The Rogue: Character Builds

Model Characters

With the game’s best weapon talent trees, you can create dozens of rogues who each wield something a little different in combat.

Don’t feel constrained to play according to the following rogue models to the letter; take bits and pieces that appeal to your play style and add your own spin. However, these are basic models for a melee DPS rogue, ranged DPS rogue, and scout rogue.

Each shows you how to choose your talents up to level 20, what talent chains are effective, how specializations fit in, and sample combat strategies for that model.

Melee DPS Model

Overview

The name of the game is to deal damage quickly. Generally, Dual Weapon talents combined with the backstabbing Rogue talents work best.

Leveling

If you choose a Human Noble or Dwarf Noble, you gain the first Combat Training skill and can spend your skill point on Improved Combat Training.

You begin with Dirty Fighting talent, an excellent starting skill and always useful. You can stun, then move behind the enemy to get in a couple of backstabs.

This skill helps tremendously when you are forced to fight face-to-face, or for helping out a healer or teammate about to die.

At level 1, Below the Belt gives you a decent attack that can slow down enemies so they can't escape or can't pursue. Dual-Weapon Training starts the first Dual Weapon chain, which will be your primary focus.

Continue your Dual Weapon basics for the next two levels with Dual Striking and Dual-Weapon Finesse. Make sure you take Improved Combat Training by this point.

Next, Combat Movement presents a wider flanking area to produce backstabs easier. In the bigger fights with bodies all bunched together, it's difficult to get directly behind a target in time, so this helps a lot.

At level 5, pick up Deadly Strike as a precursor to Lethality and extra armor penetration. At level 6, pick up Riposte to add another stun to your arsenal. With Coup de Grace, you prevent damage to your party while hacking away for criticals.

You gain your specialization at level 7. You could go with duelist, but assassin concentrates on damage, and that's your priority. Mark of Death increases all damage against a single target. It's perfect against bosses and tougher foes that require that special touch.

The passive talent Lethality at level 8 increases your critical chance and converts cunning to strength for damage purposes. Dual-Weapon Expert adds even more critical chance at level 9. You need 26 dexterity and Expert Combat Training by this point.

Coup de Grace and Cripple, at levels 10 and 11, pile on the damage with more chances for backstabs and critical hits. At levels 12 and 13, top off your two Dual Weapon chains with Dual-Weapon Mastery and Punisher.

You can deal with huge threats now, wield full-sized weapons in both hands, use more talents because your stamina costs are reduced, and punish an opponent with three crushing blows. You must have 36 dexterity and Master Combat Training by now.

Complete your assassin specialization with levels 14 through 16. Exploit Weaknesses increases your damage potential by finding holes in your enemy's defenses, Lacerate gives you a damage-over-time effect, and Feast of the Fallen replenishes your stamina with every kill.

Now that you've nearly maxed out your offense, add a little defense with Evasion at level 17 and Feign Death at level 18.

You can always gain these defensive talents earlier if you find yourself hit a lot in combat. With a good party, though, you probably want to favor the offense.

You can finish up your talents with virtually anything you want. Here we'll add Dual-Weapon Sweep and Flurry for multiple-target damage, which could improve your damage output tremendously.

Talent Choices

Melee DPS tends toward Dual Weapon talents as a natural fit. You can dabble in the cunning Rogue talents, but to maximize your offensive potential, stick with most, if not all, of the dexterity Rogue talents.

Specialization

Assassin is all about enough damage to kill targets before they kill you. It's possible to go with the duelist specialization as well, if you want a little defense mixed in with your offense, but for all-out DPS, assassin slays the competition.

Battle Tactics

Wait a few seconds for the tank and other companions to engage the enemy. Angle into the fight from the side or rear, and always position yourself for a backstab attempt.

In general, you want to help the tank eliminate his prime adversary, but if you see targets of opportunity with half health or less, make quick work of them.

Based on the position and number of foes, select your attacks appropriately. Tank's target putting up a fight? Hit from behind with Coup de Grace and Punisher.

