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86 votes
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Assassin using Arcane Trickster's Mage Hand: Is it Unbalanced?

Although many tables allow some degree of tweaking in order to make a build match a concept, they usually involve some degree of horse trading, i.e. giving up something to get something else. ...
keithcurtis's user avatar
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75 votes
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Does advantage negate disadvantage (for things such as the rogue's Sneak Attack)?

Yes, advantage would negate disadvantage for purposes of Sneak Attack. According to the rules on advantage and disadvantage (PHB 173, emphasis mine): If circumstances cause a roll to have both ...
Bloodcinder's user avatar
75 votes

How do I allow the Rogue opportunities to be stealthy with a Druid in the party?

You have a few options. Don't change your stealth missions at all. Instead provide a scenario in which the Druid is the only one that can do something with any reasonable chance of success, while at ...
Slagmoth's user avatar
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62 votes
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Can a rogue/Kensei monk use Sneak Attack with a Kensei weapon?

No, this is a converse error Your logic is something like this: Sneak Attack […] The attack must use a finesse […] weapon. (Player’s Handbook, pg. 96) Finesse. When making an attack with a finesse ...
KRyan's user avatar
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57 votes
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Are there any published alternatives to sneak attack?

Keep the mechanic, change the name There is actually nothing “sneaky” about “Sneak Attack” - the name is a holdover from earlier editions when it was sneaky. Indeed, in really early editions it was ...
Dale M's user avatar
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56 votes
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Would a Rogue's Uncanny Dodge feature halve the damage of a Magic Missile spell?

No, Magic missile is not an attack. The general rule is: If there's ever any question whether something you're doing counts as an attack, the rule is simple: if you're making an attack roll, you're ...
Rubiksmoose's user avatar
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55 votes
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Evolution of the Rogue in D&D

The Rogue, a bowdlerized Thief, was always an Adventurer / Treasure Hunter For a swords and sorcery genre fictional or legendary root, you could look at the Grey Mouser (from Fritz Lieber's fiction), ...
KorvinStarmast's user avatar
55 votes
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Benefit of Dual Daggers?

In terms of dealing lethal damage, a dagger is strictly inferior to a short sword--to a user proficient in both. Daggers, however, have all the benefits in-game that they enjoy in real life: they are ...
nitsua60's user avatar
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53 votes
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If I have both advantage and disadvantage, and my target has the Elusive rogue class feature, do I have disadvantage on the attack?

The attacking enemy has disadvantage on the roll. The relevant quote from the PHB is here: If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage, you are considered to have ...
DuckTapeAl's user avatar
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53 votes
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Bards acting as rogues?

Class names and in-universe terms don't need to be the same What, really, is a 'bard'? It's somebody who earns their living by entertaining people with music and song. This doesn't require any form of ...
Theik's user avatar
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53 votes
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How can a DM make a low-level melee rogue feel useful in combat when the party has no tank who triggers sneak attack for her?

For Druid + Rogue at level 1; combat is not necessarily required. Focusing on the rogue's DPR is, IMO, you as DM viewing this party through a very narrow lens. I suggest that, since (1) you only ...
KorvinStarmast's user avatar
52 votes
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Can unarmed strike work with a rogue's sneak attack?

Strictly by Rules as Written and Intended, no. By RAW, no. What you ruled doesn't work. Let's look at the important passages from the skills involved. Martial Arts: You can use Dexterity instead of ...
Miatog's user avatar
  • 3,151
50 votes

Potent Cantrip with Toll the Dead vs Evasion

The Rogue and Monk would take half damage Your argument seems sound. Since the Evasion feature specifies Dexterity saving throws, but Toll the Dead requires a Wisdom saving throw, Evasion simply doesn'...
NathanS's user avatar
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49 votes
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What happens if you roll a Nat1 on a proficient skill with Reliable Talent?

Ability checks don't critically succeed or fail. In 5th edition, ability checks don't typically automatically succeed on a 20, or automatically fail on a 1. It's only attack rolls that have ...
DuckTapeAl's user avatar
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49 votes

Does limiting Sneak Attack to the Dexterity choice on Finesse Weapons imbalance anything?

