Rogues and Resource Management

[Easy_Lee]

The rogue is one of the most well-liked classes in 5e. Many consider them one for the best designed classes this edition, and they've been popular since release. I find that interesting.

In the Milestones vs XP thread, Tanarii made an interesting point about resource expenditure.


It's worth noting that under the DMG definitions of an Encounter, they don't have to be Combat Encounters. But any Non-Combat Encounters are AT BEST worth Easy encounter XP if they aren't expected to require any resource expenditure. So while 'XP = combat' isn't a valid complaint because it explicitly isn't, it certainly biases against any kind of Encounter that isn't expected to require resources to resolve.

IMO that's working as intended for 5e D&D, and D&D in general. My belief is D&D has always been intentionally designed as a game of resource management (the G side of TRPG). So I like it being there. But if you're sitting down to play 'TRP without G', stripping this aspect out is probably the first thing you're going to want to do. Be it via Milestones or XP.
What does this have to do with rogues? Rogues don't have resources. Aside from their level 20 feature and some subclass options, not a single rogue feature has limited uses.

And they're the only class like this. Fighters have action surge, second wind, and indomitable. Barbarians have their rage. Monks have Ki. And everyone else has spells. Not rogues. Rogue features are always on right up until level 20. The only kind of resources expenditure rogues are going to do is using consumable items.

So what gives? If D&D is about resource management, why are rogues such a popular class? Are they expected to have more consumable items (poison, healing kits, etc.) than other classes?

I don't think this affects the game much, but I thought it was an interesting point. Perhaps this reflects the expected differences between martials and casters.

[Kobard]

What does this have to do with rogues? Rogues don't have resources. Aside from their level 20 feature and some subclass options, not a single rogue feature has limited uses.They do. Hit points are indeed resources. Also, a rogue's resources are tied deeply to the action economy, namely Bonus actions and Reactions. But having a class with less mechanical resource "points" to manage is not necessarily a bad thing from a design perspective.

[Human Paragon 3]

Their resources are tactical, not strategic. They get a nice big pool of actions they can do every turn no matter what, and the "G" is in how they execute them.

The only real strategic resource they have are proficiencies, and ASI/feats. So building your rogue is the strategy, and using their actions is the tactical side.

And of course, HPs are a resource.


NOTE: Arcane trickster rogues have spells, which are an expendable resource too.

[Easy_Lee]

They do. Hit points are indeed resources. Also, a rogue's resources are tied deeply to the action economy, namely Bonus actions and Reactions.


Their resources are tactical, not strategic. They get a nice big pool of actions they can do every turn no matter what, and the "G" is in how they execute them.

The only real strategic resource they have are proficiencies, and ASI/feats. So building your rogue is the strategy, and using their actions is the tactical side.

And of course, HPs are a resource.

I think you both know what kind of resources I'm talking about. Easy encounters might result in some HP loss and will certainly require actions, but are unlikely to require anyone to consume spell slots, rages, ki, etc. Hard encounters almost certainly will consume these resources.

But the rogue doesn't have that kind of resource if he isn't an arcane trickster. And most rogues aren't ATs.

[Cybren]

I think you both know what kind of resources I'm talking about. Easy encounters might result in some HP loss and will certainly require actions, but are unlikely to require anyone to consume spell slots, rages, ki, etc. Hard encounters almost certainly will consume these resources.

But the rogue doesn't have that kind of resource if he isn't an arcane trickster. And most rogues aren't ATs.

I think this just shows there should be a re-framing of what people see of as a resource. Yes, spell slots and limited use abilities and consumable items are all a resource, and so are HP and HD, but also your physical time at the table is the most important resource. If an 'easy' fight takes you two hours real time to finish it may have been 'easy' but also it sucked up all or most of a session.

[JellyPooga]

So what gives? If D&D is about resource management, why are rogues such a popular class? Are they expected to have more consumable items (poison, healing kits, etc.) than other classes?

