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Baldur’s Gate 3features a huge number ofclassicDungeons and Dragonsclassespulled right from the Fifth Edition of the tabletop RPG. Because it draws such heavy inspiration fromD&D, some of the best builds inBG3happen to also be the best builds players are already familiar with, including the Thief Rogue.
The Thief Rogue build is based on the Thief subclass that grants an additional Bonus Action in combat, which is ridiculously useful forgetting into and out of stealth. Considering how completely busted Stealth is inBaldur’s Gate 3, even with the chances from Early Access, Thief Rogues are sure to dominate damage-wise.
Updated June 01, 2025 by Erik Petrovich:With the release of ofPatch 8 for Baldur’s Gate 3, Rogue builds have gained another subclass option to choose from: Swashbuckler. Though this new subclass offers a new way to play this class, the best BG3 Rogue build that takes advantage of the class' strengths the most uses the Thief subclass. As you journey through Baldur’s Gate 3, the best Rogue builds can benefit greatly from picking up a few permanent buffs. Though these often require you to go out of your way, the best permanent buffs can grant powerful stat upgrades and new abilities that push the best Rogue build to its limits. This guide has been updated to include brief information on the new Swashbuckler Rogue subclass, as well as a new section that covers the best Rogue permanent buffs and stat upgrades that are worth hunting down.
Rogue Class Introduction & Overview
The Baldur’s Gate 3 Rogue Class, Explained
“With stealth, skill and uncanny reflexes, a rogue’s versatility lets them get the upper hand in almost any situation.”
Rogue Playstyle & Signature Abilities
Rogues are masters of Stealth and are easily able to slink in and out of dangerous situations while masterfully gaining Advantage whenever possible. They are very good at Lockpicking and Disarming traps, and can dual-wield with ease, making them a good addition to a team that needs a dextrous melee member to do some dirty work.
They aren’t restricted to melee combat, and can be just as powerful when out of sight at a range thanks to the class' unique Sneak Attacks.
Rogues' unique class feature is the Sneak Attack, which deals massive damage with a higher chance to hit, but can only be initiated if players have Advantage over a target. There is a melee and a ranged option, both of which will break Stealth when used.
Because of the Rogue’s other unique class feature Cunning Actions, they are able to use a Bonus Action to re-enter Hiding, Disengage, or make some distance with Dash.
Play the Rogue for a fast-paced, Stealth-oriented playstyle, and to have an easier time accessing Locked containers and Disarming traps.
Base Rogue Class Proficiencies: Armor, Weapons, Saving Throws, & Skill Choices
When you first start creating your Rogue Build, BG3 offers a selection of basic Class Proficiencies, and a choice of four Rogue Skill Proficiencies.
In addition to Armor, Weapon, and Saving Throw proficiencies that vary for each class, the pool of Skills you can choose from are different for each class.
These cannot be changed once you get past character creation without resetting your build.
All Rogue Subclasses
There are a total of threeBG3subclasses Rogue players can try out, each of which focuses on different aspects of the class, and offers a selection of unique skills, proficiencies, and other features. As you level up in one of theseBG3Rogue subclasses, you will gain more abilities that are unique to your subclass choice.
Your choice of Rogue subclass can be changed by speaking with Withers, but you will start at Level 1 and have to make your BG3 Rogue build from scratch.
Though this chart displays information for all subclasses, if you want to make best Rogue buildBG3has to offer, you should go for the Thief subclass.
(new with Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 8)
N / A
Rogue Class Features – Level By Level
The max level inBaldur’s Gate 3is Level 12, and most of the time, each level you gain will grant something new for your Rogue build. On character creation you gain the basics for the Rogue class, then steadily gain Feat Choices, new spells and abilities, subclass features, and increase your Proficiency Bonus.
This chart displays everything you can expect to get at each Level-Up as a Rogue in yourBaldur’s Gate 3journey.
+2
+3
+4
BG3 Rogue Subclass Choice – Thief
Overview Of BG3 Rogue Thief Subclass
“Thieves use their skills in stealth and larceny to acquire whatever they wish, whether from a third story window or the depths of long-forgotten ruins.”
What Makes Thief the Best BG3 Rogue Subclass?
