Arcane Trickster

The Arcane Trickster is my favourite sub-class in Fifth Edition D&D.  It is not the most powerful but is a lot of fun.  

Trickster does not need to multi-class but a single level of Wizard gives a big boost with access to all first level spells, ritual casting and we can trade out our known spells for more Second Level options.  Best spot for multi-class is level six but if we have a game where we expect to spend a long time in Tier 1 we can also dip at level 2.

Rogues get lots of choice for using a Bonus action and Reaction as we go up levels.

Actions: Attack; (3) cast a spell
Bonus: Off-hand Attack; (2) Dash; Disengage; Hide; Mage Hand; (13) Versatile Trickster
Reaction: (4) Shield; (5) Uncanny Dodge; (6) Feather Fall; (17) Spell Thief

A trickster wants good Dex and Int as well as Dark Vision, after all it is hard to sneak around carrying a torch.  If we are using point buy that gives us three choices in the PHB - High Elf, Half-Elf and Forest Gnome.

Feats/ASI: We are going to get Dex 20, Lucky and Resistance (Con).  That will only leave room for two or three other boosts if we play all the way to level 20.

• Mobile - Extra speed is good for a Gnome.  Free disengage helps if we are using our bonus action on Versatile Trickster for advantage.
  
• Sentinel - I had originally discounted this but TreantMonk did make a good case in his video that you can use it protect even squishier party members.
  
• Skilled - Thematic pick for a Skill Monkey which combines well with Reliable Talent.  At this point we get a minimum check of 15 which passes Medium difficulty tasks for skills we would have previously had a +0 bonus.
  
• Con/Int Boost - When I compare this to Tough that offers +10 HP and -1 Con Save.  I think I would rather take the Con boost.  Int makes our DC higher to maximise the value of the few offensive spells we cast.
  

Arcane Trickster Cantrips

• Mage Hand - We have to take this and it is our core power
• Acid Splash - A Save spell works with Magical Ambush and is useful for those times when resistance or AC makes it hard to hurt opponents.
• Minor Illusion - Useful cantrip for some cover and distractions
• Dancing Lights (level 10) - A light spell of some sort is useful even with dark vision.
  

Wizard Cantrips

• Chill Touch - Thematically it is another spectral hand which fits with our trickster concept.  This is an attack cantrip we will only ever use it if we do not have sneak attack.  Interestingly after level 11 this deals more damage than our bow 3d8 vs 1d8+5.  Firebolt or Ray of Frost are probably more optimal picks.
• Mending, Prestidigitation - Two useful cantrips for utility

Spells: Shield, Feather Fall, Find Familiar, Detect Magic and two more depending on what is needed for the game.  If we are lucky DM will let us scribe our known spells into the spell book.

 

Kylassa Blaise

I created this character back in 1993 using 2nd Edition rules.  She got updated to 3 and then 3.5 rules and the campaign has now moved to using Fifth Edition rules.  If I was using point buy this would be a High Elf but since I have rolled stats I have stayed with Wood Elf which is what she was in the older editions.  This is a PHB only game so do not have other options to select spells, or feats, from other books.

Starting Skills -
Race: Perception; Class: Athletics, Investigation, Slight of Hand and Stealth; Background: Arcana, Survival

• I take Athletics over Acrobatics for climbing. If you are able to interchange them in your game you can swap. We start with expertise here to offset our low strength.  
• Survival is my background pick for character concept.  You can take Deception or anything else you want here. The important skill is to pick up Arcana for dealing with magical traps.
• The other six skills are the core needed for our class.  We are really good at sneaking around; finding traps, both magical and mundane as well as noticing what is going on.

Eleventh level With 2 ASI's on Stats and Res(Con)
High Elf (point buy) S: 8 D: 16+4 = 20 C: 13+1  =14 I 16 W: 12      Ch: 10
Wood Elf (Rolled)    S: 8 D: 18+2 = 20 C: 12+1+1=14 I 16 W: 13+1=14 Ch: 10

