Rogue #
A Rogue is someone who’s learned to use their wits and reflexes to get by. Not all Rogues are lawbreakers, but all of them employ underhanded tricks and tactics that prioritize neutralizing threats quickly and avoiding reprisal.
Typically, a Rogue is an average person on the edge of polite society who nonetheless has learned to interact with it - and whether or not society interacts back is another question. This could be because they were never there on account of poverty or hardship. It could be that they were driven out for personal, political, or ancestry-based reasons. It could also be by association with unsavory people - either former or current. And often, it’s because they did something to deserve it, regardless of the initial reason.
Examples of Rogue Skills: Pickpocket, Burglar, Disgraced Nobleman, Former Urchin, Refugee, Assassin, Privateer, Highwayman, Con Artist.
A typical Rogue Skill should cover at least some of these:
- Act with quick reflexes.
- Blend into a crowd.
- Fast-talk someone.
- Gather information in a city.
- Manipulate a mechanical object (like a lock or a trap).
- Move acrobatically.
- Move quickly.
- Move quietly.
- Pick a pocket.
- Search an area closely.
Uncommon Terms in Rogue Abilities #
Tricks: Tools, traps, and techniques to strike enemies and escape from harm. Rogues may prepare a certain number of these in a day.
Sneak Attack and Sneak Attack Damage: Some Rogue abilities are variations on the Sneak Attack ability every Rogue gets, as indicated by “like Sneak Attack” or similar. This indicates that you should make a Sneak Attack, including any modifications from Feats or Talents, as the base attack and damage for the ability (with whatever modifications from the ability that invokes it are noted). Other abilities refer to Sneak Attack Damage. This is the extra damage dealt on a hit with Sneak Attack (by default 1d4 x Level), including any modifications from Feats or Talents.
Dicey Move: Any character can attempt a Dicey Move, but Rogues have more abilities that interact with them. A Dicey Move is a move action-equivalent ability that involves making a Skill check against the environment’s DC to see if it succeeds or not.
Base Attributes #
Attribute | Value |
---|---|
Volition | 5 |
Vitality | 4 |
Initiative | Fast |
Rolled Recovery | (1d8 x Level) + (Vitality x Tier) |
Average Recovery | (4 x Level) + (Vitality x Tier) |
HP/Level | 4 + Vitality* |
Other | +1 PD and MD OR +1 Vitality and AC |
Recoveries | 8 |
Save Bonus | 0 |
*See level chart.
Base Defenses by Armor #
Type | AC | PD | MD |
---|---|---|---|
None/Light | 13 | 15 | 13 |
Melee Stances #
Miss damage equal to level
- Swift, Measured: d8 damage
Ranged/Other Stances #
Miss damage equal to level
- Rapid (N): d4 damage
- Close (N): d6 damage
- Aimed (F): d8 damage
Level | HP | Guile and Relationships | Total Perks | Tricks | Tier Multiplier |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | (4 + Vitality) x 3 | 3 | 1 Adventurer | 3 | 1x |
2 | (4 + Vitality) x 4 | 3 | 2 Adventurer | 4 | 1x |
3 | (4 + Vitality) x 5 | 3 | 3 Adventurer | 4 | 1x |
4 | (4 + Vitality) x 6 | 3 | 4 Adventurer | 5 | 1x |
5 | (4 + Vitality) x 8 | 4 | 4 Adventurer 1 Champion | 5 | 2x |
6 | (4 + Vitality) x 10 | 4 | 4 Adventurer 2 Champion | 6 | 2x |
7 | (4 + Vitality) x 12 | 4 | 4 Adventurer 3 Champion | 6 | 2x |
8 | (4 + Vitality) x 16 | 4 | 4 Adventurer 3 Champion 1 Epic | 7 | 3x |
9 | (4 + Vitality) x 20 | 4 | 4 Adventurer 3 Champion 2 Epic | 7 | 3x |
10 | (4 + Vitality) x 24 | 4 | 4 Adventurer 3 Champion 3 Epic | 8 | 3x |
Class Features #
All Rogues have Guile, Momentum, Shifty, Sneak Attack, and Evasive Strike.
Guile #
Rogues use Guile to power many of their abilities. Every Rogue has 3 Guile in Adventurer Tier, 4 Guile in Champion Tier, and 5 Guile in Epic Tier. It’s restored during a Quick Rest.
