Operative

Not all rogues are thieves in the night. Some who favor skill, guile, and deadly action have been trained to achieve specific objectives that normal soldiers could not. Magic can be countered and detected, but a skilled observer can find openings in a situation or enemy to achieve the desired result. These operatives are often selected for their loyalty, as they present the greatest risk to those with power and secrets to protect. Those who flee their organization are often hunted, usually by others with similar skill sets.

Efficient Takedown

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your training focuses on hitting targets first and as hard as possible. Apply your proficiency bonus to your Initiative rolls. You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.

In addition, you have learned how to strike enemies for useful secondary effects, trading sneak attack dice for a chance of imposing a condition. Creatures you attempt to affect must succeed in a Constitution saving throw against a difficulty equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity modifier. The condition persists until the end of your next turn, except for grappled, which lasts until released or the creature escapes.

Condition	Sneak Attack Dice	Condition	Sneak Attack Dice
Grappled (by you or an ally within 5 ft)	-1	Blinded	-3
Prone	-1	Dazed	-3
Frightened (Wisdom save)	-2	Restrained* (by you or an ally within 5 ft)	-3

* Restrained targets are also grappled by you or an ally. Escape end both conditions.

Rapid Assessment

Starting at 3rd level, you’ve been trained in how to collect a great deal of information rapidly. You can make most Intelligence (Investigation), Wisdom(Perception), or Wisdom (Insight) checks as a bonus action, even during combat. You may choose to apply your passive scores in these ability checks rather than roll. You can also read and digest most information in half the time, including learning new non-skill proficiencies or languages in half as many weeks.

Additionally, by using your bonus action to study a target, you can use your Sneak Attack against that target even if you don’t have advantage on the attack roll, but not if you have disadvantage on it. This benefit lasts for at least 1 minute and persists until the creature significantly changes by gaining new skills, abilities, or features. You can tell immediately when a creature that you’ve studied has changed, but not how.

Silent Operation

Beginning at 9th level, when you hit a creature that hasn’t taken a turn in combat, the attack makes no noise and your target cannot make a sound or give warnings until the end of your next turn. You may roll two fewer Sneak Attack dice for you or an ally within 5 feet of the creature of appropriate size to automatically grapple it, and dragging it does not halve speed. If grappled in this way, the creature cannot make a sound until it escapes and does not inhibit any attempts at Stealth unless the creature is physically exposed to view.

Passive Presence

Beginning at 13th level, you’ve learned how to become someone beneath question with only minimal prep time and equipment. After successfully studying a target or environment using your Rapid Assessment, you may act in a way that shows that you fit into that environment as a passive actor like a cleaner, a guard, or a harmless urchin. Your ruse is indiscernible to the casual observer, and if a wary creature suspects that something is amiss, you roll with advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection. Duped creatures who would be hostile to you are neutral instead and are surprised if you initiate combat.

If your speech, appearance, equipment, or other factors might make your opposition obvious, you no longer have advantage to weave a story around the anomalies, but don't suffer disadvantage either and may still a Charisma (Deception) check. Creatures with an Intelligence of 3 or higher will do their best to supply a plausible alternative. Perhaps you’re working for the creature’s allies to foil an assassin, have turned against known accomplices, or have no idea what’s going on and need their help.

If no clear alternatives exist, such as when you violate strict orders given by feared superiors, if your allies actively disprove your story, or when dealing with animal intelligence, this feature has no effect.

Paralyzing Strike

Starting at 17th level, you’ve mastered the art of quietly removing a target from the field. When you hit a creature with your Sneak Attack that is surprised or hasn’t taken a turn in combat, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus) or become paralyzed for 1 minute. The triggering attack becomes a critical hit if the creature fails its saving throw, if it wasn’t one already. At the end of each of its turns, it may attempt a new Constitution saving throw to end this condition.