Baldur's Gate 3: Best Equipment For A Monk And Where To Find It

Summary

• A monk's equipment in Baldur's Gate 3 can be crucial for boosting stat potential, so it's important to find items that enhance this for the best results.
• Some equipment items are worth grabbing early on because they can help you explore different options that cater to a specific subclass.
• Look out for items like gloves that deal impressive damage or boots that enhance your stealth.

Equipment is one of the most important aspects of Baldur’s Gate 3. With the right armour and jewellery, you’ll boost your character’s potential through the roof, especially if you match them right. For monks, movement means everything, so finding equipment that utilises that is important.

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The best equipment depends on the way you play, but if it’s your first time playing monk, or you’re just overwhelmed by how much there is to find, it can be confusing. There are lots of items to discover and collect and some will cater to a certain subclass. That being said, some are definitely worth grabbing the moment you can.

Updated on December 5, 2024 by Britt Poteet: With various patches and updates for Baldur's Gate 3, players continue to discover new builds and secrets. This article has been updated to reflect the most recent information available in the game so you can give your monk the best equipment.

There are some spoilers for Act Three quests ahead.

15 The Graceful Cloth

Effect

Cat's Grace: You gain Cat's Grace and increase your Dexterity score by two, to a maximum of 20.

Nimble As a Cat: You gain a plus one bonus to Dexterity saving throws and also increase your jump distance by 1.5 meters.

Location

Act One: Sold by Lady Esther just inside the Mountain Path, at the Rosymorn Monastery Trail.

The Graceful Cloth is a rare clothing item that is an essential part of any monk’s loadout. The piece gives you Cat’s Grace, which allows an advantage on dexterity checks and decreases your fall damage by half. Your dexterity score will increase by two to a maximum of 20, and you gain the Nimble As a Cat perk, which gives you a plus one bonus to Dexterity saving throws and increases your jump distance by one and a half meters.

This clothing is sold by Lady Esther, who you can find in the mountains near the entrance of the mountain path. With the increase you gain to your Dexterity score and the bonus to your movement, it's one of the best pieces of equipment to get early on.

14 Cloak Of Protection

Effect

Armour Class +1

Saving throw +1

Location

Act Two: Sold by Quartermaster Talli near Last Light Inn.

The best cloak for the Monk class is the Cloak of Protection. This uncommon item gives you +1 to your AC and to your Saving Throws, adding to your survivability.

A great added defense, this cloak makes you less likely to receive damage or negative effects in combat. As monks don’t typically wear armor due to the Unarmored Defense feature, a cloak is an easy way to receive extra abilities.

13 Boots Of Uninhibited Kushigo

Effect

Experienced And Deadly: The wearer deals additional damage equal to their Wisdom Modifier with unarmed strikes.

Location

Act Three: Dropped by Prelate Lir'i'c during an encounter at the start of the act.

The Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo are made for the Monk class. Adding your Wisdom modifier to the damage from your unarmed strikes, these shoes provide an extra boost to your melee prowess in Act Two.

While it isn’t the most powerful buff for this class, a boost to your Ki abilities is always welcome. If you combine these boots with other items, such as The Mighty Cloth, you can add even more damage to your unarmed strikes.

12 Sparkle Hands

Effect

Conductive Strikes: On a hit with an unarmed attack, the wearer gains two Lightning Charges.

Effective Transmitter: While imbued with Lightning Charges, attacks against metal constructs and foes wearing metal armour gain Advantage

Location

Act One: In a wooden chest in the Sunlit Wetlands, past a fight with Ancient Mud Mephits and Wood Woads.

The Sparkle Hands can be found on the south side of the map in the swamp. You’ll have to travel east of the Riverside Teahouse waypoint and make a few jumps south to come across an area filled with Wood Woads and Ancient Mud Mephits. After defeating them, the gloves will be in a chest near the water.

These gloves allow you to gain two lightning charges when you hit an enemy with an unarmed attack. With those lightning charges, any attacks against metal constructs or enemies with metal armour gain an advantage. Because of the lightning charges, these gloves can be superb when paired with other pieces of equipment, like the Lifebringer Circlet, which grants temporary Restoration health points.

11 Sentient Amulet

Effect

Grants the level three spell Shatter.

Gives the wearer Ki Restoration (Greater).