Rogues are, in part, popular because they avoid the resource management game. Tanarii is right that a significant part of the D&D game is about resource management, but that's not the entirety of the game and Rogues are the Class that excel in those portions of the game that don't involve it. When those sections of the game that don't involve resource management are (largely speaking) two of the "three pillars" of combat (i.e. exploration and social), that means Rogues get a lot of "face-time" for (in theory) two thirds of the game, even when those sections (combined) aren't earning as much XP as the other third (alone). XP is, after all, only one measure of "success" in the game; the DMG lists several other measures, including loot, reputation, divine or magical boons and training, not to mention the story advancing, social contacts and so forth; many of which are achieved not by going around smoking fools, but by the largely non-resource expending activities of actually talking to people, getting from A-to-B and so on (the "RP" of TRPG).

[Willie the Duck]

I think you both know what kind of resources I'm talking about. Easy encounters might result in some HP loss and will certainly require actions, but are unlikely to require anyone to consume spell slots, rages, ki, etc. Hard encounters almost certainly will consume these resources.
But the rogue doesn't have that kind of resource if he isn't an arcane trickster. And most rogues aren't ATs.

Well, first and foremost, it doesn't matter what resources you are talking about, it matters what the book is talking about. However, yes, you are right. The rogue is the class whose mechanical conception is that they don't have any expendable resources (other than the ones that everyone has*). So the answer to 'what gives?' is, 'yes, that's their entire deal!' They are a perfect example of the exception that proves the rule (in that their exception makes one notice the otherwise extant rule).
*It is worth noting, however, that a rogue has a real issue with both hp (being a glass cannon) and action economy (so many uses for their bonus action).

[scalyfreak]

The rogue is the class whose mechanical conception is that they don't have any expendable resources (other than the ones that everyone has*).

Unless they're an Arcane Trickster. Several other classes have spells, and spells most certainly count as an expendable resource that needs to be renewed every so often.

The thread so far has been acting as if "rogue" means "only thieves or assassins", and if that's going to be the going definition, that's fine, bu the title is misleading. Or are the arcane tricksters not actually rogues in the minds of most posters?

Genuine question. I'm curious as to how arcane tricksters are perceived.

[JNAProductions]

Unless they're an Arcane Trickster. Several other classes have spells, and spells most certainly count as an expendable resource that needs to be renewed every so often.

The thread so far has been acting as if "rogue" means "only thieves or assassins", and if that's going to be the going definition, that's fine, bu the title is misleading. Or are the arcane tricksters not actually rogues in the minds of most posters?

Genuine question. I'm curious as to how arcane tricksters are perceived.

They're just (in my experience) less common. Even assuming every subclass is played equally, there are three PHB sublcasses, and two more (to my knowledge-Swash and Mastermind) in other sources. So ATs are 1/3rd to 1/5th of the Rogues played, meaning the MAJORITY of Rogues have no limited use class abilities till level 20.

[scalyfreak]

Makes sense, thanks.

I hardly ever seen the tricksters mentioned in rouge threads, and I've been wondering why.

[MeeposFire]

Makes sense, thanks.

I hardly ever seen the tricksters mentioned in rouge threads, and I've been wondering why.

Well in a thread like this they really are not germane. Really the question is about how a class with relatively few resources to expend compared to most and the trickster just makes it more like other classes.

[Malifice]

It is worth noting, however, that a rogue has a real issue with both hp (being a glass cannon) and action economy (so many uses for their bonus action).

Uncanny dodge goes a long way to mitigating this, as does [[move] attack [disengage] move] yo-yoing.

[Unoriginal]

Sneak Attack is probably one of the most iconic Rogue feature, and their main way to cause damages in general.

My question is: how, in your experience, do the Rogues get the opportunity to use their sneak attack? Do they usually need their teammates' help? Does it costs their teammates anything?

