Even a powerful Dungeons & Dragons character can use a helping hand from time to time. There's no telling what situation the DM might send their players into, after all, but at the end of long, hard quests players can often expect one wonderful payoff: loot. The only problem is, it then falls to the DM to decide what loot their boss encounter will yield. One of the awesome (and yet also headache-inducing) things about D&D is the sheer amount of magical items that exist for the party to find and use.
However, even DMs using a D&D sourcebook for their campaign may want to take their own initiative when distributing those magic items, because it's really no fun when the party can't use anything they find. Magic items aren't just for magic-using classes, like Wizards or Clerics, so other classes also need guidance when it comes to magical items. That's why it's time to look at magic items for one specific class to make great use of, beginning with the Rogue.
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Rogues are best-suited to utility items, things that work to enhance their natural skills—particularly their stealth, awareness, and combat style. And don't worry about overpowering the party with legendary magic items. There are plenty of items at the "uncommon" and "rare" quality in Dungeons & Dragons that any level character can use.
Updated on July 7th, 2021, by Kristy Ambrose: There have been a lot of new materials for both Dungeon Masters and players to use since D&D released the 5e expansion. The development of a variety of supplemental source materials along with a lot of creative development on the homebrew front means that we can polish and update our list for the best magic items for Rogues. Read on for information on some of the most useful and notorious magic items for Rogues that you can find scattered throughout the D&D universe.
- Source: D&D 5e Compendium
- Location: Any campaign in the Compendium, DM's choice
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: Raises your Constitution to 19
This rare amulet sets the wearer's Constitution score to 19 for as long as they're attuned but has no effect on a character that already has a high Constitution. This necklace would be next to useless to a Barbarian or Cleric, but it's one of the best magic items for Rogues in 5e.
In a Rogue's world, Dexterity is often the main focus, this amulet is a great supplement to their hit point score and their ability to make a successful Constitution saving throw. It's an advantageous combination for what's usually a squishy class.
- Source: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
- Location: Last seen in the Marble Tomes Conservatory in Rosohna
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: Use a Reaction to turn a failed Dexterity save into a successful one
Another quintessential rogue item, the Ring of Evasion makes rogues even harder to hit than they already are. Rogues can spend one of the ring's charges to succeed a Dexterity saving throw that they had previously failed, further enhancing their already possessed Evasion ability.
- Source: The Ruins of Undermountain II: The Deep Levels, Out of the Abyss, and Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (D&D adventure modules)
- Location: Moonsea, Daggerford, The Sword Coast, throughout Faerûn
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Renders all creatures and objects within a 10‑foot radius invisible for several minutes
One of the advantages of being an Arcane Trickster is being able to cast Invisibility when needed; other roguish archetypes don't have that going for them, but this dust can certainly help. When thrown into the air, everything within 10 feet of the source becomes invisible for 2d4 minutes. So, it's not as long-lasting as a spell, but there's no concentration needed and a rogue can carry it around as a nice backup for their stealth.
- Source: Storm King's Thunder and Tomb of Annihilation (D&D adventure modules)
- Location: Northwest Faerûn
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Used to cast a sending spell that targets the bearer of its pair
Once again, an Arcane Trickster might not need these at all, but any other rogue will wish they had a pair of Sending Stones. Whoever holds one of these stones can use an action to cast the Sending spell and communicate with the bearer of the stone's counterpart, making these perfect for reporting the findings of a scouting endeavor or calling for help when in a tense D&D role-playing scenario or otherwise.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: The Cobalt Vault
- Item Rarity: Very Rare
- Modifiers: Read over the course of 48 hours in six days to increase your Dexterity skill
A rogue's Dexterity score should be totally maxed out (and the default maximum is 20). If it's not, the rogue should work on getting there over the course of the D&D campaign, either by a feat or ability score improvement when leveling up or by using a magical item.