Character Plan

Class	Ability	Notable Spells
01: Rogue 1	Expertise (Stealth, Athletics) and Sneak Attack!
02: Rogue 2	Cunning Action
03: Rogue 3	Arcane Trickster! We get spells and a Familiar	(3) Familiar, Laughter, Disguise
04: Rouge 4	ASI: Max Dex	(4) Silent Image, Shield
05: Rogue 5	Uncanny Dodge gives us some extra defence
06: R 5 / Wizard 1	Spell book for all the first level spells we want	Spell Book & Rituals!
07: R 6 / W 1	Expertise (Perception & Investigation)
08: Rogue 7 / W 1	Evasion; Second Level Spells	(5) Invisibility, Web
09: Rogue 8 / W 1	ASI: Resistance (Con)	(6) Blur, Levitate
10: Rogue 9 / W 1	Magical Ambush	Phantasmal Force
11: Rogue 10 / W 1	ASI: +1 Wis, +1 Con	(7) Mirror Image, Dancing Lights
12: Rogue 11 / W 1	Reliable Talent	(8) Suggestion
13: Rogue 12 / W 1	ASI: Lucky
14: Rogue 13 / W 1	Versatile Trickster & Third Level Spells	(9) Hypnotic Patterns, Slow
15: Rogue 14 / W 1	Blindsense	(10) Fly, Major Image
16: Rogue 15 / W 1	Slippery Mind
17: Rogue 16 / W 1	ASI: Skilled (Deception, Insight, Acrobatics)	(11) Suggestion (again)
18: Rogue 17 / W 1	Spell Thief
19: Rogue 18 / W 1	Elusive
20: Rogue 19 / W 1	ASI: +2 INT; Fourth Level Spell	(12) Greater Invisibility

Final spell list
Prepared Spells (5): Feather Fall, Magic Missile, Shield, Silent Image, Hideous Laughter
Rituals: Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Identify, Floating Disk, Unseen Servant
Known Spells (I/E 9): Disguise Self; Blur; Mirror Image; Invisibility; Suggestion; Phantasmal Force; Hypnotic Pattern; Major Image; Greater Invisibility
Known Spells (any 3): Levitate; Fly; Slow

Notes

• We start with Find Familiar and, if we think it can survive, swap out for Shield at Level 4.  We then learn the ritual again at Level 6 when we multi-class.
• Web is a good control spell but it does not work with Magical Ambush so we will trade it out for Slow when we get Third Level Spells 
• Haste is an option for our third level any school pick.  It does give extra damage, defence and mobility which is fine in a combat focused game but offers no utility.  Taking Fly, Dispel Magic  or even Misty Step gives options that Haste does not.
• Skilled Feat is a thematic choice for a skill monkey character.  We can pump Int instead if we only care about combat efficiency.
  
• What is the change of Spell Thief working?  If we have DC 18.
  25% vs Lich CR 21
  40% vs Mummy Lord CR 15; Archmage CR 12
  50% vs Efreeti CR 11
  65% vs Ultroloth CR 13

 

Cerin 'Nimbledigit' Quillsharpener

Gnomes have a couple of weaknesses compared to Elves.  No extra skills and a slower movement speed but you do get to play the fun short kleptomaniac collecting all your shiny rocks (or any other high value items you can steal).  Their bonus is advantage on mental saves vs magic which is a good boost for our weak Wisdom save.  This is a fun little character I played using almost the same build as above.

Point Buy: S 10; D 16; C 13; I 16; W 10; Ch 10.
ASI: (4) +2 Dex; (8) +2 Dex; (10) Res(Con); (12) Mobile; (16) Lucky; (19) +2 Con

 

Kormac Ardeleant

I started another Trickster with the intention of going all the way to twentieth level in a single class but I am not sure it is worth doing.  Rogue Capstone "Stroke of Luck" is thematic but not that powerful.  One good use though is if we take Counterspell as our final any school pick we can use our ability to counter even ninth level spells! This was a point buy game and I went with Half-elf.  The final build will be almost the same as outlined above.  I have also used the character in some one shots using different feats and spells to try them out.

S 8; D 16; C 13; I 16; W 12; Ch 10.
ASI: (4) +2 Dex; (8) +2 Dex; (10) Res(Con); (12) Lucky; (16)+2 Int; (19) +2 Int

When using spells from other books there is the overpowered Booming Blade cantrip that just adds damage to our single attack each round.  It is a horribly designed spell but you might as well take it if you are playing in a game that it is used in. 

Art Credit: I found these on ArtStation from xyzl0119 and Wayne Chang.