Multi-classing

[Cuddly Turask]

Hi everyone,

Right now I have a level 4 Rouge (assassin) and I will be level 5 soon. I'm looking for more damage so is it a worth while endeavor to multi-class?

Also if yes, which classes work best with the the Rouge?

[Gurka]

I'd say fighter is a good option if you wanna stay "mundane", and offers some decent melt synergy and more attacks and ASI's/feats.

Monk might also be good, particularly if you put one of your good scores in WIS.

I don't see much advantage in the other classes besides maybe blade pact warlock.

[The_Ditto]

Also if yes, which classes work best with the the Rouge?

Typically, lipstick, mascara and blush work best.
:smallannoyed:

[BRKNdevil]

Champion Fighter increases your chance of criticals on Sneak Attack to around 20% of all your Sneak Attacks and i'd stick round till at least 4 to make up for the lost Ability Score Improvement, maybe 6 to get ahead. Battle master would get you a Advantage on command with Feint

[odigity]

Also if yes, which classes work best with the the Rouge?

Rouge = a form of cosmetics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouge)
Rogue = a D&D class

I don't normally bother people about typos, but this one is rampant. It seems like half the people on these forums mispell Rogue as Rouge, and frankly it's driving me to distraction to constantly see people asking for advice on optimizing their make-up.

[Longcat]

Fighter 2 is nice for Action Surge, allowing you to alpha strike whenever the 3rd level Assassin ability triggers.

[Gurka]

Fighter 2 is nice for Action Surge, allowing you to alpha strike whenever the 3rd level Assassin ability triggers.

Keep in mind that even with action surge, you only get sneak attack damage ONCE per turn. A given DM may allow it more often, but RAW only let's you desk the damage once.

Multiple attacks are still great though, since it's just that much more damage, and more importantly you still have to HIT a target to deal sneak attack damage, and more attacks makes it more likely you'll land a hit each turn.

[Longcat]

Keep in mind that even with action surge, you only get sneak attack damage ONCE per turn. A given DM may allow it more often, but RAW only let's you desk the damage once.

Multiple attacks are still great though, since it's just that much more damage, and more importantly you still have to HIT a target to deal sneak attack damage, and more attacks makes it more likely you'll land a hit each turn.

It's not about getting Sneak Attack damage more often, it's taking advantage of having advantage and automatic crits during surprise.

[Person_Man]

On the damage front, you're unlikely to squeeze out that much more damage out of multi-classing then you would get from just sticking with strait Rogue.

For example, picking up Fighter 5 for Fighting Style (+5, assuming 20 Dex and TWF), and Extra Attack (1d6 + 5) gives you a net increase of 1d6 + 10 (average 13.5) damage, plus an extra 5% chance of a critical hit if you go Champion (.05 * [1d6 + 5 + Sneak Attack damage). But you're giving up 3d6 (average 11.5) Sneak Attack.

You get Action Surge, and that will give you 2 more attacks once per Short Rest. But you're giving up Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, whatever your next Rogue-ish Archetype feature is, plus an extra Feat. Uncanny Dodge + Evasion in particular makes you amazingly tanky.

[Cuddly Turask]

Thanks for the suggestions and duly noted about the cosmetics.

Would sneak attack work with something like a monk's furry of blows or a warlock's elderitch blast?

[odigity]

Thanks for the suggestions and duly noted about the cosmetics.

Would sneak attack work with something like a monk's furry of blows or a warlock's elderitch blast?

Monk: RAW doesn't classify unarmed strike as a finesse weapon, but unofficial tweets from the game's designers indicate they'd allow it at their own tables, and I believe most other DMs would do so as well.

Warlock: No. Sneak attack requires a weapon, can't be done with a spell attack.

However, EB on a surprise round with Assassinate is pretty sick. Can get up to 8d10+20 dmg + 20' pushback on a single target.

[Longcat]

Uncanny Dodge is amazing, and something the Ranger Archetype needs 15 levels to acquire. Multiclassing depends a lot on your character concept and the kind of fighting style you wish to go for. Personally, I'd probably take Rogue5/Fighter11/Rogue+4 on an archery based character. The +2 from Archery style make the -5 penalty from Sharpshooter a lot easier to swallow, especially if you can acquire Advantage via Move+Cunning Action. This would provide a significant damage increase, if that is what you are aiming for.

Furthermore, depending on the Fighter Archetype, you gain a passive damage/defense increase (Champion), nifty maneuvers (Battlemaster) or utility/defense (Eldritch Knight).

Small comparison, neglecting accuracy issues:
Straight Rogue20 (Dex 20, Shortbow, using Sneak Attack):
+11 11d6+5 (43.5 or 53.5 w/Sharpshooter) or 22d6+5 (82 or 83 w/Sharpshooter) if the Assassin 3rd level ability triggers.

Fighter11/Rogue9 (Dex 20, Longbow, Archery Style, using Sneak Attack)
+13/+13/+13 1d8+5(x3) (38.5 or 68.5 w/Sharpshooter). If at least one of those attacks hit, add +5d6 (17.5) from Sneak Attack, resulting in 56/86 potential damage. If the Assassin 3rd level ability applies, the potential max damage goes up to 6d8+10d6+15 (77 or 107 w/Sharpshooter).

Conclusion: If neither uses Short/Long Rest resources nor Sharpshooter, the Rogue is slightly ahead in terms of damage if they hit. If the Fighter can successfully leverage Sharpshooter at least once, they come up ahead.

[odigity]

Straight Rogue20 (Dex 20, Shortbow, using Sneak Attack):


No archery-based char in 5e will ever, ever take Rogue 20. Every one of them (assuming multiclassing is allowed) is going to dip at least Fighter 1 to get Fighting Style and Martial Weapon proficiencies to upgrade to a longbow or crossbow variant. You don't even lose a sneak attack die...

I would compare Fighter 11/ Rogue 9 to Fighter 1 / Rogue 19 rather than Rogue 20.

[Longcat]

No archery-based char in 5e will ever, ever take Rogue 20. Every one of them (assuming multiclassing is allowed) is going to dip at least Fighter 1 to get Fighting Style and Martial Weapon proficiencies to upgrade to a longbow or crossbow variant. You don't even lose a sneak attack die...

I would compare Fighter 11/ Rogue 9 to Fighter 1 / Rogue 19 rather than Rogue 20.

Changes very little in terms of damage output, since Accuracy was not factored in the calculation. Sharpshooters damage increase is still highly situational for such a character since their entire damage rides on that one attack, whereas the Fighter11/Rogue9 needs to hit with only one attack. The net increase is +1 (for Longbow) and +2 (for Heavy Crossbow). Double that if Assassin3 triggers.