#Trickster choice how to#
#Trickster choice free#

The Dexterity-based rogue features from levels 1-3 synergize well with what awaits you as an Arcane Trickster - more sneaking, hiding, and striking with deadly force at the perfect moment. Your base rogue is all about waiting for the right moment to strike then hitting your enemies at their most vulnerable. This is another ability that plays very well with Sneak Attack, helping you more reliably land heavy hits after combat has already started. The Arcane Trickster’s Versatile Trickster ability at level 13, allows them to use their Mage Hand Legerdemain as a bonus action to distract enemies. To use this second ability successfully, you make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Perception) check.

Stash or retrieve an object from the pocket/bag/pouch/container of a creature.

Use thieves’ tools to pick a lock or disarm a trap ( within 30 feet – must be visible).

In addition to becoming invisible, the hand can now: Mage Hand is an already useful ability but at 3rd level, the Arcane Trickster takes it to new heights. Disarming Traps and Picking Locks with Mage Hand Legerdemain But combined with the base rogue abilities, their casting abilities make them an effective class in most scenarios, not only combat. They can only learn spells up to 4th level, with 11 spell slots available by level 20. This subclass isn’t going to achieve the god-tier magical abilities of a dedicated caster or the one-hit kills of the Assassin. Not getting hit while delivering damage is a typically roguish trait, and the Arcane Trickster is no different. They tend to focus on magical abilities that can either boost their stealth, distract their enemy, or get them out of trouble when things go wrong. The Arcane Trickster (like all rogues) is hard to pin down and hard to hit. Many rogues would naturally pursue this kind of magic as it pairs nicely with their skills in infiltration, deception, and general sneakiness. This helps balance the subclass and makes sense from a lore perspective. You are usually limited to cantrips and the magical schools of Illusion and Enchantment. Illusion, Enchantment, Evasion, and AttackĪside from your base rogue skills (Sneak Attack arguably chief among them), it’s your Arcane Trickster’s casting that sets them apart from other character builds.

#Trickster choice free#

Some of Leiber’s early work for magazines and pulp collections is available free from the non-profit at this link. Our favorite is the beloved Gray Mouser from Fritz Leiber’s work, but any thief/rogue who’s picked up some casting might fit the bill. There are some classic examples of this subclass in fiction. Often morally grey, willing to break the law, but with just enough honor to be a valued ally-the Arcane Trickster is fun to roleplay with lots of great reference points in print and screen media. Their typical character profile is popular in fantasy books, movies, and games too. The mechanical appeal of this archetype comes down to two things-full progression in Sneak Attack and a decent level of progression in your casting ability. There are a lot of DnD players who play for an equally large number of different reasons-and the Arcane Trickster seems to work for many of them. There’s a good chance that some of the names you come up with fall neatly into the category of Arcane Trickster. Think “magically-enhanced sneak thief” and make a shortlist of every character from movies, books, and video games that springs to mind.

What’s Arcane Trickster All About? Arcane Archetype Weaker but flavorful builds also have their place and can make for fulfilling characters. These rankings are meant to help you create an optimized class build, but remember DnD isn’t a game where you need to win to have fun. A weakness you will have to accommodate for. This weighs down the class and just takes up space on the character sheet.

Could work for a specific build, but otherwise is either a wasted opportunity or is just weaker than other alternatives. Not game-breaking, and certainly replaceable, but a strong choice that shores up some weakness. 🆗 - A solid feature that does its job well. Will provide some bonus that can’t be found through other means.

Often forms the backbone of a class’ look and feel.

#Trickster choice how to#

Let’s get into why… How to Use This GuideĮverything in this guide has an emoji, ranking how useful a given ability or feature is to playing this class effectively. Often considered top tier amongst roguish subclasses, the Arcane Trickster is certainly one of the easiest to recommend. Creating illusions, distracting guards, and using an invisible, spectral hand to manipulate the environment at range makes for some epic moments at the table. There’s something we love about the magical rogue.