Starting a Rogue

Warning, the following article is wrong in many places, and seems to be based on minimal DDO experience and much conjecture.

The role of the Rogue in DDO is different than in most games. Rogues are not the big damage dealer. ''Except for the fact that they are a huge damage dealer! As long as someone else does aggro / crowd-control and the monster doesn't have fortification, rogues do more melee harm than a barbarian.'' Rogues have a few specialized functions: opening locks, finding traps, and hiding/sneaking. Their natural skills couple with ranged combat, but they can also benefit from a "backstab" damage bonus that keeps them from being far from useless in combat.

The key to building a Rogue is to decide what you're going to want to do. Do you want to disable every trap you run across? (The answer had better be Yes. Without Search and Disable Device, you are NOT a rogue)  Do stupid damage on your backstab? Sneak with impunity? Some combination? The answer can't be "everything" - there just aren't enough attribute points, enhancements and feats. You can do it all, but you can't do it all well. ''Realistically, if your rogue cannot disarm traps, don't expect to be invited to a group more than once. When they party leader says "Looking for rogue", he really means "I wish traps wouldn't kill me"''

Here are some examples of rogue builds to help you do what you bought the game for.

Balanced
I chose human for the extra feat and skill points.

Attributes
STR 12 DEX 16 CON 10 INT 14 WIS 12 CHA 10

With this build you have + 3 for dex and +2 for int, these govern most of your skills, I put the extra points in wis to help out with my spot checks.

Feats
For the feats I choose Dodge and Mobility. I didn't choose Two Weapon Fighting because until I got Weapon Finesse I wouldn't hit anything with an extra -2 to hit.

I took my second level in Fighter for the extra feat, Hit Points and the use of almost all the weapons and all of the armor. With the feat I took Weapon Finesse and put my skill points in Swim.

Skills
I maxed out Hide in Shadows, Move Silently, Spot, Search, Pick Lock, Disable Device, Balance, Heal and Tumble.

Enhancements
For the Enhancements I went with Fighter and Rogue Action Boost, Human Versatility, Skill Perception.

All levels will now go in Rogue keeping all the skills up aside from heal.

Trapsmith
"I'll lead the way"

This build won't guarantee anything, but if you've been frustrated at your inability to disable traps, failing at a depressingly high rate, this sort of rogue should be more to your liking. You'll be out in front, looking for traps. You should be the first one to every chest because those Warforged think they're invulnerable and get railed on traps. Then he's dead behind the trap, and nobody can get close enough to repair, then he dies, and it's just a pain.

First, start an Elf. They get enhancements (and bonuses?) to Search, Spot and Listen, and you can't disable what you can't find. Plus, you get a bonus to Dex (which you need) at a penalty to Con (which isn't the end of the world).

Some argue that Halflings make a better rogue than Elves because they get AC and Hide bonuses for being small. I like Elf over Halfling for their ability to contribute to combat at range with a Longbow or Compound Longbow, plus you get longsword and shortsword for free for when it hits the fan. I really don't like the Halfling Throw enhancement or Halfling Sidekick enhancement. Elves get useful enhancements and I'd rather choose between two useful enhancements than have only one.

If you're okay with a 14 in Dex in exchange for a 14 in Con, roll your character a Human instead. You lose the search bonuses and rogue-ish weapon proficiencies, but get an extra feat and the handy Human enhancements.

Multiclassing isn't necessary if this is what you want to do - nobody finds and busts traps like a rogue. With a high Int, it's tempting to multiclass a level into Wizard or Sorcerer. It takes away a bit from the trapfinding and such, but you might find you get back more than you lose.

Minor variations on this build swap Disable Device out for Search and Spot, and Int for Wis.

Attributes
Str: 10 +0 to hit and damage. Your attribute points are better spent elsewhere. The solo missions at the beginning will suck, but the entire rest of the game is spent in a party. Your role is not melee. Leave that to the Warforged Barbarian and Dwarven Fighter.

Dex: 16 +3 to AC and Reflex Saves. You are consigned to light armor, and high Dex gives bonuses to picking locks (good), reflex saves (for when you blow your disarm roll) and ranged attack. Remember, you're not melee. Stand in back and lob arrows or sneak around and backstab.

Con: 12 +1 to HP/level and Constitution Saves. You don't have a lot of hit points. Get used to the idea.

Int: 16 +3 to Skills. This is the key - Disable Device is keyed to Int. If you have a 10 Int, and you're wondering why you can't disarm the traps, that's why. This is the biggest point I missed in my first couple Rogues. There will be traps you need those extra 3 points for. There will be rune switches that require high Int to activate. Telling your party your character is too stupid to flip a switch is embarassing.

Wis: 12 +1 to Spot and Search. Again, you can't disarm what you can't find.

Cha: 8 -1 Nobody likes Rogues. Let your Bard, Paladin or Cleric do the talking. You just skulk around and look for traps.

Feats
You only get the one feat (two if you went Human), but there are a couple ways you can go with it.

Dodge: +1 AC - you need AC if the bad guys get to the rear echelon.

Combat Expertise: This allows you to play with your BAB giving you more AC by sacrificing BAB.

Nimble Fingers: It kills me to throw a feat at a skill bonus, but we are talking about maxing out disabling. Bonuses to Pick Lock and Disable Device.

