[5E] - Rogue Archetype: Darklurker (PEACH)

[Surrealistik]

Stealth orientated/specialized Rogue archetype that emphasizes remaining unseen and operating and striking from the hidden state: http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/BkcF1B1GZ

[Ziegander]

I like it. Sudden Disappearance is both a powerful utility and defensive option and the cornerstone of the entire subclass. Everything else reinforces the theme well.

[Surrealistik]

Thanks Ziegander! Speaking of SD, I did notice its conspicuous lack of triggers, so I slapped a bunch on.

Was persuaded in private to have Practised Stealth expand Expertise' benefit to Stealth, so I did.

Reduced Gloaming Strike bonus damage from Rogue level to half Rogue level to account for the archetype's increased likelihood of attacking while hidden.

[polymphus]

It seems fairly balanced (if a little weak), but the language could probably be more inline with the way Wizards write -- right now the wording is a bit unclear. It took a couple of reads to figure out what you were trying to do. It feels a little like you overcomplicated it while trying to balance it.

This is my take on it: more clear, and pumped up a bit.

Sudden Disappearance

At 3rd level, you learn how to melt into shadows. As a reaction when you take damage, or another creature performs a successful search action to spot you, may immediately make a free movement, up to half your movement speed; you may attempt to hide as part of this movement. You may also perform this feature after attacking, as a bonus action. [ED: considering doing this is combat still provokes opportunity attacks and prevents use of Cunning Action, it doesn't strike me as OP]

You may use this feature once per short rest at 1st level. You gain one additional use of this feature per short rest at 9th level and a third at 13th level.

Practised Stealth

At 3rd level, you can attempt to hide from creatures while lightly concealed, or while half or more of your body is obscured by cover. [ED: PHB never includes directionality in this sorta rule, and it seems like an unnecessary gimping]

You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Stealth checks you make. If it already has this benefit, choose another skill proficiency from the Rogue skill list to gain this benefit instead.

In addition, you can only be tracked by magical means.

Shadow to Shadow

At 9th level, you learn to move quickly through the shadows. If you start your turn hidden, or in an area of dim light of darkness, you can use a bonus action to become invisible. This invisibility lasts until the start of your next turn, or until you make an attack, cast a spell, or if you end your turn in an area of bright light. [ED: brought in line with the Shadow Monk; doesn't last as long, but can be chained through bonus actions.]

Gloaming Strike

At 13th level, when you are hidden and miss with an attack, making the attack action doesn't reveal your position.

When you are hidden and hit with a sneak attack, you can have that attack deal extra damage equal to Rogue level/2 OR immediate use your Sudden Disappearance feature, without consuming a reaction or bonus action.

Leave No Trace

At level 17, your mastery of stealth reaches its pinnacle. You gain advantage on Dexterity(Stealth) checks, and can always hide and remain hidden, even from creatures that do not rely on sight.

You cannot be perceived by magical sensors, spells, or magic items that would reveal your position.

Finally, you have unlimited uses of your Sudden Disappearance feature.

[Surrealistik]

Thanks for the feedback polymphus.

I think you may have misconstrued what I was trying to accomplish with a couple of features, or the reason for specific formations of wording; could you tell me what was specifically unclear to you? I think this is the first time I've actually heard people having clarity issues. Feedback on proposed changes as follows:


Sudden Disappearance

At 3rd level, you learn how to melt into shadows. As a reaction when you take damage, or another creature performs a successful search action to spot you, may immediately make a free movement, up to half your movement speed; you may attempt to hide as part of this movement. You may also perform this feature after attacking, as a bonus action. [ED: considering doing this is combat still provokes opportunity attacks and prevents use of Cunning Action, it doesn't strike me as OP]

You may use this feature once per short rest at 1st level. You gain one additional use of this feature per short rest at 9th level and a third at 13th level.


I wanted to key the additional uses to Rogue levels specifically, rather than empowering dips. I also wanted my language to be very clear and explicit about when you could make a hide attempt during the movement (at any point), such that there's no ambiguity. Not sure of the rationale behind removing the trigger when attacked, when a creature moves (so if a creature say moves around your cover so he can see you in plain sight, you have a countermeasure) or having SD utilized by a bonus action.


At 3rd level, you can attempt to hide from creatures while lightly concealed, or while half or more of your body is obscured by cover. [ED: PHB never includes directionality in this sorta rule, and it seems like an unnecessary gimping]

You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Stealth checks you make. If it already has this benefit, choose another skill proficiency from the Rogue skill list to gain this benefit instead.

In addition, you can only be tracked by magical means.

I do feel it's important to specify how you're concealed relative to observers per Skulker. For example, as you've written it, even if you're in plain sight of a creature while half your body is obscured by cover relative to another creature, you could hide from the first one which is not as intended.

The wording for the Stealth skill proficiency doubling was phrased to have it work specifically with Expertise, and key off that; I did actually have an older version that read almost verbatim to what you wrote here.

Not being able to be tracked by magical means is indeed a convention; is there any specific reason other than this you thought to downgrade it?


Shadow to Shadow

At 9th level, you learn to move quickly through the shadows. If you start your turn hidden, or in an area of dim light of darkness, you can use a bonus action to become invisible. This invisibility lasts until the start of your next turn, or until you make an attack, cast a spell, or if you end your turn in an area of bright light. [ED: brought in line with the Shadow Monk; doesn't last as long, but can be chained through bonus actions.

This gets a bit away from what I intended this feature to do and has more of a supernatural element than desired; the idea is to move unseen from hiding place to hiding place, retaining the hidden status while you're exposed and out of cover/concealment when between them. While this wording can certainly mimic such functionality, its use of the bonus action and invisibility I feel is a bit of a deviation from the idea (especially since it can be counteracted by magical means like See Invisibility/True Seeing if you rely on that invisibility to keep you hidden while you're in plain sight, moving between bits of concealment).


Gloaming Strike

At 13th level, when you are hidden and miss with an attack, making the attack action doesn't reveal your position.

When you are hidden and hit with a sneak attack, you can have that attack deal extra damage equal to Rogue level/2 OR immediate use your Sudden Disappearance feature, without consuming a reaction or bonus action.

I cannot find a reference to consuming; expending yes. The only problem with using expending (as I originally did) is that you can still be argued to need the reaction available.

The wording on 'missing an attack' was literally lifted from the Skulker feat (albeit expanded to feature all attacks). The problem with using 'attack action' is that only attacks made in this way will qualify for maintaining stealth (as opposed to say, opportunity attacks, readied attacks or granted attacks).


Leave No Trace

At level 17, your mastery of stealth reaches its pinnacle. You gain advantage on Dexterity(Stealth) checks, and can always hide and remain hidden, even from creatures that do not rely on sight.

You cannot be perceived by magical sensors, spells, or magic items that would reveal your position.

Finally, you have unlimited uses of your Sudden Disappearance feature.

I like the "even from creatures that do not rely on sight" clause. Always hide and remain hidden seems potentially problematic, as this essentially means you can always roll to hide even when say, you're in plain sight; this is not the intent. The idea is to allow you to stealth normally versus creatures with special senses, including with the standard limitations of stealth.

I do like the way you parsed/wrote the rest of it though; I do have concerns about it being a bit too specific; I'm looking for an effect more like the Nondetection spell. Also being able to waive your immunity to detection is important if you say want to lead someone into a trap or otherwise draw attention to yourself.