Top Stats for a Scion of the Three Rogue in D&D: Completing and Solving

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The Son of the Three Rogues is one of the most aggressive and combat-oriented subclasses available for rogues in Dungeons & Dragons. Found in the Forgotten Realms Player’s Guide, this subclass draws dark strength from the Dead Three—Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul—turning you into a relentless, bloodthirsty hunter on the battlefield.

Unlike traditional rogues who focus on stealth and careful positioning, the Son of the Three thrives in the chaos of close combat. They teleport between fallen enemies and deal devastating damage to wounded opponents. If you want to play a rogue that feels more like a horror movie slasher than a sneaky thief, this subclass is a good fit.

Son of the Three Subclass Overview

The Son of the Three gets its power from three evil gods of the Forgotten Realms—Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul. Your character can be a devoted cultist pledged to these dark deities, or you could be cursed with their power against your will, similar to the Dark Urge in Baldur’s Gate 3.

In Baldur’s Gate, underground cults to Bane (tyranny), Bhaal (murder), and Myrkul (death) often employ agents of this subclass. Outside the city, ruthless thieves’ guilds like the Shadow Thieves of Amn and Xanathar’s Guild might hire a Son of the Three for especially violent contracts.

Here’s a summary of the subclass’s features:

Feature	Level	Details
Bloodthirst	3rd	Deals extra damage to bloodied enemies with your Sneak Attacks, equal to half your rogue level. Additionally, it grants a reaction that lets you teleport up to 30 feet when an enemy you can see drops to zero health, allowing a melee attack afterward. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, resetting after a long rest.
Dread Allegiance	3rd	At each long rest, you choose one of the three gods to gain a resistance and an ability until your next rest. Choices include:

Bane: Psychic resistance and the Minor Illusion cantrip
Bhaal: Poison resistance and the Blade Ward cantrip
Myrkul: Necrotic resistance and the Chill Touch cantrip |
| Strike Fear | 9th | Gains the Terrify ability: make a Wisdom saving throw against a target; on failure, the target becomes frightened for 1 minute, and you have advantage on attack rolls against it. |
| Aura of Malevolence | 13th | Creates an aura that deals damage equal to your Intelligence modifier to enemies within 10 feet at the start of your turn, ignoring resistances. |
| Dread Incarnate | 17th | Gains:
Murderous Intent: treat any 1 or 2 on Sneak Attack dice as 3
Battle Tyrant: advantage on attack rolls against frightened enemies |

Best Ability Scores for a Son of the Three Rogue

This subclass requires unusual focus on Intelligence along with Dexterity. Dexterity remains your main ability—affecting attack rolls with finesse weapons, your Armor Class, initiative, and key skills like Stealth and Acrobatics. It’s recommended to raise Dexterity to 20 by level 8 or 12.

However, Intelligence plays a unique role: it determines how many times you can use Bloodthirst per long rest, and at level 13, it influences the damage of your Aura of Malevolence. Aim for at least 14-16 Intelligence. An Intelligence of 16 grants three Bloodthirst uses per rest and a +3 damage bonus for your aura, which is very beneficial. If you want to fully commit to this subclass’s thematic, boosting Intelligence to 18 is worth considering, though it may require sacrificing elsewhere.

Constitution is important too, since your aggressive playstyle puts you in melee often, and your teleportation encourages diving into the thick of battle. Aim for at least 14 Constitution, with 16 being optimal in tougher campaigns.

Wisdom, Charisma, and Strength are less vital. Wisdom affects Perception and Insight but can be proficiency-based. Charisma influences social skills but is less relevant for a violent, intimidation-focused character. Strength is mostly useless since you rely on finesse weapons.

Best Species for a Son of the Three Rogue

Several races complement this aggressive, intelligence-focused playstyle:

Species	Details
Human	Humans are versatile and reliable. They can quickly boost both Dexterity and Intelligence with their flexible ability score increases. Their extra skill proficiency, thanks to the Human Adaptability trait, makes them excellent for maximizing rogue skills and versatility.
High Elf	Their natural bonuses to Dexterity and Intelligence match well with your main stats. The bonus cantrip adds magical utility, and Darkvision helps in darkness or shadowy environments.
Tiefling	Their innate connection to dark forces mirrors the theme of the Dead Three. They gain resistance to fire damage, which is unique compared to your other resistances, and many variants boost Intelligence. The Thaumaturgy cantrip enhances intimidation.
Shadar-kai	These elves from the Shadowfell are perfect thematically. Their Blessing of the Raven Queen allows teleportation and damage resistance, which synergizes well with Bloodthirst teleportation. Natural necrotic resistance is a thematic bonus, fitting for a servant of death.

Best Backgrounds for a Son of the Three Rogue

Backgrounds provide skills, tools, and story hooks that can flesh out your character’s history:

Background	Details
Soldier	Offers proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation, and knowledge of land vehicles. While Athletics isn’t typical for rogues, it can be useful for grappling or jumping. Intimidation plays into your fearsome presence, especially combined with Strike Fear and Aura of Malevolence. Your military rank can be flavorfully aligned with authority earned through intimidation or violence.
Sage	Highlights your focus on Intelligence. Grants proficiency in Arcana and History, fitting for a scholar or dark knowledge seeker. The Researcher feature offers clues to locate forbidden knowledge about the Dead Three, supporting roleplay possibilities of delving into dark lore or gaining power through forbidden study.
Criminal	The most straightforward choice, offering proficiency in Sleight of Hand and Stealth—essential rogue skills. The Criminal Contact feature gives connections to the underworld, suitable for dealings with cults or criminal guilds tied to the Dead Three, especially in Baldur’s Gate.

This setup emphasizes a playable character that is both deadly and thematically linked to dark gods, with a focus on combat dynamism, strategic teleportation, and dark lore.