Syndeo's Guide to Being a Respected Rogue

Welcome to the next portion of Syndeo's Guides. In this article we will be discussing the basics of being a rogue in the world of DDO. This is an in-depth guide that goes through creation of a rogue from Race to Stats/Skills and then Gameplay.

To see a broad view of the rogue class, please visit the Rogue page in the wiki.

This Guide is not Complete, and any experienced players are free to add beneficial knowlege, but I will continue to add more lists and pointers as time allows.

What does it mean to be a Rogue?
Rogues are multi-purposeful. They have the ability to find and disable nasty traps, open up locked doors and chests, can sneak attack most monsters for more damage, find hidden doors, and sneak around monsters like they weren't even there. Players choosing a Rogue do not necessarily have to choose all of them or one of them, but this guide will be based upon personal experience of an excellent rogue.

Getting Started- Races
I will first begin the actual guide from the beginning: Race choices

In the creation of a Rogue, one must look at the pros and cons of each race and from there decide on which race to choose so that your Rogue has the stat improvements and feats and enhancements you desire.

The base stats to keep in mind that affect a rogue are in order of importance: Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, with a little Intelligence for skill points. A few points in Wisdom help with the Spot ability and Charisma is not important. As you read through each description of the race choices, keep in mind the necessary base stats needed to create a well-functioning Rogue. I have only listed the Pros and Cons that are mainly directed around the building of a Rogue. Each race has more than listed, and can be read in full by clicking on their name.

Warforged
Warforged are the non-flesh race of the DDO world and as such recieve many pluses and minuses

Pros +2 Constitution Immune to sleep, energy drain, nausea, exhaustion, poison, disease, and paralysis effects Immune to spells targeting humanoids No Breath meter while swimming +2 Armor Check Inherent Light Fortification

Cons Since Warforged are not made of flesh, they recieve a -50% modifier to incoming healing spells (lessened to -20% by Healer's Friend feat) -2 Wisdom -2 Charisma

Rogue Material? Rogue Warforged have the ability to heal themselves more effectively than other rogues (with adding points into the repair skill) and have a bonus to CON along with a few more defenses. The -2 in WIS would hurt the Spot skill to find hidden doors/traps, so that must be taken into consideration. It is possible to create a very effective WF Rogue, both with finding/disabling and in combat.

Human
Humans are the most level of the races and are good for any beginner to DDO as they can be adapted to any class.

Pros +4 Skill points at creation +1 skill point after every level past level 1 1 Bonus Feat at level 1

Cons Though Humans are balanced, they do not have any specialty in any one area.

Rogue Material? As I have stated in other guides, Humans are very level and are great for beginner players trying to get the hang of the game. The bonus feat can be used in a variety of ways that are useful to the rogue class, and the Human has more skill points from the beginning. Humans can be very competent Rogues.

Dwarf
These stout and rugged characters have many attributes and defenses unique to their kind

Pros +2 Constitution +4 Balance +4 Dodge bonus to Armor Class against monsters of the Giant Type +2 racial bonus on Search checks +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells Proficiency with a Dwarven Axe

Cons -2 CHA (Doesn't really affect Rogues)

Rogue Material? With nothing to hurt their rogue abilities, it is easy to create a well functioning rogue from a dwarf. They can save against poison, so traps involving it are no match for the Dwarf. The +2 CON, +2 Search and +4 balance help a rogue out.

Elf
The Elves are the quick and fluid race that are not as stout as their dwarven rivals but with quicker reflexes.

Pros +2 Dexterity +2 Save against spells or Enchantments Immunity to sleep spells or effects Weapon Proficiency with longswords, rapiers, longbows, composite longbows, shortbows, and composite shortbows +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks

Cons -2 Constitution

Rogue Material? With already a +2 bonus on DEX, Listen, Search, and Spot, the -2 CON in comparison is miniscule. Enough skill points added will negate its effects. Elves could be very competent rogues.

Drow Elf
The Drows are the cousins of the Elves from far away, and bring many new bonuses and inhibitors that Elves do not possess.

Pros +2 Dexterity +2 Intelligence +2 Charisma +2 Will Save against spells or Enchantments Spell Resistance: 11 +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks Weapon Proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and shurikens

Cons -2 Constitution Limited to 28 point build, even if bought/earned

Rogue Material? With most of the same bonuses as Elves and more, Drows could be much better than their elven cousins. The +2 INT allows the player to give more to make up for the -2 CON. A personal friend (Who I am basing my explanations off of) plays a Drow Rogue and does it very well. I support the Drow as one of the best races for Rogue.