[Lombra]

Rogue's resource managment during combat is finding ways to sneak attack as safely as possible to end the combat as quickly as possible so that his other resources (other PCs) stay fresh. It's a cooperative party game, if the rogue can manage to prevent a cleric of his party to cast inflict wounds because he managed to sneak attack and kill that enemy, it is an implicit resource management achevement.

For social encounters or simply non combat encounter there should be items involved, skill checks (in which the rogue expended his resources: expertises) and loss of reputation, or eventual beginning of a combat encounter.

Even champions don't really have "resources" to expend, second wind and action surge reload on short rests and it's easy to decide when to use them. Just because one character has mostly passive features it doesn't mean that he can't manage the party's resources, or eventual items that he'll get.

Edit: bottom line: just because you don't have resources to expend it doesn't mean that you don't have resources to manage.

[Willie the Duck]

Uncanny dodge goes a long way to mitigating this, as does [[move] attack [disengage] move] yo-yoing.

That is careful management of the action economy (those bonus actions competing with two-weapon fighting, which is a dominant way of ensuring that one attack lands so your sneak attack damage dice land). Which is my point--the rogue (body, AT as mentioned is an exception) has no expendable class features to manage, but instead you are managing your actions and fragility.


Rogue's resource managment during combat is finding ways to sneak attack as safely as possible to end the combat as quickly as possible so that his other resources (other PCs) stay fresh. It's a cooperative party game, if the rogue can manage to prevent a cleric of his party to cast inflict wounds because he managed to sneak attack and kill that enemy, it is an implicit resource management achevement.

For social encounters or simply non combat encounter there should be items involved, skill checks (in which the rogue expended his resources: expertises) and loss of reputation, or eventual beginning of a combat encounter.

Even champions don't really have "resources" to expend, second wind and action surge reload on short rests and it's easy to decide when to use them. Just because one character has mostly passive features it doesn't mean that he can't manage the party's resources, or eventual items that he'll get.

Edit: bottom line: just because you don't have resources to expend it doesn't mean that you don't have resources to manage.

Exactly! Although I will say that yes, Champions do have resources. If short-rest-recharges don't count, then lots of classes don't have resources, by the OP's definition. They are, though, a close second in classes with very few expendable class features.

[Malifice]

That is careful management of the action economy (those bonus actions competing with two-weapon fighting, which is a dominant way of ensuring that one attack lands so your sneak attack damage dice land). Which is my point--the rogue (body, AT as mentioned is an exception) has no expendable class features to manage, but instead you are managing your actions and fragility.

HP and hit dice?

[Willie the Duck]

HP and hit dice?

I do not understand your point. HP and Hit Dice fall under fragility. You are balancing those against your economy of actions. Or did you mean HP and hit dice are 'expendable class features' I neglected to mention? Because they aren't class features, by my nomenclature, since all classes get them.

[Talionis]

I think this thread makes a very valid point. Rogues manage resources far less than other classes (even the Arcane Trickster has very limited uses of spells, but its less resources than the Eldritch Knight).

Rogues are still challenging to play because they have to be strategic, they can be very defensive, but in general Rogues are played pretty cautiously. Rogues usually excel in social and exploring pillars of the game where a good portion of the game is done without consumables, certainly casters do use spells for these pillars as well, but most social and exploring encounters will not use resources just use their skills that are attached to the bonuses in their attributes, etc.

Rogues are not really a class I'd advise beginning 5E roleplayers to take on. They aren't easy to play and they end up having to know how the game works fairly well in order to make their Sneak Attacks work and properly use the information they gain from exploration and social interactions.

My guess is Rogues are very popular for experienced players because they are very different from managing resources like you would on a caster, but they still challenge the player to mechanically understand the game and pay attention. Rogues also are designed to work well in every pillar of the game. No surprise they are popular.

But Rogues shouldn't be penalized because they don't have to use resources to achieve goals. Not using resources is really the Rogues thing. Rogues are supposed to feel like the ordinary human who is smart and skilled and other than being utterly fatigued the human can repeat these ordinary things over and over again. In a roleplaying world where amazing things happen all the time, its very interesting because the well-played Rogue will find ways to stay relevant at high levels in 5E.

