In Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s a lot of leeway with a Rogue build. Contrary to their stereotypical role, Rogues are highly versatile in this game and can be molded into a great ranged specialist, quick melee fighter, or even a light mage. The Rogue’s sub-classes, Thief and Arcane Trickster, become available at level 3, which gives the class even more build options.
Since the Rogue is such an adaptable class in Baldur’s Gate 3, there’s no one best build. As such, we’ll be giving some guidance on the stats, abilities, and skills that are most important for a Rogue starting out and leave it to players to figure out where to go from there.
What’s the best starting Rogue build in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Regardless of what build you chose to go with for the Rogue, it’s good to keep in find the class’s strengths and requirements:
- Primary Stat: Dexterity
- Secondary Stats: Constitution and Intelligence (especially if going for Arcane Trickster)
- Proficiencies:
- Dexterity Saving Throw
- Intelligence Saving Throw
- Light Armour
- Simple Weapon
- Hand Crossbow
- Longsword
- Rapier
- Shortsword
Rogues excel at using light weapons and armor, so they’re not going to be brutes. However, with the right build, a Rogue can be a light tank. Think of them as a Panzer III to the Fighter’s Tiger.
Physical Rogue
Race: Strongheart Halfling
Unsurprisingly, the D&D convention of Halflings being good Rogues continues in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Strongheart Halflings get a +2 to Dexterity and a +1 to Constitution, which gives them a good foundation for a melee-specialist Rogue.
For players who want to get in close with a Rogue, Dexterity and Constitution are vital stats. Arm them with the best Longsword and Light Armor available and use their Sneak Attack to the fullest.
Magical Rogue (Arcane Trickster)
Race: High Elf
Players won’t get access to the Arcane Trickster Rogue subclass until their character reaches level 3. However, investing in this build from the very start will pay off well once that time comes. When building an Arcane Trickster, players should prioritize Intelligence over Constitution as they’ll be hanging back and casting magic from afar in the majority of battles.
Good early spells to pick for an Arcane Trickster are:
- Cantrips:
- Fire Bolt
- Poison Spray
- Spells:
- Colour Spray
- Sleep
- Thunderwave
These spells provide a good mixture of ranged, close-combat, and status-inducing effects. As the Arcane Trickster continues to level up, players can adjust new abilities to make the character either a ranged caster or close-in Mage/Rogue hybrid.
