Rogue
Stealth DPS / Assassin
Overview
The Rogue is Lourdin RPG's burst damage assassin, built around Sneak Attack and critical hits. Starting with 8 HP and light armor, Rogues deal the game's highest single-turn damage with the right setup — Sneak Attack adds 1d6 bonus damage per 2 character levels when hitting a target that has already been struck this turn.
The Rogue is a cunning assassin who strikes from the shadows with devastating precision. Specializing in critical hits and burst damage, Rogues excel at eliminating high-priority targets quickly. Their finesse weapons and high mobility make them deadly in the hands of a skilled player.
Rogues are perfect for players who enjoy high-risk, high-reward gameplay. Timing, positioning, and target selection are crucial to maximizing your potential. When played correctly, Rogues can turn the tide of battle with a single critical strike.
| Base HP | 8 |
|---|---|
| Starting Mana | None |
| Primary Stat | Dexterity |
| Armor Type | Light only |
| Starting AC | 11 |
| Resource System | Cooldowns only |
| Availability | Free |
Core Strengths
Starting Equipment
New Rogues begin with the full Scout's kit — light armor pieces tuned for silence and mobility — and a matched pair of blades suited for close work and opening ambushes from range.
- Dagger (wpn005): 1d4 finesse melee - your bread-and-butter strike
- Throwing Dagger (wpn006): 1d6 thrown - opens fights from the back zone
- Scout's Hood (arm137): Light head armor, +1 DEX
- Scout's Vest (arm138): Light chest armor, +1 AC, +1 DEX
- Scout's Gloves (arm139): Light hands
- Scout's Leggings (arm140): Light legs
- Scout's Boots (arm141): Light feet
Only the Chest slot contributes an ArmorClass value (+1). Other pieces provide stat bonuses (+DEX) only. Upgrade weapons and gear at the merchant as loot and copper accumulate.
Weapon Proficiencies
Finesse Melee
Rogues specialize in finesse weapons that use Dexterity for attack and damage:
- Dagger (1d4): Quick, concealable, throwable
- Shortsword (1d6): Balanced damage and speed
- Rapier (1d8): Highest finesse one-hander - ideal for Rogues
Ranged — Hand Crossbow
Rogues are the only class with access to the full Hand Crossbow line. Five tiers chain together a smooth DEX-scaling progression across the character's career:
| Tier 1 (Lvl 1) | Backstreet Crossbow — 1d6, +1 DEX |
|---|---|
| Tier 2 (Lvl 3) | Alleybane Crossbow — 1d8, +2 DEX |
| Tier 3 (Lvl 6) | Spring-Shot Repeater — 2d4+1, +2 DEX +1 INT |
| Tier 4 (Lvl 10) | Viper-Bite Crossbow — 2d6, +3 DEX +1 INT |
| Tier 5 (Lvl 15) | Nightjar Repeating Crossbow — 3d6+2, +4 DEX +2 INT |
Hand crossbow hex range is 8 (modified by Ranger bonuses only — see the Combat guide). All Rogue crossbows route DEX to both attack and damage thanks to the finesse-ranged profile.
How Should You Play the Rogue in Combat?
Strike First, Strike Hard
Rogues excel at eliminating threats before they can react. Focus on high-priority targets like enemy spellcasters or archers. Your burst damage can remove dangerous enemies from combat instantly.
Zone Control & Flanking
Use Shadow Step to teleport to a flanking zone and activate Backstab for guaranteed +2 damage. When an ally occupies the enemy's zone, attack from a different zone to trigger Backstab every turn. Use Sneak Attack to punish enemies after your allies have already struck them this turn.
Cunning Action Timing
Your bonus action every turn is Cunning Action — pick one of Dash, Disengage, or Hide:
- Hide is the money pick when the target hasn't been struck yet: it primes your next strike to roll Sneak Attack dice automatically, and grants +2 AC for the turn. This is the cleanest way to guarantee Sneak Attack damage against an unstruck target.
- Dash doubles your movement (5 hexes → 10) for one turn — perfect for closing with a ranged caster before the enemy turn lands.
- Disengage applies -2 to hit on incoming attacks for one turn. Use it after stepping out of a melee zone when you can't spare Shadow Step.
Stat Priority
- Dexterity: Primary stat - increases attack, damage, AC, and initiative
- Constitution: Improves HP pool for survivability
- Charisma: Secondary stat for deception and social encounters
What Are the Rogue's Class Features?
Cunning Action
Every turn you may spend your bonus action on one of three rogue tricks — the three share a single slot:
- Dash: Double your hex movement range for 1 turn (5 → 10).
- Disengage: Incoming attacks take -2 to hit for 1 turn.
- Hide: Gain +2 AC for 1 turn and prime your next attack to deal Sneak Attack damage automatically (no "already struck" requirement).
Cunning Action is available from Level 1. The bonus-action slot resets each turn, so pick the option that best fits the moment — repositioning, defense, or priming a burst.
Shadow Step
Teleport to any combat zone, ignoring adjacency restrictions. Your signature zone mobility tool — use it to appear behind enemy lines for a Backstab opportunity, or escape a dangerous melee zone instantly. Cannot be used again after the first use in a combat.
Backstab
When you are in a different zone than your target and at least one ally is in the target's zone, all your attacks deal +2 bonus damage. Coordinate with frontline allies to flank enemies from range — combine with Shadow Step for guaranteed activation.
Sneak Attack
When a monster has already been struck by any attack this turn (by you or an ally), your next attack adds 1d6 per 2 Rogue levels bonus damage. The perfect reward for going second in initiative or fighting alongside aggressive teammates. Doubles on a critical hit.
Critical Strike Mastery
Starting at Level 7, you score a critical hit on a d20 roll of 19 or 20 (up from 20 only). This effectively doubles your natural crit rate from 5% to 10% — and combined with Sneak Attack or Backstab damage dice (which also double on crit), a single lucky strike can delete high-priority targets.
Playstyle Tips
- Upgrade to Rapier ASAP: 1d8 finesse damage is your best friend
- Target Priority: Focus on spellcasters, healers, and ranged enemies first
- Use Initiative: High Dexterity means you often go first - use it!
- Avoid Prolonged Fights: Burst damage is your strength - eliminate threats quickly
- Zone Flanking: Stay in a different zone from enemies while an ally flanks them to trigger Backstab
- Stock Potions: No self-healing means carrying health potions is essential
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- Highest burst damage potential
- Excellent initiative and first-strike capability
- High mobility and tactical flexibility
- Strong single-target elimination
- Shadow Step zone teleport for guaranteed Backstab positioning
Weaknesses
- Fragile - medium HP with light armor only
- No self-healing or sustain
- Struggles against heavily armored targets
- Dependent on favorable positioning
- Limited AoE or crowd control options
Known Gaps & Roadmap
The current Rogue implementation tracks D&D 5e closely for Levels 1-10, with a few features intentionally deferred until the supporting engine systems land:
- Uncanny Dodge (Lvl 5 in 5e): Deferred for a future release — Lourdin does not yet have
a reaction pipeline, so the once-per-turn "halve incoming damage" trigger needs a reaction slot on Battle and
a damage-application interrupt. Design notes live in
ROGUE_SKILL.md. - Evasion (Lvl 7 in 5e): Waiting on an AoE DEX-save interrupt system. Currently no AoE ability in Lourdin offers a DEX save, so the feature has nothing to interact with yet.
- Reliable Talent (Lvl 11 in 5e): Not applicable — Lourdin has no skill-check system, so d20 rolls below 10 never occur outside of attack rolls.
Related Classes
If you enjoy the Rogue playstyle, you might also like:
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