Its good class construction, I honestly wish Fighters had less resource management too for similar reasons.

[Easy_Lee]

The reason I brought up the resource management thing is because many DMs have the idea that if resources aren't expended, then the party wasn't challenged. The traps thread that's up right now goes into this, and the Angry DM has also brought it up a few times.

When a rogue player ends up with such a DM, things get crappy fast. Scouting and traps are supposed to be the forte of the rogue. But if the rogue actually scouts or disarms a trap, he's likely doing so with nothing but a roll. Enter magical traps, tremorsense enemies, and brightly lit corridors where stealth is useless. Whoops! Should have played a different class if you wanted to be an effective scout!

That's why it surprises me that players are so satisfied with them.

[Talionis]

The reason I brought up the resource management thing is because many DMs have the idea that if resources aren't expended, then the party wasn't challenged. The traps thread that's up right now goes into this, and the Angry DM has also brought it up a few times.

When a rogue player ends up with such a DM, things get crappy fast. Scouting and traps are supposed to be the forte of the rogue. But if the rogue actually scouts or disarms a trap, he's likely doing so with nothing but a roll. Enter magical traps, tremorsense enemies, and brightly lit corridors where stealth is useless. Whoops! Should have played a different class if you wanted to be an effective scout!

That's why it surprises me that players are so satisfied with them.

I agree its a problem. As a DM would you give XP for a Rogue who finds an ambush and warns the party to circumvent it? I would. Not everything is about combat. Sometimes avoiding combats save everyone else resources or are the only way to win some situations where the party is not at the proper level for the encounter. At the same time, if a level 3 Rogue avoids a Red Dragon for the party, the party didn't defeat the Red Dragon so its not like they should receive the same XP as if they defeated the Red Dragon. The DM needs to find a balance of some reward for the Rogue for providing its function of avoiding a conflict, even though the Rogue also didn't expend resources.

[Vogie]

I don't usually play rogues, so I never really thought about it this way, but I definitely get where they're coming from.

One way that you could do it is by, ironically, giving them a resource that they may care about.

This could be some sort of consumable, or spell-like ability that requires "short rests", that you could tack on. That's probably a terrible idea.


However, another option is to change the difficulty of avoiding certain encounters - specifically, increasing them - then, have the rogue accrue and use inspiration as a resource.

Normally, inspiration is given when you do something awesome, or as a reward corresponding with one's traits, ideal, bond, or flaw... and can't be stacked up. However, I would suggest that letting rogues specifically stack it up for this purpose. They can then spend inspiration while in combat, or various other things that one can normally use inspiration. However, the main reason for this change is that the above change - avoiding combat or traps or entire encounters - is a higher than normally expected, thus making rogues use their inspiration to give themselves an advantage... or multiple advantages.

Obviously, depending on the rogue, and the GM, you would want them to then be able to regenerate inspiration in some manner. It could be baked into some random effects - Short rests in front of places you expect contain traps could give you inspiration, Rolling any criticals, phases of the moon - or having Rogues gain inspiration when they use an archetypal ability. You would also want to put a cap on the amount of inspiration a rogue can shore up, but that would likely depend on the other one.

As for flavor of the inspiration, it could be that these individuals are lucky, divinely blessed, have some otherworldly skill at some niche.

[Theodoxus]

The reason I brought up the resource management thing is because many DMs have the idea that if resources aren't expended, then the party wasn't challenged. The traps thread that's up right now goes into this, and the Angry DM has also brought it up a few times.

When a rogue player ends up with such a DM, things get crappy fast. Scouting and traps are supposed to be the forte of the rogue. But if the rogue actually scouts or disarms a trap, he's likely doing so with nothing but a roll. Enter magical traps, tremorsense enemies, and brightly lit corridors where stealth is useless. Whoops! Should have played a different class if you wanted to be an effective scout!

