Roguery Skill Leveling

Leveling Roguery can feel slow if you play like a traditional noble, but for a dedicated criminal, it is one of the easiest skills to skyrocket. Unlike combat skills that require hitting things, Roguery rewards you for the business of war: selling captives and stealing wealth.

The Roguery XP Loop

The most important thing to understand is that you do not get Roguery XP for fighting bandits. You get it for:

1. Selling prisoners.

2. Recruiting bandit prisoners.

3. Raiding villages.

4. Attacking caravans.

5. Infiltrating towns.

6. Giving bribes.

Method 1: Selling Prisoners (The Consistent Grind)

This is the safest and most consistent way to level Roguery. Every time you win a battle, capture as many prisoners as possible. Even if you are over your prisoner limit, take them. You can sell them at the nearest town immediately.

Tip: Focus on hunting Looters in the early game. They are plentiful, weak, and provide a steady stream of "human currency" to sell to the Ransom Broker.

Visit the Tavern in any town and choose "Ransom your prisoners" to convert your captives into Roguery XP and gold.

For more on managing your captives, see our Prisoner Management guide.

Method 2: Raiding & Pillaging (The Fast Track)

If you don't mind making enemies, raiding villages is the fastest way to gain large bursts of XP. The act of raiding grants XP ticks as the raid progress bar fills, and you get a final chunk of XP upon completion.

Warning: Raiding a village will cause the owning faction to declare war on you (if you aren't already at war) and will permanently damage your relations with the village notables.

Raiding yields trade goods, food, and Roguery XP, but turns the local population against you.

Method 3: Prison Breaks (The XP Bomb)

Breaking a lord out of a dungeon is the single biggest source of Roguery XP in the game. A successful break can grant multiple levels instantly.

To do this:

1. Find a town where an ally or neutral lord is imprisoned.

2. Enter the Keep and choose "Break out prisoner".

3. Fight your way through the guards.

It is difficult, but the reward is unmatched.

Alley Mechanics & Gang Leading

In towns, you can find "Clearing" areas (Alleys) controlled by local gangs. By attacking these gang leaders, you can clear them out.

Once cleared, you can leave a companion with Roguery skill and some troops to take over the alley. This provides:

• Passive income.

• Passive Roguery XP for the companion and the clan leader.

• Occasional bandit troops added to your roster.

Taking over the criminal underworld of a town requires beating the local thugs in a street fight.