Baldur's Gate 3 Monk class overview: Sub-classes, builds, and more

With the launch of the full version of Baldur's Gate 3 came a plethora of new content, including the Monk class. This fresh addition is a popular choice among early access fans, considering its unique playstyle and mechanics. Unlike other classes who wield weapons and utilize magic in their combat style, Monks mainly rely on their high mobility and martial arts skills to defeat their opponents in a tactical fashion.

This class is a solid pick for those who fancy melee combat without relying on weapons and brute force. If you are looking to play Baldur's Gate 3 using the Monk class, there are some key details should know. In this guide, we will go through Monk's proficiencies, abilities, subclasses, and builds, as well as its pros and cons.

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Baldur's Gate 3 Monk class guide

Monks are martial arts monsters whose primary attributes are Dexterity and Wisdom. They feature unique abilities and proficiencies, which are detailed below:

Class features

• Action: Flurry of Blows - Unleash two quick punches.
• Ki - Use Ki points, a force that flows through all living beings.
• Unarmoured Defense - Add Wisdom modifier to your armor class when unequipped with armor.
• Martial Arts: Dexterous Attacks - Inflicting damage when unarmed scales Dexterity instead of Strength.
• Martial Arts: Deft Strikes - Deal bludgeoning damage with unarmed attacks and those with Monk weapons.
• Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike - use bonus action to perform another unarmed attack

Proficiencies

Class proficiencies are highly dependent on your chosen race or sub-race. For the Monk class, the Wood Half-Elf is the recommended choice. It grants the following perks:

• Base Racial Speed
• Civil Militia - Weapon proficiency (spears, pikes, halberds, and glaives); armor proficiency (light armor and shields).
• Darkvision - Can see in the dark (up to 12m).
• Fey Ancestry - Magic can't put you to sleep.
• Fleet of Foot - Adds movement range.

Wood Half-Elf is a perfect choice for race because Monks are highly dependent on their mobility. Also, Darkvision is a great perk in this race as it allows you to see in the dark for up to 12 meters. This is especially important for Monks because they are a melee class battling opponents in dark areas.

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Baldur's Gate 3 Monk subclasses

There are three Monk subclasses available at level 3.

• Way of the Four Elements - Allows you to use your Ki to control elements. When you take Long rest, you gain half of your Ki points through the Harmony of Fire and Water action.
• Way of the Open Hand - Excel at unarmed combat style. Learn three new Flurry of Blows actions: Topple, Stagger, and Push.
• Way of Shadow - Specializes in stealth and sneak attacks. Learn Minor Illusion, Shadow Arts: Hide, and four other spell-like actions: Pass Without Trace, Darkness, Darkvision, and Silence.

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Baldur's Gate 3 best Monk build

As of the game's full launch, here is the best build for Monk in Baldur's Gate 3:

• Subclass: Way of Shadows
• Race: Wood Elf
• Background: Urchin
• Skills: Dexterity and Strength
• Weapon: Unarmed

Way of Shadows is the best choice for the subclass because of the utility and mobility it provides. You can make use of your Stealth more often with the ability to jump among shadows.

As for abilities, we recommend prioritizing Dexterity for damage scaling. You can also focus on Wisdom for increased unarmored defense and Constitution for HP. You can follow this stat distribution for your Monk:

• Strength: 10
• Dexterity: 17
• Constitution: 14
• Intelligence: 8
• Wisdom: 14
• Charisma: 10

The best pick for the race would be Wood Elf, due to its bonus Dexterity and Wisdom. The Urchin background also adds more Dexterity to your stats.

As for the class pros, the Monk is highly mobile and fun to play with its sneak attacks and Stealth mechanics. It also boasts powerful unarmed attacks and you don't have to rely so much on your weapon to gain power.

However, Monks do not have a lot of options for ranged battles. They also do not have access to party buffs or healing in their arsenal, which other classes have.

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That is all for our Monk class guide in Baldur's Gate 3. For more details on the game's available classes, check this guide.