The Best Rogue Multiclass in 5e DnD

Choosing to level in more than one class can be complicated. If done incorrectly, you can end up with a compromised build – one that’s not great in any single area. Like with most things in DnD, there are near-limitless options. This can intimidate new players.

To make things easier, we’ve created a list of the best multiclass options for Rogues in 5e. Whether you want to gain access to magic, buff your Sneak Attack chances, become more deadly in combat, or improve resistance to a damage type, we have the right multiclass option for you. 

How to Use This Guide

Everything in this guide has an emoji, ranking how useful a given ability or feature is to playing Rogue effectively.

✅ — An absolutely crucial feature. Often forms the backbone of a class’ look and feel. Will provide some bonus that can’t be found through other means.

🆗 — A solid feature that does its job well. Not game-breaking, and certainly replaceable, but a strong choice that shores up some weakness.

⚠️ — A debatable choice. Could work for a specific build, but otherwise is either a wasted opportunity or is just weaker than other alternatives.

⛔ — Outright bad and detrimental. This weighs down the class and just takes up space on the character sheet. A weakness you will have to accommodate for.

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. Weaker but flavorful builds can also make for fulfilling characters.

On Multiclassing Characters In 5e

There are lots of places you can go for advice on multiclassing from a purely mechanical perspective. We’ve included this important information. But we also wanted to explore ways that multiclassing can help reveal your Rogue’s character and improve their storytelling options. 

Taking levels in another character class should affect more than just your stats and abilities. Learning new skills introduces us to new people, vocabulary, and even new ways of looking at the world. It’s fun to work out how we can represent this at the gaming table in terms of roleplay and gameplay effects.

On Our Picks For Best Rogue Multiclass

While there’s technically no wrong way to multiclass, there are popular combinations that provide easy-to-understand benefits. We’ve stuck with those to appeal to the needs of most players. But we love that weird stuff too. If you’ve got a cool idea that falls way outside the more common picks, discuss it with your DM to see if it’ll work in your game. And let us know about it.

Top Tier In A Nutshell

From a purely mechanical perspective, many love the Rogue/Fighter multiclass. The Fighter’s Battlemaster abilities are great for all types of Rogues, and it makes sense thematically. DnD worlds are dangerous, as a rule. Given the nature of their work, many adventurers would take extra martial training. 

Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks may dip into Rogue to improve their movement options and action economy. And Rogues may dip the other way to access magic. The Rogue’s Cunning Action helps spellcasters disengage and retreat to a safe distance before continuing to rain down spells and Sneak Attacks. All without provoking an opportunity attack. Lots of fun to be had here.

Rangers also multiclass very well with Rogues. Both are resourceful, independent, and use Dexterity for their attacks and abilities. Many of the Ranger’s spells synergize well with the Rogue’s affinity for stealth. Both classes look cool in hoods too, which is enough for some. 

Note: If you haven’t perused all the Rogue options yet, check out our article explaining the basics:

✅ Artificer

For Rogues who don’t want to take the Arcane Trickster archetype but still want some of its utility, this is a good option. Artificer abilities like Mage Hand, Message, and Disguise Self have immediate value to a Rogue. Whether it’s for distraction, disruption, or flicking the lever that opens a locked door, Mage Hand is good enough to make it on our Best Cantrips in DnD 5e list. Check it out below:

Magical Tinkering is another Artificer ability limited only by player imagination. You can use it to cause otherwise mundane objects to emit light, sound, and static images. This is useful for exploration (rolling a light-emitting ball bearing down a dark hallway, for example) and has value in creating distractions to help get you out of tricky situations.

Infusions are a powerful tool, allowing Artificers to create magical weapons and armor with a range of properties. A weapon with +1 to damage and attack rolls is a popular choice. The Rogue/Artificer can create a homunculus to aid them in battle, craft potions and drink them as a bonus action, and generally open up some fun gameplay options that just aren’t there in a single class. 

✅ Fighter

The Rogue/Fighter is a classic in almost every edition of DnD (and incidentally, Thief/Fighter is my favorite way to play the classic Baldur’s Gate 2). If longbow proficiency doesn’t come from your racial pick, taking a single level in Fighter to get Fighting Style is a good option. Action Surge is also useful, as it can be combined with Cunning Action – allowing you to quadruple your speed temporarily. 

Completing three levels of Fighter means you can choose a Martial Archetype. Battle Master is probably the best fit for Rogues. This archetype gets you new maneuvers managed by a pool of Superiority Dice (4d8). Feinting Attack is one of the most useful of these maneuvers for a Rogue. Expending one of your Superiority Dice allows you to feint as a bonus action, provoking a reaction from your enemy. This gives you advantage on your next attack, making Sneak Attack possible. And there’s another benefit. The Superiority Dice is also added to the damage roll when the attack hits – bam! 