Once per turn, you can spend 1 Guile as a free action on or outside your turn to give 1 Disadvantage to an attack against your PD.
- Champion Perk: If the attack against your PD hits, you don’t lose your Momentum.
- Epic Perk: You have one extra maximum Guile.
Momentum #
- Adventurer Perk: One encounter per day, you don’t lose Momentum from being hit or failing at a Dicey Move.
Shifty #
- Adventurer Perk: Once per day, you spend 1 less recovery when Pushing your Limits on any skill roll that would qualify for this.
Sneak Attack #
You gain the following ability:
Sneak Attack
Melee, At-Will, Standard
Make an attack against an engaged enemy.
Hit: Hit damage as basic attack. If your target is engaged with another ally, add 1d4 x Level damage.
Miss: Miss damage as basic attack.
- Adventurer Perk: In addition to attacks against targets engaged by an ally, the extra damage is dealt in surprise rounds or before the target has acted in combat.
- Champion Perk: You may spend 1 Guile to add the Sneak Attack Damage to miss damage on one attack.
- Epic Perk: In addition to attacks against targets engaged by an ally, the extra damage is dealt against targets who are Dazed, Softened, or Vulnerable.
Evasive Strike #
You gain the following ability:
Evasive Strike
Melee, At-Will, Standard
Make an attack against an engaged enemy.
Hit: Hit damage as basic attack. You may pop off of the target, and as long as you have any nearby unstaggered ally, the target can’t re-engage you until the start of your next turn.
Miss: Miss damage as basic attack.
- Adventurer Perk: If you drop your target, you may pop off of all engaged enemies.
- Champion Perk: On a hit, you can choose to ignore all non-damage effects to instead make all attacks against you gain 1 Disadvantage until the start of your next turn.
- Epic Perk: On an Natural Even Miss, you may pop off of the target.
Uncanny Dodge #
- Champion Perk: This also applies to ranged attacks against your PD.
- Epic Perk: You may spend 1 Guile as a quick action to increase the amount to 2 Disadvantage until the start of your next turn.
Talents #
Every Rogue selects three Talents.
Acrobatics #
You gain 1 Advantage to all Disengage rolls. You gain 1 more Advantage to Disengage this turn if you missed with an Evasive Strike on this turn.
If an enemy moves to intercept you, you can attempt to Disengage as a free action. On a success, you ignore the interception.
- Adventurer Perk: You gain 1 advantage to all Skill checks involving movement as the primary action (including Dicey Moves).
- Champion Perk: You may spend 1 Guile to automatically succeed at a Disengage roll before rolling.
- Epic Perk: Succeeding at a Disengage roll grants you 1 Momentum.
Cunning #
- Adventurer Perk: This also applies to Vulnerable.
- Champion Perk: You can treat your Guile as if it were also Focus (so you can spend 1 Guile to give disadvantage to attacks vs MD as well as PD).
- Epic Perk: If you make an enemy Dazed or Softened, they are also Enervated until the start of your next turn.
Murderous #
- Adventurer Perk: Every staggered enemy is now treated as Softened to you as well.
- Champion Perk: You gain one Momentum when you drop an enemy.
- Epic Perk: If you Stagger an enemy from full health in a surprise round or before they’ve acted, they are instantly killed if they’re Single-Strength.
Shadow Walk #
You gain the following ability:
Shadow Walk
At-Will, Move
You can only use this if you still have your standard action. Make an attack against the highest available enemy MD.
Hit: You disappear and can’t be targeted this round or use your Standard Action. At the start of your next turn, reappear at a location you could have moved to during your turn. Your first attack when you return gains 2 Advantage.
Miss: You can still use your Standard Action.
- Adventurer Perk: If you miss with this ability, you can use your move action normally.
- Champion Perk: If you use Sneak Attack, Evasive Strike, or a basic attack as your first attack after returning, increase your hit or miss damage by 1d4 x Level.
- Epic Perk: You can spend 1 Guile when reappearing to be somewhere that’s physically difficult or impossible without rolling, such as on top of a ledge or behind a closed door.
Smooth Talk #
Once per day, when making a social skill roll to interact with someone associated with a particular Icon, you may immediately gain a positive relationship die with that Icon (it goes away at the next Quick Rest if not used).
