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Rogues once you get past all the thrice-damned dire spiders.  A good test of your Disable Traps skill: you should be able to successfully Recover every trap in the hallway next to the Dire Hellhound cage.  The Minotaurs on the second level (behind the spider, not the Yuan-ti) are worth a lot of experience points to Rogues for some reason, so go ahead and do that level.

The Druid Challenge is simply not worth the bother after you have the First Ring (which casts Stoneskin, which you might very well want to create some Gargoyle
Boots later in the game).  You can only take the Druid Challenge if you multiclass to at least one level of Druid.

Setara will grumble after you give her the mirror.  Ignore her and loot the place.  It's the Rogue thing to do.

When you get to Wanev's Tower, whatever you do, drop any ward stones you are carrying.  If you have a ward stone, they will ignore you and you get no experience.  Therefore, the LAST thing you want in this place is for the guards to ignore you.  Instead, look for ways to attract their attention.  In one corridor, you will find a large gong.  One of the Bugbear guards will, when he detects you, run to this gong and sound it.  This will cause all of the guards in the main tower complex to run to the gong to see what the excitement is about.  There are three major ways you can use this information to your advantage.  In all three cases, you'll want to remain in Stealth mode as much as possible.  Coming out of Stealth mode will just make you a target.  The first possibility: only ONE of the Bugbears has the job to sound the gong.  If you isolate and kill this Bugbear, none of the others will attempt it and the guards will be scattered into groups throughout the main level of the tower.  Easy pickings.  ;-)  Second approach: ALLOW the Bugbear to sound the gong, but first, use Set Traps to lay a series of your best traps along the corridor leading from this gong.  After the Bugbear has sounded the gong, unstealth on the far side of this minefield and fire a couple of arrows into the throng.  Stand back and watch the fireworks as the guards rush you (and into the field).  ;-)  Third approach: if you multiclass into spell-casting, it can be quite amusing to allow the throng to gather and then loose some of your best area effect spells into it.  Use scrolls and wands to target these spells, as casting them directly will take enough time that the throng will detect you, rush you, and therefore have time to space themselves out.

In Castle Jhareg, Karlat is guilty, even if you talk to Belial.  Trust me on this.  Keep Karlat's protection wand, and use it for the boss fights.  You'll be using the last charge on it right around the last fight in the game.  ;-)

The Fantabulous Contrapulator will make Barkskin potions if you set only the
Stone lever on, or potions of Speed with the other three levers on.  Wind and
Stone produces Invisibility potions.  It will make 30 potions total.  10 of each of the above are nice.

Behind Voleron in the Ruins of Illusk, you'll find two chests, one locked, one trapped.  Clear the locks and traps, then save the game.  Devote about a half- hour to opening these two chests over and over again.  If you don't like what you find, load from your previous saved game and try again.  And again.  And again.  Yes, it's cheating.  You're a Rogue.  Get used to it.  ;-)  Your best chance of finding awesome magic items for the rest of the game are these two chests, so it's worth the time spent.

The 8th Level of the Host Tower in Luskan is an excellent test of your Hide in
Shadows and Move Silently skills.  You should be able to enter the Vrock room and stand anywhere you like without alerting anything in the room to your presence.  It's kinda cool.


10.4 CHAPTER THREE
------------------
Linu's volcanic oak seed is near the entrance to the creator ruins.
Incidentally, watch for two trees in this area that you can click on and "open."
Tamorlyn's song, which is what Sharwyn wants, is inside the (present day) creator ruins.  The ashes that Tomi wants are in the Uthgardt Elk Tribe keep.

If you have the ability to cast Stoneskin, you can generate a pair of Gargoyle
Boots using the Tome of Boots formula (bodak's tooth plus gargoyle skull plus
Stoneskin).  The Tome is in a crate right behind Aarin Gend's lodge.  However, if you can cast Stoneskin, you may not have a need for boots that can cast
Stoneskin.  This crate like all the others in the area was put here for your use.

Rogues have an easy time with Rolgan's trial.  Use a Healing Kit on Zed.  Give
Lodar a couple of drinks.  Don't bother talking to the jurors, much less bribing them.  At the trial, concentrate on the fact that Griff was violent and Rolgan was *drugged*, not drunk.  Don't even use the word drunk.  Don't get into the racism angle at all (except as it applies to Griff), and don't ask Vanda about the religious significance of the artifacts.  Don't call Rolgan to testify.
This is good for a unanimous verdict and more than 1000 XP to even high-level
Rogues.

