The Rogue is one of the 12 classes in Baldur’s Gate 3. Having a rogue character in your party is always useful, as their large bonuses on actions such as pickpocketing and lock-picking allow you to skip some tricky puzzles easily and have more access to loot. When it comes to combat, the Rogue’s selling feature is their sneak attack ability.
Rogues in BG3 are proficient in using one-handed weapons such as Short swords, Longswords, Daggers, Rapiers, and Hand Crossbows. Though daggers tend to do less damage by default, several throughout the game provide very useful passive effects. Only using one hand each means you can mix and match different weapons together – but which weapons are the best for your Rogue character?’
12
Gontr Mael
A Legendary Bow
The perks of 
Gontr Mael aren’t particularly specific to the Rogue playstyle, but when a bow is this great, it’s worthy of mention for any class that leans toward archery. To start with, Gontr Mael is a +3 longbow, a basic stat boost that makes an enormous difference compared to average gear.
A bit of luck, however, takes Gontr Mael to another level entirely. Hits with this bow also stand a chance of inflicting 
Guiding Bolt, which quickly stacks to some serious damage and momentum in combat. The wielder also gains the Bolt of Celestial Light, which lets them frighten enemies and deal extra radiant damage, along with one use of celestial haste per long rest.
11
Hunter’s Dagger
A Strong Early-Game Choice
The 
Hunter’s Daggerisn’t quite as flashy as later options found for Rogues, but it can be a deceptively powerful weapon in Baldur’s Gate 3. To start with, it’s a +1 dagger, which is nothing to sneeze at when you’re still in Act One. The real power of the Hunter’s Dagger, however, lies in its Rupturing effect, which makes targeted Ruptured for three turns after being hit.
This status deals piercing damage when the target moves, which can quickly be put to great effect by a clever Rogue. Making full use of this will require dashing in and out of combat to force enemies to move, so employing other gear or abilities that help with the Rogue’s ability to run around can help a lot. Regardless, it’s definitely worth picking up from the merchant Roah Moonglow found in the Shattered Sanctum.
10
Hellfire Hand Crossbow
Yurgir’s Bow
The only ranged weapons that Rogues are proficient with without multi-classing are hand crossbows. There are not many of these in the game, but the best one available is the Hellfire hand crossbow, which can be looted from Yurgir in the Gauntlet of Shar. This is one of two +2 hand Crossbows, and the other doesn’t grant any unique perks. This bow comes with Scorching Ray as a third3rd-level spell and can inflict the burning condition onto enemies if the wielder is hiding or invisible – and rogues will often find themselves attacking from the shadows.
9
Shortsword Of First Blood
An Early Game Substitute For An Act 3 Weapon
The 
Shortsword Of First Blood is found on a deceased deep gnome outside the Decrepit village in Act One’s Underdark. It deals an extra 1d8 damage to any enemies who haven’t been injured yet and still have all their hit points, which is more than double its base damage of 1d6. It pairs up well with the Assassin rogue subclass since the “Assassinate: Initiative” feature grants an advantage on attack rolls against enemies who have not yet taken a turn in combat – most of the time, this will mean you will still have all your health.
Advantage is what the Rogue’s sneak attack ability relies on. An assassin rouge holding this sword will be able to perform a powerful sneak attack at the start of a round. Though this is a good weapon in Act 1, it appears that Act 3 has a much better variant of it.
8
Ambusher
The Assassin Rogue’s Best Friend
Even in name, Ambusher seems to be perfectly built for the Assassin rogue subclass. The shortsword is most effective at the start of combat, as the wielder will deal an extra 1d6 necrotic damage to enemies who have not had their turn yet. It also grants an extra +1 bonus to initiative, which makes it more likely that characters with this sword equipped will have their turn first.
Ambusher is sold by Exxvikyap in the Rivington General in Act 3.
As previously stated, assassin Rogues have advantage on attack rolls against creatures who have not performed any actions in combat. Paired with this sword, rogue characters will be almost guaranteed a powerful sneak attack at the start of the first round if you have high enough initiative and the extra necrotic damage granted from the Ambusher. The weapon also grants advantage on perception checks, making it less likely that you could be ambushed yourself.
