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 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 actually has very 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.
Thief — The best overall Rogue subclass
The Thief subclass for Rogue is probably the best overall. It continues to focus on the Dexterity and Stealth of the Rogue class.
Upon choosing Thief as your subclass you will receive two Subclass Features: Fast Hands and Second-Story Work. Fast Hands is a very useful feature as it allows you to gain an additional bonus action. Second-Story Work can be useful as well as it increases your resistance to fall damage.
If you can reach Level 9 as a Thief, you will receive the Action Supreme Sneak. You can use Supreme Sneak both in combat and out of combat while exploring. The Action causes you to blend into the environment and become completely Invisible. This will only end early if you attack, cast a spell, take an action, or take damage.
As you can see, out of all Rogue Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Thief takes stealth to the next level, making it our best overall.
Assassin — Baldur’s Gate 3’s combat-focused powerhouse Rogue subclass
If you’re looking to focus purely on raw damage, Assassin is probably the Rogue subclass for you. 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 actually receive three Subclass Features right from the start. Two of them are similar: 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.
Finally, at Level 9, Assassin receives the Action 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.
All of these perks combined make the Assassin subclass a lethal damage dealer.
Arcane Trickster — The magic-influenced Rogue subclass
The final Rogue Subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3 is the Arcane Trickster. If you’re looking to mix some magic into your stealthy gameplay, the Arcane Trickster is probably for you. Even though you’ll still prioritize Dexterity, Intelligence also becomes very important.
Once you have chosen the Arcane Trickster Subclass, you will unlock Spellcasting. You will start with three Cantrips and two Level 1 Spells, and by Level 10 you will have access to four Cantrips, four Level 1 Spells, and three Level 2 Spells.
Furthermore, you will also gain the Subclass Feature Mage Hand Legerdemain right from the start. This nifty Subclass Feature causes the spectral hand that spawns when you cast Mage Hand to be invisible, allowing it to carry out additional tasks.
Finally, at Level 9 as 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 very powerful stealthy spellcaster.
This is our ranking of all Rogue Subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3. Overall, all three subclasses are actually very good and can enhance the Rogue in many ways. In the end you want to pick whichever one matches up with your preferred playstyle for Rogue.
