D&D 5e’s most unlikely class is a better thief than the Rogue

Dungeons & Dragons 5e has a class dedicated to thievery, yet it’s outdone by an unlikely spellcaster with an even less likely reason to become a burglar.

D&D 5e’s Rogue class is one of the most popular in the game, thanks to its extensive skillset that can be used outside of combat, as well as the deadly Sneak Attack feature, which lets them pile on a ridiculous amount of damage under the right circumstances.

One problem with the Rogue (and its predecessor in older editions, the Thief) is that it can’t compete with magic. A D&D 5e Wizard with spells like Spider Climb, Invisibility, Silence, Knock, and Fly can do everything a stealth character can, but better.

There’s another spellcaster in D&D 5e that can beat the Rogue at its own game though – the Druid. The Druid’s ability to transform into animals, some as small as a spider or a mouse, and their magic, makes them incredibly effective thieves. This was all discussed on a recent DnD thread discussing the surprising proficiency of the nature-based class.

Wild Shape is the best tool in the stealth Druid’s arsenal, as the ability to turn into a small creature makes it easy to break into places and is unlikely to raise suspicion. Druids can also merge items into their humanoid form, so they don’t even need a sack with a dollar sign on it.

Druids also have many spells that can help, notably Pass Without Trace, which adds a whopping +10 to Stealth checks and prevents you from leaving footprints.

Druids who take the Circle of the Land subclass can bolster their arsenal even further, with Desert Druids gaining Silence, Grassland gaining Invisibility and Haste, and Mountain gaining Spider Climb and Meld into Stone.

Magic can even help uncover traps, as Druids can cast Detect Magic, Detect Poison and Disease, and Find Traps.

The only issue is being able to open locks, but this is where a character’s Background and Feats can come into play. There are several different ways to add Sleight of Hand and Stealth to a Druid’s skill list, putting them on par with a Rogue’s ability to spring locks and traps.

The bigger problem is that Druids are the champions of nature in all of its forms and are unlikely to take up a life of petty crime. Also, if Druids did cause a crime wave, it wouldn’t be long until locals noticed and magical countermeasures were introduced. At least, that’s what I would do as a DM if the group decided to become literal cat burglars.