You gain the Slip Away Trick as a bonus Trick.
- Adventurer Perk: You gain 1 advantage to social skill rolls.
- Champion Perk: You may spend 1 Guile in combat as a free action on your turn to give enemies associated with an Icon 1 Disadvantage on all attacks against you until the start of your next turn.
- Epic Perk: You can attempt a 13+ save when using this. If you succeed, you gain 2 dice instead of 1. If you fail, the die you get generates a Twist (or another Twist) if you use it.
Strongarm #
- Adventurer Perk: If the target is undamaged, base weapon damage for encounter and daily powers is also increased by one die size.
- Champion Perk: If the target is staggered, base weapon damage for encounter and daily powers is also increased by one die size.
- Epic Perk: One encounter per day, this ability increases your weapon damage by 2 die sizes when appropriate instead of one.
Swashbuckle #
- Adventurer Perk: If you fail at a Dicey Move, you no longer lose Momentum.
- Champion Perk: If you attack in the same turn that you succeed at a Dicey Move, the attack gains 1 Advantage.
- Epic Perk: You gain 2 Momentum instead of 1 for succeeding at a Dicey Move.
Thievery #
You gain 1 Advantage when you use your Rogue skill for stealing, pickpocketing, opening locks, or disabling traps.
You gain the Thief’s Strike Trick as a bonus Trick.
- Adventurer Perk: If you miss with Thief’s Strike, you gain 1 Momentum.
- Champion Perk: If you fail at a roll where you would gain Advantage from this talent, you may spend 1 Recovery to reroll it.
- Epic Perk: Twice per level, you can steal something impossible or intangible. If you still have it at the end of the day, you roll a 13+ save to see if you keep it. You can’t steal the same thing twice.
Tricks #
- Epic Perk: If you Crit or reduce/negate a Crit with a Daily Trick, gain 1 Momentum.
1st Level #
Melee, At-Will, Standard
Spend 2 Momentum/Guile
Make a Sneak attack vs AC on a engaged enemy who’s Staggered. Add 1d8 x Tier (1d4 at level 1) damage on a hit or miss.
Melee Attack, At-Will, Quick
Spend 2 Momentum/Guile
Make an attack vs PD on a engaged enemy.
Hit: The target is Softened until the end of your next turn.
Ranged, Standard, Daily
Make an attack vs MD on each engaged non-mook enemy and on each engaged group of mooks (make one attack per group).
Hit vs non-Mook: The target is Dazed (9+ save ends) and takes damage equal to your level. You may pop off of the target.
Miss vs non-Mook: The target is Dazed until the end of your turn.
Hit vs Mook Group: The group of mooks takes 1d10 x Level damage. You may pop off of every mook.
Miss vs Mook Group: Half damage.
Ranged, At-Will, Quick
Provokes, Spend 2 Momentum/Guile
Make a basic ranged attack vs AC (deal damage as Rapid stance). If the target would normally qualify for Sneak Attack Damage, on a hit, they’re Vulnerable until the end of your next turn.
Recharge 11+, Interrupt
You can use this when you’re damaged by any attack that targets AC or PD. If the attack had hit, halve the damage. If the attack missed but still deals damage, reduce the damage to 0.
Recharge 11+, Interrupt
You can use this when you’re hit by a melee attack. You may immediately make a Disengage check against the target. If you successfully Disengage, the attack misses (but any miss damage is still applied). If you fail to Disengage, this ability is replenished at your next quick rest.
Melee, Daily, Standard
You make a Sneak Attack against your opponent, except instead of rolling, treat the roll as if you had rolled a Natural 13. If your attack would gain any Advantage, increase this by 1 for each Advantage (to a maximum of Natural 16 at Advantage 3).
Melee, At-Will, Standard
Spend 2 Momentum/Guile
Make an attack vs PD on an engaged enemy.
Hit: As a basic attack. You may pickpocket an item that the target isn’t holding. Make a 13+ save; on a success, they don’t notice it’s gone.
Miss: As a basic attack.
3rd Level #
Melee, At-Will, Standard
Spend 2 Momentum/Guile
Make a Sneak attack vs AC on an engaged enemy. On a Natural Even Hit where you would deal Sneak Attack Damage, deal the Sneak Attack Damage as ongoing weapon damage instead.
