Summary
Rogues inBaldur’s Gate 3have three options for their subclass. These are thethief, the assassin, and the arcane trickster. Each comes from a larger selection of subclasses available inD&D, and as their names would suggest,each subclass specializes in a certain facetof the skills rogues are expected to exhibit.
Rogues are skill experts withinBaldur’s Gate 3, expected to excel in many of the Dexterity-based ability checks that the game contains.Sneaking around, picking locks and pockets, and getting their hands on protected valuablesare usual party roles for a rogue. From the subclass names, one might expect that the thief would be the best choice for a rogue that focuses on stealing. But mechanically, another rogue option has more abilities geared toward thievery and is abetter rogue to build.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Wants You To Play Specific Classes, & Magic Items Prove It
Certain magic items in Baldur’s Gate 3 may indicate Larian’s preference for certain classes, but as it turns out, the reality is more nuanced.
Where The Thief Rogue Really Excels (And Where It Doesn’t)
The Obvious Choice Isn’t Always The Best
The main ability thief rogues get that distinguishes them from other characters is anextra bonus action, which they acquire at level three. This ability is great in combat, where actions and bonus actions matter more as resources. Thief rogues can take multiple bonus action attacks or make extra use of their cunning action, which becomes even better when multi-classed with a fighter or a monk.
Thieves get a couple of other abilities that mostly fall by the wayside, such as being able to reduce fall damage and turn invisible temporarily, but this is the feature that they are known for.It makes them a great subclass choice, but it doesn’t really help them with stealing. It does nothing for a rogue’s skill checks or movement capabilities outside of combat. Being a thief doesn’t make a rogue worse at stealing, but it doesn’t make them better at it, either.
Being a thief doesn’t make a rogue worse at stealing, but it doesn’t make them better at it, either.
The Arcane Trickster Gets Spells To Enhance Their Heisting Capabilities
The arcane trickster actually gets several features that help characters commit petty larcenyon a grand scale. At third level, tricksters can cast an invisiblemage hand, which can be used to subtly move and throw objects of interest. It can also pick locks and pockets from a distance at later levels.
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When creating a Baldur’s Gate 3 character is can be tempting to try to optimize everything; however, some of the most interesting build put fun first.
But the real strength of this class comes from the wizard spells it gains access to. Tricksters can learn spells likeinvisibilityanddisguise self, essentially giving them some of the same powers as the thief and assassin. They can learn cantrips like friends andminor illusionto manipulate NPCs and gain access to their possessions. When it comes to thievery, neither the assassin nor the thief comes close to matching the arcane trickster’s utility, proving that subclass names inBaldur’s Gate 3can be misleading.
