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Baldur's Gate 3

Best Rogue Assassin Build For Baldur's Gate 3: Best Race and Multiclassing

By
Craig Robinson

While the Rogue is one of the weaker classes in Baldur’s Gate 3, the class does come with many perks making it eat a slot in the party. But, thanks to Larian’s homebrewing rules to make it more adaptable to video game format, the Rogue is even more of a menace for lockpicking doors, and chests, and generally getting access to, or finding new things you wouldn’t otherwise have no right touching, along with add in some excellent choices for multiclassing. Moreso, you have a role in the party that can rival spellcasters for some incredibly early fight DPT (Damage Per Turn). Here’s a look at one of the better Rogue Builds in Baldur’s Gate 3, allowing you to live that assassin lifestyle, being very useful in parties both on and off the battlefield.

Rogue Build For Baldur’s Gate 3

Here is a look at the best Rogue Build in Baldur’s Gate 3, which you can use for Astarian, or for your own player character.

With regards to the Baldur’s Gate 3 Rogue Build, you will be going Gloomstalker and Assassin Rogue. These multiclass options are perfect for synergizing with each other, as they give you opening round damage roll benefits, making you a god-tier playstyle for doing as much damage in an opening round. After that, you do fall off, but the bonuses you get for stealthing, and making stealth attacks with either your Crossbow or "Dagger" iconDaggers will still be extremely useful. Below is a list of levels you may want to consider for this Rogue Build.

  • Ranger: 5
  • Rogue: 5-7
  • Optional: Fighter 2

You will start the class by going to level 3 with your rogue, then grabbing the Assassination specialization. This gives you the boost you need for opening-round damage. You get an advantage on attack rolls against enemies that haven’t taken a turn in the combat yet. Likewise, any hit you score against a surprised creature is a critical hit. As you level up, you get weapon proficiencies, making it easier to get damage modifiers. If you opt to go for the level 7 route, you get much better at dodging the deadlier attacks.

Following that, you want your next five levels in Ranger to get an extra attack as soon as possible and get your Gloomstalker subclass. It means by level 6, so just as Act 1 ends, you will have the core of your playstyle, and by level 8, you’re in a position to cheese a lot of the mid-to-end game fights. From then on, you want to invest your points into Fighter and Rogue, depending on your desire for "Action Surge" iconAction Surge and how much a of a priority it is for your playstyle and party composition.

The idea behind this build is that you put five points in Ranger, which allows you access to the Ranger’s extra attack. You also get your subclass at level 3, where you take Gloomstalker. The main thing you want from Gloomstalker is the Dread Ambusher passive. This allows you to gain bonus initiative based on your Wisdom modifier, helping to ensure that your Assassin Rogue gets to go first as often as possible. Since you’re racing against the clock to kill as many enemies as possible before their first turn, this modifier greatly helps. In addition, you also get an additional weapon attack when moving in the first turn of combat that adds an additional 1d8 of weapon damage for more opening round burst.

The optional Fighter levels are there simply to acquire the Action Surge skill. This allows you to use one additional action, but you must take a short or long rest before using it again. This extra attack can help a lot, as the Assassination passive will fall off if you fail to assassinate a target before their first turn. It’s not required, but extra ranged, or stealth attacks can be very nice.

Read More: Baldur’s Gate 3 Tier List

Baldur’s Gate 3 Rogue Build Feats

Now we are onto the Rogue Build Feats you can use in BG3, depending on personal playstyle, preference and party compositions.

  • Crossbow Expert: When you make crossbow attacks within melee range, the attack rolls do not have disadvantage. Your piercing Shot also inflicts Gaping Wounds for twice as long. Decent for hand crossbow users, and Drow !Rogues.
  • Sharpshooter: Your ranged weapon attacks do not receive penalties From High Ground Rules. Ranged weapon attacks with weapons you are proficient with have a -5 penalty to their attack roll, but deal an additional 10 damage. - Decent option if you find Ranged Ambush skill your more commonly used attack.
  • Lucky: You gain 3 Lucky Points, which you can use to gain advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws. Or to make an enemy reroll their attacks rolls. You don’t need this if you play a Halfling.
  • Weapon Master Feat: Allows you to tap in with weapons proficiency that other races use.
  • Savage Attacker: When making weapon attacks, you roll your damage dice twice and use the highest result.
  • Mage Slayer: When a creature casts a spell withing range of you, you have advantage on any saving throw against it, and can use a reaction to immediately make an attack against the caster. Enemies you hit have Disadvantage on Concentration Saving "Throw" iconThrows.

Alternatively, you can spend your feat on increasing attributes instead, to help raise your Dex and Charisma modifier (Charisma is used as part of the Gloomstalker passive)

These Baldur’s Gate 3 Feats provide a mixture of offensive ranged, melee Feats, and some defense options. Any of these Feats are good, and there’s some flexibility in how you want to operate this Rogue build in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Best Rogue Race in Baldur’s Gate 3

Deep Gnomes may be one of the best Rogue races in BG3 for their double sleight of hand and stealth proficiencies, making them roll incredibly well for a Rogue’s most iconic niches for a party.

There’s a few options you can pick for the best race for a Rogue in Baldur’s Gate 3. Your likely suspects for a variety of reasons are:

  • Lightfoot Halfling: - You gain proficiency with Stealth Checks via their racial passive, on top of Lucky and Brave

  • Wood Elf: A Wood Elf gets decent "Darkvision" iconDarkvision options, and Stealth proficiency with its race, and decent weapon proficiencies for your weapon choices.

  • Drow: Start with Hand Crossbow proficiency. This is going to play a large factor if you do opt for the Crossbow Expert Feat. You also get much better dark vision at 24 meters, which plays into the Gloomstalker darkness benefits too, albeit, its rather niche.

  • Deep Gnome: - Better Stealth Checks

  • Human: Human Versatility for extra skill proficiency, and good proficiency with light and medium armor.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Larian Studios
  • Platforms,
    Mac, PC, PS5, XB X|S
  • Genre
    Adventure, RPG
  • Guide Release
    6 April 2023
  • Last Updated
    26 March 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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Baldur’s Gate 3 is an immersive roleplaying game set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. It features a rich story with multiple outcomes for almost every encounter, and plenty of character customization features including more races, classes, subclasses and party combinations than you are ever likely to explore. The seemingly endless possibilities and numerous choices that you can make throughout your journey make a helping hand always welcome, and that’s where we come in! This guide features the following:

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