Daily, Interrupt
You can use this when you would be hit with an attack that targets AC while engaged with an enemy other than the attacker. You aren’t hit by the attack, and the attacker instead makes another attack roll on the enemy engaged with you. On a miss, it deals hit damage to that enemy; on a hit, it deals crit damage to that enemy.
Ranged, Daily, Standard
Provokes
Make an attack vs PD on a nearby enemy.
Hit: 2d6 x Level + Volition x Tier force damage, and the target is Stunned until the end of your next turn.
Miss: Half damage.
Melee, Daily, Quick
Make an attack vs MD on one engaged enemy.
Hit: The target is Weakened, Vulnerable, and counts as staggered to you until the start of your next turn.
5th Level #
At-Will, Quick
Spend 1 Momentum/Guile
You may use this after missing with a melee attack on an enemy who’s engaged with an ally. You pop off that enemy. They’re Stuck until your ally moves or until the start of your next turn.
Daily, Quick
For the rest of the encounter, unless you’re Staggered or Stunned, any enemy who tries to attack you in melee takes double your level in damage before the attack.
Melee, Daily, Interrupt
You may use this in response to being attacked by an engaged enemy before the attack is rolled. Before the attack, you may make a melee basic attack against the attacker. If the attack hits, it deals half damage and they’re Dazed until the start of your next turn.
7th Level #
Melee, Daily, Standard
Make a Sneak Attack against a engaged non-mook enemy. If you drop your target, you may take another Standard Action after this one.
Daily, Quick
For the rest of the encounter, you gain 2 Advantage to Disengage, and anytime you pop off or disengage from an enemy, they take damage equal to your level.
Melee, Daily, Standard
Make a Sneak Attack against a engaged non-mook enemy. On a non-crit hit, it deals double damage. On a crit, it deals triple damage instead of double damage. On a miss, it deals no damage and you’re Softened until the start of your next turn.
9th Level #
Melee, Daily, Standard
You can make two Sneak Attacks as free actions at any point before the end of your turn, each against a different target.
Daily, Quick
Choose a nearby enemy. Until the end of the encounter, any Disadvantage to attack that enemy (such as conditions like Dazed, Weakened, or Shaken) does not apply. If the enemy has invisibility or flying, it doesn’t function for the rest of the encounter.
Sample Rogues #
Two sample Rogues in Adventurer, Champion, and Epic tier are provided below.
Assassin
A master of stealth and ambushes, this rogue lays enemies low with ease.
Class Attribute Choice: +1 Vitality and AC
Background Ability: CruelTalents
- Murderous
- Acrobatics
- Shadow Walk
1st Level
- Adventurer Perk: Murderous
- Tricks: Deadly Thrust, Flying Blade, Sure Cut
5th Level
- Adventurer Perks: Murderous, Acrobatics, Shadow Walk, Sneak Attack
- Champion Perk: Murderous
- Tricks: Deadly Thrust, Flying Blade, Sure Cut, Bleeding Strike, Spiky Bastard
8th Level
- Adventurer Perks: Murderous, Acrobatics, Shadow Walk, Sneak Attack
- Champion Perks: Murderous, Shadow Walk, Sneak Attack
- Epic Perk: Murderous
- Tricks: Deadly Thrust, Flying Blade, Sure Cut, Bleeding Strike, Spiky Bastard, Assassin’s Gambit, Vital Strike
Trickster
An unpredictable and chaotic actor, this rogue disables enemies and avoids danger.
Class Attribute Choice: +1 PD and MD
Background Ability: ConfoundingTalents
- Cunning
- Smooth Talk
- Swashbuckle
1st Level
- Adventurer Perk: Cunning
- Tricks: Dirty Kick, Flash, Flying Blade, (Slip Away)
5th Level
- Adventurer Perks: Cunning, Smooth Talk, Swashbuckle, Evasive Strike
- Champion Perk: Cunning
- Tricks: Dirty Kick, Flash, Flying Blade, Slick Feint, Swift Riposte, (Slip Away)
8th Level
- Adventurer Perks: Cunning, Smooth Talk, Swashbuckle, Evasive Strike
- Champion Perks: Cunning, Smooth Talk, Swashbuckle
- Epic Perk: Cunning
- Tricks: Dirty Kick, Flash, Flying Blade, Deflection, Slick Feint, Swift Riposte, Misdirection, (Slip Away)