Rogues are an important part of the classic Cleric-Fighter-Rogue-Wizard party dynamic in D&D, but sometimes you might 🅷want to switch things up. Still, having a sneaky party member who can set up ambushes, pick locks, and get 𒐪into places they aren't supposed to is useful. Here's a list of rogue-equivalent subclasses that can fulfill much of the same role, ranked from worst to best.
5. Trickery Domain
This subclass attempts toও make the cleric class into a stealth-based class, but forgets how clerics work. None of the abilities are bad on their own. There are lots of useful spells for disguise and infiltration and two great uses of Channel Divinity to create cheap illusions and invisibility.
The main downside of this class is that it is a cleric, which means you will likely choose at least one useful rogue ability as your dump stat and wear mediuꦅm armor. Also, you can’t use the Blessing of the Trickster ability to give stealth advantage to yourself, so this is best as a support to another dedicated rogue-equivalent.
4. Way of Shadow
This mona🍷stic tradition is a way to let monks blend into the shadows. It completely covers the stealth abilities of ninjas, but misses the mark on the assassination prowess. The few spells you have access to have a lot of stealth utility, and 🤪teleportation and invisibility in dim light or darkness is situational, but extremely powerful.
Unfortunately, this subclass doesn’t give any advantage to stealth in combat whatsoever. Giving advantage on an attack does nothing when you make four attacks per turn. Overall, stealth does very little for a character whose fighting style is “r🐼un up and punch someone.”
3. Shadow Magic
This sorcerous origin lets sorcerers harness the magic of the Shadowfell, giving access to some useful abilities that work well in the dark. Teleporting in dim light or darkness and moving through objects at high levels combine to make a powerful infiltration subclas💫s, and casting magical darkness that you can see through cannot be overvalued.
These abilities are, on their own, not quite as good as the Way of Shadow subclass features. What makes this class better as a rogue-equivalent is access to the Subtle Spell metamagic. Magic is versati🐼le, but very obvious. Being able to cast spells, especially illusion and enchantment spells, without anyone noticing is amazing for a sneaky character. Plus, with Charisma as a casting ಞability, you can easily serve as the party’s face.
2. Gloom Stalker
The ranger is already a good candidate for a substitute rogue, with good uses for Dexterity and some rogue-style skill proficiencies, but this subclass takes it above and beyond. Gloom Stalkers get a few great sneaky spells, as well as the Dread Ambush ability, that lets you capitalize on ambushes by pumping out d🦋amage on the first turn of a fight.
If you are in an all-darkvision party, this class goes from good to great, since a party that has no light sources elevates your sneaking from good to great as you are invisible to creatures using darkvision to perceive you. As long as you choose a background with a thieves’ tools proficiency, this subclass has all the rogue bases cover🐎ed.
1. College of Lore
This bardic college is𓆉 the only one on the list that doesn’t have to do with sneaking, shadows, or trickery, but it’s probably the best non-rogue rogue on the list. Bards already have a wide selection of spells with the opportunity to gain more from other classes, meaning you can t🃏ailor your spell list for any situation you need.
In addition, you have a total of six skill proficiencies of your choice, not counting those you get from your background. With all the bonus𝓀es you can add to them, you’ll be rolling 30s on everything you put your mind to, from stealth to acrobatics to perception. It turns out, special magic features don’t matter when you can jus🎃t do anything naturally.