Just a little concept. Since currently, Rogue doesn’t benefit in groups at all, and his ability becomes useless near other players. So here we have:
Shrouded Assault
While invisible, gain +1 Dex and +2 Def for every visible player within range until the cap is reached.
| Tier | Range (tiles) | Dex Buff Cap | Def Buff Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | 0.5 | 5 | 2 |
| T2 | 1.25 | 10 | 2 |
| T3 | 2.0 | 15 | 4 |
| T4 | 2.75 | 20 | 4 |
| T5 | 3.25 | 25 | 6 |
| T6 | 3.75 | 30 | 6 |
| T7 | 4.25 | 35 | 8 |
| T8 | 4.5 | 40 | 8 |
At most you would have up to +35 Dex IF you can keep them all within 4.25 range (T7). When far from a group, you can use your invisibility to the full extent. Going closer to players will transition you from being able to use invisibility effectively, to doing more DPS. You also get the benefit of being slightly tankier.
DPS Comparison
On cloak:
- With 19 allies, Rogue will begin out-damaging Trickster on enemies with 0 Def. Both using Foul.
- With 30 allies, Rogue will out-damage Trickster until 79 Def. Both using Foul.
- Rogue will always out-damage Trickster at 19+ allies if both use Queen’s Stinger.
- 30-Stinger Rogue will out-damage Foul Trickster at 34+ Def.
- 30-Foul Rogue will out-damage Stinger Trickster until 60 Def.
(Both Equipping Tenne and Crown. Rogue using T6 Cloak and Trickster using Dancing Swords Prism)
What about the UTs?
UT’s could look like:
- Bloody Surprises: No Def buff. +2 Atk instead of Dex, cap of 40, stacking with the +25 Atk it already has (Crimson Barrage);
- Cloak of the Mad God would have no Dex buff but could give +2 Def, cap of 25 which would pair very well with the armored (Unseen Fortress);
- Darkened Sun would have no Dex or Def buffs but could have +5 HP, cap of 200HP which stacks with its conditional +100HP buff (Extra Precautions).
- And so on…
Note: These numbers are NOT final and are merely suggestions that match the items thematically.
Will this make him OP?
It may sound broken on paper because then “Why choose Trickster when you can just use Rogue for DPS?”. Well, there are some things we have to keep in mind.
- Quiet/Silence will still greatly hurt Rogue’s ability. In those situations, his DPS will be much lower.
- He depends on large groups for him to reach his highest damage potential.
- He needs to keep allies within a certain range, making his DPS fluctuate.
- Invisible allies don’t contribute to his buffs. So having too many Rogues in a group will actually lower his potential.
- Rogue’s ability has a cooldown so he isn’t constantly buffed.
In large groups, a skilled Rogue will always out-damage a Trickster, but realistically, his damage fluctuates so much that he isn’t reliably overpowered.
Is the Def buff too generous?
Rogue is meant to be the safest out of all 3 dagger classes. While at most Rogue can reach 68 Def (Nil + UBDef + T7 Cloak buff), this only comes into play once there are around 4 or more allies near you. That number will go down at times, and again, you may be on cooldown or quieted/silenced, so it’s not entirely consistent, unlike the Melees. The idea is that having allies gives him cover, but having more than a few doesn’t benefit him.
Would this make him too situational?
Probably not. In fact, this may make him even more versatile and skill-based. In Solo situations, Rogue benefits from the great safety of his invisibility. In small-medium groups, he can take advantage of his Def buff which caps out quickly. In large groups, he can potentially do higher DPS than Trickster if the player positions him well and where being tanky is not needed as much.
This change would only give him more options. There may be some situations where bullets are always fired regardless of invisibility so a Rogue may opt to hide in a group and buff his defense. A rogue may find that the group is getting cornered, so the best option is to flee. There may be an opportunity to get damage in, so the ideal choice is to stay within the group for the damage buff where he would otherwise deal minimal damage.
Unless you’re really bad at dodging, in most cases, the Rogue would only get quieted/silenced when everyone else is too, which means he will deal minuscule DPS for the time being, but he can catch up once he is back to normal. There are many boss battles that take place in very tight spaces, that give him the opportunity to deal tons of damage.
Key Takeaways
The numbers aren’t final but the main point here is that Rogue could be reworked such that being near other players doesn’t negate his ability, but rather shifts his role, whether it’s doing more DPS, or taking advantage of safety in numbers.
this is my first character balance idea pls be nice ;u;