Rougish Archetype
At 3rd level, a rogue gains the Rougish Archetype feature, which offers you the choice of a subclass. The Madcap is available to you when making that choice.
Madcap
As a madcap rogue, you don't care for subtlety of your colleagues, preferring to take things head on and with little forethought. Many people would call you foolhardy or plain mad, when in reality you just want to have some fun. The wrong place is the name of the game, the wrong time is the right time to leave. Many vigilantes and would-be heroes fall into this archetype.
Madcap Quirk
When creating a madcap rogue, think of a way your character likes to express their skills. Madcaps love to have fun when they work and often times don't have a problem with making themselves known. Use the table below to determine your rogue's quirk or use it for inspiration.
| d6 | Madcap Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | I like to initiate casual conversations with people I'm fighting. What? Can't I ask them a simple question? |
| 2 | I kick down doors and smash through windows. Who has time for lock picking?! |
| 3 | I leave notes with kiss marks to people I steal from. It's always a delight. |
| 4 | I give hope to my pursuers by letting them chase me for a while. I like to think I'm thoughtful. |
| 5 | Explosives. Explosives are fun. |
| 6 | When I break into a place I purposefully trigger any alarms they have. Makes it much more exciting! |
Madcap Features
| Rogue Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3 | Head First, Sneak a Smack |
| 9 | Dauntless |
| 13 | In the Dust |
| 17 | X |
Head First
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you are used to jumping into action without much forethought. You can add your proficiency bonus to Initiative rolls.
You also gain an additional way to use your Sneak Attack; you don't need advantage on your attack roll to use Sneak Attack against a creature if you are within 5 feet of it, at least one more hostile creature is within 5 feet of you, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll. All the other rules for Sneak Attack still apply to you.
Art Credit: Unknown
Sneak a Smack
Also at 3rd level, your arsenal expands to whatever is comfortable in hand to ensure you are never caught off guard. You gain proficiency with improvised weapons. Additionally, you can use your Sneak Attack with any one-handed simple or improvised melee weapon that lacks the heavy property.
Dauntless
Starting at 9th level, no foe or obstacle is too big to challenge. You are immune to being frightened.
Additionally, when you are about to roll a d20 with disadvantage, you can use your reaction to prevent the roll from being affected by disadvantage.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
In the Dust
Starting at 13th level, you can focus your attacks on exhausting and debilitating your enemies, making your escape easier. When you use your Sneak Attack, you can choose to roll only half of your Sneak Attack damage dice, rounded down. The target's speed is then halved until the end of its next turn.
Devil may Care
When you reach 17th level, you are almost impossible to contain. You are immune to being charmed. Moreover, you ignore both magical and nonmagical difficult terrain and your walking speed cannot be reduced below 10 feet by magic.