Baldur’s Gate 3: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Rogue Race

Determining the absolute best race for a Rogue in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t straightforward, as it depends on individual playstyles and preferences. However, based on a combination of racial traits, subrace bonuses, and their synergy with the Rogue class, the Deep Gnome stands out as a top contender, offering a powerful blend of stealth and survivability.

Why the Deep Gnome Shines for Rogues

The Deep Gnome’s unique strengths align perfectly with what a Rogue aims to achieve: stealth, cunning, and tactical positioning. Here’s why they are an excellent choice:

• Superior Darkvision: Deep Gnomes possess Superior Darkvision, allowing them to see up to 24 meters in the dark. This crucial advantage ensures optimal visibility for sneaky maneuvers, allowing Rogues to take advantage of shadows and dimly lit areas, which is especially beneficial in many of the game’s environments.
• Advantage on Stealth Checks: This is perhaps the most potent advantage. Deep Gnomes have advantage on all Stealth Checks, significantly increasing their success rate. Given that stealth is a core aspect of Rogue gameplay, this trait effectively makes them masters of infiltration and surprise attacks.
• Gnome Cunning: Deep Gnomes also benefit from advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws against spells. This provides valuable protection from mind-altering effects and magical attacks, making them more resilient against the wide array of threats within Baldur’s Gate 3.
• Small Size: While not unique to Deep Gnomes, their small size, inherent in the gnome race, can also be advantageous for navigating smaller spaces and taking cover.

Although the Deep Gnome is our top pick, several other races are well-suited for a Rogue, each with their own set of advantages.

Other Excellent Rogue Race Options

• Wood Elf: The Wood Elf provides a great balance for a rogue, with increased movement speed, which allows for easy positioning during combat, and the Mask of the Wild ability. Mask of the Wild grants proficiency in stealth, and allows them to hide even when lightly obscured by nature. This is another strong option for a sneaky Rogue who wants to be able to quickly maneuver in battle.

• Lightfoot Halfling: Halflings, particularly Lightfoot Halflings, are another strong choice due to their Lucky feature, which allows them to reroll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, along with a natural bonus to Dexterity. This feature is particularly useful to ensure that an important roll doesn’t fail. They also get a Charisma bonus, which is useful for a charismatic rogue that might want to be the party’s face.

• Wood Half-Elf: Similar to the Wood Elf, the Wood Half-Elf gains Mask of the Wild and an increase to movement speed, but also has access to two additional skill proficiencies of your choice and a stat point increase of your choice. These choices allow for a versatile character, with added utility, while still retaining strong rogue-based abilities.

• Drow: The Drow is an intriguing option due to their natural darkvision and superior perception, as well as the Dancing Lights cantrip, and the Faerie Fire spell, which can help reveal concealed enemies. Drow have unique interactions within the world, offering some unique roleplay opportunities.

• Human: While seemingly basic, the Human offers a +1 bonus to all abilities, making them very flexible for almost any character build. They also gain a free skill proficiency, and allows them to start with an additional point in a stat of your choice.

• Duergar: The Duergar offers powerful benefits to rogues, including the ability to turn invisible once per long rest, as well as advantage on saving throws against being charmed and paralyzed. They also benefit from superior darkvision. However, Duergar also have a disadvantage to stealth rolls if made in daylight. They also have to take care not to accidentally cause damage to other party members due to their ability to enlarge.

Understanding Rogue Subclasses

In addition to race, your chosen Rogue Subclass will profoundly influence your character’s strengths and playstyle. Here’s a brief overview of some popular subclasses:

• Thief: Arguably the most popular, the Thief subclass grants an extra bonus action, allowing you to use Cunning Action abilities twice per turn. This makes a Thief incredibly mobile and versatile.
• Assassin: This subclass excels in burst damage, gaining advantage against surprised enemies, and being able to inflict extra damage on foes. It is a good choice for players who enjoy opening with powerful surprise attacks.
• Arcane Trickster: Blends roguish skills with magical abilities. This is the choice for the rogue that wants to be able to have additional combat utility.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Race Significantly Impact Gameplay for a Rogue?

