Rogue Subclass Ratings: D&D 5e Roguish Archetypes Ranked

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“What Roguish Archetype should I choose?” Let’s find out! Rating systems are useful for helping you select your Rogue subclass for your upcoming character for D&D 5e.

Each official Roguish Archetype subclass has been rated and ranked by me. You can find a list of all the Rogue subclasses ranked in order at the end of this article.

Premise and Rating System

I hear mixed opinions about the Rogue class, but I love Rogues because I understand them on a spiritual level. Rogues are the essential rapscallions of D&D, inspiring keen players to wreak mischief and trickery on short-sighted plans. While they may not be brawling bruisers or reality-bending archmages, Rogues are versatile characters that can specialize for massive skill check bonuses. Sneaky in nature, Rogues embody the adage that a dagger in the night is as good as an army in the day (as long as the rest of the party doesn’t mess it up.

Though I love the Rogue class unconditionally, I can’t say the same for all of its subclasses. I decided teamwork would be a good option for Rogues since there is a low-key player tendency to go lone wolf when playing Rogues, but it’s better to use teamwork. I’ll briefly summarize each subclass and rating it by my own criteria: fun, game design, power, teamwork, and versatility. Subclasses are rated in alphabetical order.

Favorite Rogue Subclasses from the 5e Community

Dash to Your Rogue Subclass of Interest

Let’s roll Initiative on these ratings and get started! You can Cunning Action to your favorite subclass with these quick links:

— Arcane Trickster
— Assassin
— Inquisitive
— Mastermind
— Phantom
— Scout
— Soulknife
— Swashbuckler
— Thief

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Arcane Trickster (PHB) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★
• Fun: ★★★★★
• Power: ★★★★★
• Versatility: ★★★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (5/5): Spellcasting is potent if you know what you’re doing. It’s balanced to force the Arcane Trickster to mostly depend on spells that thematically match it (illusion and enchantment). Since Rogues don’t depend on multiple attacks, you can freely increase damage with cantrips like Green-flame Blade or Booming Blade that scale for greater damage as you level up. Mage Hand is a good cantrip on its own for a Rogue, allowing interesting maneuvers like removing bars from barred doors while being on the other side.

While the Magical Ambush ability is good, I wonder if it matters to this class that probably will focus on spells that benefit allies rather than attempting to harm enemies. You can definitely choose spells that will depend on enemies failing saving throws, but you’ll want to invest heavily in your Intelligence score. Since you’re a 1/3rd spellcaster, you get spells much later than full spellcasters, meaning blast spells won’t really help you against many enemies that will be beefier and scarier in the latter phases of a campaign.

The Spell Thief ability is also flawed in that it will usually not do much against high-level spellcasters. Versatile Trickster is also pretty weak and potentially tricky to utilize at higher levels. Basically, the Arcane Trickster’s abilities are not great, but you can’t go wrong with spellcasting. If I recall correctly, this is the most popular Rogue subclass. My very first character was going to be a Thief/Wizard because I liked the concept from the Baldur’s Gate games, but the Arcane Trickster reveals with D&D 5e solved that multiclass build for me by letting me be a Rogue with a pinch of Wizard.

Since spellcasting is so strong, I think it might actually be smart game design to make the subclass’ abilities circumstantial-to-bad. Nice work by the game designers making the abilities crappy… I guess… It makes it feel less cool, though! So I gotta lower the fun rating by one star, which will just barely cost this subclass a 5/5 overall rating.

You can read my recommendations for selecting spells as an Arcane Trickster here.

Bonus proficiencies: NA

Bonus cantrips: Mage Hand and choice of several others.

Summary of the subclass: Use Mage Hand with greater effectiveness and versatility while learning cantrips and spells as a 1/3rd spellcaster. Spell options are limited to illusion and enchantment magic except for freedom at several levels to choose spells from any school of magic from the Wizard spell list. When you ambush enemies, you can spring surprise spells that catch them off guard. You can also absorb spells when you reach higher levels.

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Assassin (PHB) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★
• Fun: ★★
• Power: ★★
• Versatility: ★
• Teamwork: ★

Flutes’ Evaluation (2/5): While it’s balanced to make it difficult to achieve a one-hit kill on someone, this class falls short for many people who expect to be assassinating folks all the time. I also cringe when players choose this subclass because I know that after explaining how the Surprise condition works, they will forget how it works and require a review every session. It slows down the game and feels bad, so you end up helping them out. As an experienced player, I think I enjoy theory crafting about what could be done with this subclass in the right campaign.