The Thief Rogue subclass offers one simple, but powerful, benefit over the Arcane Trickster: an extra bonus action. With this extra Bonus Action, the Thief Rogue is able to move further away from enemies, disengage from Opportunity Attacks, attempt a second Hide action if a first fails, and much more.
Arcane Tricksters gain access to arepertoire of useful spells and cantrips, but when focusing entirely on Stealth, the Thief Rogue’s extra Bonus Action becomes incredibly powerful.
Thief Rogues, therefore, are able to set up Sneak Attacks more often, and the boost Rogues get to Sneak Attack damage at Level 5 makes it all the more powerful.
The most broken way to play a Thief Rogue is to keep them separate from the rest of the party before combat, then sneak to a vantage point, and fire off a Sneak Attack for free before entering the fray. Oftentimes, this one-shots weak to medium-strength enemies.
Because of the extra Bonus Action, Thief Rogues can virtually always remain Stealthed, or Dash/Disengage to get away with their Cunning Action. Thief Rogues also gainresistance to Fall damage, which comes in handy more often than one might think.
Thief Subclass Features – Level By Level
In addition to everything you unlock while leveling as a Rogue, your Subclass also determines what you unlock at certain levels. As a Rogue, you can select a subclass at Level 3.
For the purposes of this guide to theBG3best Rogue build, choose the Thief when prompted to choose a Subclass.
BG3 Rogue Build Race, Background, Proficiency, Feats, & Stat Choices
Best BG3 Rogue Race: Duergar
The Duergar are a great choice for classes that need to remain defensive while staying mobile in combat. Though the Rogue gains the ability to go invisible at Level 9 with Supreme Sneak, the Duergar gain the ability to turn invisible from Level 5 once per long rest, granting Rogues this powerful skill far earlier than most will normally get it.
Duergar also gain the Dwarven Resilience passive alongside Duergar Resilience, granting Advantage on saving throws against Illusions, Charm, Paralysis, and Poison. The Darkvision can be nice, too, though the reduction in movement distance is a notable downside of the race. Most races can move at least 9m on a turn, while Dwarves can only go 7.5m.
Best Rogue Backgrounds in BG3: Urchin… Or Charlatan… Or Guild Artisan
The best background for Rogues in BG3 in general is the Urchin background. It grants proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Stealth, two skills which Rogues regularly use, and will trigger moments of Inspiration when doing typical Rogue shenanigans, like unlocking heavily locked treasures, sneaking into areas, and performing stealthy maneuvers in and out of combat.
If one chooses a Wood Half-Elf for their Thief RogueBG3build, though, the Urchin’s proficiency in Stealth is wasted as the subrace already grants that.
In the case that you don’t go with a Duergar and instead choose the Half Elf for the Mask of the Wild passive, choose the Charlatan background, which grants bonuses to Deception and Sleight of Hand, or the Guild Artisan background, which grants proficiency to Insight and Persuasion.
Of the two, Charlatan is the best backup.
Best BG3 Rogue Skill Proficiency Choices: Persuasion, Perception, Deception, & Investigation
The Urchin background grants proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Stealth, so these two classic Rogue options are removed from their massive list of 11 possible skills. Charlatans lose Deception and Sleight of Hand, while Guild Artisans lose Persuasion and Insight.
No matter what background you choose, two options will be removed, but that leaves players to choose four from a list of nine others.
No matter what, be sure to get the Stealth, Persuasion, Perception, and Deception proficiency. These checks naturally fall into Rogue playstyles, especially Stealth. If your Background covers any of these options, think about picking up Insight or Investigation, which can be useful for lots of dialogue checks.
Best BG3 Rogue Expertise Choices: Insight, Stealth, Persuasion, or Sleight of Hand
At the character creation screen and again at Level 6, Rogues get to choose two extra skills to gain Expertise in, for a total of four. Expertise is a little bit different than just being Proficient in a skill.
When a Rogue has Expertise in a skill, their normal Proficiency bonus is doubled for that skill. So, as long as a Rogue is proficient in Stealth, that Proficiency bonus increases when they choose to gain Expertise in Stealth as well.
At Level 1, the best two Expertise choices are Stealth and Persuasion, as these play well into the Rogue’s strengths in sneaky combat and dialogue checks. Later down the line, players can pick up Insight and Sleight of Hand at Level 6, though players who don’t do much pickpocketing may find that Deception is a more useful skill to gain Expertise in here.
