Baldur's Gate 3 is full of fun activities and interesting ways to make the game your own. Whether you are romancing certain characters or you are trying to build the perfect character to role-play as you can find tons of things to do.
One way you can make your character your own is by deciding on a Subclass for your character. These Subclasses allow you to customize your character even further than the regular Classes do. You're able to pick one of three Subclasses for Rouges. Here are those Subclasses ranked.
Updated by Erin Rice on August 24, 2023: The longer Baldur's Gate 3 is available, the more information players have about certain aspects of the game. This update includes information about the Subclasses and their specialties.
3 Assassin
While the Assassin Subclass wasn't available in the Early Access of the game, it is available in the full version of the game. The Subclass's description reads "You focus your training on the grim art of death. Those who adhere to this archetype are diverse: hired killers, spies, bounty hunters, and even specially anointed priests trained to exterminate the enemies of their deity. Stealth, poison, and disguise help you eliminate your foes with deadly efficiency." This Subclass focuses on doing what Rogues do best, being lethal killers.
What makes this Subclass so unique is that it gives players the opportunity to truly dig deep into what Rogues can do. While the Arcane Trickster adds spells to the Rogue and the Thief allows you to excel at Stealth, the Assassin allows you to excel at disguising yourself and dealing fatal blows. You will be given the Infiltrate Expertise Skill. This allows you to change your appearance at will. If you want to play as someone who can easily slip into a crowd or change their appearance, this is the Class for you. Overall, this class does tons of damage and allows you to disguise yourself. You will want to be a traditional Rogue Race with this. These include Races such as Wood Half-Elf, Drows, and Lightfoot Halflings. You'll also want traditional Rogue Backgrounds such as Criminal or Urchin. These will all increase your Dexterity, something you'll need a lot of.
2 Arcane Trickster
The Arcane Trickster is one of the best Rogue Subclasses in Baldur's Gate 3 and in the original tabletop RPG. This Subclass's description reads "Arcane Tricksters are rogues with a clever touch of magic, using illusions and enchantments to keep their opponents on the backfoot." One reason these Rogues are so good is that they offer the player the opportunity to learn Spellcasting. This means that you can use different spells to your advantage while playing the game. This can automatically make the game so much easier, especially when coupled with the fact that Rogues are able to sneak around and do plenty of Sneak Attacks.
In addition to being able to cast spells, players are able to use Mage Hands. This allows players to take objects from characters and place them in a container or stow them in their own inventory. This allows players to get into mischief and easily steal from others. As you level up, you will increase the number of Cantrips and Spells you know and increase the number you can equip at a time. These can then be changed during the level-up screen. If you want a Rogue that doubles as a Mage or Warlock, this is the best choice. (Though the addition of mechanics makes the Class less like the typical Rogue.) The best Race for this Subclass would either be High Elf (for the Spells aspect) or Drow (for the Rogue aspect). In addition, you will probably want to stick with the traditional Rogue Backgrounds of Urchin or Criminal. At the end of the day, these will help with your Stealth, the heart of what a Rogue is.
1 Thief
The description of the Thief Subclass reads "Thieves use their skills in stealth and larceny to acquire whatever they wish, whether from a third-story window or the depths of long-forgotten ruins." Thieves, like other Rogue Subclasses, rely on Stealth more than anything. In the original Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG, the Thief is one of the best Rouge Subclasses that there is. Unfortunately, they have taken a hit in their usefulness within the video game. However, it is still the best Subclass in the game. The best part about this Subclass is the Feat called Fast Hands. Fast Hands gives you an additional Bonus Action. This can either be Hide or Hide Again, both of which will give you an additional Sneak Attack, giving you a boost in Attack.
The Subclass also has the Feat Second Story Work. This allows you to have a decrease in the fall damage that you take when falling from certain heights. Overall, this is an extremely solid Subclass and one of the most simple to use. It allows you to have some great Sneak Attack damage and to stay hidden through important quests. However, the reason it is so amazing is that it is simply what a Rogue is. This class is a Rogue in its purest form. It is the Class for those who love Rogues. If you are wanting to try this Subclass out, the best Race and Background for you would have to be a Wood Half-Elf or a Lightfoot Halfling. Both races give you excellent opportunities to add to your arsenal and give you additional Racial benefits. In addition to that, you will probably want to go with either the Criminal or Urchin Background. Both Backgrounds will allow you to truly lean into the Rogue role-playing and gain some Inspiration along the way.