As a passionate rogue player, few things delight me more than optimizing a finely-tuned agent of subterfuge and lethality. Rogues thrive when choosing skills, attributes, gear, spells, and feats that interlock into a cohesive build. After hundreds of hours mastering rogues in 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons along with early access Baldur‘s Gate 3, I‘ve identified the 6 strongest rogue feats for dominating the adventures in the Forgotten Realms.
But before diving into feats, let‘s briefly recap attributes and archetypes which form critical foundations for well-rounded rogues.
Building From The Ground Up
While feats offer flashy benefits, much of your success as a rogue banks on prioritizing the right attributes and class specializations first.
Your core rogue skills like Stealth, Sleight of Hand, Acrobatics etc are governed by Dexterity. The higher you can boost DEX, the more deadly and elusive your rogue becomes. 20 DEX should be your end game for nearly all rogue builds. Beyond manual stat boosts at level up, race selections like high elf offer free DEX improvements to help reach the pinnacle of agility faster.
However, rogues also utilize Charisma for social skills like Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion which facilitate manipulation and trickery during quests. Splashing points into CHA prevents you from floundering during key dialogue checks. Though less crucial than DEX, hitting 16 CHA by mid game keeps conversations productive.
Finally, while not integral, Constitution is useful for raising low rogue HP values, Intelligence fuels essential Investigation and Nature checks, and Wisdom governs perception for detecting hidden traps and ambushes. Spreading some points around keeps well-rounded utility high even if not directly related to your combat potency.
Roguish Archetypes
In contrast to attributes which affect all rogues, your specialized Roguish Archetype heavily dictates gameplay from level 3 onwards. While "best" is subjective depending on preferred playstyles, here is a comparison of distinguished archetypes:
| Archetype | Playstyle | Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thief | Subterfuge Expert | Climbing, pickpocketing, trap handling | Lower combat options |
| Arcane Trickster | Spellcasting | Flexible magic, illusions | Delayed spell slot progression |
| Assassin | Stealth Killer | Disguises, infiltration, instant death strikes | Situational combat benefits |
| Mastermind | Support | Help allies, flash signaling, forgery expertise | Personal DPS not outstanding |
| Inquisitive | Investigator | Boosted perceptions and intuitions | Low damage by level 10+ |
| Swashbuckler | Finesse Fighter | High mobility, riposting, consistent single target DPS | AoE and cleave lackluster |
Now let‘s dive into the headline feats for propelling your rogues to even greater heights!
1. Sharpshooter
For rogues that relish striking from the shadows with a crackling bow or crossbow, Sharpshooter is a must-have. This feat has long revitalized archer builds by removing limitations that previously hampered ranged weapon damage.
First up, Sharpshooter outright negates all penalties from attacking at long ranges which has crippled Rogue sniping in previous editions. Forget counting squares – you now retain full accuracy unleashing volleys across vast distances.
In addition, the feat eliminates the standard +2 AC bonus enemies receive from half and 3/4 cover. As long as your targets are remotely visible from foliage or barriers, your arrows meet their marks undeterred.
Finally, Sharpshooter enables the infamous tradeoff of taking a -5 penalty to attack rolls in exchange for tacking +10 damage onto your strikes. Given most rogues only launch one devastating volley per turn complemented by reliable Sneak Attack bonuses, the accuracy decrease proves easily offset without sacrificing overall DPS.
Between practically removing range/cover restrictions and offering spike damage boosts, Sharpshooter facilitates relentless sniping barrages. The feat also synergizes beautifully with Roguish Archetypes like the Arcane Trickster which offer spells to compensate for the accuracy loss like Faerie Fire. And Assassins likewise gain phenomenal benefit from practically guaranteeing ranged Death Strikes.
Just be sure to combo Sharpshooter with the Archery fighting style for an extra +2 to hit balancing the -5 penalty. This combination elicits optimal damage from mid to long ranges where rogues excel deployment wise.
Some key Sharpshooter stats:
| Sharpshooter Benefit | Bonus Gained |
|---|---|
| Negates all range penalties | Unlimited deadly sniping reach |
| Cancels cover AC bonuses | Removes obstacles impeding accuracy |
| Adds +10 Damage Per Hit | Excellent DPR boosts |
| Applies To All Bows/Crossbows | Universal damage buffs |
Coupling insane reach with improved cover penetration and consistent extra damage, Sharpshooter should be auto-included for all ranged rogues.
2. Mobile
While Sharpshooter caters to stealthy archers, Mobile proves ideal for melee rogues that thrive on speed and evasion. With legendary agility, you‘ll tap dance across chaotic battlefields unleashing vital short range strikes wherever needed.
On the movement front, Mobile increases your walking speed by a brisk 10 feet. This may not seem like much baseline, but when combined with Cunning Action Dash/Disengage, Haste spells, magical boots etc it enables crossing massive distances each turn. You effectively become a blur impossible to pin down.
