I've been thinking of how to build a mentalist type rogue, like Sherlock Holmes or Patrick Jane from the Mentalist. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this already?
I'm thinking use the Inquisitive subclass. Specialize in Investigation, Perception, Deception and Insight. Also get Persuasion and maybe Sleight of Hand. Charlatan or maybe Sage background. Observant or Keen Mind Feats. I'm not sure what else. Hopefully others have some suggestions.
I'm also kind of wondering how a DM might handle this kind of character as they'd be able to uncover so many secrets.
In a campaign that is less focused on combat and more focused on roleplaying, the Inquisitive can be quite good. In a more combat focused campaign, most of the other Rogue subclasses are better. It's important to find out from your DM what type of campaign he or she is going to run.
I've been thinking of how to build a mentalist type rogue, like Sherlock Holmes or Patrick Jane from the Mentalist. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this already?
I'm thinking use the Inquisitive subclass. Specialize in Investigation, Perception, Deception and Insight. Also get Persuasion and maybe Sleight of Hand. Charlatan or maybe Sage background. Observant or Keen Mind Feats. I'm not sure what else. Hopefully others have some suggestions.
I'm also kind of wondering how a DM might handle this kind of character as they'd be able to uncover so many secrets.
You should explore a detective using a Rogue/Inquisitive, adding initial expertise in both Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight). I will warn that the shortcomings of an Inquisitive are that the checks you are able to make as a bonus action as part of your subclass features are often how many DMs simply run their games anyway, thus the abilities are quite redundant.
To make for an interesting Rogue, forgoing Dexterity (Stealth) requires you to adopt a very different play style and challenge yourself to supplanting it with purely with wits and cunning.
The character of Sherlock Holmes is a renowned pugilist, so a level in Monk allows you to make use of your fists and express your Rogue's higher AC and competitive Wisdom scores down to an instinctive and talented brawler, accompanying the Insightful Fighting subclass ability ~ Very important to warn here that Sneak Attack expressly requires you to attack with a weapon with the Finesse property, which would typically exclude Unarmed Strikes, meaning you might consider an unconventional Finesse weapon like a whip.
I've been thinking of how to build a mentalist type rogue, like Sherlock Holmes or Patrick Jane from the Mentalist. I'm wondering if anyone else has done this already?
I'm thinking use the Inquisitive subclass. Specialize in Investigation, Perception, Deception and Insight. Also get Persuasion and maybe Sleight of Hand. Charlatan or maybe Sage background. Observant or Keen Mind Feats. I'm not sure what else. Hopefully others have some suggestions.
I'm also kind of wondering how a DM might handle this kind of character as they'd be able to uncover so many secrets.
In a campaign that is less focused on combat and more focused on roleplaying, the Inquisitive can be quite good. In a more combat focused campaign, most of the other Rogue subclasses are better. It's important to find out from your DM what type of campaign he or she is going to run.
Thanks, I guess I'm not really thinking of playing one all that much. It's more a thought on how to build one, it might make for a good NPC sometime.
You should explore a detective using a Rogue/Inquisitive, adding initial expertise in both Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Insight). I will warn that the shortcomings of an Inquisitive are that the checks you are able to make as a bonus action as part of your subclass features are often how many DMs simply run their games anyway, thus the abilities are quite redundant.
To make for an interesting Rogue, forgoing Dexterity (Stealth) requires you to adopt a very different play style and challenge yourself to supplanting it with purely with wits and cunning.
The character of Sherlock Holmes is a renowned pugilist, so a level in Monk allows you to make use of your fists and express your Rogue's higher AC and competitive Wisdom scores down to an instinctive and talented brawler, accompanying the Insightful Fighting subclass ability ~ Very important to warn here that Sneak Attack expressly requires you to attack with a weapon with the Finesse property, which would typically exclude Unarmed Strikes, meaning you might consider an unconventional Finesse weapon like a whip.
Inquisitive rouge was literally designed after Sherlock Holmes.
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