Halfling
These small characters have hidden surprises and can stand up to even the biggest giant

Pros +2 Dexterity +1 size bonus to Armor Class +2 Jump +4 to Hide Checks +1 Racial bonus on Saving Throws +2 racial bonus on Jump, Listen, and Move Silently checks +2 saving throws against fear. Stacks with the Racial bonus with on saving throws +1 rolls with Thrown Weapons

Cons -2 Strength Lifting and Carrying limits are 3/4 the size of Medium-sized characters

Rogue Material? Definitely: The halfing is the race of choice for a Rogue. The DEX bonus, the AC size bonus (Rogues tend to wear only light armor so this is a big help) The Hide bonus,the racial bonus to Jump, listen, and move silently checks, married to the saving throw bonuses make the Halfing the ideal Rogue. (Please note this edit does not come fom the original poster, and is from the point of view that STR is not the most important attribute for a Rogue. Most would agree that the primary attribute to focus on for a Rogue is DEX.)

Building Your Rogue - Stats and Paths
Now that you have chosen your preferred race it is time to begin building your Rogue.

Beginners have the choice of choosing a pre-selected path: The Dark Blade (Sneak Attack Master), Thief Mechanic (Lockpicking/Trapmaking focus), and Thief Acrobat (Joining the circus?). Those wishing to create the rogue their way can read below

Base Stats
As said before, Strength and Dexterity are most important followed by Constitution and Intelligence. This might not seem like the "optimum" order for a trap-disabling and lock-picking rogue, but as you level up and gain more feats and enhancements you will find that this order will allow your rogue to be a proficient fighter as well as an expert trap disabler. A rogue not interested in fighting as much can invest mostly in DEX and INT

1. Put at least 6 points (I advise 8) in STR, 6 points (I advise 8) in DEX and 6 points in CON. This will allow powerful sneak attacks along with dexterity for two-handed fighting (The feat for improved/greater Two-handed needs only 17 DEX so that will be as much DEX as you need) and the hardiness so you don't die with one hit

2. Your remaining 6-10 points can go towards INT for more skill points for later (which is advised so that you can greatly increase your rogue skills later on) and/or towards any skill you want to increase, depending on your playing style.

Skill Points
A Rogue has many skills that are useful to them. Here they are listed in order of importance

Disable Device - Halt nasty traps to save the party!

Open Lock - Access important areas and unlock extra chests!

Search - Find the Control Boxes for traps and reveal hidden doors

Spot - your Rogue senses will tingle as you come close to a trap or hidden door

Move silently - a key component of rogue sneaking for sneak attacks

Hide - "No thats a shadow"

Jump - Be able to reach higher up areas (yes, even halflings!)

Tumble - Barrel Roll away from harm!

Balance - Avoid getting knocked down!

Repair - Heal Warforged and Constructs more effectively

Swim - Access harder to reach areas underwater

Some other skills recommended by me:

UMD - Allows you to overcome race/alignment restrictins on awesome items

Haggle - More bang for your buck

Feats
At the beginning you are allowed to choose a feat to help your Rogue. There are many to choose from, so here are some that may benefit a beginner Rogue (Taken from the feats page):

Two-Weapon Fighting (requires Dexterity 15+): Reduces the to-hit penalty when using two weapons at the same time. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off-hand lessens by 6, so it becomes -4/-4 (instead of -6/-10 without this feat). If the off-hand weapon is light, the penalties both decrease by another 2 points, down to -2/-2 (instead of -4/-8 without this feat).

Nimble Fingers: This feat grants a +2 bonus to the Disable Device and Open Lock skills.

Skill Focus: This feat grants a +3 bonus to the chosen skill when making skill check rolls. This feat can be taken multiple times, but each skill can only be taken once. Available Skill Focus feats are: Listen, Jump, Haggle, Concentration, Repair, Bluff, Intimidate, Balance, Heal, Swim, Diplomacy, Disable Device, Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform, Use Magic Device, Spot, Hide, Search, Tumble.

There are many more feats listed, but here are just a few useful feats for a beginning rogue. If you decide that you don't like your feat, once you reach Stormreach you can trade them out with Fred in House Jorasco for a price.

Gameplay - Find, Sneak, Disable, Attack
So you have built a Rogue, chosen your stats, skills and feats, and now it is time to play!

Basics
Rogues are sought by Parties so that they can protect the team from nasty traps that are almost impossible to avoid. Rogues are considered a "Support" class since their abilities focus towards aiding the team to get through the quest relatively unscathed.

Something Rogues must have all times are Thieves' Tools. These allow the Rogue to Disable Traps and Open Locks, to doors and chests. Thieves' Tools range from Regular to +5, with each level giving a better chance of success in disabling/opening locks.

When attempting to disable/unlock, a natural 1 on a DC roll will result in automatic failure (and blowing up the control panel so that the trap cannot be disabled). There are items, feats, and enhancements that can increase your skills, but the chances are always the same of rolling the natural 1.

Sneak attacks are when you are in Sneak Mode and hit a monster without noticing you and before they hit you, OR when another player has the monster's aggro and the rogue attacks the same monsters. Some monsters are immune to sneak attacks, like Undead and Constructs. Sneak attacks have their own attack roll, separate from the weapon attack roll.

Reflex Saves allow Rogues to avoid getting hit by traps. With a high enough Reflex, you can pass through some traps with little or no damage and access the other side, where the control panel might lie.