Enemy turning its attention on you? Stun it with Dirty Fighting or Riposte, or slow it down with Cripple so you can escape. Boss lumbering into view? Hit it with Mark of Death so everyone piles on extra damage.

Ranged DPS Model

Overview

Much like an offensive mage, a ranged DPS rogue concentrates weapons and talents on enemies at a distance. He focuses on the Archery school, and may dip into some talents, such as the duelist specialization, when melee becomes imminent.

Leveling

You begin with Dirty Fighting. It's not ideal for range, but very helpful when an enemy closes on you and you need a quick stun to get your distance again.

As you'll be working with a bow, load up on dexterity. Your goal is to have 27 dexterity and Master Combat Training by level 9.

With your first two talent points at level 1, choose Pinning Shot and Rapid Shot. You now can hamper someone's movement with Pinning Shot or reload much faster with Rapid Shot.

Below the Belt at level 2 gives you another melee talent, which also helps you avoid prolonged face-to-face encounters.

At level 3, gain the Improved Combat Training skill and start working on the next tier of talents. Crippling Shot hampers a foe's offense and defense, while Shattering Shot and Deadly Strike put holes in enemy's armor.

If you have 21 dexterity and Expert Combat Training at level 6, select Critical Shot. If you hit, Critical Shot inflicts critical damage and a bonus to armor penetration. Follow that up with Suppressing Fire at the next level to further encumber targets with attack penalties.

At level 8, purchase Lethality. It's an all-around excellent ability: it increases the critical chance for all attacks and possibly replaces cunning for strength when considering damage bonuses.

You reach your first pinnacle at level 9 with Scattershot. This awesome talent automatically stuns your target and deals normal damage, then splinters off and does the same to all nearby enemies.

Use this effectively against enemy spellcasters or large enemy groups to impede flanking attempts.

If you can reach 30 dexterity by level 10, you gain Arrow of Slaying. This scores an automatic critical hit against all but high-level opponents.

Beginning at level 11, concentrate on the Melee Archer chain. Melee Archer prevents attacks from interrupting your firing, while Aim and Defensive Fire provide offensive and defensive oriented bonuses, respectively.

At level 14 you finish the chain with Master Archer. You can fire arrows while taking damage, gain bonuses to offense and damage, slow the rate of fire to gain bonuses to defense, and bulk up almost all your Archery talents with Master Archer.

This skill also allows the rogue to wear heavy armor without attack speed penalties.

Now it's time for some melee talents in case enemies get close. At level 15, seek out Isabela at the Pearl to learn the duelist specialization.

Dueling and Pinpoint Strike ratchet up your offense while Upset Balance and Keen Defense ensure you won't go down so easily with swords and claws flying.

To fill out through level 20, dip into the cunning Rogue talents, with one point for locking picking and one for stealth.

If you aren't pure ranged DPS, you'll want these talents earlier; however, choosing them at higher levels still gives you options for the final quests in the game.

Talent Choices

The Archery school and all its ranged surprises are your go-to talents. Duelist provides some melee talents in case an enemy gets close enough to grab you.

Specialization

The Dueling sustained ability gives a bonus to attack while active. Upset Balance can slow an enemy's movement speed and hinder its defense. The passive Keen Defense does just that: add a permanent bonus to defense.

Your top melee talent, Pinpoint Strike, converts all hits into critical strikes for a moderate duration.

Battle Tactics

Once the battle begins, stand your ground. Let the tank and other melee DPSers embrace the enemy. You want to nuke them from afar.

Unlike a mage who stays in the rear, however, the ranged DPS rogue can enter melee with his better armor, weapons, and duelist talents at higher levels.

Survey the battlefield and pick your targets wisely. Concentrate fire on the tank's target to bring it down quicker, or look for injured foes that you can drop with an arrow or two.

If you see an enemy spellcaster in the enemy's rear, make it your priority. You don't want it getting off damaging spells.

Same goes for enemy archers. If your melee companions can't reach them, it's your job to stop them from pelting the team with damage.

On offense, your rotation goes something like this: Aim, Pinning Shot (against moving targets), Critical Shot (against near-dead targets), and Arrow of Slaying.