Many players are also disappointed about how useless some of this subclass’s mid-level abilities are, and rightfully so. The kit proficiencies are also unclear as to how to use them, and you can bet 95% of players aren’t going to do their own research to find out what kinds of poisons there are in the game. This class is also the ultimate lone wolf subclass for Rogues since they can’t rely on the less stealthy scrubs that populate the party. The Assassin subclass likely sounded good to designers before 5e came out, but time has shown it to be a flawed concept in practice.

Regardless, I have to admit I love this subclass for what it is. That’s just my bias. My love for the Assassin motivated me to write a revision of it. You can read my version of the Rogue Assassin in this other article.

Bonus proficiencies: disguise kit, poisoner’s kit

Summary of the subclass: Deal massive damage when you get the drop on enemies. Develop aliases and learn to poison people.

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Inquisitive (XGtE) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★
• Fun: ★★
• Power: ★★★
• Versatility: ★★
• Teamwork: ★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (2/5): The immediate utility of Eye for Deceit is useful because I’ve yet to meet a D&D player that hasn’t tried to determine if someone is lying. Eye of Deceit is like a mini Reliable Talent feature that the Inquisitive gets early on. Eye for Detail, another level-three ability, is comparatively less useful since most DMs I’ve played with have not required a search action in combat. The DMs allowed a character to look around freely. It’s a good thing you get both of these abilities at level three, but you’ll also get Insightful Fighting that allows you to size up a foe to gain advantage against them for one minute potentially. Don’t forget that advantage on attacks will work as a Sneak Attack enabler.

Steady Eye at level nine has the same problem as Eye for Detail; your DM might not require you to search in this way, but at least you’ll have advantage outside of combat as well. Unerring Eye is an overly circumstantial ability akin to the Cleric class’ Turn Undead ability. Eye for Weakness is a negligible damage boost for your Sneak Attack, considering it’s a level-seventeen ability. While this class starts strong at level three, it does not keep up the pace at higher levels. This subclass will be strong in the right game with hidden threats and illusory tricks, but the average game will weigh the Inquisitive and find it light.

Bonus proficiencies: NA

Summary of the subclass: Become swift and skilled at searching for threats, noticing hidden details, and reading people’s motives. Your insights will allow you to see through illusions and strike predictable foes for additional sneak damage.

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Mastermind (XGtE) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★
• Fun: ★★★
• Power: ★★★
• Versatility: ★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (4/5): The Mastermind makes a strong multiclassing dip because, at level three, you’ll gain so much, the best of which is the ability to Help as a bonus action from thirty feet away. I love this design choice because players usually don’t think to use the Help action. Helping your allies is an important part of teamwork often neglected because players would rather use their actions for their own amazing abilities, but Masterminds can do both. After level three, the subclass abilities slow down in usefulness (a common problem with Rogue subclasses).

Though the other abilities are not as powerful, they are thematically rich, shining in suitable circumstances. Sizing up foes to compare to yourself can be useful in gathering information and seeing through deception. Misdirection is an ability that you’ll need to be very mindful of because most DMs don’t treat creatures as partial cover, so it won’t feel natural for you to do so. Misdirection suffers from similar problems to the optional flanking rules,  making the game slightly more cumbersome to process, therefore getting left behind. Soul of Deceit is pretty cool, but it’s nearly useless in most campaigns. I’m playing in a campaign that would put it to good use since it’s a high-magic political game where knowing information is dangerous as memory can be extracted and distorted by many people.

Bonus proficiencies: disguise kit, forgery kit, gaming set of choice, two languages.

Summary of the subclass: Help your allies and learn interesting skills. Size up people’s mental capabilities as you guard your own thoughts and position yourself so others will accidentally take a bullet for you.

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Phantom (TCoE) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★★
• Fun: ★★★★★
• Power: ★★★★★
• Versatility: ★★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (5/5): This subclass hits all the right buttons. Its theme is strong, it offers unique abilities that suit a Rogue, and it’s not game-breaking. As a bonus, the art is inspiring and makes me want to play this class. Rogues that can phase through walls and snatch souls to squeeze for information and power? Sign me up! The Wails from the Grave feature is cool but not crazy powerful, so it’s a good game design. You can only trigger Wails from the Grave on your own turn. Sneak Attack can be used on other turns, but not Wails from the Grave.

The level-seventeen ability, Death’s Friend, is an excellent capstone to punctuate this subclass’s previous features. You’ll be dealing immense damage to your primary target and secondary target with Wails from the Grave once you also have Death’s Friend. It’s like a combination of Scout and Assassin subclasses at this point. I appreciate that this subclass doesn’t rely on sneaking around on its own to assassinate or ambush people; it can stand on its own while sticking with the party.

