I'm playing a lightfoot halfling rogue & I'm having a hard time deciding on which subclass to go. The party is a human paladin, an earth genasi cleric & a storm sorcerer. I considered going arcane trickster but isn't there enough magic squishy boys in the party already? Any help is appreciated
Phantom would fit in thematically with a CoS campaign.
Soulknife can work well anywhere.
Swashbuckler's ability to grant an additional method of generating Sneak Attacks is great.
Arcane Trickster is one of the most versatile Rogue subclasses for just sheer breadth of what they can do. With the inclusion of the Silvery Barbs spell the Arcane Trickster only got stronger.
Halfing Nimbleness, which allows you to move through the space of an opponent larger than you, can make it much easier for a Halfing Swashbuckler to move into positions where they can enjoy their Rakish Audacity Sneak Attack. The Squat Nimbleness Feat, which you could pick up at 4th, gives them back their 5' of movement, as well as half an ASI, a useful proficiency and advantage on avoiding grapples. Can make for a nice Swashbuckler package. If your CHR is decent, all the better.
I'm playing a lightfoot halfling rogue & I'm having a hard time deciding on which subclass to go. The party is a human paladin, an earth genasi cleric & a storm sorcerer. I considered going arcane trickster but isn't there enough magic squishy boys in the party already? Any help is appreciated
Arcane Trickster is no more squishy than any other Rogue, and is, in my opinion, the most flexible subclass option. Of course you need a decent Int stat to get the most mileage from their abilities.
I'm playing a lightfoot halfling rogue & I'm having a hard time deciding on which subclass to go. The party is a human paladin, an earth genasi cleric & a storm sorcerer. I considered going arcane trickster but isn't there enough magic squishy boys in the party already? Any help is appreciated
Before we get in too deep, we need to talk about the campaign itself.
Do not expect to do a lot of shopping in Barovia. There are no named blacksmiths, though there are silversmiths among the vistani. The only shops which sell adventuring gear charge exorbitant rates. For example, a component pouch is going to run you at least 125 gold pieces. Unless you can get one from someone else, you're going to be without one for a while. As an arcane trickster, this would considerably limit your ability to cast spells. For example, instead of having seven possible enchantment and illusion spells to realistically pick from at 3rd level you're stuck with only two: charm person and disguise self.
Fighters with the eldritch knight martial archetype have a similar problem, but they actually have a decent list of spells to still choose from so they can get by. And so do thief rogues. They're functional, but one of their favorite tactics is using an acid (vial) or alchemist's fire (flask) with their Fast Hands feature to make a ranged attack. They're not automatically proficient (take Tavern Brawler, if you want that), but they do get to add their Dexterity modifier to the damage roll. Still, this tactic falls by the wayside since the items are so much more expensive in Barovia.
So pick subclasses that are self-sufficient. Ammunition is expensive, but affordable, so a crossbow, hand (if you can get one) and Crossbow Expert is a viable path. But you're probably better off in melee. Especially since you can wield the Sunsword and deal radiant damage with your Sneak Attack. That leaves us with...
Inquisitive: Gothic horror is all about fear, shock, and disgust hiding behind a veneer of beauty, and this would be adept at sniffing it out
Mastermind: Touching back on Inquisitive, Barovia is full of political intrigue; it's better to be the manipulator than the manipulated
Phantom: In a setting dominated by death, someone who's touched at least once before it thematically appropriate
Scout: Not a terrible choice, mechanically, and as strangers in a strange land it serves a purpose
Soulknife: It's magical without relying on spells and versatile; able to attack in melee and at range without relying on ammunition
Swashbuckler: It gives you more opportunities to use Sneak Attack in melee, but it's also risky
As much as I enjoy the Assassin, they work better with poisons and from afar. They just don't play well in this module.
Jounichi1983 correctly points out a problem with trying to decide on a subclass as you go, rather than planning for it from the start of the game.