On defense, go Defensive Fire, Crippling Shot, Suppressing Fire, and Scattershot (especially against enemy spellcasters or enemies charging at you).

As a ranged DPS rogue, you have much of the offense of a DPS mage, yet you still can wear most of the better armor and use high-quality weapons.

Keep on the go to avoid enemy melee encounters and let your companions wade through the blood and limbs.

Scout Model

Overview

A master thief slinks through the shadows and opens locked doors with a flick of the wrist. A scout rogue can DPS well, but knows more than a thing or two about the business of treasure and traps.

Leveling

With your two points from the start, choose your key noncombat talents, Deft Hands (for lockpicking and trap detection) and Stealth (for hiding invisibly).

The Deft Hands chain is your priority; you want to be able to open locked doors and chests, and it will take up to Device Mastery at level 12 to open anything that comes your way.

At levels 2 and 3, begin on your offense with Dual-Weapon Training and Combat Movement. The following level, pick up Improved Tools to further enhance your lockpicking and trap detection.

With this build, you should increase cunning and dexterity to unlock all the necessary talents.

For the next two levels, continue your offense with Dual-Weapon Finesse at level 5 and Dual Striking at level 6. The big penalties to your off-hand weapon will be gone, and you now can attack with a two-hit combo.

At level 7, ask Leliana to train you in the bard specialization. Song of Valor provides regeneration to mana and stamina, which always proves useful after a long battle.

At level 8, you gain the third lockpicking rank with Mechanical Expertise. You will need 18 cunning.

To become a Dual-Weapon Expert at level 9, make sure you have 26 dexterity and Expert Combat Training. Your critical chance increases, and you may inflict lacerations that cause enemies to bleed more damage over time.

At levels 10 and 11, continue down the bard path. Distraction is a single-target stun, while Song of Courage improves the party's attack, damage, and critical chance scores.

If you have 22 cunning by level 12, welcome to the ultimate lockpicking and trap detection talent: Device Mastery. You will never fail to open a locked door or chest (unless it requires a special key), or to detect a trap and disarm it.

You cap out two more key talent chains at levels 13 and 14. First, the bard's Captivating Song is the rogue's finest crowd control talent if you have the stamina to use it properly.

At level 14, Dual-Weapon Mastery finishes off your expertise with two weapons, including wielding full-sized weapons if you like.

For level 15 and on, you can fill out talents as desired. Here we went with Riposte and Coup de Grace next for more stunning and backstabbing.

Feign Death and Cripple, at levels 17 and 18, give you options to remove yourself from combat if you have too much threat on you.

Level 19's Punisher gives you a powerful finishing move, and the final talent, Stealthy Item Use, improves your stealth to the second rank.

Talent Choices

The Rogue cunning abilities come in the most handy, supported by its dexterity talents and some Dual Weapon conditioning.

Specialization

The bard specialization may not produce extra damage, but it gives the rogue phenomenal control over enemies with the stuns Distraction and Captivating Song.

The group buffs Song of Valor and Song of Courage raise the stats of the entire party. If you aren't worried about pure combat, the bard specialization is the best option for helping out the entire party.

Battle Tactics

You don't have as much DPS as your other companions, so let the tank and other melee specialists roam out into the enemy crowds. You can slip into stealth and pick your best spot to enter combat.

At higher levels, once you've stacked up a few Dual Weapon talents, you should hold your own against lesser enemy groups or a stronger one-on-one fight.

Your chief role will be crowd control. Once you have the bard's Captivating Song at level 13, charge out just behind the tank or other DPSers. Activate Captivating Song once the enemy throng presses in.

You won't be able to move, but all enemies within a moderate radius will be stunned unless they pass a mental resistance check every few seconds. Most mobs are susceptible to mental attacks, so the song is very effective.

With the song active, you lose stamina over time, and when you hit zero, all enemies break loose. Build up your willpower if you plan on using Captivating Song a lot.

By pinning enemies in place, you prevent incoming damage and allow your fellow companions ample free shots on the dazed enemies.