Need help rogue should I multi class

[Whit]

I’m looking at a gnome rogue
Either rogue trickster or rogue swashbuckler with multiclass spellcaster
Which one is better to do

[Aether_Black]

Depends on how much you care about optimization and what level you know the campaign intends to go til.

Trickster works great for a lot of reasons if you snag the Svirfneblin magic at some point you get to be extra trickstery with all the illusion and nondetection magic you get.

Swash is fun class, especially if you have a nice themed setting to go with it to boot but stats are gonna be a bit meh with nothing to boost CHA.

Is you DM allowing Tashas?

[Catullus64]

Swashbuckler Rogue 3/Swords Bard 3+ is a solid build, with a versatile mix of mobility, utility, decent melee damage, and control spells. Just know that it has peaks and valleys of relative effectiveness, level-by-level. You get a boost at Bard 5 when your Blade Flourish dice replenish on Short Rest, another boost at Bard 6 from extra attack, and nothing much else until Bard 14 when you get free Blade Flourishes. If you want more damage, it's going to have to come from Magical Secrets or additional Rogue levels.

With Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Mirror Image has been added as a Bard spell, which is a godsend for melee bards. Before, they were pretty much out in the cold for personal defenses until they could pick up Greater Invisibility at 7th Level.

On the other side of things, Wizard 2/Arcane Trickster Rogue 3+ is also tremendous fun, with more optimal stat boosts from a Gnome. (From now on, I'm just not mentioning Tasha's race customization rules unless the OP brings it up, or every single build thread is going to need to have "are u using Tasha's" appended on.) Recommendations for Arcane Tradition go out to either Transmutation or Conjuration, as their 2nd-Level features are great for all kinds of Rogue shenanigans. Bladesinger if you want a little more combat focus.

The mindset with which to approach builds like this is versatility. You probably won't be the best in any traditional party role, but you'll have loads of tools for getting yourself in and out of trouble, and for engineering creative solutions to problems.

[Frogreaver]

I’m looking at a gnome rogue
Either rogue trickster or rogue swashbuckler with multiclass spellcaster
Which one is better to do

If you are playing through the game leveling said character organically then I’d do the arcane trickster. If you are starting high level there may be a case for rogue/bard or rogue/wizard.

[KorvinStarmast]

I’m looking at a gnome rogue
Either rogue trickster or rogue swashbuckler with multiclass spellcaster
Which one is better to do From what I have seen, Arcane Trickster is a really good kit.

How far (how high a level) do you expect the game to go? Our party's {forest} gnome rogue at level 8, AT, is very effective. (He loves shadow blade now that he's using it more often)

No Multiclassing.

If we get to level 10 before my brother burns out as DM (I am seeing the symptoms) he might MC, but I doubt it.

The question you'll want to answer, for yourself, is: what features from 9-13 interest me?

If none of them do, I'd consider MC'ing after the the ASI at 8, or after getting Magical Ambush at 9.
Forcing disdvantage on saves can be quite the force multiplier.

Versatile Trickster, at 13, guarantees you advantage on attack rolls. That's neat, but I've not seen it in play at the table.

AT is an all around good kit.