The Rogue remains a cunning, hard-hitting sneak in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, with Sneak Attack remaining a staple and still offering the same damage and progression as its 2014 counterpart. But the class now gains new ways to spend Sneak Attack damage die, access to Weapon Mastery, and updated subclasses, notably the Assassin and Thief.
Below, we cover key changes to the 2024 Rogue you’ll find in the new Player’s Handbook. If there’s a feature we don’t cover, such as Cunning Action, that means it remains unchanged or saw minor changes.
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2024 Rogue Class Features Overview
Weapon Mastery — Level 1
In addition to the Rogue’s typical suite of features at level 1, you gain access to the new Weapon Mastery feature from the get-go. Each Long Rest, you’ll choose two weapons you’re proficient with and for which you want access to their mastery properties.
As an example of how mastery properties work, let’s look at the mastery properties for two iconic Rogue weapons, the Dagger and the Shortbow.
- Dagger (Nick): The Dagger’s mastery property, Nick, grants you an extra attack on your Attack action if you’re using a weapon with the Light property. This is in lieu of the extra attack you can typically make with a Light weapon using your Bonus Action. Handy if you need to use your Bonus Action for Cunning Action to Dash, Disengage, or Hide.
- Shortbow (Vex): The Shortbow’s mastery property, Vex, makes it easier for you to land an attack on the following turn. When you deal damage to a creature with your Shortbow, you’ll have Advantage on the next attack roll you make against that creature before the end of your next turn.
Thieves’ Cant — Level 1
Rogues are famous for learning Thieves’ Cant, a unique kind of language that allows you to speak and understand codes. But your time spent in the underground world means you’ve likely crossed paths and worked with all manner of people and creatures. To reflect this, the Thieves’ Cant feature not only grants you Thieves’ Cant but an additional language proficiency.
Rogue Subclass — Level 3
Rogue subclasses in the 2024 Player’s Handbook include the Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Soulknife, and Thief. The Assassin and Thief saw the biggest updates, whereas the Arcane Trickster and the Soulknife saw slight tweaks to improve gameplay.
- Arcane Trickster: Magically-inclined Rogues can now swap out a cantrip each time they level up, giving you greater flexibility in your build. Versatile Trickster has also been changed so that when you use the Trip option of Cunning Strike on one enemy, you can target an additional creature within 5 feet of your Mage Hand.
- Assassin: You can now more easily trigger Assassinate and Death Strike, and Assassinate deals extra damage equal to your Rogue level (instead of turning a hit into a Critical Hit), you’re more adept at poisoning and impersonating others, and you can move after using Steady Aim, supporting hit-and-run builds.
- Soulknife: Introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, the Soulknife is largely unchanged. Your Psychic Blades now have a range of 60/120 instead of 60/-, they can be used on Opportunity Attacks, and they have the Vex mastery property.
- Thief: The updated Thief can activate magic items that use the Magic action as a Bonus Action and have a unique Cunning Strike option called Stealth Attack that allows you to remain hidden after attacking. Use Magic Device saw the most changes. It now offers you an additional attunement slot, grants a chance to activate magic items without expending charges, and allows you to use Spell Scrolls, no matter your class or spellcasting prowess.
Steady Aim — Level 3
Steady Aim was introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything as an optional class feature that gives the Rogue a reliable way to gain Advantage to trigger Sneak Attack. In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, it is now a standard feature of the class.
Cunning Strike — Level 5
The most exciting new tool in the Rogue’s kit is Cunning Strike. It offers you new ways of utilizing Sneak Attack to cripple enemies or just safely maneuver around the battlefield.
When you deal Sneak Attack damage, you can choose to forgo one or more Sneak Attack damage die to add a Cunning Strike effect to your attack. The DC of your Cunning Strike effects scales off of your Dexterity.
At level 5, you’ll choose up to one of the following Cunning Strike options when you land a Sneak Attack:
- Poison (Cost: 1d6): Put your Poisoner's Kit to good use! With this option, your target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute. They can repeat this save at the end of each of their turns.
- Trip (Cost: 1d6): Stick ‘em with the pointy end and watch them fall (Prone, that is) on a failed Dexterity saving throw. Just make sure your target is Large or smaller before choosing this option.
- Withdraw (Cost: 1d6): Hit-and-run with the Withdraw option. It lets you move up to half your Speed without provoking Opportunity Attacks after attacking.
At higher levels, you’ll get additional Cunning Strike options and even get to add two effects to a single Sneak Attack!
Reliable Talent — Level 7
“I rolled a 2, but it’s a 37.”
Reliable Talent all but guarantees you’ll be good at your choice skills, whether that’s sneaking around unlocking every door and chest, or just befriending the neighborhood cats. You’ll recognize the feature from the 2014 Player’s Handbook. However, where the Rogue previously gained this feature at level 11, they now gain it at level 7.
Improved Cunning Strike — Level 11
By level 11, you’re swimming in Sneak Attack damage die. With Improved Cunning Strike, you can put them to good use by stacking each Sneak Attack with two Cunning Strike options instead of one.