The most annoying aspect of the Wizard's Dungeon in Coldwood to Rogues are the braziers of infinite Fire Elementals -- damn things are immune to sneak attacks
-- so destroy everything in the two corner rooms as quickly as you can.  The summoned Water Elemental's item is a Ring of Invisibility, usable three times a day.  Decide for yourself whether this is worth what's-his-name's life to you.

The archaeologist's camp is just chock FULL of chests and crates with heavy stuff inside them.  The archaeologists are departing the area, and so will appreciate not having to move all these items when they leave.  Therefore, feel free to loot these chests to reduce the weight they have to carry.

Even if you make friends with the Uthgardt Elk Tribe, loot the hell out of their keep.  It's the Rogue thing to do.

Seriously consider killing Commander Damas at the fort to get the plague cure.
It turns the knights and other guards in the compound against you, true, but there's no alignment impact.  He deserves death, it saves you some money, and mopping up all the experience points from he and his guards is also the Rogue thing to do.

The golems in the Creator Ruins aren't actually invincible.  They will fall to negative energy attacks if you or your henchmen can generate them.  However, go ahead and go back in time for the experience and loot.  Your time-traveling friend will imply that loot you pick up in the past won't return to the present with you.  Don't believe her.

After you complete Akulatraxas's quest, loot her egg room then use the Stone of
Recall to get out (or kill her).  Say it with me: it's the Rogue thing to do.

You will ask yourself again and again in the Fire Giant Lair: are there going to be any actual Fire Giants in here?  Instead, you have the damned Duergar, easily the toughest non-boss fights for Rogues in the game.  Rest after each and every one.  Alternatively, invest in an item or spell that confers the ability to see invisible creatures and a good longbow.  Much of the Duergar's capabilities stem from the fact that they approach you invisibily and surround you.  Eliminate that advantage and they become easier targets.  Consider skipping Fire Giant
Lair Level 2 (behind the glowing white door) entirely.  It's nothing BUT
Duergar.

Definitely give Klauth a Dead Dragon Sphere.  Definitely do not agree to do his dirty work for him, even if you're evil.  He's worth a trainload of experience and loot dead.  If you haven't hit character Level 20 before this fight, you probably will after.  Rogues for some reason have no trouble at all hitting character level 20 in the single player game even with a henchman AND lots of animal companions and familiars about.

After you complete Gorgotha's quest, loot her egg room then use the Stone of
Recall to get out (or kill her).  Say it with me yet again: ::grins:: it's the
Rogue thing to do.


10.5 CHAPTER FOUR
-----------------
The "invincible" golems in the War Zone, like those in the Creator Ruins, will fall before concentrated negative energy attacks.  Linu will handle it if you can't, if you're using her as a henchman.  This also, incidentally, kills their controlling wizards by remote control (but not the Balors in the Wizard
Chantries).  If you want to do the Chantries instead, you'll find a retired
Rogue living on the far right side of the wall splitting the War Zone.  He has a passage through the wall that will get you behind the second golem and drop you close to the rear Chantry.

Aribeth is a tough fight for Rogues, but paradoxically, Rogues have the easiest time convincing her to surrender herself to Lord Nasher, particularly if they have her ring from Chapter Two.

Maugrim, on the other hand, is a very easy fight for Rogues.  He, like most spell-casters, doesn't care much for a vicious backstab in the midst of whatever he's babbling about.

If Desther is not the toughest boss fight for Rogues, then the Guardian Lair definitely is.  Concentrate all fire on the copper dragon first.  Stay VERY mobile, and do NOT be anywhere near the front of either dragon.  Yes, you have
Improved Evasion by this time and can stand in the middle of dragon breath without fear.  However, both of these dragons have a nasty Knockdown Feat that you probably CAN'T laugh off so easily.  Speed is life.  Mobility is life.
Quicksave every time you get an advantage.

From there on out, ironically, is a downhill run for Rogues, particularly Rogues with good elemental resistance.  You see, Morag and her closest buddies are all spell-casters.  'nuff said.

