D&D Rogue Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Rogue level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

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D&D Rogue Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Rogue level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Rogue Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 8 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d8.

Proficiencies

• Armour: Light Armour.
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Hand Crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords.
• Tools: Thieves’ tools.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Dexterity (DEX) and Intelligence (INT).
• Skills: Choose four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth.

Class Features

• Expertise
  Your proficiency bonus is doubled on two skills of your choice for which you have proficiency already.
• Sneak Attack (1d6)
  You can deal an extra 1d6 damage to a creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The extra damage increases as your Rogue level increases.
• Thieves’ Cant
  You know a secret mix of dialect, jargon, and code that allows you to hide secret messages in a normal conversation. Only other people with the same skill will understand hidden messages.

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Cunning Action
  You can take a bonus action on each of your turns in combat.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 2d6.
• Roguish Archetype
  You can choose your subclass between the Thief, Assassin, Arcane Trickster, Inquisitive, Mastermind, Scout, Phantom, Soulknife and Swashbuckler.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

If you choose the Arcane Trickster archetype you’ll have access to the Spellcasting feature that allows you to cast spells from the Wizard spell list.
Your knowledge only covers two of the eight schools of magic: Enchantment and Illusion.

• Cantrips known: 3.
• Spells known: 3.
• Spell slots: 2 (1st level).

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level).

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 3d6.
• Uncanny Dodge
  You can use your reaction to take half damage from an incoming attack if you see the attacker.

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Expertise
  You can choose two additional skills for which you want your proficiency bonus to be doubled.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 4d6.
• Evasion
  Your agility allows you to dodge certain area effects coming from those attacks that require you to make a Dexterity saving throw. If you pass it, you’ll take 0 damage instead of the standard half damage.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level), +2 (2nd level).

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 5d6.
• New Roguish Archetype subclass feature: this depends on which Roguish Archetype you have chosen for your Rogue.

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Cantrips known: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (2nd level).

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 6d6.
• Reliable Talent
  When you make an ability check that lets you add the proficiency bonus of those abilities for which you’re an expert, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10 instead.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 7d6.
• New Roguish Archetype subclass feature: this depends on which Roguish Archetype you have chosen for your Rogue.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +2 (3rd level).

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Blindsense
  You are able to identify the location of any hidden or invisible creatures within 10 feet of you if you can hear them.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 8d6.
• Slippery Mind
  You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (3rd level).

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 9d6.
• New Roguish Archetype subclass feature: this depends on which Roguish Archetype you have chosen for your Rogue.

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Elusive
  No attacks can have advantage against you while you’re not incapacitated.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Sneak Attack extra damage: 10d6.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Stroke of Luck
  If your attack misses a target you can turn that miss into a hit, or if you fail an ability check you can treat that d20 roll as a 20. You can use this feature once every short or long rest.

Arcane Trickster subclass only

• Spells known: +1.