Yes, race significantly impacts gameplay for a Rogue in Baldur’s Gate 3. Racial traits can provide crucial advantages, particularly in areas like stealth, movement speed, and survivability, shaping your character’s strengths.

2. Is Deep Gnome the Best Race for Stealth in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Yes, the Deep Gnome is considered the best race for stealth in Baldur’s Gate 3. Their advantage on Stealth Checks and Superior Darkvision give them a massive advantage in sneaking and operating in low-light conditions.

3. What is the best Rogue Subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3?

The Thief subclass is considered one of the best choices for Rogues in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Fast Hands feature, which grants an extra bonus action each turn, makes the thief a powerful and flexible pick.

4. Are Halflings a Good Choice for Rogues?

Yes, Halflings, especially Lightfoot Halflings, are excellent choices for Rogues due to their Lucky ability which allows a reroll of a failed 1, their bonus to Dexterity and Charisma. Their size can also provide unique strategic opportunities.

5. How Does Darkvision Benefit a Rogue?

Darkvision allows a Rogue to see in dim light and darkness without relying on a light source, making them less conspicuous and more effective in areas with limited visibility, often the best locations for ambushes.

6. Is Multiclassing Worth it for a Rogue?

Multiclassing can be beneficial, but it comes with tradeoffs. While it adds flexibility and variety, you risk losing powerful high-level class abilities. Plan carefully if considering multiclassing a Rogue.

7. Does Baldur’s Gate 3 Have Max Level Caps?

Yes, Baldur’s Gate 3 has a level cap of 12, limiting class features and spell tiers. This means you can’t reach the highest-level abilities available in tabletop D&D 5e.

8. Is it Better to Focus on One Class or Multiclass?

The decision to focus on one class or multiclass depends on your preferred gameplay style. Sticking to one class provides powerful late-game abilities, while multiclassing provides more versatility.

9. Are there any races with unique dialogue options?

Yes, several races have unique dialogue options in Baldur’s Gate 3. Drow characters, for instance, will have different interactions with NPCs than other races, making playthroughs more diverse and engaging.

10. Can a Rogue use magic in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Yes, the Arcane Trickster subclass allows a Rogue to use magic, combining roguish abilities with arcane spells. It’s a good choice for players who want a blend of magic and stealth.

11. Is the Assassin subclass good?

Yes, the Assassin subclass excels in delivering powerful bursts of damage against unsuspecting enemies, making it excellent for players who prioritize initiating fights with devastating attacks.

12. What is the most important skill for a Rogue?

The most important skill for a Rogue is Stealth, followed by Sleight of Hand and Persuasion. These three skills are fundamental for successful Rogue gameplay, but this also will depend on a player’s chosen playstyle.

13. Which are the easiest classes for beginners in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Beginner-friendly classes include Rogue, Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, and Warlock. These classes provide a good balance of simplicity and effectiveness, allowing new players to grasp the game’s core mechanics easily.

14. What is the best weapon type for Rogues?

Rogues benefit from finesse weapons that use Dexterity to deal damage, such as short swords, daggers, rapiers, and shortbows.

15. Is it worth it to have Astarion in my party as a Rogue?

Astarion is a good option for the role of Rogue, and it is worth having him in your party. You can choose to either have him consume your blood, giving him a permanent buff, and a vampire bite action, or you can refuse, and simply enjoy him as part of the party.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while many races can be successful as a Rogue, the Deep Gnome’s inherent stealth and survivability make it a strong contender for the best race. However, your ultimate choice should reflect your preferred playstyle and the specific benefits that you value most. Don’t be afraid to experiment and discover which race and subclass combinations best suit you. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a game that rewards experimentation and encourages diverse character builds.