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Gnome Assassin Rogue Build Guide

Gnome Assassin Rogue Build Guide

With natural stealth, Gnomish Cunning to resist magic, and deadly Assassinate strikes, a Gnome Assassin is the ultimate pint-sized, magic-resistant shadow.

4/10 Synergy Striker Role Easy Difficulty
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Why Assassin?

The Gnome Assassin Rogue is a master of stealth who excels at striking from the shadows before enemies even know a fight has begun. As a "Striker," your main job in the party is to deal massive single-target damage. Gnomes bring excellent defensive utility to this subclass; with the Gnomish Cunning trait, you gain advantage on mental saving throws, ensuring that enemy spellcasters can't easily charm or paralyze you while you slip past their defenses.

When combat begins, your Level 3 Assassinate feature shines. It grants you advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in combat yet, and turns any hit against a surprised creature into a devastating critical hit. To set up these deadly ambushes, you can use your Darkvision to scout ahead in pitch-black dungeons without alerting foes with a bright torch.

Your high Dexterity (DEX 15) ensures your strikes land accurately, while your Intelligence (INT 14) synergizes beautifully with the Assassin's Tools feature, helping you craft poisons and forge disguises. This build lets you play a cunning, elusive infiltrator who strikes fast, hits hard, and shrugs off enemy magic with ease.

Assassin Features

Assassinate

Level 3

You have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a surprised creature is a critical hit.

Assassin's Tools

Level 3

You gain proficiency with the disguise kit and the poisoner's kit.

Infiltration Expertise

Level 9

You can unfailingly create false identities for yourself. You must spend seven days and 25 gp to establish the history, profession, and affiliations for an identity. You can't establish an identity that belongs to someone else. Thereafter, if you adopt the new identity as a disguise, other creatures believe you to be that person until given an obvious reason not to.

Envenom Weapons

Level 13

You can apply a special poison to your weapons as a bonus action. The next time you hit a creature with a weapon attack within the next minute, the target takes additional poison damage equal to your Sneak Attack damage and must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus) or be poisoned for 1 minute.

Death Strike

Level 17

When you hit a surprised creature, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus). On a failed save, the damage of the attack is doubled.

Recommended Ability Scores

Strength
12(+1)
Dexterity★
15(+2)
Constitution
13(+1)
Intelligence
14(+2)
Wisdom
10(+0)
Charisma
8(-1)
HP (Lv1)
9
AC
12
Initiative
+2
Passive Per.
10
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Gnome Traits That Benefit Assassin Rogue

Darkvision

Gnome Darkvision helps Rogues scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.

Gnomish Cunning

Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.

Combat Effectiveness

Level HP Melee DPR Ranged DPR
Level 5 33 20.4 20.4
Level 11 69 30.25 30.25
Level 17 105 41.8 41.8

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Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

  • ♦ Assassin grants Assassinate at level 3
  • ♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
  • ♦ Good armor class and initiative
  • ♦ Excellent skill versatility and Sneak Attack damage

Weaknesses

  • ♦ Low Wisdom — vulnerable to common saving throws
  • ♦ Low Charisma limits social interactions
  • ♦ Limited ranged and magical options without multiclassing
  • ♦ Small size limits heavy weapon usage

Pro Tips

1

Use your Darkvision to scout dark areas ahead of your party, letting you secure surprise rounds to trigger Assassinate.

2

Leverage your high Intelligence alongside Assassin's Tools to concoct deadly toxins to coat your weapons before initiating a combat encounter.

3

Rely on Gnomish Cunning to confidently bypass magical traps and enemy wards, keeping your stealth approach entirely uninterrupted.

4

Coordinate with your party to let you strike first; early initiative is crucial to maximizing your devastating Assassinate damage.

Other Rogue Subclasses for Gnome

Gnome Arcane Trickster Rogue Utility Gnome Soulknife Rogue Striker Gnome Thief Rogue Striker

Other Races for Assassin Rogue

Halfling Assassin Rogue 9/10 Human Assassin Rogue 7/10 Elf Assassin Rogue 6/10 Aasimar Assassin Rogue 5/10 Dragonborn Assassin Rogue 5/10 Dwarf Assassin Rogue 4/10

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assassin a good subclass for Gnome Rogue?
Yes, the Gnome Assassin is a highly effective combination. While Gnomes are small, their natural Gnomish Cunning provides a brilliant defense against spells that target your mind, covering a classic Rogue weakness. Combined with Darkvision for scouting in the dark, you can safely trigger your high-damage Assassinate feature to eliminate key threats before they can react.
What makes Assassin different from other Rogue subclasses?
Unlike other Rogue subclasses that focus on utility or magic, the Assassin specializes in pure burst damage and deception. Its standout feature, Assassinate, guarantees critical damage on surprised foes, allowing you to end fights before they really start. Later features like Infiltration Expertise and Envenom Weapons emphasize disguise, poisoncraft, and landing lethal, single-strike kills from stealth.

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