Best Rogue Ability Scores & Stat Distribution
To create the bestBG3Rogue build, we recommend putting the majority of points into your Dexterity, followed by an even mix between Constitution, Wisdom, and Charisma.
The primary stat for most Thief Rogue spells and abilities inBG3is Dexterity, but these other three stats can boost your abilities and, particularly, your out-of-combat skills.
Intelligence and Strength are not required for the best Thief Rogue build.
10
16
14
8
-1
Best BG3 Rogue Leveling Choices
Best Rogue Spells, Feats, & Other Choices At Every Level
Though many classes have a lot of leveling choices, as a melee class, thisBG3Rogue build doesn’t rely on spells and, as a result, a lot of levels don’t give you anything to choose from. Though Rogues get plenty of new abilities through their subclass and class features, these are automatically unlocked for your character.
At Levels 2, 5, 7, 9, and 11, Rogues don’t have any leveling choices to make. But because the class can learn four Feats, the choices that you do make while leveling thisBG3Rogue build matter a lot more. The table below displays recommended choices to make at each level-up that will synergize well with the stealthy Thief subclass playstyle.
Cleric
Support
Difficult to CC (Charm & Sleep), hybrid Damage and Support spells
Wizard
Ranged Damage
Access to all Spells makes Gale the most versatile starting companion
Melee damage
Buffed Rage & access to Soul Coin damage buffs
The best Rogue companions inBG3are Shadowheart as the healer and support foundation of the party, Gale as your primary ranged spellcaster, and Karlach as your partner in melee combat (to keep the heat off of you).
Though you can change the class and specialization of any of your companions, these three come with strong pre-determined class and spec combos to balance out your Rogue party composition.
If you are dead set on including a character in your party, simply talk to Withers to respec them to one of the optimal Rogue companion classes listed above. This way, you won’t miss out on that character’s questline, and you won’t have to suffer from an improperly balanced party.
Get The Best BG3 Rogue Gear In All Three Acts
This section covers the best equipment for Thief Rogues in BG3 across all three Acts. Some pieces from early Acts may still be powerful in later ones, though, and will remain equipped through several Acts.
Frayed Drow Hood
Found on a dead Drow just south of the Selunite Outpost
Deathstalker Mantle
Only available to Dark Urge origin characters, after Alfira joins the camp
Moondrop Pendant
Looted from the locked Selunite Gilded Chest in the Owlbear Nest
Looted from a Skeleton near the Risen Road bridge
Knife of the Undermountain King
Purchased from Ajak’nir Jeera in Creche Y’llek in the Mountain Pass
Complete “Finish The Masterwork Weapon” and choose the Dagger
Covert Cowl
Found underneath the Last Light Inn, on the body of one of the Meenlocks
Only available to Dark Urge origin characters, after Alfira joins the camp (Act 1)
Purchased from Lady Esther outside the Rosymorn Monastery (Act 1)
Purchased from A’jak’nir in the Githyanki Creche Y’llek (Act 1)
Drops from True Soul Nere in the Grymforge (Act 1)
Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet
Drops from Malus Thorm (the surgeon) in the House of Healing
Smuggler’s Ring
Looted from a Skeleton near the Risen Road bridge (Act 1)
Purchased from Ajak’nir Jeera in Creche Y’llek in the Mountain Pass (Act 1)
Sussur Dagger
Complete “Finish The Masterwork Weapon” and choose the Dagger (Act 1)
Found underneath the Last Light Inn, on the body of one of the Meenlocks (Act 2)
Shade-Slayer Cloak
Purchased from Sticky Dondo in the Guild’s hideout in the Baldur’s Gate sewers
Purchased from Echo of Abazigal, after becoming an Unholy Assassin
Magic Amulet
Reunite Sarin’s skull with her skeleton near the Undercity Ruins Waypoint in the Baldur’s Gate 3 sewers
Best BG3 Rogue Build Consumables & Permanent Buffs
InBaldur’s Gate 3, Rogue builds can be enhanced further with the use of specific consumables. Certain potions, like the Elixir of Heroism, will grant combat-oriented bonuses for this best Rogue build, while others, like the Potion of Invisibility, will enhance the Rogue’s ability to stay stealthy no matter the circumstances.
If you spot any of these useful Rogue consumables as world loot or enemy loot, in trader inventories, or otherwise, be sure to pick them up and store them in a bag for later use.
