Dungeons & Dragons: Best Character Races For Your Next Rogue (2024)

In , designing a character starts with the two most basic traits: the character's race and their class. Some combinations are far more effective than others based on a particular D&D race's inherent stat boosts, abilities, and even innate spellcasting in some cases. For some characters, choosing either their race or their class will make the other much easier to decide. This also applies to the rogue class.

Rogues are several things at once: skill savants, scouts, assassins, and thieves. A good rogue character can make up for their lack of magic with flexible skills in and out of combat, their burst damage, and their sheer stealth in any environment, from a castle's dungeons to a cave or even a forest setting.

Dungeons and Dragons

A fantasy roleplaying tabletop game designed for adventure-seekers, the original incarnation of Dungeons & Dragons was created by Gary Gygax in 1974.

Franchise

Dungeons & Dragons

Original Release Date

January 26, 1974

Publisher

Wizards of the Coast , TSR Inc.

Designer

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Player Count

4-8 Players Recommended

Age Recommendation

12+

Length per Game

3 hours +

Expansions

Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition , Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Summary

Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy tabletop role-playing game that has persevered for nearly 50 years and continues to grow strong. Created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the game first made publication in 1974 and now falls under the Wizards of the Coast publishing wing. A typical game of DnD consists of 4-6 players, with one player acting as the Dungeon Master. Players can take a sheet and by consulting the various rule books and expansions, can create their own character with weapons, skills, and physical appearance. Once all characters are created, the Dungeon Master sets them off in a campaign of their choosing or design, where players will have to follow the rules of the DM as they roleplay their way through storylines. The characters will level up, find equipment, and experience permanent changes based on the way the story plays out. A roll of the dice can mean the difference between a successful hit, and a painful end. The most recent edition of Dungeons & Dragons is the 5th edition rule book.

Rogues Can Be Incredibly Powerful No Matter Their Race

10 Deep Gnomes Have Disguise Options & Darkvision

The gnome race is often associated with the artificer class, but deep gnomes also make great rogues thanks to their many other traits. To begin with, deep gnomes have darkvision up to 120 feet away, which is vital for a rogue sneaking in a dark area where they can't afford to use artificial light to see.

Deep gnomes also have some innate spellcasting, such as Disguise Self starting at level 3, a fantastic way for any deep gnome rogue to openly sneak into an area where they don't belong. The deep gnome race also has the Svirfneblin Camouflage trait, meaning they can make stealth checks with advantage, which makes an already stealthy rogue practically impossible for hostile NPCs to spot.

9 High Elves Can Use Booming Blade & Relevant Feats

The elf race may be associated with the ranger class and perhaps druid too, but elves can also make fine rogues if they are built correctly. Elves get +2 to DEX, which is key to building any good rogue, and the three subrace options offer even more.

High elves get +1 to INT and can cast one wizard cantrip, with the Booming Blade spell being a solid pick for rogues who use finesse weapons like rapiers up close. Also, elves of all kinds have access to the Elven Accuracy feat, allowing a high elf rogue to reroll a d20 when attacking with advantage so sneak attacks are all but guaranteed to hit. That feat can also be used for a +1 DEX bonus if needed.

8 Eladrin Elves Have Misty Step & Elf Feats

Eladrin Elves Aren't the Only Fey Beings to Have Fun With

Eladrin elves are variant elves with strong Fey elements to them. The eladrin elf race has slightly fewer traits than the regular elf race, but they make up for it with great features for any rogue. To begin with, eladrin elves have custom stat boosts, so an eladrin elf rogue can have +2 DEX and any other ability score increase by 1, depending on the build.

Eladrin elves can perform the Misty Step spell starting at 3rd level with the Fey Step ability, which helps any eladrin elf rogue teleport to or away from enemies as needed. Like other elves, eladrin elves have proficiency with Perception, which is good for scouting rogues, and access to feats like Elven Accuracy helps, too.

7 Tabaxis Have Natural Stealth & Mobility

See Also

Rogue DPS Talent Builds and Runes - Season of Discovery

The tabaxi race is ideal for the rogue class since most of their racial traits revolve around enhanced mobility, stealth, and perception. This race has darkvision, since real cats can see well at night, and they even have a climbing speed so tabaxi rogues can climb up trees, brick walls, and other surfaces during a scouting mission.