That's why it surprises me that players are so satisfied with them.

This is why I'm in the process of writing up a WoW style take on 5E. The way World of Warcraft is these days, only the most undergeared people have resource management problems - and generally only in dungeons and raids.

There's really no reason why resources need to exist any more. Yes, you can play 5E as a micromanagement track every arrow and bite of hardtack if you want to - but all the players and DMs I personally know, don't.

Instead of a session being 6-8 encounters that are just resource attrition, you can play each encounter as such. If your party can't beat down the monsters before they run out of HPs, well, you lose. You have a strategic choice: Concentrate firepower, or play the ablative HP game. Crowd Control, environmental manipulation, healing... they all become integral parts of each encounter, because you're not using up daily resources - or worried about the same, and thus being affected by analysis paralysis.

And no, this isn't a rebuilt of 4E. I'm literally taking the races and classes of WoW, keeping only their spells and abilities (nothing added from 5E) and converting them to as close an association with 5E mechanics as possible. So, no, there won't be unlimited Fireballs or Wishes...

[Easy_Lee]

This is why I'm in the process of writing up a WoW style take on 5E. The way World of Warcraft is these days, only the most undergeared people have resource management problems - and generally only in dungeons and raids.

There's really no reason why resources need to exist any more. Yes, you can play 5E as a micromanagement track every arrow and bite of hardtack if you want to - but all the players and DMs I personally know, don't.

If you take the resources out of 5e, meaning casters would presumably have infinite spell slots, you'd have to give martials quite a bit of additional capability to compensate. Even at fifth level, fighter attacks don't compare to fireball, even if the fighter action surges. And things only get worse from there.

As a thought experiment, let's imagine a Sorcadin with infinite spell slots and spell points for smiting and quickening spells. Let's then stop imagining that because I mean damn.

[Tanarii]

Just to be clear, I was talking about Strategic resources, including HPs, many Class Features, limited use Magical Items.

I also think making Time a resource consideration for difficulty / XP reward is a valid thing. That said, I don't think it's what was intended.

Edit: On that note, I've been looking at various ways to included 'Skill Challenges' (or whatever) back in the game as a way to judge how to reward non-resource-expending challenges. And also to structure/measure, at least inside my head, if something is really a challenge or not, and how difficult it is if so.

[Chugger]

Take the resources out of 5e? Really?

That's one of the many reasons I quit WoW (but I'd play vanilla maybe these daze). WoW got way too easy and meaningless. It was more like an arcade game or something.

I remember when crowd control was taken out of WoW. The crack-addict style games loved it - and they screamed down anyone who complained in game, but the finesse of the game was gone. And it steadily devolved and got worse.

Easy_Lee you're so funny how you dislike (or so easily dismiss) ATs. But I'll forgive you! :smallwink:

[Easy_Lee]

Take the resources out of 5e? Really?

That's one of the many reasons I quit WoW (but I'd play vanilla maybe these daze). WoW got way too easy and meaningless. It was more like an arcade game or something.

I remember when crowd control was taken out of WoW. The crack-addict style games loved it - and they screamed down anyone who complained in game, but the finesse of the game was gone. And it steadily devolved and got worse.

Easy_Lee you're so funny how you dislike (or so easily dismiss) ATs. But I'll forgive you! :smallwink:

Agreed about WoW. Limited resources lead to meaningful decisions. Unlimited resources mean there's always a single best solution.

Regarding ATs, I've played one. With the wrong DM, they become finicky. I also don't like that they don't function the same way as other rogue archetypes. I have the same feeling about Eldritch Knights. In my opinion, these two should have been part of an arcane half-caster class, not archetypes of the otherwise always-ready rogue and almost-always-ready fighter.

[Chugger]

Agreed about WoW. Limited resources lead to meaningful decisions. Unlimited resources mean there's always a single best solution.