Devious Strikes — Level 14
Devious Strikes expands the Rogue’s arsenal of Cunning Strike options with a host of nasty (read: awesome) effects. The following are added to your list of Cunning Strike options:
- Daze (Cost: 2d6): Who says a support build can’t also deal damage? If your target fails a Constitution saving throw, they’ll only get to move or take an action or Bonus Action on their next turn. Frustrating for Dungeon Masters but fantastic for your party.
- Knock Out (Cost: 6d6): Bonk an enemy on the head and render them Unconscious for 1 minute if they fail a Constitution saving throw. They’ll repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, but chances are when they wake up, you’ll have already stolen whatever it was you needed and bounced.
- Obscure (Cost: 3d6): Who needs to slink into the shadow when you can just blind your target? With this Cunning Strike option, your target will need to make a Dexterity saving throw or be Blinded until the end of its next turn.
Blindsense — Level 14
Blindsense is not a feature of the 2024 Rogue. Instead, the class gains Devious Strikes and an upgrade to Slippery Mind at level 15.
Slippery Mind — Level 15
Slippery Mind has received an upgrade. Now your Rogue is cunning not just in tongue but in mind. You gain proficiency in Wisdom and Charisma saving throws, instead of just Wisdom saving throws.
Epic Boon — Level 19
Epic Boons are a new type of feat introduced in the revised core ruleset and that are level-locked. At level 19, the Rogue gets their choice of one of the twelve Epic Boon feats found in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.
The following Epic Boon is a recommended option for the Rogue:
- Boon of the Night Spirit: Increase one ability score by 1, up to a maximum of 30. While in Dim Light or Darkness, you have Resistance to all damage except Psychic and Radiant and, as a Bonus Action, you can gain the Invisible condition.
Alternatively, you can pick another, non-Epic Boon feat, at this level.
Stroke of Luck — Level 20
The Rogue’s capstone feature gets two upgrades in the 2024 Player’s Handbook:
- You can now use Stroke of Luck on saving throws.
- When you fail a D20 Test, it turns your roll into a 20. This means a missed attack roll becomes a Critical Hit.
The capstone feature still functions the same with ability checks and still recharges on a Short or Long Rest.
More Tricks for the Cunning Rogue
The 2024 Player’s Handbook is now available on the D&D Beyond marketplace, which means it's time to set out on new adventures with fresh or familiar characters!
The 2024 Rogue sees a variety of new combat options and quality-of-life changes. Now you can blind the big bad who is wailing on your party Wizard, swap between weapons to utilize the best mastery property for the adventuring day, or just more reliably weave in and out of combat when you don’t have a Bonus Action to spare for Cunning Action. Of course, if rolling heaps of Sneak Attack damage is your preferred playstyle, you’ll find class and subclass features that support that strategy.
We’re delighted to share with you the changes to fifth edition D&D that appear in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Make sure to keep an eye out on D&D Beyond for more useful guides on using the wealth of new options, rules, and mechanics found in the 2024 Player's Handbook!
Michael Galvis (@michaelgalvis) is a tabletop content producer for D&D Beyond. He is a longtime Dungeon Master who enjoys horror films and all things fantasy and sci-fi. When he isn’t in the DM’s seat or rolling dice as his anxious halfling sorcerer, he’s playing Helldivers 2 and Magic: The Gathering with his partners. They live together in Los Angeles with their adorable dogs, Quentin and Eliot.
This article was updated on August 13, 2024, to issue corrections or expand coverage for the following features and subclasses:
- Weapon Mastery: Clarified that you need to deal damage with your weapon to apply the Vex mastery property.
- Rogue Subclass (Soulknife): Added that Psychic Blades can now also be used with Opportunity Attacks.
- Rogue Subclass (Assassin): Clarified the damage dealt by Assassinate.
- Rogue Subclass (Thief): Clarified that you can use your Bonus Action to activate magic items that use the Magic action.
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Posted Aug 18, 2024Oh yeah, one of the most versatile classes getting even more versatile is very underpowered. Dude, the only thing that didn't get stronger because of more/other options is blindsense, but that's only because it was removed.
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Posted Aug 18, 2024A Rogue's versatility isn't a strength, it's a weakness. Everyone says that Rogues are skill monkeys like it's a good thing but it is the exact opposite. Nobody plays a Rogue to be a skill monkey, They play a Rogue to be master of deception, stealth and, most importantly, killing.
Now the latest version of the Rogue has stripped away one of the only features that made the class unique, and the core feature at that, just to make it "more versatile". Sneak Attack already sucks past low level gameplay compared to the abilities other classes get, and now it's made even worse with Fail or Fizzle abilities that waste your already weak and limited Sneak Attack dice no matter what while not increasing the quantity or quality of your Sneak Attack. For comparison, the 2024 Fighter gets more uses of Second Wind from second level that scale with leveling up, get more ways to use it, and they don't expend a use of it if they fail an ability check. Second Wind is superior to Cunning Strike in every way, making any Fighter increase their already substantial power gap over any Rogue, and that's just comparing two base martial classes. If you look at Spellcasting in any form, even Arcane Trickster vs Eldritch Knight, and that gap gets significantly worse for Rogues.