Consumable Effects
Elxir of Bloodlust
Once per turn, when you kill an enemy, restore 5 Temporary HP and gain an additional Action that turn.
Elixir of Heroism
Grants +1d4 to your Attack and Saving Throw rolls. Grants +10 Temporary HP.
Elixir of Viciousness
Reduces the number required to achieve a Critical Hit by 1. Can stack with other similar effects.
Potion of Invisibility
Grants Invisibility, preventing enemies from seeing you. There is also a Supreme Invisibility potion, which enhances this effect.
Potion of Speed
Grants Hastened for 3 turns, increasing AC by 2 and granting Advantage on DEX saving throws and an additional Action, and increases movement by 30ft.
Best BG3 Rogue Build Permanent Buffs
ThroughoutBG3you will find numerous ways to permanently increase your stats, gain permanent passive bonuses, or otherwise grant your character a permanent buff. To push the bestBG3Rogue Thief builds to the next level, keep an eye out for these five best Rogue permanent buffs as you adventure through the Sword Coast and beyond:
Auntie Ethel’s Hair
Grants +1 to any Ability Score of your choice
Must complete Mayrina’s quest in Act 1, but don’t kill Auntie Ethel. When she reaches low HP, she will offer to be spared. Accept her deal and you will gain Auntie Ethel’s Hair.
Awakened
All Illithid Powers now cost 1 Bonus Action instead of an Action
You must succeed all three Saving Throws inside the Githyanki Creche’s Zaith’isk to get this buff.
You may also absorb this skill when playing as Laezel by passing a DC 30 Arcana check (which will usually require a nat 20 roll) to take the power for your own.
Lovitar’s Love
Grants +2 to Attack Rolls and Wisdom Saving Throws when under 30% HP
Speak to Abdirak in the Shattered Sanctum inside the Goblin Camp. Ask him about being a follower of Lovitar, then pass two Intimidation checks.
The Tharchiate Codex
Once per Long Rest, gain 20 Temporary HP
Find and read “The Tharchiate Codex” within the Sorcerous Vault, which can only be accessed via Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur’s Gate City. You must use the Remove Curse spell to read it.
Mirror of Loss
Grants +2 to one Ability Score of your choice
Find the Mirror of Loss in the Cloister of Sombre Embrace within the House of Grief, found toward the end of Act 2.
Either offer the Necromancy of Thay (and the buff it grants) or pass a DC 25 Religion check to get +2 to any ability score of your choice.
Best BG3 Rogue Multiclass Choices
Maximize Your BG3 Rogue Build With Complimentary Rogue Multiclass Options
Players can choose to Multiclass beginning at Level 2. Look for the “Add Class” button on the top right of the level up overview menu – this will open up a new menu where players can choose one of any other class inBaldur’s Gate 3when selected.
Ranger Multiclass – Ranger 3/Rogue 9
As a Rogue multiclassing options can be hard to nail down, because the class is so focused on stealth throughout all three of its subclasses. One powerful pairing for the Thief rogue in particular is the Gloomstalker Ranger, which requires players to put three points into the Ranger class to unlock.
Gloomstalker Rangers are, like Rogues, masters of stealth combat with a unique set of abilities and sneaky ways to maneuver the battlefield – but it doesn’t have access to Sneak Attack. By multiclasing into the Gloomstalker subclass as a Rogue, players are able to take advantage of Sneak Attack alongside the Gloomstalker’s powerful stealth abilities.
It’s not a bad idea to go down to Rogue 7 and also multiclass into Fighter for two levels – Action Surge can be extremely useful for this build.
Fighter Multiclass – Rogue 10/Fighter 2
Indeed, the Fighter multiclass is one of the most common options for players to pick inBaldur’s Gate 3because it doesn’t require much investment to see great returns. By putting just two levels into Fighter, players unlock Action Surge, which grants an additional Action for a turn at the cost of a Bonus Action.
For Rogues, this means sacrificing some Sneak Attack damage for the ability to performanotherSneak Attack in the same turn. Getting to Rogue 10 keeps Sneak Attack’s bonus damage at a nice 5d6, and getting two of them off in one turn means a total of 10d6 damage on top of regular weapon damage – plus, the ability to wear heavier armor is a nice bonus, too.
