Rogue NPCs and How to Use Them for EVERY Tier of Play
If this is your first time reading this series, we’re going through each of the official classes in D&D Fifth Edition and making NPC statblocks inspired by them. They are not intended to be carbon copies, but rather to simplify your NPCs while maintaining the same flavor and familiarity as a full character. I go into more detail about this philosophy in the first article of the series.
But simply, for each of the tiers of play we’ll make an NPC stat block based on the relevant class. These tiers are a loose way of comparing your NPC’s power level to that of your party. Of course this is far from perfect, but you’ll be able to give the general feel of whether an NPC is over, under, or near the power level of a comparable player character. For reference, those tiers of play are:
Local Heroes (Levels 1-4)
Heroes of the Realm (Levels 5-10)
Masters of the Realm (Level 11-16)
Masters of the World (Levels 17-20)
In addition to creating the statblocks, for each tier of play I will give a few examples of how that NPC can be used in your game. Hopefully that will help get some ideas churning! And of course, feel free to use and modify these suggestions as encounters or adventures for your own party.
With the table set, let’s move into our third round of NPCs: rogues!
How to Use NPC Rogues
While last week’s NPCs, the druids, shun the major cities, the opposite is true of the rogues. The trope of Major City X having a dangerous thieves’ guild or criminal syndicate has stood the test of time for a reason- it's fun! Whether the party is hired by the city guard to investigate or teams up with the criminals themselves, these NPCs can be the basis of a great urban adventure.
Even if you don’t have a massive criminal organization in your setting, NPC rogues can make for great short-term antagonists or hirelings of the Big Bad. A particular government official has been getting too close to uncovering the villain's schemes? They just might send an assassin to deal with them. The party just slayed a dragon and is looking to spend some of their hard earned loot? Their favorite shop or auction house was robbed the night before, but if they can find and return the stolen merchandise they will be given a generous lifelong discount. If you tend to run a very dungeon or wilderness-heavy campaign, a shifty rogue up to no good can be a great way to switch it up with an intriguing, investigative side plot!
Tier 1 Rogues
Tier 1 rogues may be found as allies, quest givers, and main antagonists between levels one and four or as hirelings and minions at later levels. A tier 1 rogue may be a lone thief, a member of a larger criminal guild/organization, or a stealthy advance scout for an army or other militaristic force. In any case, these are rogues that are often somewhat established and experienced, but are not major forces in the setting.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a rogue of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Add one, or both, of the 3rd level abilities from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game. While it is not necessary to assign an NPC rogue to a specific Roguish Archetype, it can help you think of how different kinds of rogues fit within your world. Rogues with different goals and backgrounds will be found in different locations, have different motivations, and may perceive your party differently. Of course you can give them the specific abilities of that subclass (as detailed in the “Customizing an NPC” sections) but that is far from necessary. The way you describe the character, how they are found in your game, and the motivations they have will do far more to establish the tone than a class ability or two. With that in mind, here are some examples of how to use Tier 1 rogues in your game:
In a local tavern, the party overhears the barkeep complaining about a new visitor in the town to one of her customers. Apparently, this visitor has been acting rather shifty- asking strange questions and being seen lurking around different buildings on the edge of town. She warns the customer to keep an eye out, and for good reason: the visitor is actually an advance scout for a band of marauders planning to loot the town (Scout).
As the party is walking through the streets of a major city, the door of a nearby shop swings open with a bang as the shopkeep emerges. He frantically looks up and down the street, “Thief! Somebody stop that thief!” Any character with a passive perception of 15 (or passes an equivalent check) just catches sight of a darkly clad figure disappearing over a nearby rooftop (Thief).
A remote village has experienced a rash of strange events the past few weeks. People will be minding their own business in shops or their own homes and then suddenly pass out asleep with no warning. Upon waking, something is usually missing or some inexplicable mess has been made. A satyr Arcane Trickster has recently come through a nearby Fey Crossing and has been having some fun at the villagers’ expense (Arcane Trickster).
Tier 2 Rogues
Tier 2 rogues are similar to a player character between levels 8 and 10. They are often successful criminals, diplomats, spies, or assassins. While they are most likely to be encountered by a party between levels 5 and 10, they could serve as mentors/employers at lower levels or the henchmen of the powerful and influential at higher levels.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a rogue of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Add one, or both, of the 3rd level abilities from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Add the 9th level ability from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
While traveling, the party’s ship is boarded by a passing pirate vessel. The captain of the pirate ship confidently strides across onto the party’s ship, demanding the passengers hand over their valuables in exchange for safe passage. The captain of the party’s ship seems eager to comply (Swashbuckler).
A friendly noble sends the party to meet with a contact in another land. The contact has recently sent a coded message requesting assistance. Upon arrival, it is revealed that the contact is a spy, embedded within the opposing government. The spy has learned that the rival government is investigating some ancient magical power emanating from deep in the Underdark. If the party can figure out what is down there, and extract it if possible, they will be paid handsomely (Mastermind).
The Lawmaster has been found dead in his home. He has no visible wounds, wasn’t ill, and doesn’t seem to have died of natural causes. Such a death is the hallmark of the Shadow—the leader of a very dangerous criminal syndicate (Soulknife).
Tier 3 Rogues
Tier 3 rogues are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 11 to 16, although you may insert them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. They may be used at later levels as the allies or top lieutenants of even more powerful creatures. Unless your setting has uniquely powerful NPCs, tier 3 rogues should be pretty rare. They may be the leader of a nationwide criminal organization, a famous and feared assassin, or an important political figure such as a diplomat.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a rogue of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Add one, or both, of the 3rd level abilities from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Add the 9th level ability from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Add the 13th level ability from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
The party receives an anonymous note from someone who claims to have a shared goal with the party. The anonymous ally is a servant of the god of death, who seeks to bring down a lich (ideally who is tied to the party in some way) who has cheated death (Phantom).
The king’s advisor seeks out the party and meets them far away from the royal palace. According to them, the palace has been compromised. Through powerful and nefarious magic several members of the advisory council, and perhaps even the king himself, have been replaced by lookalikes (Inquisitive).
Tier 4 Rogues
Tier 4 rogues are most likely to be encountered by PCs from levels 17 to 20, although you may insert them earlier as a potential patron or mentor figure. A tier 4 rogue is comparable in many respects to a level 20 adventurer, there may only be a handful of such figures in your entire setting. These are the most feared and notorious criminal leaders and the spymasters of your setting.
Customizing an NPC. To customize a rogue of this tier, you can do one or more of the following:
Add one, or both, of the 3rd level abilities from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Add the 9th level ability from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Add the 13th level ability from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Add the 17th level ability from the Roguish Archetype of your choice.
Plot Hooks/Use in Your Game.
The king suspects there is a traitor in his midst. He needs a trusted outside group removed from suspicion to investigate. The trail is long and misleading, and at its end a powerful devil seeks to claim the kingdom for itself. After their hired help finishes their task of destabilizing the government, of course (Assassin).
Up next week: NPC barbarians to sprinkle into the rough corners of your setting.