Tabaxis have natural proficiency with the Stealth and Perception skills, which are central for any scouting rogue, and Feline Agility is even better. Tabaxis can choose to double their movement speed for one turn, and recharge this ability if they don't move on their next turn. With Feline Agility, any tabaxi rogue can run up to an enemy to stab them up close, or flee a powerful group of foes without needing teleportation.

6 Kenkus Have Incredible Skills & Can Trick People With Voices

Playing as a Kenku Can Be Great Fun

The kenku race is clearly based on ravens in every way but flight. Players may feel disappointed that their kenku rogues cannot just fly to and from danger, but this race's other traits make up for it. Kenkus are skill-heavy people, which is great for a skill-oriented class like rogue. In fact, a kenku character can choose any two skills for proficiency.

A kenku has an advantage on any skill check to duplicate an item, so a kenku rogue can steal sensitive documents and replace them with a perfect forgery so the NPCs are none the wiser. Kenku can also mimic people's voices, which may help any rogue lure an NPC toward them and thus create an opening to sneak into a place that NPC was guarding.

5 Tieflings Have Darkvision & Relevant Innate Spellcasting

The tiefling race is closely associated with classes like warlock and sorcerer thanks to their huge +2 CHA boost, but with the right build, a tiefling rogue is possible, and it can feel like a refreshing change of pace. Tieflings have darkvision, which is key for stealth, and at 5th level, tieflings can innately cast Darkness to boost a rogue's stealth even more.

Rogues don't focus too much on Charisma, so the +2 CHA may feel wasted. But if the party doesn't have a "face" character, then a tiefling rogue can handle that role. Or, if the rogue launches a solo mission, they can use that +2 CHA to talk their way in or out of anything.

4 Githyankis Have Tricky Psionic Spells & Flexible Skills

The githyanki race is associated with their former servitude of the mind flayers, but now they're determined to find their own destiny. That's good flavor for any githyanki rogue who will not let anyone boss them around or control their future, and in gameplay terms, the githyanki race is even better for the rogue class.

Githyanki can change their proficiency with one skill or weapon per long rest, and that's great for rogues, who rely on skills and weapons rather than magic to fight. Githyanki rogues also get +2 to DEX, a fantastic stat boost, and they can cast tricky spells like Mage Hand, Jump, and Misty Step to make any stealth mission or dungeon exploration mission easy.

3 Halflings Are Nimble & Lucky

Flavor-wise, the easygoing, friendly halfling race feels suitable for the bard class as cheerful musicians who entertain all their friends. But halfling rogues are also a great build, taking advantage of everyone's trust in the innocent halfling race to surprise everyone.

Halflings have highly relevant traits and stats for rogues, starting with +2 for DEX and the ability to move right through a space a larger creature occupies. That makes it difficult to trap or mob a halfling rogue, who can just slip away without needing teleports. Halflings can also reroll any 1, so halfling rogues won't botch a sneak attack with a critical failure. Lightfoot halflings, in particular, can hide behind a larger creature, such as a medium-sized party member, so a halfling rogue is never totally deprived of cover.

2 Owlins Have Flight & Stealth For the Rogue Class

The owlin race has simple and straightforward traits compared to other races, and they lack innate spellcasting. Still, owlins are highly mobile and stealthy people, which is perfect for rogues who want to sneak into a building's second or third floor from the outside, for example.

Owlins can fly, giving a rogue far more options for an owlin rogue sneaking around, and unlike the aarakocra people, Owlins have the Silent Feathers trait, meaning they have proficiency with Stealth checks. Owlins also have darkvision up to 120 feet away, making night missions incredibly easy for them.

1 Fairies Have Flight & Fairie Fire Spellcasting

The fairy race offers flight speed for any class that wants it, such as squishy wizards who must stay out of reach of melee monsters or rogues who need three dimensions so they can sneak around anywhere without relying on magic. As a bonus, this means flying characters like fairy rogues aren't affected by rough terrain or the likes of Spike Growth.

The fairy race's Druidcraft cantrip is largely wasted on the rogue class, but starting at level 3, fairy rogues can use the Fairie Fire spell to give themselves and their teammates an advantage to hit their glowing enemies. That's a great backup for performing sneak attacks if circ*mstances otherwise wouldn't allow it.