Roguish Archetype: Thug

The word, "Rogue" has many meanings, and those who fall into this class are as varied. Plenty of rogues grow up on the street, honing their talents to become hard-nosed toughs or sharp grifters. Many rogues grow up connected to the underworld and absorb those values. Some, however, come from noncriminal backgrounds, developing skills that serve well in risky ventures. A few are or were spies or scouts for other powerful people or creatures.

As a thug, you achieve your way through tough words, hard looks, and the ability to back up either, and possess great skill and fighting prowess. It's often the time spent on the streets that have shaped you into someone who knows how to coerce others through threats, implied or direct.

Streetwise

At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in Intimidation, and either Deception or Persuasion (your choice). If you are already proficient in Intimidation, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks you make with it.

When you use the help action to aid another creature and they make a check for either intimidation or the skill you chose, they can add your Charisma or Strength modifier to their roll (whichever is higher) in addition to the normal effects of the help action.

Ruthless Ruffian

When you reach 3rd level, you learn a handful of dirty tricks to confound and debilitate your enemies, as well as ways to deliver brutal attacks with almost any weapon at hand. As such you treat unarmed strikes and any light or one-handed melee weapon you have proficiency with as if they had the Finesse property.

Dirty Tricks

At 3rd level, you learn two dirty tricks of your choice, which are described at the end of the archetype features. Once per turn, when you would deal sneak attack damage with a melee weapon attack, you can attempt a Dirty Trick. The number of dice you reduce from your Sneak Attack depends on each individual dirty trick. If the attack roll was a critical hit, you reduce your sneak attack damage for that attack before you make the damage roll. In order to learn any Dirty Trick, you must be able to reduce the listed amount from your sneak attack.

You learn an additional dirty trick of your choice at 9th, 13th, and 17th level. Each time you learn new dirty tricks, you can also replace one dirty trick you know with a different one.

Saving Throws

Some of your dirty tricks require your target to make a saving throw to resist the dirty trick's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:

• Dirty Trick save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).

Stubborn

Starting at 9th level, your unflinching determination grants you advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened when you can see the source of the effect.

Additionally, your trained bulk allows you to grant three quarters cover to allies instead of half cover, and if at least one of your allies is adjacent to you, you count as one size larger when initiating a grapple check or attempting to move a creature you have grappled.

Grit

By the time you reach 13th level, you have been hardened under duress. Your hit point maximum increases by one for each rogue level you have and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class.

In addition, when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Improved Dirty Tricks

Once you reach 17th level, your mastery over dirty tricks lets you unlock greater potential for each Dirty Trick you have learned.

Dirty Tricks

The list below details the Dirty Tricks you can learn starting from 3rd level.

Body Shield

When you are targeted by an attack, you can attempt to avoid being hit by using another creature within 5 feet from you as a body shield. As a reaction, you make a Strength check opposed by the target's Strength or Dexterity check (its choice). If you are successful, you force the creature to become the target of the attack made against you. Unless you are grappling the target, you must have at least one hand free when attempting this dirty trick, or you have disadvantage on your Strength check. If you are grappling the target, and you fail this check, your grapple ends. If you succeed, by subtracting 3d6 from your next Sneak Attack roll, the target also takes 2d6 extra damage from the triggering attack.

At 17th level, you may instead subtract 5d6 from your next Sneak Attack and cause the target to take 4d6 extra damage from the triggering attack.

Demoralize

By subtracting 2d6 from your Sneak Attack, your target must make a Wisdom saving throw or it's frightened of you until the end of its next turn.

At 17th level, you may instead subtract 4d6 from your Sneak Attack. If you do, your target must make a Wisdom saving throw or it's paralyzed until the end of its next turn. The target may repeat this saving throw at the start of its next turn.

Disorientate

By subtracting 2d6 from your Sneak Attack, the target must make a Constitution saving throw, or it's deafened, blinded, or can't talk or make more than rudimentary noises (your choice), until the end of its next turn.

At 17th level, you may instead subtract 4d6 from your Sneak Attack. If you do, the target must make a Constitution save, or it's stunned until the end of its next turn. The target may repeat this saving throw at the start of its next turn.

Hamstring

By subtracting 1d6 from your Sneak Attack, your target must make a Dexterity saving throw, or its speed is reduced by half until the end of its next turn.

At 17th level, you may instead subtract 2d6 from your Sneak Attack. If you do, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw, or it's knocked prone and can't move until the end of its next turn. The target may repeat this saving throw at the start of its next turn to move normally.

Internal Bleed

By subtracting 1d6 from your Sneak Attack, your target must make a Constitution saving throw, or it takes 1d6 damage of the same type dealt by the original attack at the start of its next turn. The target may repeat this saving throw at the start of its next turn to negate the effect. This damage is not doubled even if the original attack was a critical hit.

At 17th level, you may instead subtract 2d6 from your Sneak Attack. If you do, the target takes 2d6 damage of the same type dealt by the original attack at the start of its next turn. The target may repeat this saving throw at the start of its next turn to negate the effect. This damage is not doubled even if the original attack was a critical hit.

Slice and Dice

By subtracting 3d6 from your Sneak Attack, you may target a second creature within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit the second creature, it takes 2d6 damage of the same type as dealt by the original attack. The damage against a second target is not doubled even if the original attack was a critical hit.

At 17th level, you may instead subtract 5d6 from your Sneak Attack. If you do, you can target up to two different creatures within 5 feet of the original target and within your reach. If the original attack roll would hit both secondary targets, each take 2d6 damage of the same type dealt by the original attack. This damage is not doubled even if the original attack was a critical hit.

Wrist Lock

By subtracting 3d6 from your sneak attack, the target must make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (whichever is better), or it drops a weapon or item of your choice. Picking it up provokes an attack of opportunity from you.

At 17th level, if you have at least one hand free, you may instead subtract 5d6 from your sneak attack. If you do, you can attempt to grapple the target instead.