How to make Rogues useful, from a generalistic viewpoint.

With the Sneak attack abilities from every two levels, even the most peaceful of rogues is dangerous when crossed (especially when combined with skill such as bluff or Tumble which can be used to manufacture opportunities). Even the most sedentary fence can be quick on his feet care of the Evasion ability and Uncanny Dodge.

Rogue Tactics

Sneak Attacks

One major fear in the back of the head of any experienced adventurer when facing off against a Wizard and his minions is always “where’s the thief?” If the thief is any good at his job, the answer is “holding the dagger sticking out of the back of your neck” or soon will be.

Whenever a Rogue attacks from withing 30′ of his target and that target is denied its dexterity bonus to AC, additional damage is dealt. Is it fair? No. It isn’t fair that Rogues only get 1d6 hit points per level either. Get over it.

The traditional backstab in a dark alley is lovely, but is generally only good once in an encounter. Once you’re out of hiding, your opponents know where you are. If they know where you are, how can you sneak attack?

There are a couple of ways:

• Your Shoes are Untied!

  Bluff the sonofabitch. You always knew you were smarter than that Fighter. Show him just how much smarter. When a rogue is already in melee with an opponent, make a Bluff check as your standard action. If it beats the opponent’s Sense Motive check (generally abyssmal for non-Rogues) the next attack gets to be a sneak attack. This may seem like a waste, but at lvl19 that’s +10d6 damage.

• Nip at Their Heels

  This requires teamwork, and possibly a couple of attacks of opportunity. Make it a point never to engage in melee when your opponent isn’t flanked relative to you. If this means making a Tumble check to position yourself advantageously, so be it. When you have an opponent flanked, you get a +2 attack bonus and all attacks are eligible for Sneak Attack status. Keep that Tumble skill up! A tumble check of 25 is a free pass through just about any clot of opponents smaller than your movement rate, and a tumble check of 15 is good enough to keep the attacks of opportunity off you when moving through unoccupied spaces.

Evasion

After 2nd level any attack provoking a Reflex Save inflicts no damage on a successful save. Take a look at your Reflex Save progression. Notice that only Monks and Bards get as nice of Reflex Saves as the mighty Rogue. Add in the fact that you’re likely to have a very nice Dexterity score (adventuresome PC Rogues tend to have good Dex stats), and suddenly your party’s wizard chucking a fireball or lightning bolt into the middle of a fray doesn’t sound too bad.

Take advantage of this pearl of a class ability:

• Carry AoE Magic Items

  In a pinch? Surrounded by the cops? Eighty-five Ogres got you surrounded? A Neckless of Fireballs may be just what the doctor ordered: detonate it at your own feet and get running. A Bead of Force can also be wonderful against a small number of Fighter types surrounding you, as it is likely to trap them as well as inflicting damage.

• Train your Pet Wizard

  There is no substitute to a well-trained wizard. After 5th level Wizards are like frail, pasty mobile artillery, tossing about mass destruction willy-nilly. Make an understanding with your Wizard. If he sticks to the Reflex-save spells and saves your bacon when you need it, you can make sure he gets that 500gp ruby he needs for his new spell.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself

There is no polite way to put this: nobody in your party trusts you. They never will. They fear and dispise your ability to pull the wool over peoples’ eyes and do things unseen. They specifically fear that you’re putting one over on them. God help you if you’re caught looking through another party member’s gear in the middle of the night. They’ll assume the worst and you’ll spend the rest of your session rolling up a new character after a brief but instructive lesson in how poorly Rogues do battle against superior numbers.