I love this subclass and believe it’s one of the most well-designed subclasses we’ve received in a long time, especially in contrast to other Rogue subclasses we’ve received that were pretty ‘meh.’ Remember, this subclass is slower to come online. Most Roguish Archetypes gain their defining features at level three, but the Phantom takes more time to really shine. You’ll be fine if you remember this point and find it agreeable.

Bonus proficiencies: Skill or tool of your choice which you can change when you rest.

Summary of the subclass: Snatch fragments of souls of the departed to use to your own ends: defend yourself from death, ask questions of the departed, or use your Wails from the Grave an additional time. Deal necrotic damage to a second target when you deal Sneak Attack damage. Phase through walls as a specter.

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Scout (XGtE) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★★
• Fun: ★★★★
• Power: ★★★★
• Versatility: ★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (4/5): Like other Rogue subclasses, the Scout comes front-loaded with incredible benefits to enable your wilderness maneuvering lifestyle. You get a unique reaction with Skirmisher that allows you to move away from approaching aggressors. You’ll also get what is essentially Expertise in two abilities: Nature and Survival. Scouts differ from other Rogue subclasses in that their abilities at higher levels are good! You’ll get additional movement speed, which is almost always nice to have (I say ‘almost’ because movement speed boosts are often useless in theater-of-the-mind games). You’ll crush your initiative rolls with advantage and eventually attack twice per round with Sneak Attack against separate foes.

I love this subclass! It follows a clear theme of scouting and ambushing, and the abilities are actually good all the way through to level twenty. Subclasses excel when they feel unique without having to wait until high levels to feel like you’re playing the character you envisioned. It may not have spellcasting, but this subclass is massively useful. Unlike the Assassin, the Scout has abilities that reward teamwork instead of lone wolfing it. I recommend playing it, especially if you like to play as a Tabaxi (I had heaps of fun playing a Tabaxi Rogue for a one-shot adventure).

Bonus proficiencies: Nature (x2 proficiency), Survival (x2 proficiency)

Summary of the subclass: Navigate the wilderness with ease and move quickly as you set up ambushes. Spring into action when trouble shows its face to make surgical attacks on multiple foes as you trim the enemy forces as soon as possible.

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Soulknife (TCoE) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★★
• Fun: ★★★★
• Power: ★★★★
• Versatility: ★★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (4/5): This subclass has a cool concept and some niche abilities that help very much with Roguish skill checks. Each ability seems tailored to making sure a Rogue can succeed when it normally wouldn’t, offering a few cool tricks like invisibility without requiring concentration as the Invisibility spell would, and teleportation like Misty Step with potentially longer range. It’s cool to have summonable blades like a Pact of the Blade Warlock for when you are captured and disarmed, and I like that you can dual wield them.

I’m not as excited to play a Soulknife Rogue as I’d be to play a Psi Warrior Fighter. This is because the Soulknife doesn’t offer a lot of new tools for a Rogue. All the features can be partially replicated by the Arcane Trickster with spells. Rend Mind is unique, but it can only be used once per long rest, regardless of whether the target fails the saving throw; however, Rend Mind’s DC is based on your Dexterity modifier instead of a mental stat, so it’s feasible for a Soulknife Rogue to have a high DC.

Psychic Veil’s one-hour invisibility doesn’t use a Psionic Energy die the first time it’s used, fortunately. It can be used multiple times if you’re willing to use Psionic Energy dice to do so. Invisibility is very useful, but it may not be great in every campaign if Stealth is sufficient for the scenarios to be faced by the Soulknife. For this reason, I want to think of ways to gain concentration spells that can be active during the Psychic Veil invisibility.

It’s noteworthy that you can cast spells while invisible with Psychic Veil if you have spellcasting from a feat or multiclass combination, not breaking your invisibility until you deal damage or force a saving throw. What comes to mind immediately is Detect Thoughts from the Telepathic feat, the Invisibility spell from the Shadow Touched feat (which you could cast on another person to make them disappear), or the Hex spell from multiclassing as a Warlock to give a foe disadvantage on Perception as you skulk about. There may be additional fun ideas yet to discover that would work with Psychic Veil. This subclass might make an excellent infiltration expert since it can summon weapons, turn invisible, communicate telepathically, and bolster skill/tool checks.

The Soul Knife is very consistent at low levels and tapers off at higher levels. This contrasts with the Phantom Rogue that ages well. If you’re interested in building a skill monkey, check out Wally DM’s Soul Knife build for nailing those skill checks!

Bonus proficiencies: NA

Summary of the subclass: You manifest psychic blades and use Psionic Energy dice to create psionic effects. You’re able to achieve invisibility, teleportation, and a stunning strike as you progress in levels.

