You have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of the attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. Your darkvision has a range of 120 feet, instead of 60. The dark elves, natives of the Underdark known for their cruelty and worship of the demonic spider goddess Lolth, are perfect candidates for a rogue.Īll Drow get a nice mixture of weapon proficiencies, augmented Darkvision, and some great innate spellcasting, which more than makes up for their sunlight sensitivity. That leaves us with Drow (dark elves), Eladrin (we’re using the revised rules from Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes because the rules from the Dungeon Master’s Guide suck), High Elves, and Wood Elves.Īll four of these subraces make for flavorful and mechanically powerful rogues. There are roughly 10 subraces of elf in D&D 5e at the moment (not counting the Plane Shift content).īecause they’re either somewhat unsuited to being rogues, similar to another subrace that does rogues better, or part of Unearthed Arcana content and so not yet officially in the 5e rules, we’re going to be ignoring Sea Elves, Shadar-Kai, Pallid Elves, Elvarial, Astral, and Grugach elves. Now, let’s look at some of the different elven subraces that are best suited to playing a rogue. Just remember that having Darkvision doesn’t mean you see perfectly in the dark. This isn’t a bonus that’s uniquely useful to rogues, but it’s still great to have in your back pocket.Īlso, speaking of sleep, the fact that Elves only need to meditate for four hours a night to gain the benefits of a long rest is perfect for a class that does its best work after the sun has set.Īnd, if you’re going to be mostly active in the dark, whether at night or in the depths of a dungeon, the fact elves get Darkvision up to 60 feet (unless you’re playing a Drow, which gives you a whopping 120 feet) pairs perfectly with a class that loves to hang around in the shadows without a light source.
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Rogues are consummate skill monkeys, able to accumulate one of the largest rosters of useful skills in the game, and they can further augment those abilities with their Expertise class feature.īasically, they’re one of the best classes (bards are probably the only ones who give them a run for their money) at getting the most value out of their skills, and getting one of the best skills in the game for free as a racial bonus is fantastic.Įlves’ Fey Ancestry feature also makes them resistant to being charmed or magically put to sleep. Can’t find secret doors if you can’t roll a Perception check above an 8. Not only does it help you avoid ambushes, traps, and other hazards, but I essentially think of Perception as the skill that lets you “unlock” more content. Perception is probably among the strongest, most widely applicable skills in all of 5e. It’s only a small drawback, but it’s a shame to waste a beneficial trait nonetheless.Īll elves also all get proficiency in the Perception skill thanks to their Keen Senses trait. Then, when you pick your elven subrace, you’re going to get a nice +1 bonus to another ability score, which can range from Intelligence (ideal for the Arcane Trickster or Mastermind) to Charisma (perfect for the Swashbuckler or just the rogue’s general ability to serve as the party’s face) and Wisdom (which powers Perception checks).īecause rogues’ abilities (specifically Sneak Attack) are catered to finesse or ranged weapons, the various Elven Weapon Training racial bonuses are more or less redundant here, as you either already gain proficiency in these weapons as a rogue or can’t make good use of them.
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Whether you’re building your rogue as a deadly, glass cannon damage dealer or a slippery sneak thief, then a high dexterity modifier (+4 or +5 if possible) is going to be essential. Rogues thrive using finesse and ranged weapons like rapiers, shortswords, daggers, and the classic hand crossbow, all of which use Dexterity for their attack and damage modifiers.ĭexterity also powers rogues’ sleight-of-hand abilities, including their iconic thieves’ tools, not to mention other things the class excels at, like clambering up sheer surfaces or melting into the shadows.
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If you’re playing a classic elf from the Player’s Handbook, then your racial bonuses are going to give you a solid foundation for building a highly effective rogue.Īll elves start out with a +2 bonus to their Dexterity score, which is exactly what we love to see if we’re building a rogue. Getting Started With an Elf Rogue in DnD 5e: Ability Scores, Racial Traits, and Skills