The feat also uniquely reduces all difficult terrain to normal movement costs nullifying everything from icy patches to dense rubble. Where tanks and bruisers stumble over complications, Mobile rogues flow freely repositioning at will. opens up a world of tactical redeployment options. You dictate engagement ranges and lines of play.
Finally, Mobile delivers a coveted combat perk – ignoring enemy Opportunity Attacks triggered by your movement after launching melee strikes. Typically OAs ruthlessly punish Rogues for their close quarters skirmishing. But now you stick and move using Cunning Action to freely retreat uncontested after carving vital openings.
In summary, Mobile facilitates relentless reengagements through uncanny battlefield navigation. Paired with Swashbucklers, this feat accentuates hit and fade tactics to wither foes down through sustained pressure. And Thieves use Mobile to effortlessly reach rare magical loot locations while outpacing deadly traps. For melee rogues, consider Mobile mandatory.
| Mobile Benefit | Bonus Gained |
|---|---|
| +10 Feet Movement Speed | Improves positioning flexibility |
| Treats All Terrain As Normal | Maintains full mobility anywhere |
| Negates Disengage Opportunity Attacks | Enables unmatched skirmishing freedom |
3. Savage Attacker
If neither ranged sniping nor hyper-mobility suit your tastes, Savage Attacker elicits brutal melee carnage from any one-handed or two-handed finesse weapons your rogue prefers. Though simple in application, doubling your damage dice paves the road for explosive critical strikes.
Upon hitting enemies and rolling damage, Savage Attacker allows an additional damage die with the higher value number applied to the strike. While randomness means results vary, statistically Savage Attacker averages approximately +3 to +4 extra damage per swing – a respectable consistent DPR hike.
But more importantly, Savage Attacker truly shines when you roll critical hits for automatic sneak attack damage duplication. Now your crits incorporate two damage die rolls potentially reaching astronomical heights if the dice gods favor you. I‘ve seen brutal instances where a standard Short Sword crit dealing 8d6+DEX explodes into 16d6+DEX deleting bosses. And should you gain access to the Devastator perk through game decisions boosting crit multipliers to x3, the overkill quickly reaches comical levels.
The only downside to Savage Attacker is lack of synergy with multi-attack options. But for Rogues who rely on one Sneak empowered attack per turn anyway, it aligns seamlessly with core mechanics.
In summary Savage Attacker, though simple in execution, can contribute reliable bonus damage each turn, while holding potential for deleting foes during expanded crits.
| Savage Attacker Benefit | Bonus Gained |
|---|---|
| Double Damage Dice Rolled | Adds +3 to +4 extra damage per attack |
| Powers Up Critical Damage Range | Enables higher max critical hit values |
| Applies To All Melee Weapons | Universal melee damage amplification |
4. Dual Wielder
For Rogues interested in flurries of quick slashes over raw force, Dual Wielder enables iconic paired weapons builds. Beyond lifting limitations around equipping and drawing dual weapons, Dual Wielder also improves defenses across the board.
Starting light, Dual Wielder lifts restrictions on using two non-light melee weapons simultaneously. Normally size constraints from longswords etc impede dual wielding. But now weapons like Rapiers open amazing paired options without compromising base damage dice. And should you prefer light weapons, equipping shortswords and daggers works perfectly too.
Additionally, the feat now allows you to draw/stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally only draw/stow one. This saves immense time value over your adventures letting you equip ideal weapons for any situation faster. And during battles, you transition smoothly between ranged bow attacks to double melee weapons without wasting turns shuffling gear. Especially when combined with cunning action item interactions, you freely adjust armaments in the blink of an eye to outpace foes.
Finally, while wielding two melee weapons, Dual Wielder provides a flat +1 bonus to armor class. This applies both when striking with the primary weapon, or delivering the critical off-hand bonus action attack generating massive damage via TWF. AC is doubly precious for cloth and leather clad rogues, so every point matters leveraging agility for survival.
Blending expanded gear options, action economy improvements, and passive durability, Dual Wielder offers huge flexibility for rogues wanting to push TWF builds into the stratosphere.
Some key stats include:
| Dual Wielder Benefit | Bonus Gained |
|---|---|
| Works With All One-Handed Melee Weapons | Broad armory access |
| Enables Simultaneous Draw/Stow Of Two Weapons | Saves precious actions |
| Grants +1 AC When Dual Wielding | Boosts survival chances |
5. Resilient
With Resilient our feat recommendations shift gears into defense and durability – critical secondary considerations for maximizing rogue effectiveness across all levels of play. Resilient specifically augments saving throws saving you from otherwise unavoidable afflictions.
The main perk of Resilient is raising any saving throw attribute modifier of your choice by +1 point – extremely valuable when shoring up low values. Most rogues start with very solid Dexterity saving throws for example to dodge AoEs. But boosting lackluster stats like Wisdom or Constitution makes succeeding against unfamiliar save types far more consistent. Those few extra points convert debilitating crowd control or poison effects into harmless shrug offs.