The best part of the Manual of Quickness of Action is that even if the rogue who reads it does have a 20 Dexterity, they'll still increase their Dex score by 2 upon completion of the book.
- Source: The Woolmen's Restless Tomb adventure and the Baldur's Gate video game franchise
- Location: The Sword Coast
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Allow the wearer to walk even more quietly
Elves are known for their grace and agility, by virtue of nothing more than being elves. As one can imagine, grace and agility are two things a rogue should have in plenty, since stealth is really their purview in the party. Boots of Elvenkind ensure that the wearer's steps are completely silent regardless of the surface they're walking across, and grant advantage to stealth checks that rely on moving silently. Best of all, they're an "uncommon" item, so they shouldn't be too hard to find.
- Source: Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting
- Location: Gilmore's Glorious Goods
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: You can use it to cast the Dimension Door spell as an action
Ever heard of this one? The Cape of the Mountebank is a rare cape that smells faintly of brimstone and allows the wearer to cast Dimension Door as an action. It creates a puff of smoke whenever used, but even then it's still an invaluable item for a rogue. Unless the party's scout has a dextrous arcane spellcaster to accompany them on scouting missions, a cape such as this might very well be a life-saver.
- Source: Baldur's Gate video game franchise
- Location: Faerûn
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: Causes the wearer to appear as if they were a slightly different location up to a few inches away
The Cloak of Displacement is probably one of the best items a rogue could have. It's rare—so, not quite as easy to find as other items—but totally worth the gold (or the search). While wearing the cloak, an illusion of the character is projected to confuse enemies, giving them a disadvantage on all attack rolls. Rogues work best when they can zip between enemies, dealing massive sneak attack damage and taking as little of it themselves as possible; this cloak makes that a whole lot more possible.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Currently possessed by Beauregard Lionett of Critical Role
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Gives you Darkvision up to a range of 60 feet
If the rogue already has Darkvision, then these goggles are unnecessary (but handy, since Darkvision of 60 feet will become 120 feet with them on). However, a rogue without natural Darkvision will absolutely treasure these, gaining a 60-foot span of Darkvision while wearing the goggles, so they can see the world in any light. Since carrying a torch kind of invalidates sneaking around in the first place, a rogue who needs some visual supplements will want these at hand.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Uncommon
- Modifiers: Gives an advantage on Initiative rolls.
Most rogues shouldn't really need help with their perception, but this dagger helps both the rogue and everyone around them. While attuned, the rogue can't be surprised and are magically awoken from their sleep when danger approaches—along with all allies within 30 feet of them. Not to mention the dagger gives the rogue advantage on initiative rolls, which is a valuable thing for them to have.
- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Rare
- Modifiers: +1 bonus to AC, plus you can use a Bonus Action to disguise this armor as normal clothing
Anyone playing a rogue probably has some kind of leather armor equipped; anything heavier pretty much makes that high Stealth skill redundant. Here's a suit of leather armor with a bonus effect rogues, in particular, should appreciate: along with a +1 bonus to AC, on a bonus action the wearer can speak this armor's command word and it assumes the appearance of any type of armor or regular clothing.
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- Source: Dungeon Master's Guide
- Location: Dungeon Master's discretion
- Item Rarity: Very Rare
- Modifiers: Use a Bonus Action and click the boots' heels together. The boots double your walking speed, and any creature that makes an opportunity attack against you has a disadvantage on the attack roll.
Finally, a rogue who gets their hands on a pair of these boots will be near-uncatchable on the battlefield. Don't expect to loot (or distribute, as a DM) these boots anywhere near the beginning of a campaign. They're "very rare," which means they're not on the average store shelf either. The boots double the wearer's walking speed, give disadvantage to enemies found in the Monster Manual who try to make an attack of opportunity, and grant 10 minutes of speed per long rest.
That should be plenty to get any DM started on outfitting their rogue with some epic loot. Now all that's left is to make sure the party divides their spoils somewhat equally—and that the rogue gets any items actually intended for them.