trickstersubclass starts off by providing theMage Handcantrip, which is a good fit. You also get your choice of two additional cantrips and three spells (with one of them being a level one Wizard spell). That’s quite the bounty. It should allow you to build your burgeoning Rogue in a variety of useful directions. Some compelling cantrip options includeFriendsandMinor Illusion, but you can also choose offensive options such asFire BoltorPoison Spray. Spells of interest includeDisguise SelfandSleep, both which suit a sneaky approach to life. The spells that normally would go to a Wizard are excellent. They includeMagic MissileandExpeditious Retreat. The latter makes it much easier to escape combat when needed.
Upon reaching level four, the Arcane Trickster gains yet another spell. Then, at level nine, they develop theMagical Ambushskill. Most of their most vital development happens fairly early, so you may find this subclass a good fit for a multiclass character.
3. Assassin (Okay)
TheAssassinsubclass is perfect for a combat-oriented approach.Assassinate: Initiativeis fiendishly effective against enemies that haven’t moved since a battle started. In a similar vein,Assassinate: Ambushensures that any successful attack against a Surprised enemy scores a Critical Hit.Assassin’s Alacritylets you respond quickly at the start of battle. These are useful abilities, but Astarion develops them early in the campaign. You may prefer to explore other flavors of Rogue.
At level nine, which is where the Rogues see a lot of development regardless of subclass, the Assassin learnsInfiltration Expertise. This ability lets you alter your appearance until the next long rest.
We’ve ranked the subclasses above, but any Rogue subclass is a good option. Choose the subclass that best suits your style of play. And if you change your mind, check our guide onhow to respec your characterswith a little help from Withers.
Baldur’s Gate 3is available onSteam.
Jason Venter
Jason Venter is a contributing writer for PC Invasion since 2022 who can trace his love for video games back to the Apple IIe port of Mario Bros. in the late 80s. He remains a diehard Nintendo fan to this day and loves JRPGs, adventure games, and platformers in particular, but he still plays games in most genres and on most hardware. After founding indie gaming site HonestGamers in 1998, he served as an editor at Hardcore Gamer Magazine during its entire print run. He has since freelanced for a variety of leading sites including IGN, GameSpot, and Polygon. These days, he spends most of his time writing game guides and entertaining readers with his fantasy novels.