7
Sussur Dagger
Silence Spellcasting Enemies
The 
Sussur Dagger will silence the target its wielder attacked, making it extremely effective against spellcasters. When paired with other items on this list, such as the Shortsword of First Blood or Ambusher, you can prevent magic-wielding enemies from ever performing powerful attacks. This +1 Dagger is one of the weapons that can be obtained by completing the “Finish the Masterwork Weapon” quest in the Underdark.
6
Rhapsody
Cazador’s Dagger
Rhapsody is a very rare dagger that is held by Cazador. Very fittingly, it’s an excellent choice for rogue characters like Astarion. It has a base damage of 1d4+1 – but comes with the “Scarlet Remittance” effect, which grants a +1 to attack rolls, damage, and spell save DC for every enemy you kill and can be stacked up to three times. It also increases the chance of inflicting a target’s bleeding effect if the wielder is hiding or invisible.
The Scarlet Remittance effect only counts enemies that were killed whilst it is equipped.
However, Scarlet Remittance doesn’t deplete after battle. It lasts until a long rest – meaning that the majority of the time, this dagger has a similar damage capacity to a short sword. This makes it an excellent choice for dual-wielding with another weapon. The effect doesn’t only apply when using melee attacks – you also receive the bonus when it comes to attacking with a bow or another equipped weapon.
|
Scarlet Feast Bonus Action |
Effect |
|---|---|
|
Scarlet Saturation |
Use up your scarlet remittance to turn your next attack into a critical hit |
|
Scarlet Stupor |
Use up your scarlet remittance for hostile creatures to have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells |
If the wielder has a +3 in Scarlet Remittance, you can use “Scarlet Feast” to consume it using a bonus action for one of two effects. You can choose between two different bonuses – “Scarlet Saturation” or “Scarlet Stupor.” The former can make for some fantastic sneak attacks and is especially useful for quickly sniping enemies with a bow.
5
The Knife Of The Undermountain King
An Overpowered Act 1 Item
The 
Knife of the Undermountain King is a handy early-game item and is a prime example of why you should not skip the Githyanki Crèche Sold by A’jak’nir Jeera; this weapon lowers the critical hit threshold by one with a variant of the “Improved Critical,” passive called “Organ Rearranger,” and allows you to reroll with advantage if you deal two damage or less on an attack roll. Having this weapon equipped will also grant advantage against lightly or heavily obscured enemies, making this weapon perfect to use in darker areas.
4
Duellist’s Prerogative
The Perfect Rapier For The Swashbuckler Subclass
The 
Duellist’s Prerogative is one of the most powerful rapiers in the game and is obtained by returning Vanra to her mother, Lora, in Act 3. If the wielder’s offhand is empty, it lowers the die roll needed to land a critical hit by one and will grant them an additional reaction and bonus action to make an extra attack. The weapon conveniently comes with the “withering cut” reaction, which deals necrotic damage equal to the character’s proficiency bonus.
Since most of its bonuses come from having an open off-hand, using it to its full potential will mean that you will have to sacrifice using multiple melee weapons at once. This is not much of an issue in terms of pure damage since the “Dueller’s Enthusiasm” bonus action allows the wielder to attack twice with the same weapon. This extra attack negates the need for a dual-wielding feat but could be seen as a downside if you want the bonuses of multiple melee weapons at once.
3
The Dead Shot
The Best Ranged Option For Rogues
Only Elves get Longbow Proficiency as a racial trait in Baldur’s Gate 3, meaning most rogues cannot wield longbows without multiclassing. However, The Dead Shot has perfect synergy with some other items on this list – so if you have Astarion in your party or happen to be playing an elf yourself, then you should absolutely not miss this weapon and pick it up from Fytz the Firecracker in Act 3. Another method of obtaining proficiency with Longbows is by equipping the 
Gloves of Archery, which are sold by Grat the Trader in the Goblin Camp.
The “improved critical” feature can stack. This also applies to the Knife of the Mountain King’s “organ rearranger.”
The bow is yet another source of the “Improved critical” passive, making it a fantastic match with Bloodthirst or the Knife of the Mountain King. Unless you have disadvantage, the wielder’s proficiency bonus is treated as doubled when performing ranged attacks with this bow. I’ve found that this makes this bow comparable to, and perhaps even better than, the legendary Gontr Mael, which is considered by many to be the best bow in the game.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
