Soulknife Rogue Guide for Beginners: Mastering the Psionic Assassin in D&D 5e

The Soulknife Rogue is a master of psychic combat and mental manipulation, wielding blades made of pure psionic energy to strike with deadly precision. Introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, this subclass is perfect for players who want to play a stealthy, telepathic assassin who uses psionics to bypass defenses, communicate secretly, and enhance their combat effectiveness.

Unlike other Rogues who rely on physical weapons, Soulknives manifest psionic blades at will, can communicate telepathically, and use their mental energy to bolster attacks, defense, and movement, making them one of the most unique and versatile Rogue subclasses in D&D 5e. If you love the idea of a silent, psychic warrior who can infiltrate, assassinate, and dominate the battlefield with mental prowess, this subclass is for you!

Why Play a Soulknife Rogue?

Key Benefits

• Best Rogue for Psionic & Telepathic Abilities – Communicate silently and enhance attacks with psionic energy.
• Unmatched Versatility – Use psychic dice for offense, defense, movement, and skill checks.
• Weaponless Assassin – Your Psionic Blades require no physical weapons or ammunition.
• One of the Most Durable Rogues – Defensive psionic abilities make you harder to hit and control.
• Silent Killer & Expert Infiltrator – Attack without leaving physical evidence or relying on traditional weapons.

Compared to other Rogues, Soulknives are the best for stealthy telepathic coordination, bypassing traditional defenses, and executing mental combat strategies.

Core Features

Key Mechanics and Abilities

Psionic Power (Level 3)

• Gain Psionic Energy Dice (equal to your proficiency bonus) to enhance:
  • Skill checks (Psi-Bolstered Knack).
  • Teleportation (Psychic Whispers).
  • Defensive maneuvers (later levels).
• Dice start as d6s and increase as you level.
• Example: Boost your Stealth roll with a psionic die to slip past guards unseen.

Psychic Blades (Level 3)

• Manifest melee or ranged psionic weapons (1d6 psychic damage).
• A second attack (1d4) is possible as a bonus action.
• Leaves no trace or physical evidence.
• Example: Strike with psychic precision, bypassing armor and leaving no weapon behind.

Psychic Whispers (Level 3)

• Use Psionic Energy Dice to establish telepathic communication between multiple allies (lasts several hours).
• Example: Silently coordinate with teammates while sneaking into an enemy fortress.

Soul Blades (Level 9)

• Enhance Psychic Blades with new psionic abilities:
  • Homing Strikes – If you miss, spend a Psionic Energy Die to boost the roll.
  • Psychic Teleportation – Throw a psychic blade and teleport to its location.
• Example: Missed your Sneak Attack? Use Homing Strikes to turn failure into success!

Psychic Veil (Level 13)

• Turn invisible for 1 hour without needing concentration (once per long rest).
• Example: Infiltrate enemy bases, disappear mid-fight, or escape unseen.

Rend Mind (Level 17)

• When you hit with a Psychic Blade, force a Wisdom saving throw or stun the target.
• Example: Shut down a powerful enemy by stunning them with psionic force.

These abilities make Soulknife Rogues some of the most self-sufficient, stealthy, and precise assassins, able to strike and vanish without a trace.

Suggested Ability Scores

• Primary: Dexterity – Improves attack rolls, AC, and Stealth.
• Secondary: Wisdom or Intelligence – Enhances Insight, Perception, and psionic abilities.
• Tertiary: Constitution – Increases survivability.

Recommended Races

Since Soulknives rely on Dexterity, psionic abilities, and mental strength, the best races include:

1. Shadar-Kai Elf – Teleportation, necrotic resistance, and fits the theme of a shadowy psychic warrior.
2. Githzerai – Innate psychic abilities and resistance to charm/fear.
3. Kenku – Dexterity bonus and Mimicry make for a perfect silent assassin.
4. Changeling – Shapeshifting allows for creative infiltrations.
5. Drow Half-Elf – Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, and Dexterity boost.

Playing as a Soulknife Rogue

Role in a Party

• Primary Striker & Silent Assassin – Use psychic blades to take down enemies unnoticed.
• Master Infiltrator – Communicate telepathically, turn invisible, and teleport.
• Great Against Mind-Based Enemies – Immune to charm and enhances Wisdom-based defenses.

Compared to other Rogues, Soulknives excel in mental combat, stealth missions, and attacking with undetectable psionic weapons.

Tips for New Players

• Always use Psychic Whispers – Coordinate secretly with allies for scouting and tactical advantages.
• Leverage Soul Blades – Homing Strikes and Psychic Teleportation make you incredibly mobile.
• Don’t forget Psychic Veil – Free invisibility makes you nearly untouchable for an hour.
• Use Rend Mind Against Bosses – Stunning a powerful foe can turn the tide of battle.

Gear and Dice Recommendations

Suggested Equipment

Weapons

• None Required! Your Psychic Blades appear at will and deal psychic damage.

Armor

• Studded Leather Armor – Maximizes AC without affecting Stealth.
• Cloak of Protection – Boosts AC and saving throws.

Magic Items

• Amulet of Health – Boosts Constitution for survivability.
• Ring of Mind Shielding – Prevents mind-reading and enhances psychic defense.
• Psycrystal Amulet – Enhances psionic abilities and boosts saving throws.

Dice Recommendations from Runic Dice

Enhance your psionic-themed character with these dice sets:

• Mindblade Dice Set: For a glowing blue and silver combination symbolizing psionic weapons, consider the Blue Sandstone Silver Font Gemstone DND Dice Set. This set features deep blue sandstone with shimmering inclusions, complemented by silver numerals, capturing the essence of a mindblade's ethereal weaponry.
• Ethereal Assassin Dice Set: To embody a psychic killer with dark purple and black tones, the Purple Gemstone Amethyst DND Dice Set is an excellent choice. Handcrafted from genuine amethyst, these dice showcase deep purple hues, reflecting the enigmatic presence of an ethereal assassin.
• Voidwalker Dice Set: For cosmic hues representing mental transcendence, the Black Inked Lightning Cracked Glass DND Dice Set offers a striking cracked glass design with black inked numerals, symbolizing the mysterious journey of a voidwalker traversing the planes of existence.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Optimization Strategies

Best Feats for a Soulknife Rogue

1. Telekinetic – Enhances psionic abilities and grants Mage Hand.
2. Lucky – Reroll failed attacks or saving throws.
3. Shadow Touched – Gain Invisibility and a necrotic spell.
4. Resilient (Wisdom) – Boosts saving throws against mind-affecting spells.
5. Mobile – Increases movement speed and allows hit-and-run tactics.

Best Multiclass Options

1. Rogue 5 / Warlock (Great Old One) 15 – The Psychic Nightmare

   • Best for: Enhancing psychic abilities with eldritch magic.
   • Strategy: Use psychic whispers combined with Warlock spells for deadly control.

2. Rogue 6 / Fighter (Psi Warrior) 14 – The Psionic Gladiator

   • Best for: Combining martial prowess with psionic defense.
   • Strategy: Use Fighter’s extra attacks and defensive abilities for durability.

3. Rogue 10 / Wizard (Divination) 10 – The Future Seer

   • Best for: Blending psionic abilities with predictive magic.
   • Strategy: Use Portent dice to manipulate key attack rolls.

The Soulknife Rogue is one of the most unique, stealthy, and versatile subclasses in D&D 5e, excelling at psychic combat, telepathic teamwork, and assassinations with psionic blades.