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Swashbuckler (XGtE) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★
• Fun: ★★★★
• Power: ★★★★
• Versatility: ★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (4/5): Since its release, the Swashbuckler has been a popular Rogue subclass. I suspect players enjoy the theme and imagery of a swashbuckling rebel. Players also enjoy the option of getting a Sneak Attack against a single opponent without relying on allies to be adjacent or attack with advantage. I, however, enjoy the base Sneak Attack feature without having to use Rakish Audacity. I do like that Fancy Footwork is like a mini version of the Mobile feat in that you can safely move away from someone you’ve attacked (even if your attack misses). Rakish Audacity also gives you an incentive to invest in Charisma, which fits the theme and empowers later abilities.

Panache requires an action to beguile someone, so it’s tough to rate it highly. Elegant Maneuver is not a powerhouse feature, but it has its place for grappling and flashy moves. Master Duelist can help you to gain advantage if you miss an attack, but you can only do so once per long rest. 

Bonus proficiencies: NA

Summary of the subclass: Perform elegant maneuvers as you strike with precision in one-on-one combat. You would never want to lose face in a duel, so you charismatically woo foes into a false security as you end them with flair.

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Thief (PHB) Rogue Subclass

• Game Design: ★★★★
• Fun: ★★★★
• Power: ★★★★★
• Versatility: ★★★★★
• Teamwork: ★★★★★

Flutes’ Evaluation (5/5): The Thief is among the most undervalued subclasses in the game. This subclass dramatically expands the possibilities of the Rogue’s Cunning Action while enabling interesting gameplay that involves scaling walls, stealing items quickly, and implementing items that other Rogues would be barred from using. I inversely recognize that some of the Thief abilities will be useless in particular games of D&D; for example, if your DM doesn’t use items that are limited by class or other criteria, the Use Magic Device feature will be less useful. You can use certain wands and all spell scrolls that would normally be unusable to you.

The option to act with the Use an Object action as a bonus action (that’s a mouthful) is handy at lower levels, but it might drop off as you level up and have less powerful options for items to use. If your DM gives you interesting items at high levels, you’ll still be able to make use of your bonus action, almost like an additional regular action. Your ability to disarm traps as a bonus action will only be useful if your DM uses traps in combat encounters, which I’ve found to be rare.

The level-seventeen Thief’s Reflexes ability affords you two turns in a you’re-not-surprised first round of combat; it’s unique and powerful, allowing you to have an immediate impact in a fight as you go where you need to go and do what you need to do. Stealing a spellcaster’s arcane focus or other important material spellcasting component before they draw it can take a battle from dangerous to demeaning. You could even swipe a shield or weapon before a martial opponent can get ready. Second-story Work could potentially enable you to quickly jump over gaps and difficult terrains without slowing down or detouring around.

If you really want to excel with this class, look through all the different items that would usually cost you an action, excluding magic items like wands and potions because Use an Object doesn’t count for magic items, and picture yourself using them as a bonus action without sacrificing an attack with sneak damage. Killer!

If you want to learn more about how the improvised attack of items like Alchemist’s Fire and acid flasks function, here’s a dizzying discourse from J-Craw on Twitter years ago.

Bonus proficiencies: NA

Summary of the subclass: Steal faster, use objects with ease, and jump farther. You’ll eventually get two turns in a round of combat while using wizard wands and bard instruments as if you were either, and you’ll be nearly undetectable when you get advantage on stealth checks while tiptoeing.

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Roguish Archetype Rankings Best to Worst

1. Arcane Trickster
2. Thief
3. Phantom
4. Soulknife
5. Scout
6. Swashbuckler
7. Mastermind
8. Inquisitive
9. Assassin

Arcane Trickster ranked the best. Assassin ranked the worst. Several ratings were even between subclasses, so general community impressions, accumulated years of playtesting, and personal preference served as tiebreakers.

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Conclusion

Rogue class features are strong enough that subclasses can afford to slack off, but there are still several exceptional subclasses while others have niche fits in D&D 5e. Rogues excel when you get creative, so don’t let the game mechanics limit your choices. A Rogue’s job is to keep DMs on their toes. Pick a subclass that suits your creativity, then run with it. I highly recommend the Arcane Trickster, Scout, and Thief subclasses, but you can have fun no matter your subclass because you are a Rogue!

What do you think of my subclass ratings? Do you think I was fair or unfair? Cast Sending in the comments below to let me know what you think. I also invite you to browse some of our other articles about Rogues, so here are a few:

• Horseback Rogues
• Sneak Attack Tactics
• Rogue Professions
• All our articles about Rogues

“A splendid poem in this guppy!” (translation in Thieves’ Cant: “Happy Adventuring!”)