Is the Revenant Blade feat worth it for a Rogue?

[Wasp]

I was wondering: Is the Revenant Blade feat worth it for an Arcane Trickster Rogue? Is Rapier or two short swords without the feat investment better for a melee AT? Does the feat make sense if taken later (i would like take Elven Accuracy at first ASI). Or is the Revenant Blade there mostly because it's cool?

[Arkhios]

I was wondering: Is the Revenant Blade feat worth it for an Arcane Trickster Rogue? Is Rapier or two short swords without the feat investment better for a melee AT? Does the feat make sense if taken later (i would like take Elven Accuracy at first ASI). Or is the Revenant Blade there mostly because it's cool?

Definitely a yes. With just one feat you get:


two-weapon fighting equivalent attack option (attack action + bonus action for attack routine); which, of course, you have already, just without the benefits of the next bullet point.
two-weapon fighting style equivalent benefit (meaning, your ability modifier for damage with the other end of the weapon)
weapon that qualifies for two-handed weapon fighting style (whether or not your DM lets you reroll all the dice or just the weapon dice)
finesse weapon so you can make sneak attacks with it, twice the chance to sneak attack on your turn, with having more than just one attack per turn.
bonus to AC is always nice when your armor proficiency is restricted to light armor only
and, most importantly, a +1 bonus to dexterity (or strength)

[diplomancer]

I was wondering: Is the Revenant Blade feat worth it for an Arcane Trickster Rogue? Is Rapier or two short swords without the feat investment better for a melee AT? Does the feat make sense if taken later (i would like take Elven Accuracy at first ASI). Or is the Revenant Blade there mostly because it's cool?


I'd say the feat is good, but:
1- Many people, including you apparently, think Elven Accuracy is better.
2- I wouldn't say taking two half-feats in the same ability is weak or unoptimal, but it does feel a bit bad, staying for 4 whole levels with an odd stat after you raise it just doesn't seem right.

[AdAstra]

I'd say the feat is good, but:
1- Many people, including you apparently, think Elven Accuracy is better.
2- I wouldn't say taking two half-feats in the same ability is weak or unoptimal, but it does feel a bit bad, staying for 4 whole levels with an odd stat after you raise it just doesn't seem right.

TBF, at least for Rogues this is alleviated a fair bit since you can use your 8th level ASI to pick up one and your 10th level ASI to get the other. That way you only have that odd stat for two levels. Not the method the OP seems to be leaning towards, but it's an option.


With regards to the original topic, it's certainly useful, but hardly a must-take. Particularly, as an Arcane Trickster you can pick up Booming Blade (or GFB, though I'm not sure how much people like that one in comparison), which if used precludes taking the bonus action attack.

Compared to regular TWF on a single-classed Rogue, the benefits of Revenant Blade are +1 AC and your Dex bonus to the damage on the second attack, and the average of 2d4+1d4 for the DBS being half a point more than the 2d6 of two shortswords. However, the benefits (other than the +1 Dex/Str) don't apply if you're not using the double-bladed scimitar and are pretty minimal if you're using your bonus action for other things, so if you want the flexibility of being able to use Cunning Action and bows/crossbows/rapiers, or daggers (for ranged TWF), it's less attractive.

[DarknessEternal]

Yes.

You can also take Great Weapon Fighting style to re-roll all those sneak attack dice.

[solidork]

One advantage that hasn't been mentioned over normal dual wielding is that its easier to cast while using a 2h weapon vs using 2 one handers since you can freely take your hand off the weapon to do somatic components. You can work around this problem normally, but you really need Warcaster to straight up ignore it.

[Evaar]

Generally Arcane Tricksters use Booming Blade. If you're doing that, it won't get you the bonus action attack from the Double Scimitar, so it's not worth it.

This also means you're trying to use your bonus action to attack as often as possible, which means you aren't using it for Cunning Action. That's fine, but just keep in mind the relative value of the bonus action attack is a little lower because you already have bonus attack options. That said, it's arguably still a net gain because you really want to make sure you hit at least once per turn for Sneak Attack, and getting a second attack is good insurance toward that even if it is costing your bonus action.