During Gameplay, your Spot skill will activate automatically and give you a notice of either a hidden door or a trap. The rogue should both notify the party and begin using their search skill to reveal the door/ control panel. If they do not reveal themselves, then you either a) are not near enough to the box/door or b) do not have a high enough skill. If they do activate, you can click on the door/control panel to use it. Remember that clicking on a control panel without thieves tools will do nothing.

Solo Play
Rogues do have the ability to solo, but are not as independant as the Fighters. A Rogue's Sneak Attack is invaluable as it deals extra damage. Rogues are considered "Squishy," meaning that they are not as fortified as other classes, and can be harmed easily. With the correct build a Rogue will be less squishy, and that was why CON was important earlier on. Soloing with a Rogue is not as easy as other classes, but it can be done.

In a Party
Rogues are very helpful for a party in many quests because of the presence of traps. No one without a Rogue level can disable traps. Also, a party with a wizard who does not have the knock spell cannot open locked doors or chests. If you would like to keep your party alive, it is important to notify them of traps asap, otherwise they will walk right through and recieve damage. Some people are not too informed of the importance of a rogue and will run through anyway. It just happens. Don't offer to take their soul stone back to be resurrected though.

Items/Armor
Rogues can only wear light armor, so it is important to find something with a good dexterity allowance and defense. Anything with the description Blueshine, silent moves, or shadow will improve the character's sneaking ability. Look for items that increase your DEX, STR, CON, or INT stats or any items that give you bonus cheks on Opening Locks, Disabling Devices, Spot, Search, Hide, Jump, etc. There are a lot of items out there that are useful in a Rogue's questing, and you have to build up your collection as you go.

Weapons are usually light, like daggers or light maces. The Two-Handed Fighting Feat comes in handy here, so you can wield weapons in both hands effectively. I know of a rogue who took a proficiency feat in repeating heavy crossbows so that he had a ranged weapon to bring to the table. You can do the same with any ranged weapon to have a broad choice in weaponry.

Tips and Tricks
Because I have not played a Rogue enough I cannot give you as many tips as experienced Rogues, but hopefully someone will edit this part to give you more information!

Try to be the leader of your group in trap-ridden dungeons, unless you come across monsters. Then let the fighters run in.

If you can't find the control panel on the side of the trap you're on, sometimes you have to cross them to find and disable it. Bring some potions or a friendly Cleric!

Some thoughts for new Rogues

 * Listen to your colleagues. Chances are that a veteran player knows where the traps and trap boxes are even if he is not, or has not, played a Rogue.


 * Keep multiple sets of equipment: One for searching, disabling, opening locks, and possibly spot; and at least one that is geared toward combat. Set up your hot bars so you can easily switch between the sets.


 * Clickies are your friend: a Detect Secret Doors clicky will help when your search is just not enough, a Fox's Cunning clicky is extremely helpful at lower-mid levels for adding to a number of your skills, Invisibility clickies can help you escape...there are others that hopefully more Rogues will add or edit here.


 * Use a microphone to warn about traps. Nothing is more irritating than typing in 'TRAP!' getting it off just in time to watch your companions run in and die!  If you are playing more than once or twice a month, get a microphone please.


 * When fighting, let the fighters, barbarians, or paladins draw the aggro so you can get your sneak attack bonus. Oft times running toward a mob and dropping into sneak right before they see you will allow this. If you do aggro them, back up and let the melee heavy player engage.  Once they get the enemies attention, charge in to help finish them off.


 * Another interesting point on fighting. You, the Rogue, are one of two classes with evasion.  This makes you really good at killing mages.  They can throw lightning bolts, fireballs and other damaging spells at you without doing much damage to you (this is assuming that you have a reasonable reflex save which you should if you are reading this guide).  Many times the mages stay behind as the melee guys engage.  Jump over the front lines and hack up the mages and/or priests.  Your party will love you.


 * To make fighting more easy, some rogues take the Mechanic-Line, not only to improve their trap skills, as also for the free proficiencies in Light/Heavy Repeaters, which are quite powerful ranged weapons. This way you can stay out of the aggro range and yet contribute to the DPS. It also doesn't require you to have high STR nor Weapon Finesse nor TWF so you save a lot of feats. But it is important to remember that you can only Sneak attack an enemy when within a range of 30 feet, so don't stay too far behind the lines.

''//I am not certain if I contributed correctly or whatnot as this is my first addition here at the wiki. If I did something wrong, let me know. I have really gotten a lot of great advice here and wished to add some of my own observations.'' -- User:Shodun

Conclusion
Thus ends my Guide to being a Respected Rogue. There is a lot more information that I have surely left out that I will continue adding, or other players will add for me.

Any questions or comments can be emailed to DDOSyndeo@Live.com

Here are some more useful Guides: Syndeo's Guide to Being an Effective Cleric Syndeo's Guide to Being a Revered Ranger

Look for more Guides Coming Soon!