If you say that the Monk is the least popular class in Baldur's Gate 3, you'll most likely be right. Not only does this class walk around without armor, but it also fights unarmed — seemingly useless, right? But that's not entirely true, because the Monk has a plethora of advantages that can indeed save your playthrough. In this guide, we've described the best build for the Monk, as well as what weapons and equipment to outfit this fighter with.
Note: The Monk is the main character of the author of this build. With their help, we've completed the game from pesky devils to annoying vampires on Tactic difficulty.
In Baldur's Gate 3, the Monk class gets bonuses during combat without armor and weapons, but that doesn't mean you have to fight completely naked. At different stages of the game, you'll approach equipment differently, for example:
The Monk's primary attribute is Dexterity. It determines the power of your strike. But more importantly, Dexterity affects your Armor Class (AC), which should be high so that enemies rarely hit the hero and ideally can't kill you.
The second important attribute is Wisdom. Like Dexterity, it also affects AC. Moreover, Wisdom enhances the power of your spells, which, although present in limited numbers for the Monk, play their role.
The image above shows the recommended attributes at level 1. Don't worry about the low Constitution, because we'll get back to it.
The Way of the Shadow might seem like an unexpected choice to some, but we'll convince you otherwise. The fact is, a Monk with this subclass is an elusive and invulnerable ninja, capable of moving through dark places like The Flash, seeing in the dark (which will be useful for those who don't play as elves), and hiding everywhere. This is the strongest and most mobile subclass compared to the rest.
We choose the Tough skill because even with high elusiveness, it's important to be prepared to take a hit. Also, let's not forget about the importance of health (HP), which is quite a crucial aspect.
This part is simple. At this stage, you should increase Dexterity to the maximum value through Ability Score Improvement. This is necessary to achieve massive damage when using multiple attacks (don't forget how the monk's ki works), as well as to support AC. Remember that the maximum amount of health doesn't always play a decisive role, as a high armor class will most often prevent enemies from hitting the hero.
Since the Monk has equipment restrictions, we've highlighted a few items that you must find as you progress through the game. They will help improve the hero's stats and provide various bonuses.
Bracers of Defense, which give a permanent +2 to AC for those who do not wear armor and shields, are found during the game in the first act. They are located in a secret area of the basement under the Abandoned Village, in a gilded chest at coordinates X:-656, Y:-370. Once you put them on your hero, you can pretty much forget that there are any other gloves in Baldur's Gate 3.
The second item is the Amulet of Health, permanently raising your Constitution to 23 points and giving an advantage on checks. It's a bit harder to find because it's hidden in the third act. To get it, you need to enter House of Hope in Avernus and go to the pedestal at coordinates X:-6548, Y: -2901. Note that this item will have to be stolen.