Removing balanced player options is unfair (and unfun). The reason that sneak attack requires finesse (or ranged) weapons is less to do with the Ability (Strength or Dexterity) and more to do with the ...
goodguy5's user avatar
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49 votes
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Can a ranged rogue effectively stand back and sneak attack opponents every turn with a ranged weapon while their allies fight on the front line?

Yes, rogues can sneak attack at range pretty effectively. You're reading the rules right, and all a ranged rogue needs for sneak attack is an ally's adjacency. (Actually, an enemy-of-my-enemy's ...
nitsua60's user avatar
  • 101k
48 votes
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Do I need advantage to sneak attack someone who is incapacitated?

You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll (emphasis mine) ...
Sdjz's user avatar
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48 votes

How do I allow the Rogue opportunities to be stealthy with a Druid in the party?

Create scenarios that require resource management Your players are right that a wild-shaped druid is a lot better at infiltration than a rogue. However, don't forget that a druid at your party's ...
Icyfire's user avatar
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46 votes
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Does the Bracer of Flying Daggers really let a thief make 4 attacks per round?

You cannot activate magic items with Fast Hands The section on activating magic items specifically calls out this case: If an item requires an action to activate, that action isn't a function ...
Szega's user avatar
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45 votes

Can an Assassin stack critical hits?

If you hit, it is already considered a critical hit This is the case regardless of whether you then roll a natural 20 or not. When the Rogue is assassinating a surprised target, it will be a ...
Jamie Brace's user avatar
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44 votes
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Can the rogue repeatedly hide in combat to sneak attack the same enemy?

No, this doesn't work in melee. At least not the important second half. Yes, they can duck behind the corner and hide. All they need to do to be allowed to hide is break line of sight. No, they can'...
SevenSidedDie's user avatar
44 votes
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How do hit dice affect my attacks?

Hit dice have no impact on attacks Your Hit-Dice have nothing to do with your attacks, and are related to your HP max and HP recovery while resting. They're "hit dice" as in "hit points", not as in "...
Sir Cinnamon's user avatar
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43 votes
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Does Elusive trump Reckless Attack?

Enemies don't get advantage against you in this scenario. Yes, Reckless Attack grants them advantage. However, no-one ever has advantage unless something grants it to them. If Elusive doesn't work ...
Miniman's user avatar
  • 144k
43 votes

Can a rogue use sneak attack with weapons that have the thrown property even if they are not thrown?

Sneak Attack does not work with melee weapons that have the thrown property, but lack the finesse property The Rogue's Sneak Attack feature states: The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon. ...
Ruse's user avatar
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43 votes
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What is a Centaur Thief's climbing speed?

From logic, one would arrive at: "Climbing for a thief no longer costs the thief extra movement," "Climbing for a centaur costs 4 extra feet," "4 extra feet is extra movement," (implied from "instead ...
Cab Zx's user avatar
  • 502
42 votes
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Would allowing a Thief (with Fast Hands) to use the Healer feat's tending action as a bonus action be balanced?

I don't believe allowing this would even be a house rule, the rules support it as-is. The action enabled by the Healer feat is just a new use for an object and, therefore, is still technically the Use ...
CTWind's user avatar
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42 votes
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How does a Swashbuckler rogue "fight with two weapons while safely darting away"?

The next paragraph reads When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn how to land a strike and then slip away without reprisal. During your turn, if you make a melee attack against a ...
Seidr's user avatar
  • 1,239
40 votes

Half Orc Rogue sneak attack calculation

No, that's not correct. Half-Orcs get the following ability: Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the ...
Miniman's user avatar
  • 144k
39 votes

Can a Rogue effectively triple their speed by combining Dash and Ready, spreading it over several turns?

Yes, and they don't need to ready an action to do it Say their movement is 30ft. They expend their movement for 30ft, use their action to Dash for an extra 30ft, then Bonus action to Dash again with ...
Whambulance's user avatar
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38 votes

How does Jack of All Trades interact with Reliable Talent?

As of 2019, the new Sage Advice Compendium clearly states that they don't interact. These aren't allowed to work together on a single check. Can the rogue’s Reliable Talent feature be used in ...
UrhoKarila's user avatar
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