Every Dungeons and Dragons 2024 Rogue Change Explained

Dungeons and Dragons is gearing up for its next inspiring chapter with the 2024 Player’s Handbook. With the last edition released a decade ago, the changes hope to make Dungeons and Dragons more streamlined for new players and improved for longtime players.

The Rogue class is one of the strongest damage dealers and most effective skill mules. The 2024 version updates Sneak Attack, tweaks its subclasses, and grants Cunning Strike, an enormously powerful feature for combat.

D&D Rogues Retain Their Cunning in 2024

Many Rogue abilities remain largely unchanged, such as Cunning Action and the progression of Sneak Attack. Others, like Blindsense, have been removed. Rogues already cover a broad range of skills across gameplay, so the class didn’t necessarily need to be altered from head to toe. That said, the changes are exciting.

D&D roleplaying potential is increased with two small but key features. At level 1, the iconic Thieves’ Cant grants an additional language proficiency to emulate the great number of people Rogues are likely to come across in their networks. Reliable Talent is also moved down from level 11 to level 7, meaning players can roll their easy 32s on lockpicking even faster. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

One of D&D’s Heaviest Hitters Gets More Interesting in Combat

While getting steady advantage on attacks and Sneak Attack makes any Rogue build powerful, the class has a reputation for being a tad boring long-term. The standard for most subclasses is simply to hide, attack, and repeat. The new features clearly aim to make their knavish combat a little more versatile.

In 2024, D&D weapons now come with a unique “mastery property.” At level 1, Rogues get Weapon Mastery, where they can choose two weapons they’re proficient with every long rest and access their mastery properties. For example, here are the properties that come with shortswords and daggers, respectively:

• Vex: When you hit a creature, you’ll have advantage on the next attack roll you make against that creature before the end of your next turn. This essentially guarantees Sneak Attack.
• Nick: You gain an extra attack on your Attack action if you’re using a weapon with the Light property. This could replace the extra attack typically made with a Rogue’s bonus action, freeing it up for Cunning Action and especially handy for Thieves with their Fast Hands feature.

It’s also become easier for Rogues to trigger Sneak Attack. A feature introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Steady Aim allows players to invoke advantage on their next attack roll in that turn with their bonus action, but their speed becomes 0 for the duration. In the 2024 PHB, it is a standard feature of the class at level 3, reliably granting Sneak Attack.

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Level 5 has always been huge for Rogues for their Uncanny Dodge, but now this level also comes with the Cunning Strike, the standout feature of the Rogue update with new ways to damage enemies or move unharmed. The feature states that when a player deals Sneak Attack damage, they can choose to forgo Sneak Attack damage die to add a Cunning Strike effect from the following:

• Poison (Cost: 1d6): Your target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute. They can repeat this save at the end of each of their turns.
• Trip (Cost: 1d6): On a failed Dexterity save, your target, which must be size Large or smaller, falls Prone.
• Withdraw (Cost: 1d6): Move up to half your speed after attacking without provoking Opportunity Attacks.

The DC is based on Dexterity. At level 11, Cunning Strike improves and can add two effects to a single Sneak Attack. But it doesn’t stop there, as at level 14, Rogues get Devious Strike, which expands the Cunning Strike options (though with greater Sneak Attack die costs):

• Daze (Cost: 2d6): On a failed Constitution saving throw, your target will only get to move or take an action or bonus action on their next turn.
• Knock Out (Cost: 6d6): On a failed Constitution saving throw, render your target Unconscious for 1 minute. They can repeat this save at the end of each of their turns.
• Obscure (Cost: 3d6): On a failed Dexterity saving throw, your target is Blinded until the end of its next turn.

The level 15 Slippery Mind feature has been upgraded, granting proficiency in both Wisdom and Charisma saves. Finally, this D&D class capstone feature, Stroke of Luck, is largely the same but gets a minor shift. The original feature states that an attack that misses a target within range can be turned into a hit, or, alternatively, a failed ability check can be treated as a 20 on the d20. In the new PHB, this feature can now be used on saving throws, and the reroll is always a critical.

Rogue Subclasses Get Exciting New Traits

The 2024 Rogue subclasses included in the new PHB are Arcane Trickster, Soulknife, Assassin, and Thief, the latter two receiving the biggest updates. Tricksters can now swap out a cantrip each time they level up, and when using the Trip Cunning Strike on an enemy, they can target an additional creature within 5 feet of their Mage Hand. For Soulknife, the extended range of their Psychic Blade is now 120 feet, and it has the Vex mastery property as with all shortswords.

Assassins’ core appeal in D&D – that is, assassinating – has been made easier. The primary features are that they can move after using Steady Aim, they can ignore poison resistance with Poison Cunning Strike, and with the new rules on how Surprise works, their Assassinate and Death Strike features now rely on other creatures not taking their turn in initiative yet—with Assassins being granted advantage on initiative rolls.

Thieves are now even trickier than before. Where the Fast Hands feature previously did not apply to magic items, Thieves can now activate them as a bonus action. Use Magic Device similarly grants Thieves an additional attunement slot, the chance to activate items without expending charges, and use of spell scrolls. Additionally, Thieves get access to a unique Cunning Strike called Stealth Attack that allows them to remain hidden after attacking.

For D&D fans of these deceptive sneak masters, the thrilling changes altogether ensure that Rogues can make the most of their turns. When not applying their wide range of D&D skills outside of combat, the typical route for damage dealing is made infinitely more interesting. That is, the changes lean into the beloved dangerous trickster archetype that makes players choose Rogue in the first place.

Dungeons & Dragons

Created by

E. Gary Gygax , Dave Arneson

Creation Year

1974