Riposte is another one of these maneuvers that can help Rogues – Swashbucklers in particular. When an enemy misses an attack, you can expend one Superiority Dice to use your reaction to make a melee attack against that enemy. Lots to see here for a Swashbuckler Rogue. And it’s easy to see the Rogue/Fighter coming about naturally in most DnD settings. It can even be fun to roleplay your leveling with the fighter in your group during downtime.

✅ Ranger

Stealth, Dexterity, and a penchant for finding alternative routes are among the things these classes have in common. A combination of these two classes feels logical in the context of DnD’s setting. Any Rogue forced by circumstances to spend a lot of time in nature would try to pick up some Ranger skills. And there’s lots of mechanical overlap too. A short, two-level dip into Ranger gets you spellcasting and a fighting style of your choice. Lots of players will use this to pick up Archery and some spells for utility. These benefits can be enough for many Rogues looking to diversify their options. 

However, taking three levels in Ranger means you can choose an archetype. Hunter is probably the most beneficial to Rogues, allowing you to retaliate as a reaction any time a larger creature attempts to attack you. This can mean an extra opportunity to land a Sneak Attack.

The Ranger’s Gloom Stalker archetype may also appeal to some Rogues. The addition of spells like Disguise Self can help with infiltration and stealth, and Gloom Stalkers gain some exceptional benefits in darkness. This subclass is invisible in gloomy environments to creatures that depend on dark vision. This can pay off in better exploration opportunities and chances to land Sneak Attacks.

🆗 Bard

Want a character who’s adept at a whole bunch of stuff? Well, look no further than the Rogue/Bard. Because both these classes get Expertise, you’ll be proficient in a really diverse set of skills. And this one makes some roleplaying/storytelling sense too. We think of both Bards and Rogues as witty, confident, and sometimes even brash. And there’s some decent overlap in terms of game mechanics too. 

The College of Swords archetype at level 3 is a favorite among Rogues dipping into Bard. Again, it’s the Swashbuckler Rogue who seems the best fit here. This is true from a mechanical and roleplay perspective, with lots of similarities in personality type and skill set. College of Swords Bard characters are larger-than-life weapon jugglers with flashy moves that can bewilder opponents with confidence. Sounds like a near-perfect fit for Swashbuckling Rogue looking to diversify. 

🆗 Sorcerer

Though the Arcane Trickster archetype does a pretty good job portraying the magical Rogue, multiclassing with Sorcerer can be fun. They’re reasonably effective too. One of the biggest benefits not available to Arcane Tricksters is the increased damage resistance Draconic Sorcerers get. 

One level in Draconic Bloodline can make your squishy Rogue a bit more substantial. Your draconic heritage means you have a layer of tough scales on parts of your body. When not wearing armor, your AC equals 13+ your Charisma modifier (which might be a decent score if you’re a Swashbuckler). You also gain an additional hit point every time you level up in this class. This can make a significant difference from the frail Rogue. 

In terms of spells, it’s usually best to stick to utility rather than offensive options. You can only make Sneak Attack with a weapon, so most spells simply won’t work. One offensive option worth considering is Booming Blade. Punishing enemies who stray too close feels good and helps discourage the bad guys.

Defensively, there’s not a lot from the Sorcerer’s skill set that can beat Uncanny Dodge and Evasion. Many Rogue/Sorcerers like to cast Booming Blade with Sneak Attack (possible because this spell manifests as a weapon), and then disengage as a bonus action. The target can’t move without taking damage, and you’re out of melee range. Fun times.

✅ Warlock

First things first, Eldritch Blast won’t work as a Sneak Attack because it doesn’t use a weapon. That aside, there’s still some cool stuff to be found in multiclassing this way. Like the Sorcerer, the Warlock depends on your Charisma score for many of their abilities. This can make multiclassing with a Rogue Swashbuckler (which also uses Charisma for many abilities) a good idea. 

A single level in Hexblade gives you the Hex Warrior ability. Instead of Dexterity, this lets you use Charisma for attack and damage rolls. Useful if you intend to take many levels in Warlock and want to increase Charisma when leveling up.  

Hexblade’s Curse stacks with Sneak Attack to help you land more damage reliably and potentially recoup hit points. Much like the Rogue/Sorcerer, the Rogue Swashbuckler/Warlock often casts Booming Blade, disengages, and then gets away without taking any damage by using Fancy Footwork. 

Play That Role

Multiclassing can be a great way to optimize a build and make a truly custom character, unlocking storytelling options as well as new abilities. Some players like to multiclass because it’s closer to what we do in real life. How many of us have only worked one job or studied a single subject?

A Rogue in a typical DnD setting would need skills outside their class list. This is especially true for members of smaller parties, where a single character needs to fulfill several roles. Multiclassing can be a part of fleshing out your character’s life experience and not simply an exercise in power-gaming (though it can certainly be that too). If you’ve created or shared the table with any powerful and unusual class combination, let us know! We’d love to hear from you.