Regarding ATs, I've played one. With the wrong DM, they become finicky. I also don't like that they don't function the same way as other rogue archetypes. I have the same feeling about Eldritch Knights. In my opinion, these two should have been part of an arcane half-caster class, not archetypes of the otherwise always-ready rogue and almost-always-ready fighter.

Easy as I've said before I like your posts! I was just kidding around.

I'm currently playing an AT at AL and ... yeah he's got limits - but I'm okay with it. Maybe I won't like him so much in a few months. I hope that doesn't happen.

And yeah, WoW devolved ... so sad. Used to love it. I think a lot of MMOs ... well my main beef is that "who could own and use a PC" radically changed over the years. At first, when EQ came out, only smart and resourceful people owned computers. For the most part. And mostly adults.

So EQ was very much geared for that the first 2 years. If a person was resourceful enough to get and figure out how to use a pc, then they liked ultra-hard-to-play (don't die) EQ.

But then it quickly became easier to own and use a pc. Used ones were sold cheap - prices came down - ease of use got better - and some people got given old pcs (that still worked for mmos). And the game demographics changed. Two years after I started EQ there were suddenly a LOT of kids playing. Some were great players and you couldn't tell. But some were 8 years old and whining and some new players were adults but acted like whiny 8 year olds.

So ... sadly MMO owners, to maximize profits, began tilting game design to satisfy little kids who had access to mommy's VISA card ... and the mmo's began to die... (Pandaren cough cough, ahem...)....

[Tanarii]

BTW in my experience, Thief and Assassin Rogues are some of the biggest users of non-spell resources. Meaning PHB consumables (Fast Hands, Poison), as well as various potions. This used to be even more true in older editions was UMD worked with Scrolls.

[mephnick]

BTW in my experience, Thief and Assassin Rogues are some of the biggest users of non-spell resources. Meaning PHB consumables (Fast Hands, Poison), as well as various potions. This used to be even more true in older editions was UMD worked with Scrolls.

Thief rogues especially, yeah. Alchemist's fire, acid and holy water costs add up fast. You don't want to be throwing those around if you don't have to.

[Hrugner]

BTW in my experience, Thief and Assassin Rogues are some of the biggest users of non-spell resources. Meaning PHB consumables (Fast Hands, Poison), as well as various potions. This used to be even more true in older editions was UMD worked with Scrolls.

This has been my experience as well. It also appears to be the design intent behind the class if you don't go beyond the PHB. You could consider gold or carrying capacity to be a major resource. Playing a thief rogue strong enough to carry around multiple bear traps is certainly tempting.

However, this does still leave rogues without much in the way of resource management in the traditional sense. It's one of the reasons I prefer them to the other classes as it leaves them much less subject to the whim of the DM. A warforged rogue is really cut loose by not even needing to sleep or eat.

[Tanarii]

Thief rogues especially, yeah. Alchemist's fire, acid and holy water costs add up fast. You don't want to be throwing those around if you don't have to.True. You can drop about 100 gp / encounter on consumables, and that'll leave you saving around or about 1/2 your expected Hoard value, in the 5-10 level range.

[Xetheral]

Agreed about WoW. Limited resources lead to meaningful decisions. Unlimited resources mean there's always a single best solution.

Are you only referring to WoW here, or do you intend this to be a general claim? If the latter, could you please explain what you mean? It doesn't make sense to me: removing a constraint on an optimization problem can result in a unary solution space, but it's by no means guaranteed (or even likely).

D&D spellcasters, for example, need to decide which spell is "best" to cast on a particular round. Removing the limitation on spells per day would certainly change the constraints on that decision, but doesn't mean there would automatically be a single "best" solution.

[90sMusic]

I think you peeps are looking at this the wrong way. In combat, rogues only really deal damage one way and that is sneak attack. They only get a single attack per turn and it is all or nothing. Sure they can use an offhand weapon as a bonus if they're dual wielding, but using that bonus action to make an additional melee swing is dangerous to them because it prevents them from disengaging and they must either risk an opportunity attack or just stand there and risk getting attacked directly.