Skills
You have to have Search, Spot, Open Lock and Disable Device maxed. You're a rogue, which means you get 44 points to start, plus another 11 per level. This means you can keep these four topped off and still have SEVEN skills maxed out, or more at respectable levels. Listen helps with the scouting, Heal and Repair are good to help party members (see below), Hide will keep you safer ahead of the pack. After the big four (Search, Spot, Open, Disable), it's really a matter of preference. ''No! Spot is not "big four". Trap positions are never a surprise, so Spot doesn't even rate.''

Enhancements
These can be changed, so it's not as critical. Play around with bonuses to Search/Spot (Rogue), Search/Spot/Listen (Elf) or Versatility (Human), and Ingenuity (Rogue), plus whatever else lights your fire.

Assassin
"Keep him busy, he'll never know what hit him."

You live for the kill. While your heavy hitters keep the monsters tied up, you rush in and lay it on with your backstab skill. You can also serve as a scout, but the other rogue builds will do it better. You can pick locks, but you're not a natural at anything else.

You'll probably want to be a Human in this build - a combat Rogue is a more well-rounded build that requires well-rounded stats. The extra feat and Human enhancements will help. You shouldn't be taking penalties to Str, Dex or Con, so that eliminates most races. I suppose a Dwarf would work, but I've never tried it and it just seems silly. If that's what you want to RP, so be it.

A level or two of Fighter wouldn't be a bad idea for this concept. Extra feats, Weapon Spec, and all the proficiencies make it an attractive option.

Attributes
Str: 16 +3 to hit and damage. You wanted to lay on damage, right? Gotta hit them, gotta make it hurt. Strength is a must. ''Except that it's not. You could take weapon finesse to hit with, and your damage output will come from +5d6 sneak attack, not +3 strength mod.''

Dex: 14 +2 to AC and Reflex Saves. You are still consigned to light armor (unless you take that level or two of Fighter), and high Dex gives bonuses to AC (you're in the fray, better have a good one), picking locks (good), and reflex saves (if you get pressed into service as the trapman). ''No! Your dex must be at least 15, to qualify for Two Weapon Fighting, which will DOUBLE your sneak attack bonuses from 5d6 to an incredible 10d6. Without it, you're not an assasin at all.''

Con: 14 +2 to HP/level and Constitution Saves. You're fighting, you'll need to make Fortitude saves and you'll need hitpoints.

Int: 8 -1 to Skills. You won't be doing much trap disabling.

Wis: 8 -1 to Spot and Search. Same for finding.

Cha: 14 +2 Not bad for a rogue, and absolutely essential for Bluffing (getting free backstab opportunities) and Diplomacy (convincing the monster to hit the Warforged instead of you). Plus, you can do the buying and selling in the absence of a Cha-essential class. ''Except for the fact that unless you're a soloer, you will have abundant free backstabs anyway... but if you were a soloer, then Diplomacy would be useless. And anyway, it is wrong to put points into charisma just to raise some class skills. The same points in intelligence would give you more skill points, which could have your Bluff and Diplomacy totals higher than a less-skilled rogue with high charisma.''

Feats
Combat feats rule the day here. Dodge, Weapon Spec (Fighter level), and bonuses to Bluff and Diplomacy.

Skills
Again, you're melee, make it count. You're taking a hit on skill points with a low Int, but you still have 28 to start and 7 per level because you're a Rogue. (Can you save skill points earned as a Rogue and buy Fighter class skills when you take a level of Fighter?) (No, of course you can't. Anyone who's advanced a DDO character past level 1 would know that) Bluff and Diplomacy should be on the top of your list. Others as circumstances dictate, Rogue skills if you feel the need - you can still max Search, Spot, Listen, Disable and Open and remain a viable traditional Rogue, just without the attribute-based bonuses. You could also do something entirely different with it.

Enhancements
You'll want to boost your ability to do damage and stay alive in the fray. Enhancements can be experimented. Go with whatever sounds good. Think about what you've been cursing your character's inability to do over the last rank or two, and try to boost that.

Gameplay
Whoever has the best Spot skill should be out in front trapspotting. This will usually be you, but sometimes a Ranger spec'ed a stupidly-high Spot skill or there's another Rogue in the party. In this case, you can let the other guy lead, or both stay more or less even ahead of the party. Four eyes are better than two. Share anything in DM text prefaces with "(Spot)" or "(Listen)" if you think it'll benefit the party. You're the scout, so scout.

In a fight, if you're going with the ranged aspect, get high up and pick off enemies from a perch. If you can't prepare or don't have high ground available to you, stay in back and call for help when you need it. If you're going with the backstabby rogue, stay out of the way in the beginning. Let your fighters and barbarians pick up the initial rush, then stab the enemies and move away. They have better armor and more hit points - let them take the damage. Remember that slimes and constructs don't take backstab damage, so go with your Plan B.

Afterwards, if you have points in Heal or Repair (and if you have bonuses to Int and Wis, why wouldn't you sink a couple points in?) you should stabilize your party if anybody fell. You can let your cleric do the heavy lifting on the healing burden, but keeping them from dying saves everybody time and trouble, and they'll be more likely to throw you that +1 Chain Shirt when it drops in their treasure and not yours.

Conclusion
To say "This is not your father's Rogue" would be getting the point across, but it would be inaccurate. Chances are, this IS your father's rogue. DDO plays like the Pencil and Paper version, which means that the rogue implemented here is the more traditional version, and if you're not used to it, it's because wherever you played a rogue before strayed from the original concept. Abandon your preconceived notions from other games and give it a try. Your trap-disarming, lock-opening, danger-avoiding and treasure-spotting skills are unique to the class, and a good rogue has a place in any party.