If you start planning to be a Arcane Trickster then you can sell starting equipment (pick the most expensive unnecessary items if you have options) at half price and buy things like a component pouch to begin with. It's how my Hexblade starts with thieves' tools (urban bounty hunter background) and a battleaxe (the cheapest versatile martial weapon).
Myself, I'd have started with a Forest Gnome since they have darkvision, an intelligence bump, and a free spell in Minor Illusion.
You could always see if you could swap out a starting equipment piece for a component pouch.
Assassin is the only one I would suggest against as it's the most temperamental of the subclass as it's pretty hard to consistently get your assassinate ability.
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I'm playing a lightfoot halfling rogue & I'm having a hard time deciding on which subclass to go. The party is a human paladin, an earth genasi cleric & a storm sorcerer. I considered going arcane trickster but isn't there enough magic squishy boys in the party already? Any help is appreciated
Phantom would fit in thematically with a CoS campaign.
Soulknife can work well anywhere.
Swashbuckler's ability to grant an additional method of generating Sneak Attacks is great.
Arcane Trickster is one of the most versatile Rogue subclasses for just sheer breadth of what they can do. With the inclusion of the Silvery Barbs spell the Arcane Trickster only got stronger.
Halfing Nimbleness, which allows you to move through the space of an opponent larger than you, can make it much easier for a Halfing Swashbuckler to move into positions where they can enjoy their Rakish Audacity Sneak Attack. The Squat Nimbleness Feat, which you could pick up at 4th, gives them back their 5' of movement, as well as half an ASI, a useful proficiency and advantage on avoiding grapples. Can make for a nice Swashbuckler package. If your CHR is decent, all the better.
Keep in mind, I'm partial to Swashbucklers.
Arcane Trickster is no more squishy than any other Rogue, and is, in my opinion, the most flexible subclass option. Of course you need a decent Int stat to get the most mileage from their abilities.
Before we get in too deep, we need to talk about the campaign itself.
Do not expect to do a lot of shopping in Barovia. There are no named blacksmiths, though there are silversmiths among the vistani. The only shops which sell adventuring gear charge exorbitant rates. For example, a component pouch is going to run you at least 125 gold pieces. Unless you can get one from someone else, you're going to be without one for a while. As an arcane trickster, this would considerably limit your ability to cast spells. For example, instead of having seven possible enchantment and illusion spells to realistically pick from at 3rd level you're stuck with only two: charm person and disguise self.
Fighters with the eldritch knight martial archetype have a similar problem, but they actually have a decent list of spells to still choose from so they can get by. And so do thief rogues. They're functional, but one of their favorite tactics is using an acid (vial) or alchemist's fire (flask) with their Fast Hands feature to make a ranged attack. They're not automatically proficient (take Tavern Brawler, if you want that), but they do get to add their Dexterity modifier to the damage roll. Still, this tactic falls by the wayside since the items are so much more expensive in Barovia.
So pick subclasses that are self-sufficient. Ammunition is expensive, but affordable, so a crossbow, hand (if you can get one) and Crossbow Expert is a viable path. But you're probably better off in melee. Especially since you can wield the Sunsword and deal radiant damage with your Sneak Attack. That leaves us with...
As much as I enjoy the Assassin, they work better with poisons and from afar. They just don't play well in this module.
Jounichi1983 correctly points out a problem with trying to decide on a subclass as you go, rather than planning for it from the start of the game.
If you start planning to be a Arcane Trickster then you can sell starting equipment (pick the most expensive unnecessary items if you have options) at half price and buy things like a component pouch to begin with. It's how my Hexblade starts with thieves' tools (urban bounty hunter background) and a battleaxe (the cheapest versatile martial weapon).
Myself, I'd have started with a Forest Gnome since they have darkvision, an intelligence bump, and a free spell in Minor Illusion.
You could always see if you could swap out a starting equipment piece for a component pouch.
Assassin is the only one I would suggest against as it's the most temperamental of the subclass as it's pretty hard to consistently get your assassinate ability.