Location

Act One: In the Grymforge, down the stairs towards the Ancient Forge, on a platform surrounded by lava and a lava elemental.

The Sentient Amulet, as well as giving you a hilarious companion to talk to every now and then, also grants some extra actions and a spell to help you out. The amulet is found in the Grymforge. If you head halfway down the steps to the Adamantine Forge, you can go left and into an extra area. The amulet is in a locked chest in a section surrounded by lava and guarded by a lava elemental.

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This amulet is great for Monks as it gives the class action Ki Restoration, which allows you to restore two ki points, a helpful action in any battle. You also gain Shatter as a level two spell, which is a great help in any fight.

10 Gloves Of Soul Catching

Effect

Soul Fist: Your unarmed attacks deal an additional one to 10 Force damage.

Soul Catching: Once per turn, on an unarmed hit, you regain 10 hit points. Alternatively, you may forego healing to gain Advantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws until the end of your next turn.

Increases Constitution by two, up to 20.

Location

Act Three: Granted as a reward for saving Hope from the House of Hope.

These legendary gloves can’t be found until later in the game, but they are worth grabbing as soon as you reach Baldur’s Gate, especially for those running with Way of the Open Hand. They give a big boost to your unarmed attacks by granting an additional one to ten force damage. As well as that, you regain ten health points per turn after an unarmed attack, or you can gain advantage on attack rolls and saving throws.

On top of all that, you get a plus two to your constitution. The Gloves of Soul Catching are found in the House of Hope after freeing Hope. To get there, you’ll need to head to the Devil’s Fee shop in Baldur’s Gate and begin a quest with Helsik.

9 Garb Of The Land And Sky

Effect

Mountainous Poise: While using Patient Defence, you also benefit from the effect of Blade Ward.

Breezeswift Speed: While using Step of The Wind, your next sttack roll has Advantage and deals an additional one to eight Force Damage.

Location

Act Three: Bought or stolen from the trader Entharl Danthelon at Danthelon's Dancing Axe in Wyrm's Crossing.

The Garb of the Land and Sky is a rare clothing option for your monk. Granting the wearer Blade Ward while using Patient Defense, it adds to your defensive capabilities in combat. In addition, while using Step of the Wind, you get Advantage and extra outgoing damage on your next Attack Roll.

This clothing is one of the best defensive equipment options for a monk, increasing your survivability on the battlefield.

8 Snow-Dusted Monastery Gloves

Effect

Chilling Strike: Your unarmed attacks deal an additional one to four Cold damage.

Ice Knife: Cast as a level three spell once per Long Rest.

Location

Act 3: Bought or stolen from the trader Entharl Danthelon at Danthelon's Dancing Axe in Wyrm's Crossing.

A rare item, the Snow-Dusted Monastery Gloves allow your unarmed attacks to deal additional Cold Damage. The extra elemental power is a small but helpful buff to your monk.

The gloves also allow your monk to cast Ice Knife one time per Long Rest. You can use this to directly attack an enemy or cause a patch of ice to appear on the ground, possibly rendering attacking enemies prone. The unique Cold Damage abilities these gloves provide boosts your offenses during combat.

7 Ring Of Free Action

Effect

Unwavering: You ignore the effects of difficult terrain, and cannot be paralysed or restrained.

Location

Act Two: Sold by Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers.

The Ring of Free Action is a great addition to any monk’s loadout, as it allows you to ignore the effects of difficult terrain and stops you from being paralysed or restrained. This ring makes it a lot easier to race around during fights without the fear of being held up for a few turns.

Since monks can have a pretty high damage output with great movement, you definitely want to make sure they stay in the fight as much as possible. You can purchase the ring from Araj Oblodra, an alchemist and trader in Moonrise Towers. She sits in a room on the left-hand side when you enter Moonrise.

6 Haste Helm

Effect

Smooth Start: At the start of combat, the wearer gains Momentum for three turns.

Location

Act One: Near the Blighted Village waypoint inside a wooden chest next to a cart.

The Haste Helm is a useful helmet that grants you momentum for three turns when you start combat. Momentum is great for monks as it increases movement speed by three meters, so you can travel further during battle and get a few extra hits in.

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The increase is removed if you become restrained, incapacitated, prone, or slowed down. Pairing this with the Ring of Free Action, however, can help you maintain the movement speed by stopping you from being restrained or paralysed.