Sure paladins have spell slots with limited uses and fighters have action surge and all these other limited resources, but the fact rogues don't have these things isn't a strength of rogues it is a weakness of rogues.

Johnny Slashhard, the level 20 fighter with 20 strength and using a greatsword can do 8d6+20 damage per turn normally and can surge to do potentially 16d6+40.

Sue Stabbins, the level 20 rogue with 20 dexterity can only deal 11d6+5 with a shortbow or bump it up to 1d8+10d6+5 with a rapier. That puts rogue at 43.5 per turn and fighter at 48 per turn.

Magical weapons make the situation even worse because a rogue's single attack only gets the benefit from that damage once. A +3 bow is only gonna had +3 per round to your total damage, whereas Johnny Slashhard is benefiting from it 4 times for an additional 12 damage.

Now, when you consider Johnny Slashhard can action surge twice per short rest and double this damage output, it puts the already behind rogue even further behind. It is an advantage rogues don't have access to. It is in the same vein as spells being limited but a single high level spell can do horrific amounts of damage, especially in AOE. An agonizing blast warlock can do 4d10+20 force damage per round which averages to just slightly under rogue, but that is without using ANY of their limited resources. By expending a single spell slot they add another 4d6 necrotic damage to every turn and surpass the rogue. Fiend locks can shoot fireballs doing 10d6 fire damage to each target within the radius.

Their limited resources aren't a hindrance, they are an advantage, because their limited resources are POWERFUL and they do almost the same damage as a rogue even when they're completely tapped out of all limited resources. And if they have the right magical items, they'll do more damage than a rogue.

Now rogues DO have one resource that is limited, but they don't always have access to it and when they do, they can only benefit from it once per combat. This resource comes in the form of acting first. Assassins automatically crit on a surprised enemy and can attempt to do their death strike to double the total damage. This is something that can only happen once per combat and the vast majority of the time you don't get access to this because a lot of DM's don't let their enemies get taken by surprise often (especially a major character). Thief gets basically the same thing by getting one extra turn in the first round of combat. Thief, funny enough, is more reliable to get that extra damage off because it doesn't rely on the enemy failing a constitution save which virtually all major badasses have a LOT of bonuses to.

So yeah, again, rogues not having a limitation on resources is because they lack the extra, powerful features that need limitations in the first place. Fighter can outdamage rogue and also doesn't need to have advantage on attacks or an ally nearby the target in order to deal that damage. Warlock can outdamage rogue with even a +1 pact keeper rod, even if the rogue has a +1 weapon as well. But these other classes have additional damage features.

Outside of combat, and the place where rogues really shine, are their skills. They typically are proficient in 6 skills, possibly 7 or 8 depending on their race. Skills have no hard rule limitations on use most of the time, but DM fiat always limits their uses. For instance, you can't just keep making persuasion checks forever until you succeed because a DM isn't going to let that happen. Many DMs put in penalties or limited tries for other ability checks as well like lockpicking.

Also keep in mind, literally any class can have access to these exact same skills if they want to and can use them the same way, they aren't rogue exclusive, rogues just have more than average.

And then you have situations like the Bard who can get even more skills than a rogue with just as much expertise, AND they get full caster spell progression and can learn any spell in the game.

Rogues are popular because stealth is fun, the archetype and theme is fun, picking locks and stealing things can be fun, and they don't have to worry about keeping track of spells. People aren't just taking them because they say "wow, no limited resources, they are awesome!" because it is the equivalent of claiming you buffed the wizard class by removing all of it's spell slots, thus removing all of it's limited resources.

And it can't be stated enough that health is a resource everyone must deal with and the most important one of all. Even if you only take 1 hitpoint of damage from the average encounter, combat or otherwise, it will wear you down through attrition eventually. You try to hold onto your health as much as possible as a rogue because it's your limiting factor.