The current edition of Dungeons & Dragons has a number of fantastic options for character classes, yet there is one area where it’s sorely lacking: There should be an alternative to the Rogue, as it’s the only D&D class that fills the role of a skillful and stealthy adventurer.

Many fantasy heroes are noble knights and powerful wizards, but some live by their wits and by evading enemies. Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit is a prime example, even if he was an unwilling hero for part of his journey. Bilbo wasn’t as strong or wise as his companions, but his bravery and quick thinking allowed him to succeed. Arya Stark from A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones is another; she survived on the road by disguising her noble heritage and becoming someone else entirely. These characters are beloved by people across the world, and many fans want to create people like them in their D&D campaigns.

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Players looking for a melee or ranged D&D warrior class can choose a Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, or Ranger, each of which has its own distinct combat style and fantasy heritage. Those seeking divine magic can choose between the Artificer, Bard, Cleric, and Druid, while arcane spellcasters can be Sorcerers, Warlocks, or Wizards. But those who want to roll a stealthy character only have one choice.

D&D’s Stealth Class Problem: A Rogue For Every Party

The Rogue fills the role of a skill-based character who is quick on their feet and excels in taking advantage of enemy weak spots. In older editions of D&D, the Bard was similar to the Rogue in terms of abilities, but 5e totally reworked it into a primarily spellcasting-based class. Like its Fighter class, 5e’s Rogue has a loose definition, so it can be used for a number of different character types. No matter how a player chooses to interpret their Rogue’s specific role, however, it will always have similar abilities to other Rogues, with only the subclass choice offering any major deviation in playstyle. The fact that the Rogue is the only class of its kind means they appear in almost every party, while the other combat and spellcasting roles can be filled any number of classes.

Potential Alternative Sneaky D&D Character Classes

The third edition of D&D had a number of Rogue-alternatives for stealth-minded players, such as the Scout and the Spellthief. In 5e, many of these concepts were reduced to mere Rogue subclasses. Perhaps a new detective or investigator-type class could have been added post-launch, but that’s seemingly been ruled out by the Rogue’s Inquisitive subclass, introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. The potential for a spy class has already been fulfilled by the Mastermind subclass, while hired killers and the magical thieves have been covered by the Assassin and Arcane Trickster.

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There are still a few remaining concepts that could be used to create a new stealthy D&D class. 5e lacks a ninja class, which could use subclasses to specialize in killing, disguise, or magical techniques. A Lara Croft or Indiana Jones-style adventurer could also differentiate itself enough from the Rogue to form the basis of its own class, especially by borrowing elements from existing Dungeons & Dragons subclasses.

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About The Author


Scott Baird
(2512 Articles Published)

Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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