I think it's better for most other Rogue subclasses than it is for Arcane Trickster (Soulknife being the exception), but if you aren't using Booming Blade anyway then it shouldn't feel like a complete waste. And as solidork noted, it does make it easier to meet the somatic component requirement of spells if you didn't already have a free hand.

[ATHATH]

finesse weapon so you can make sneak attacks with it, twice the chance to sneak attack on your turn, with having more than just one attack per turn.

Note that if both hits land, you won't get sneak attack damage on both of them, as you can only deal your sneak attack damage once per turn (which is NOT the same as once per round, mind).

[Arkhios]

Note that if both hits land, you won't get sneak attack damage on both of them, as you can only deal your sneak attack damage once per turn (which is NOT the same as once per round, mind).

I said twice the chance. Not to sneak attack twice. That is, I'm very well aware that Sneak Attack is once per turn only. Having two (or more) attacks per turn multiplies your chance to land even that one sneak attack. That was my point.

[Gignere]

Probably not worth it as you’ll clog your bonus actions even more. TBH having cunning action disengage is much more added survivability than +1 or for that matter +5 AC. Not in range to be hit >>> bonus AC.

As other have said your best damage is going to be booming blade and/or Shadowblade and this conflicts with both.

[heavyfuel]

I don't much see the appeal of a BA attack for Rogues.

Yeah, missing that one attack sucks, but Cunning Action is almost always going to be a better use of your BA.

I'd much rather use CA for BA Hide followed by a Blade Cantrip attack with advantage. Plus, if you already have some source of adv, then using CA after the attack means you're nigh untargetable until your next turn.

You're not always going to have somewhere to hide, but it occurs often enough that the feat wouldn't be as well utilized as by another class

Math Edit:

I actually plugged in the numbers in LudicSavant's DPR calculator, assuming 5th level, +1 weapon, 18 Dex, enemy ac 14, and having advantage 50% of the time for RB, and 75% of the time for Elven Accuracy (you'll get more BA hides)

Reventant Blade's DPR is ~22
Elven Accuracy's DPR, with Rapier+Booming Blade is ~25
Elven Accuracy's DPR, with just Rapier is ~20.5

Not a huge difference, but EA also gives you all the effects of Booming Blade as well, and more freedom for your BAs
RB does give you more AC, which is not irrelevant, though. If you don't have a way to get Booming Blade, definitely go for RB over EA

[Gignere]

I don't much see the appeal of a BA attack for Rogues.

Yeah, missing that one attack sucks, but Cunning Action is almost always going to be a better use of your BA.

I'd much rather use CA for BA Hide followed by a Blade Cantrip attack with advantage. Plus, if you already have some source of adv, then using CA after the attack means you're nigh untargetable until your next turn.

You're not always going to have somewhere to hide, but it occurs often enough that the feat wouldn't be as well utilized as by another class

Math Edit:

I actually plugged in the numbers in LudicSavant's DPR calculator, assuming 5th level, +1 weapon, 18 Dex, enemy ac 14, and having advantage 50% of the time for RB, and 75% of the time for Elven Accuracy (you'll get more BA hides)

Reventant Blade's DPR is ~22
Elven Accuracy's DPR, with Rapier+Booming Blade is ~25
Elven Accuracy's DPR, with just Rapier is ~20.5

Not a huge difference, but EA also gives you all the effects of Booming Blade as well, and more freedom for your BAs
RB does give you more AC, which is not irrelevant, though. If you don't have a way to get Booming Blade, definitely go for RB over EA

Since it’s an AT the only ways OP can’t get BB is if it is banned or he/she consciously made the decision not to select it.

[Wasp]

Yeah, I think I prefer the flexibility EA brings, having the option to go BB and Rapier or daggers or Longbow depending on the fight.

Plus getting the required weapon proficiency limits your options quite a bit it seems...