All Rogue Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3, Ranked

Starting as a Rogue in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a great choice. As the sneaky class, you’ll be able to move through the shadows while dealing massive single-target damage to your enemies up close or from afar. As a Rogue, you’ll also get access to a handful of Bonus Actions including several non-combat ones. You’re essentially a master of stealth, sleight of hand, and even lockpicking locked chests and doors.

Once you reach Level 3 as a Rogue, you unlock the ability to choose from three subclasses. Each of the subclasses has unique strengths and weaknesses, and you should pick one that complements your intended playstyle. We’ve had a chance to play around with each of them. These are all the Rogue Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3, ranked.

Rogue Subclasses Ranked from best to worst

• Thief, best overall Rogue Subclass.
• Assassin, second-best but still useful.
• Arcane Trickster, kind of a mage build which I’m no fan of.

I’ll go into a little more detail as to why I’ve ranked them in this order below. Let’s get stuck in.

Thief: The quintessential Rogue

If you’ve ever played a single round of D&D, you’ll know that the Rogue is all about stealth. Strike hard, strike fast, and return to the shadows. And that pretty much sums up the Thief subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Of the subclasses, this is by far my favorite. There’s a strong focus on Dexterity and Stealth which are, naturally, the staples of the Rogue class. So it feels natural to head down this path when given the choice.

You’ll also get the Fast Hands Feat, which gives you an additional bonus action, which means you can return to the shadows and get yourself another powerful sneak attack. The second Feat available to this class, Second-Story Work, isn’t all that useful in my humble opinion. All it does is reduce fall damage when you… well, fall.

It can be useful when you’re trying to escape from a daring heist, I guess.

Once you reach Level 9 as a Thief, you’ll get access to Supreme Sneak, which you can use both in combat and while you’re out exploring (perhaps for that daring heist). Supreme Sneak allows you to blend into the environment and become completely Invisible, so you’ll be able to explore, plan your next sneak attack, or loot all the riches while unseen.

Naturally, if you attack or deal damage, you exit this state and if you’re not careful, things could get pretty hairy pretty fast.

If you want to min-max your Thief Rogue, the best race to play is the Deep Gnome, which has several benefits when it comes to playing the Rogue. You’ll have bonuses to your Stealth checks, and you’ll also have access to Superior Darkvision, which allows you to see in the dark.

As for the best Background to choose from, you’ll want to go for either the Criminal or Street Urchin for the additional bonuses to Stealth. If you prefer to diversify your skillset and enjoy bonuses on lock picking, pickpocketing, or disarming traps, the Charlatan is another solid choice, though I’d recommend sticking with one of the former in the spirit of min-maxing.

I love the traditional Rogue, but beyond that, the Thief also offers you the most freedom between dealing satisfying damage in combat and disappearing into the shadows when you fancy someone else’s possessions.

And for that reason, the Thief is my #1 when it comes to the best Rogue subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Assassin — Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat-focused powerhouse Rogue subclass

If you’re looking to focus purely on raw damage, you should consider the Assassin. Even though you still focus on Dexterity, you’ll master the art of damage dealing including via poison and disguise.

As an Assassin, you’ll receive three Subclass Features right from the start. Two of them are fairly similar though — Assassinate: Initiative and Assassinate: Ambush. The former gives you an Advantage on Attack Rolls against creatures that have not yet taken a turn. The latter causes any successful Attack Roll against a Surprised creature to be a Critical Hit.

The third Level 3 Subclass Feature is Assassin’s Alacrity. This handy Subclass Feature causes you to immediately restore your Action and Bonus Action at the start of combat, which means you’ll be dealing even more damage more often.

Finally, at Level 9, Assassins receive Infiltration Expertise. This Action allows you to adopt a new identity, changing your appearance. It can be used both in combat and in exploration. As you can imagine, this can be very beneficial in both aspects of gameplay.

Overall I do enjoy the Assassin, as you’ve got a potent damage-dealer on your hands here. It just lacks… something for me. I do prefer the good old traditional rogue, so the Assassin simply has to slot in at #2 for me.

A great choice of race here would be the Wood Half-Elf or even the pure-blood Wood Elf. I’ve heard others say that the Duergar is also a solid option, but I do like my elves personally.

I’d recommend you still stick to the Criminal or Street Urchin backgrounds though.

Arcane Trickster  — The magic-influenced Rogue subclass

The Arcane Trickster is certainly an interesting choice. I’m all for dealing in some magic, but on a rogue? It feels a little strange. But if you’re looking to mix some magic in with your stealth, this could be the sub-class for you.

Dexterity is still critical for this build, but you’ll also need some intelligence or your magic won’t be worth much at all.

Upon choosing the Arcane Trickster Subclass, you’ll unlock Spellcasting, and you’ll get access to three Cantrips and two Level 1 spells. Once you’ve grown all the way to Level 10, you’ll have access to four Cantrips, four Level 1 spells, and three Level 2 spells.

Furthermore, you also gain the Subclass Feature Mage Hands, which gives you the ability to repossess goods from a distance. Not a bad trick for a Rogue, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Finally, at Level 9 as an Arcane Trickster, you receive another Subclass Feature: Magical Ambush. With Magical Ambush, your targets have a Disadvantage on Saving Throws against your spells while you are hidden.

As you can imagine, all of this actually makes you a fairly powerful stealthy spellcaster. That’s right, stealth is still very much a part of the game. Or, your game, I should say.

You can still opt for any of the good Rogue races, such as those I’ve mentioned above or even a Drow or Halfling. However, the High Elf is actually worth considering here if you want to be more of a spell caster.

Your background options don’t change though.

And that’s my ranking of all the Rogue Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3. If I’m honest, each of these has a fair bit to offer and they’re all fun to play. If you’re unsure of which you want to choose but have some additional time, why not try them all?

Personally, I just prefer the traditional Rogue tropes over the nifty Mage hybrid, that’s all.