TL;DR - Rogue "versatility" means sqat, and any experienced D&D player can tell you that the 2024 Rogue did not improve in the ways it needed to, especially compared to the vast majority of other classes.
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Posted Aug 18, 2024What do you mean by the bolded statement? The Nick property makes two weapon fighting viable for the Rogue not useless. Previously it was only worthwhile for Swashbuckler Rogues because they didn't need to disengage to get away from an enemy they previously attacked.
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Posted Aug 22, 2024I really like the concept of swapping out damage dice for effects, it lends itself more to crowd control and versatility.
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Posted Oct 8, 2024Steady Aim is not limited to ranged weapons. Steady Aim is a way to get advantage if you can't get it any other way. If you are using a ranged weapon, it's a not a big deal to lose your movement. Chances are you're just standing there anyway, relatively safe behind the line. If you are in melee, it might be a bigger deal, but it is less likely you'll need it in melee if you use the flanking rules, but it's nice to have for when the hit really really has to hit.
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Posted Oct 8, 2024No, you still get both. These are additions, not replacements.
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Posted Oct 8, 2024No, exchange one of your sneak attack dice for an option. Trip could be nice. Knock em prone and give your buddies all advantage. Not bad for 1d6.
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Posted Oct 8, 2024I'm not trying to be rude or condescending. But the thing is if you're not having a crap-ton of fun with rogue, you either didn't build him well or know how to play em well. Having said that, I rarely play a straight rogue, but multi-classing a swashbuckler with a fighter/battlemaster or ranger/gloomstalker, with dual weilding fighting style and sentinel and defensive duelist as your feats, and you have not only a fairly powerful skill monkey (with expertise from rogue and ranger) that can do just about anything needed on the battlefield, and do it well. Your action economy is nothing but choices in all areas action, attack, bonus, reaction. Add on top of that weapon mastery with nick and vex weapons. You're a killing machine dancing all over the battlefield. Add your Dex, Wis, and Cha to initiative? And then take Bugbear for your species for 10' reach, suprise attack, and dreadful strike on top of hunter's mark and sneak attack?) and Good Lord, Christ on a Cracker. The d6's stack on both both your main and offhand attacks if you play it smart. The martials can barely keep up with the DPR. It hardly gets any more fun then that, friends.
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Posted Oct 9, 2024I agree. Although Rogue isn't my favorite class, (I prefer Warlock's pact magic, so sue me) this seems like an incredibly powerful option that I'm excited to try out. Thanks for the tip!
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Posted Oct 26, 2024What i'd like to know is why on earth was performance removed from the rogue prof list??
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Posted Apr 29, 2025the one thing most people dont see is that the new "use magic device" dont have the same wording as the 2014 and isnt allowing the rogue thief to attune to items that have requirements that the rogue thief itself dont fulfill.
in the 2014 rules, the feature allowed the rogue thief to attune to a staff of power, for example, but in 2024 rules only allow him to use scrolls, trying not to waste charges in items and to attune to 4 items instead of 3. Nowhere in the new feature says the old:
which was the thing that makes the thief overpowered back then even when wasnt able to use scrolls
in 2024 it can use scrolls, but in exchange, it can't attune to magic items and i think the reason is they dont want a martial/expert class attunning to magic items intended for spellcasters, since Wotc overprotects its spellcasters over martials and experts, specially since most of those staffs and robes grant buffs to stats, AC, DC's and saving throws, and a rogue with that is OP.
Grant the rogue a staff of power and it will paralize a creature with hold monster as a bonus action and sneak attack the hell out of it with an autocrit and wont waste the charges of the staff, and since you can get to hold the staff in one hand and a rapier in the other with dualwielding, you gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class, saving throws, and spell attack rolls with it, which apparently scared WotC since rogues are actually one of the strongest non-spellcasters classes
Letting the rogue thief attune to a magical robe like Robe of the Archmagi? no armor but your AC is 15+Dex, so a rogue can hae 20AC easily, You have advantage on saving throws against spell and other magical effects. Your spell save DC and spell attack bonus each increase by 2. but thats too powerful, lets see lower tiers: (Robe of Useful Items is already OP and the rogue thief can use it as a bonus action)
The new Enspelled Staffs are meant for spellcasters only, and then, the new rogue thief canot attune to those: no enchantment spells for the rogue, or imagine putting any spell of illusion or abjuration that are meant for armors only on it for non spellcasters
a damn Wand of Paralysis would be overpowered on a thief rogue hands, since is not a spell, so no counterpelled anyway
And that considering "spellcasting" as a requirement, imagine calss specific attunements:
Instrument of the Bards: free spellcasting as a bonus action,
Nature's Mantle: which allow it to "Hide in plain sight",
Staff of Charming/Staff of Healing/Staff of Swarming Insects/Staff of the Magi,
Holy Avenger,
Rod of Resurrection,
WotC feared all of that in a rogue, because their precious spellcasters would have a competitor who isnt a spellcaster