Additionally, Resilient grants full saving throw proficiency for the chosen attribute even if your rogue lacks training normally. This means expertise scaling bonuses keeping you ahead of the curve against deadly save DCs. When combining the flat +1 modifier bump, doubled proficiency bonuses, and the Rogue‘s Slippery Mind feature, even notorious mind crushers barely disrupt you.
In summary Resilient patches holes in saving throw proficiencies that would otherwise devastate unprepared rogues. Patching these weaknesses keeps you battling hard across all campaigns.
Some key numbers illustrating Resilient benefits:
| Resilient Benefit | Bonus Gained |
|---|---|
| +1 Saving Throw Modifier | Increases success chances 5-15% per use |
| New Saving Throw Proficiency | Adds +2 to +6 scaling expertise bonuses |
| Applies To Any Attribute | Tailor based on your build‘s needs |
6. Actor
Finally we come to Actor, a feat catering to rogues who revel infiltration and deception. While many Roguish Archetypes and backgrounds like Charlatan already excel at disguise and impersonation, Actor adds additional flexibility. By improving both raw Charisma and expanding your proficient skillset, Actor opens more gameplay paths without combat.
First, Actor permanently raises your Charisma score by +1 up to the normal 20 peak. As previously discussed, CHA fuels pivotal social ability checks. Though simple, this small boost keeps conversations productive and fights avoidable. Through expanded dialogue options alone, entire quests and story branches open or close based on your silver tongue.
The feat also grants skill proficiency in both Deception and Performance checks even if your rogue lacks themnormally. Combined with double Expertise bonuses to chosen skills, you reliably breeze through the most difficult false persona situations. Guards and savvy NPCs stand no chance discovering your true identity with Actor facilitating complete disguise embodiment both physically and mentally.
Finally, attempting to pass yourself off as another person during social interactions (rather than just altering appearance) grants advantage on Deception and Performance checks. Advantage equates to double 20 sided dice rolls picking the higher success chance value. Hence with Actor you easily targets seem convinced by the authenticity of your impersonations buying complete credibility.
In short Actor enables unrivaled rogue infiltration and deception during missions where peaceful conflict resolution proves beneficial. By improving core charisma itself alongside expanding your skill expertise coverage, assuming false identities both literally and figuratively becomes elementary.
Relevant Actor feat statistics include:
| Actor Benefit | Bonus Gained |
|---|---|
| +1 Charisma Score | Boosts spell DCs and social skill checks |
| Gains Deception and Performance Proficiencies | More expert skills even without training |
| Advantage On Attack Rolls When Impersonating Others | Allows easy transition into false personas |
With core feats covered, let‘s discuss some character examples that utilize these options effectively:
Phantom Archer
Race: Wood Elf
Background: Haunted One
Class: Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
Key Feats: Sharpshooter, Elven Accuracy
This build leverages Sharpshooter‘s ranged damage potential and the Arcane Trickster‘s flexible spellcasting for controlling fights from afar as a phantom striker. By coating arrows with enchantments before sniping from obscurity, you terrify and eliminate adversaries with little risk yourself thanks to teleports and Mirror Image.
Red Sparrow
Race: High Elf
Background: Folk Hero
Class: Rogue (Swashbuckler)
Key Feats: Mobile, Savage Attacker
Embodying unmatched mobility and daring finesse, this build utilizes Mobile to dance across the battlefield flanking priority targets. You then eliminate enemies with devastating Savage Attacker empowered Sneak Attack critical strikes before retreating safely out of range. Your legendary speed and evasion frustrates slower tanks and bruisers.
Changeling Spy
Race: Changeling
Background: Charlatan
Class: Rogue (Mastermind)
Key Feats: Actor, Magic Initiate
The pinnacle of sabotage and disguise, this flexible build uses inherent racial shapeshifting magic alongside Actor feats to flawlessly impersonate figures of authority. You then leverage the Mastermind‘s Help action bonuses supporting allies while feeding enemy misinformation to tactically outmaneuver adversaries. Truly the ultimate covert operative.
The possibilities span far beyond these samples when blending archetypes, races, backgrounds etc. As your adventures unfold, Auril knows what captivating characters you‘ll devise next!
Part of rogues endless appeal owes thanks to the vast diversity of niche builds you can explore within the class chassis. Much like a precision watch, each dial and cog you tweak harmonizing attributes, skills, gear, spells etc elicits vastly divergent gameplay results.
Hopefully this guide offered suggestions to enrich your custom creations achieving your perfect roguish power fantasy. While numbers and statistical advantages certainly prove alluring in game design, roleplay and story enjoyment remain paramount. So chase inspiring themes over pure optimization and the rest smoothly follows!
Now get out there into the savage wilds of Baldur‘s Gate and show Faerûn what spectacular scoundrels hide around every shadowed corner. And who knows, perhaps Volo will even canonize your bold new legends someday!
Let me know your favorite rogue feats and builds below!
