What drives a poor reputation for the Rogue class?

[Pooky the Imp]

My issue with all of this is the specialist vs the generalist.

And it's always the case that because a generalist CAN do something the specialist can do, it's asserted that the generalist can simply replace the specialist.

That's why I always ask... how many spell slots are you devoting to this through the course of an adventuring day? These are resources that can be used elsewhere.

Like the Stars Druid. Yes, you can use your Wild Shape for "Reliable Talent" on Int/Wis checks outside of combat. But then you're not getting that "Reliable Talent" on Concentration checks in combat, nor the other benefits of your Starry Form. Similarly, you can use Cosmic Omen to boost someone's ability check... but then you're not using it to buff someone's saving throws, or attack rolls, or debuff an enemy's saves/attacks.

This is all true.

However, it's also heavily dependant on how many times those things are actually coming up over the course of an adventuring day.

Casting a spell (or using another limited-use resource) in place of a skill check will obviously burn through resources quite quickly. On the other hand, using limited resources to guarantee success on especially important skill checks would seem perfectly reasonable.

Bear in mind that hit points are a limited resource, too. So if you rely on expertise but end up fluffing a key roll (because a d20 is still swingy) and end up taking damage as a result, you're still down a limited resource. It just happens to be a different kind of limited resource.

It's like the do-it-all mage that can cast Silvery Barbs to impose Disadvantage, Shield to protect themselves from attacks, Absorb Elements to tank energy damage, Counterspell to ruin an enemy's plans, and also make a chunky Booming Blade opportunity attack.

Wow. So impressive. Except, you can only ever do one of those things. And instead of trying to "do everything", you could devote those spell slots to something else. Let the specialists specialize.

See, this is where our philosophies heavily diverge.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with having all of those. If anything, it sounds exceptionally useful.

Yes, you're not going to be doing all of them at the same time. But so what? The point is not to use all your spells all the time. The point is to have a utility belt of options that are there when you need them. Shield is there to protect you from either a single high-damage attack or a swarm of little ones. Absorb elements can protect you from a lot of damaging spells, AoEs and the like. Silvery Barbs can protect you or an ally from a single attack, whilst also adding Advantage as a bonus. And those three spells are all just Lv1, yet will remain useful throughout a mage's entire career.

Then you've got Counterspell, which is absolutely incredibly when you need it. It's not something you're going to be casting every round or even every fight. But when an enemy wizard throws out Synaptic Static, you (and your party) will be incredibly grateful to have it.