Life is an endless adventure for those who live by their wits. Ever just one step ahead of danger, rogues bank on their cunning, skill, and charm to bend fate to their favor. Never knowing what to expect, they prepare for everything, becoming masters of a wide variety of skills, training themselves to be adept manipulators, agile acrobats, shadowy stalkers, or masters of any of dozens of other professions or talents. Rogues are skillful and cunning adversaries who shrewdly utilize their varied talents to overcome any hindrance or opposition. A rogue can assume many roles: a deadly master of stealth, an inscrutable diplomat, a smooth talking con artist, as well as a multitude of other possibilities.
Although many rogues favor cities and the innumerable opportunities of civilization, some embrace lives on the road, journeying far, meeting exotic people, and facing fantastic danger in pursuit of equally fantastic riches. In the end, any who desire to shape their fates and live life on their own terms might come to be called rogues.
In combat, a rogue uses deadly precision to concentrate on an opponent’s weak points. A rogue with the element of surprise or one who catches a distracted opponent off guard can deliver lethal attacks, finishing any fight swiftly and decisively.
| Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Sneak Attack | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +2 | +0 | Skill specialty, Weapon Finesse | +1d6 |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +3 | +0 | Evasion, rogue talent | +1d6 |
| 3rd | +2 | +1 | +3 | +1 | Trap sense +1 | +2d6 |
| 4th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Rogue talent, uncanny dodge | +2d6 |
| 5th | +3 | +1 | +4 | +1 | Skill specialty | +3d6 |
| 6th | +4 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Rogue talent, trap sense +2 | +3d6 |
| 7th | +5 | +2 | +5 | +2 | Improved uncanny dodge | +4d6 |
| 8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +6 | +2 | Rogue talent | +4d6 |
| 9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +6 | +3 | Skill specialty, trap sense +3 | +5d6 |
| 10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Rogue talent | +5d6 |
| 11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +7 | +3 | Advantageous attack +1 | +6d6 |
| 12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Rogue talent, trap sense +4 | +6d6 |
| 13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +8 | +4 | Skill specialty | +7d6 |
| 14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +9 | +4 | Rogue talent | +7d6 |
| 15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +9 | +5 | Trap sense +5 | +8d6 |
| 16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +5 | Rogue talent | +8d6 |
| 17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +5 | Skill specialty | +9d6 |
| 18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +11 | +6 | Rogue talent, trap sense +6 | +9d6 |
| 19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +11 | +6 | Advantageous attack +2 | +10d6 |
| 20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +12 | +6 | Master strike, rogue talent | +10d6 |
Class Skills (8 + Int modifier per level): Acrobatics, Arcane Lore, Athletics, Deception, Engineering, Insight, Intimidate, Linguistics, Perception, Perform, Persuasion, Profession, Stealth, and Streetwise.
Starting Wealth: Respectable (3d6 × 10 gp, Average 105 gp)
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A Rogue is proficient with Basic weapons and Crossbows plus one other weapon group of your choice. They are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
If not using weapon groups, a Rogue is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword.
Sneak Attack
If a rogue can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage.
Your attacks deal 1d6 extra precision damage any time your target is flat-footed or when you flank your target. This extra damage increases by 1d6 every two rogue levels after 1st. Should you score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within precision range (normally 30 feet).
With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), you can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. You cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.
You can sneak attack only creatures with discernible anatomies. Any creature that is immune to critical hits is not vulnerable to sneak attacks. You must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. You cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment or striking the limbs of a creature whose vitals are beyond reach.
Skill Specialty
At 1st level, you gain a skill specialty of your choice. (Most rogues choose Trapfinding.)
You gain an additional skill specialty at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter.
Weapon Finesse
You gain Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if you don’t meet the prerequisites.
Evasion
At 2nd level or higher, if you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if you are wearing light armor or no armor. You do not gain the benefit of evasion while immobilized or helpless.
Rogue Talents
As you gain experience, you learn a number of talents that aid you and confound your foes. Starting at 2nd level, you gain one rogue talent. You gain an additional rogue talent for every 2 levels of rogue attained after 2nd level. You cannot select an individual talent more than once. Talents marked with an asterisk add effects to your sneak attack. Only one of these talents can be applied to an individual attack and the decision must be made before the attack roll is made.
List of Rogue Talents
Trap Sense
At 3rd level, you gain an intuitive sense that alerts you to danger from traps, giving you a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise to +2 when you reach 6th level, to +3 when you reach 9th level, to +4 when you reach 12th level, to +5 at 15th, and to +6 at 18th level. Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack.
Uncanny Dodge
Starting at 4th level, you can react to danger before your senses would normally allow you to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
If you already have uncanny dodge from a different class you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead.
Improved Uncanny Dodge
At 7th level or higher, you can no longer be flanked.
This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack you by flanking you, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than you do.
If you already have uncanny dodge from a second class, you automatically gain improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank you.
Advantageous Attack
Beginning at 11th level, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on weapon attack rolls when attacking a flanked or flat-footed creature. This bonus increases to +2 at 19th level.
Master Strike
Upon reaching 20th level, you become incredibly deadly when dealing sneak attack damage. Each time you deal sneak attack damage, you can choose one of the following three effects. The target can be knocked unconscious for 1d4 hours, paralyzed for 2d6 rounds, or instantly slain.
Regardless of the effect chosen, the target receives a Fortitude save to negate the additional effect. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your rogue level + your Intelligence modifier. Once a creature has been the target of a master strike, regardless of whether or not the save is made, that creature is immune to your master strike for 24 hours. Creatures that are immune to sneak attack damage are also immune to this ability.