Hello there adventurers! Today we create a Half-Elf Soulknife Rogue for D&D 5E. This will be a thematic build that will focus on obtaining as many D&D skills as we can without having to multiclass. The video will focus on implementing the skills, how to proportion ability scores and take a look at scenarios that will help you determine what skills to select and whether or not to apply Expertise.
This particular Rogue character build will be a ranged fighter using Psychic Blade weapons they manifest with their mind and will focus on succeeding in a wide array of skills. In particular, skills that are Charisma and Dexterity based.
I hope you find the information useful. Please note that this article is simply an introduction to the character and this type of build. Below you will find the PDF of the Soulknife Rogue I created, Kaya VonBorg, and a link to my YouTube video where we go through the entire character creation process in detail. Hope you enjoy this 5E Rogue!
What is a Soulknife Rogue?
The Soulknife is a subclass available to Rogues in Dungeons and Dragons 5e that was introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. However, this sub-class takes it to a new level by giving them psionic powers that they can use to quickly take out their opponents!
Today we create a Half-Elf Soulknife Rogue on D&D Beyond using the Player’s Handbook and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. In this #DnD5e character build we will begin at level 1 and advance through level 12. This will be a mono-class Rogue build that focuses on becoming a skill monkey to achieve success with ability score rolls.
Soulknife Rogue 5E Build – Full Video Guide and Review
Soulknife Rogue – Monoclass D&D Skill Monkey
Our Soulknife Rogue will focus on skills. Overall, we will acquire 13 of the 18 possible Dungeons and Dragons 5E Skills. Leaving only 5 skills that we will not be proficient in. In Dungeons and Dragons™ a Skill Monkey character build is a character that focuses on obtaining as many skill proficiencies as possible. This also usually includes finding feats and character classes that help manipulate die rolls for better results.
At Level 1, we will use the Point Buy system to distribute our Ability Scores. Also, we have selected Half Elf so using the optional rules in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything we will be able to place a +2, +1, and another +1 ability score modifier to three separate ability scores of our choosing. Since skills are based primarily on Dexterity, Charisma, Wisdom and Intelligence, our characters ability scores will be as follows for level 1:
STR: 10
DEX: 17
CON: 10
INT: 12
WIS: 14
CHA: 14
We begin Level 1 with 8 skills plus proficiency in Thieves Tools. Four of them are from our Rogue class, two from our background and two from our Half-Elf heritage. I have selected the following to begin with as I believe they are the most versatile in a wide array of situations.
- Acrobatics
- Deception
- Insight
- Investigation
- Persuasion
- Perception
- Sleight of Hand
- Stealth
Also at level 1 we will be able to select two skills to double our proficiency modifier. This is called Expertise. Our level 1 rogue will have Expertise in Stealth and Perception.
At Level 2, we gain our Cunning Action ability for a Rogue. Level 3 we select the Soulknife Rogue Archetype and get our Psychic Blades, Psi-Bolstered Knack, and Psychic Whispers abilities. We also get the Steady Aim feature that works nicely with our main Psychic Blade attack.
At Level 4 we will take the Skill Expert Feat and bump our Dexterity up to 18. Our level 5 rogue will see an increase in power of several abilities and gains the Uncanny Dodge Rogue feature.
Level 6 we get to select two more skills for Expertise. These should be selected in accordance with the personality of your character, what skills they use the most and what type of campaign or game they are in. Be sure to watch the video linked above to see what skills I would choose at this level.
Level 7 we obtain the Evasion Ability for the base Rogue. At Level 8 we select the Skilled Feat allowing us to add three more skills to our character’s proficiency. This puts us at 12 out of 18. Just one more to go!
A lot of our abilities will see an increase at level 9. We also get Soulknife Rogue feature called Soul Blades. This ability allows us to expend Psionic Dice to increase our odds of hitting with an attack. This is called Homing Strikes. We also get Psychic Teleportation, which uses our psionic powers to teleport up to 60 feet, depending on the result of the die roll on our Psionic Die.
At level 10 I would select the Lucky Feat to better our chances of always succeeding on skill checks. Better yet, Reliable Talent at Level 11 makes it impossible to roll less than a 10 on skills we are proficient in.
Finally, at Level 12, we obtain our 13th skill by selecting the Prodigy feat. This is a racial feat from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and is available only to Half-Orcs, Half-Elves, or Humans.
Download Level 12 Soulknife Rogue Character PDF
If I were to multiclass this character to become a true Skill Monkey character build, then I would select Knowledge Cleric Level 1, Soulknife Rogue Level 4 and College of Lore Bard Level 4. This combination will give us proficiency in all 18 skills by Level 9.
Hope you enjoy this character build! Leave a comment and let me know how you would build this character or what you would have done differently.
On to the next!
—wallyd
If we’re going single-class, you could choose scout instead of soulknife, gaining you two additional skills with expertise in them both at 3rd level, bringing your total to 15 with expertise in 8.
If you allow UA content at your table, a rogue can pick up the last three skills by 19th level, or can add expertise in 3 more skills that they are proficient with by taking feats from Feats for Skills (along with some pretty cool tricks).
With multiclassing, half-elf +2 skills, background +2 skills, rogue 1 +4 skills and +2 expertise, rogue 3 scout +2 skills and +2 expertise, rogue 4 skilled feat +3 skills, bard 1 +1 skill for multiclassing, bard 2 jack of all trades (helpful until you get the remaining skills), bard 3 lore college +3 skills and +2 expertise, bard 4 skill expert feat +1 skill and +1 expertise, bard 8 prodigy feat +1 expertise, rogue 6 +2 expertise, bard 10 +2 expertise. Total is 18 skill proficiencies by level 8, 12 expertise by level 16. The only drawback is no reliable talent (would need 5 more levels of rogue to get that, putting you at level 21), but you could sacrifice two expertise skills to give you the room to pick it up.
Alternatively, if you allow UA content, you can stop at bard 3 and take the rest of your levels in rogue, picking up skill expert at rogue 8 for the last skill and your 9th expertise, then take feats from Feats for Skills to add +1 expertise at rogue 10 (CL 13), grabbing reliable talent at rogue 11 (CL 14), +1 expertise at rogue 12 and 16 (CL19), putting your total expertise at the same 12, allowing you to get you your final scout feature, and also acquiring the additional tricks/ASIs of the feats from Feats for Skills. You can never roll beneath a 10 on the die, will get a minimum of 22 + ability modifier with your expertise skills, and be able to gain advantage on one ability’s checks from enhance ability. With a cleric in the party (or taking your 20th level as a cleric), they can cast bless or guidance on you for an extra d4, because why not?
In actual play, though, this is playing a really long game, but it would get you the Skill Monkey crown. Not just all of them, but the most with expertise, too!