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Rogue talents are only available to the rogue class in Dragon Age: Origins.

Dirty Fighting tree[]

Dirty Fighting Dirty Fighting
Activated
Range: Personal
Activation: 25
Cooldown: 25s
Requires: 10 dexterity
The rogue incapacitates a target, who takes no damage from the attack but is stunned for a short time.
Combat Movement Combat Movement
Passive
Requires: Level 4
Requires:  14 dexterity
The quick-stepping rogue can more easily outmaneuver opponents, granting a wider flanking angle that makes backstabs easier to achieve.
Coup De Grace Coup De Grace
Passive
Requires: Level 8
Requires:  18 dexterity
When a target is incapacitated, the opportunistic rogue strikes where it hurts the most, inflicting automatic backstabs against stunned or paralyzed targets.
Feign Death Feign Death
Sustained
Range: Personal
Upkeep: 40
Fatigue: 5%
Cooldown: 300s
Requires: Level 12
Requires:  22 dexterity
The rogue collapses at the enemies' feet, causing them to lose interest and seek other targets until the rogue gives up the ruse.

Below the Belt tree[]

Below the Belt Below the Belt
Activated
Range: Personal
Activation: 25
Cooldown: 15s
Requires: 10 dexterity
The rogue delivers a swift and unsportsmanlike kick to the target, dealing normal combat damage as well as imposing penalties to defense and movement speed unless the target passes a physical resistance check.
Deadly Strike Deadly Strike
Activated
Range: Personal
Activation: 25
Cooldown: 15s
Requires: Level 4
Requires:  14 dexterity
The rogue makes a swift strike at a vulnerable area on the target, dealing normal damage but gaining a bonus to armor penetration.
Lethality Lethality
Passive
Requires: Level 8
Requires:  23 dexterity
The rogue has a keen eye for weak spots, and thus gains a bonus to critical chance for all attacks. Additionally, if the rogue's cunning score is greater than strength, sharpness of mind lets the character use the cunning modifier to affect attack damage in place of the strength modifier.
Evasion Evasion
Passive
Requires: Level 12
Requires:  35 dexterity
The rogue gains an almost preternatural ability to sense and avoid danger. This talent grants a one-in-five chance of evading a physical attack, including being stunned or knocked down.

Deft Hands tree[]

Deft Hands Deft Hands
Passive
Requires: 10 cunning
All rogues have some understanding of opening locks and spotting traps, but particularly dexterous hands and a steady grip give the character a bonus when picking locks or disarming traps. The character's cunning score also contributes to these skills.
Improved Tools Improved Tools
Upgrade
Requires: Level 4
Requires:  14 cunning
The rogue has taken to carrying a full set of implements designed to defeat trickier locks and spring traps without harm. These tools add a further bonus when lockpicking or disarming traps, which the character's cunning score also affects.
Mechanical Expertise Mechanical Expertise
Upgrade
Requires: Level 8
Requires:  18 cunning
Through practice and research, the rogue has come to possess an encyclopedic knowledge of devices designed to prevent entry. Knowing the right technique for the job lends the rogue yet another bonus when dealing with locks or traps. The character's cunning score also contributes to these skills.
Device Mastery Device Mastery
Upgrade
Requires: Level 12
Requires:  22 cunning
Practice makes perfect, and only the most intricate locks or elaborate traps give the rogue pause at this level of mastery. A further bonus applies when lockpicking or disarming traps. The character's cunning score also contributes to these skills.
Blizzard spell reveals traps

Blizzard spell reveals traps not yet detected.

  • Each rank of this talent adds ten points to your effective Cunning score for the purposes of lock picking and trap disarming. With an effective score of 70, you will be able to pick every lock in the game. In other words, you can open every lock in the game with a cunning score of 70 and NO ranks in this talent; or you can open every lock in the game with a cunning score of 30 plus ALL the ranks of this talent.
  • A Blizzard spell can reveal traps not yet detected. It shows the "shadow" of a trap, and persists after the spell has expired. The trap is not considered detected and can be tripped by characters.