Finally, ironic in the extreme: every time I've killed Morag, she's dropped at least one quite good short sword.  This is ironic mostly because many Rogues will have a hard time finding a really good short sword UNTIL this... the end of the game.



---------------------------
11.0 CREDITS AND MISCELLANY
---------------------------
The Rogue Guide is (c) 2002, Ross Glenn, rogue@jestertrek.com .  You know the drill.  In particular, do not include this guide on websites, compilations, or
CD-ROMs without first getting written e-mail permission from the author.
Chances are quite excellent I'll give you permission.  I might even agree to send you updates when I do them if you ask.  Take a half-minute and e-mail me.

Neverwinter Nights is copyright (c) 2002 Infogrames Entertainment, S.A. All
Rights Reserved.

Dungeons and Dragons is copyright (c) 2002 Wizards of the Coast. All Rights
Reserved.


11.1 CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
-------------------------------
Thank you to all of the following:

Duncan Clay and Jeffrey Coulton point out that Elves and Halflings spend only 2 of the 30 initial ability score points for a 17 or 18 Dexterity instead of 3 per.  I tried to explain this in v1.0, but did a rather poor job of it.
Hopefully, this version does better.  ;-)

Duncan also points out what might be an interesting oversight in the 3rd Edition
D&D rules that works to the advantage of just about anyone.  On pages 59 and 60 of the full 3rd Edition Player's Handbook, it points out that when increasing a
Skill from 0 ranks, one can only add up to four additional ranks.  However, once you have at least one rank in a Skill, you can later add as many ranks as you want, up to your character level plus three.  Therefore, if at any point in your
Rogue career, you put two points into the Spellcraft Skill, for instance (gaining one rank) and after becoming a Level 10 Rogue, add a single level of
Wizard (becoming a L10/L1 Rogue/Wizard), you can use ALL of your Wizard Skill points to increase your Spellcraft up to 14 in one shot... assuming you have the
Skill points to do this.  ;-)

Phoenix suggested that since I am in favor of killing the guards in Wanev's
Tower in Chapter Two, I should include tactics for just HOW to kill them, and had a couple of excellent suggestions.  :-)  I included both his and a couple of my own.

Rolander has one extremely large character flaw: he plays Lawful Good Rogues! ::shudders::  However, despite this obvious and glaring oversight in his upbringing, he makes an excellent point about the debate between Charisma and
Wisdom for Rogues.  Persuade is only one Skill, and to date, is not very useful outside of the campaign that ships with Neverwinter Nights.  Wisdom feeds two other Rogue Skills, Listen and Spot, which are useful everywhere.  Rolander also pointed out that Haste is good for a +4 AC and is therefore even more desirable than I pointed out.  So, I guess I'll forgive him for being Lawful.  ;-)

Moose is apparently quite the efficient real-life Rogue, either hacking into my computer to read my half-finished Fighter Guide, or just reading it over my shoulder during my infrequent attempts to finish it.  In that Guide, I point out that a Fighter with a sufficiently high Parry Skill can use this "defense" to destroy attacking enemies by relying on the "riposte" or counter-attack portion of this Skill.  While it's obviously only useful against physical attacks, such
a Fighter can be completely surrounded for some time while taking very little or no damage... and still destroy his enemies.  Moose recommends the same strategy for a Rogue, and while I'm not sure a Rogue's relatively puny number of attacks and bonuses to those attacks make the strategy worthwhile, I will at least mention it.  ;-)  Moose himself admits that it takes a painfully long time for a
Rogue to harm his foes using this form of "attack"...

Asclepius and Rolander pointed out what I would consider to be a bug in
Neverwinter Nights: the game does not roll against your Use Magic Item skill versus the DC of the item in combat.  Therefore, once you have the Skill points to use a given item, you can use that item forever, with no chance of failure.
This, incidentally, is NOT what the 3rd Edition D&D rules say on the subject.
;-)  This therefore moved Use Magic Device up from a useless Skill to a general
Skill.  Asclepius also pointed out another very Rogue-friendly "clothing armor": the Monk-specific Robes of the Dark Moon.  Lord Yorien Dragonard also commented on this ability for using Monk and Wizard/Sorcerer items.

James Prieels found what is quite possibly another bug, this one related to the
Silent Spell Feat.  Ideally, this Feat would allow you to remain in Stealth mode while casting a Silent Spell, but it does not, unfortunately...