Stealth tree[]

Stealth Stealth
Sustained
Range: Personal
Fatigue: 5%
Cooldown: 10s
Requires: 10 cunning
The rogue has learned to fade from view, although perceptive enemies may not be fooled. Taking any action beyond movement, including engaging in combat or using items, will still attract attention. If the rogue initiates combat while still stealthed, the first strike is an automatic critical hit or backstab.
Stealthy Item Use Stealthy Item Use
Upgrade
Requires: Level 4
Requires:  14 cunning
The rogue has learned how to use items while sneaking.
Combat Stealth Combat Stealth
Upgrade
Requires: Level 8
Requires:  18 cunning
The rogue is stealthy enough to try sneaking during combat, although at a significant penalty.
Master Stealth Master Stealth
Upgrade
Requires: Level 12
Requires:  22 cunning
The rogue has mastered the art of stealth, gaining significant bonuses on all stealth checks.

Stealth Mechanics[]

Rogues can always enter Stealth outside of combat mode. In combat, they can hide in shadows, if they have Combat Stealth and the perception ranks of creatures in stealth-perception-range (30 meters) are lower than Rogue's stealth rank.

Perception Rank

  • Normal Enemy: 1
  • Lieutenant: 2
  • Boss: 3
  • Elite Boss: 4

Breaking stealth

A Rogue will lose Stealth if any of the following situations applies:

  • If the Rogue attempts to Steal (whether successful or not).
  • If the Rogue attacks any target (with or without an activated talent).
  • If a Rogue without Combat Stealth or Master Stealth takes damage (e.g. from traps or AoE).
  • An enemy with a higher perception rank than the Rogue's Stealth rank is in stealth-perception-range (30 meters).
  • Getting hit / affected by:
    • Knockdown / Knockback Effects.
    • Daze / Stun / Paralysis / Sleep / Confuse Effects.
    • Non-physical damage.
    • Any Damage-over-Time effect.
  • Activating a talent or starting a sustained ability (due to change in visual effects).

Rogues have a chance to remain in stealth in these situations:

  • Top ranked Rogues get a chance to remain in stealth when they take non-physical damage:
    • Combat Stealth (Rank 3) gives a chance equal to character level, e.g. 9% for level 9 Rogues
    • Master Stealth (Rank 4) gives twice that chance, e.g. 18% for level 9 Rogues
  • With Stealthy Item Use (Rank 2), there is a 90% chance the Rogue will remain in stealth whenever using an item (this includes throwing bombs, setting traps, etc.).

Threat

After a small delay, Threat is reset. Breaking Stealth too quickly can prevent this.

Notes

  • Cunning plays no role in entering Stealth-mode.
  • See also Bioware forum discussion of Rogue Mechanics
  • The relevant files are skill_stealth.nss, sys_stealth_h.nss, rules_core.nss, ability_core.nss, creatureranks.xls and effects.xls (which can be read/adjusted using the Toolset).
  • Rogues with Stealth Rank 4 can hide from Elite Bosses, if they are more than 30m away. They will remain hidden if they get closer (the required Stealth Rank against detection checks is one level less than for hiding checks).

Heartseeker tree[]

This talent tree is only available through the Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening expansion.


Heartseeker Heartseeker
Activated
Range: Personal
Activation: 80
Cooldown: 30s
Requires: Level 20
36 dexterity
The rogue strikes with great precision, attempting to fell weakened enemies in one last blow. If the attack is successful, a target of elite rank or lower is killed instantly if its health is already low enough. If the attack does not kill, it inflicts a critical hit instead.
Ghost Ghost
Activated
Range: Personal
Activation: 60
Duration: 15s
Cooldown: 60s
Requires: Level 22
40 dexterity
The rogue melts into the shadows, completely evading enemies' physical attacks for a short time.
Weak Points Weak Points
Sustained
Upkeep: 60
Fatigue: 10%
Cooldown: 10s
Requires: Level 24
46 dexterity
While this mode is active, the rogue seeks out enemies' weak points, striking each target in a manner that increases all damage the foe suffers for a short time, no matter the source of the damage.
Flicker Flicker
Activated
Range: Short
Activation: 80
Cooldown: 60s
Requires: Level 26
52 dexterity
The rogue's deadly speed is unmatched. Within a targeted area, the rogue disappears in a blur, sprinting from target to target to backstab each of them.

Power of Blood tree[]

This talent tree is only available through the Warden's Keep downloadable content.


Dark Passage Dark Passage
Passive Tapping the power of tainted blood makes the rogue more nimble, able to move more quickly while using Stealth and more likely to dodge a physical attack.
The Tainted Blade The Tainted Blade
Sustained
Upkeep: 40
Fatigue: 5%
Cooldown: 5s
The rogue's blood gushes forth, coating the edges of weapons with a deadly taint. The character gains a bonus to damage determined by the cunning attribute, but suffers continuously depleting health in return.
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