InBaldur’s Gate 3, the Monk has the largest amount of class-specific gear. Throughout all 3 acts of the game, players will constantly be finding items that Monks can make exceptional use of. However, this means it can be tricky to determine which pieces of gear are best for a Monk.
Monks have wonderful gear progression, with some of their best items coming from Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3, meaning there will be a consistent feeling of becoming stronger. This also means thatMonks generally do not have to worry about contested items, as they have so much unique gear for their class. By the time players get to Act 3, Monks can be dealing the most damage out of any class in the game.
10Crusher’s Ring
Extra Movement Speed
TheCrusher’s Ringis one of the most reliable pieces of jewelry in the game, granting a passive 3-meter boost to the movement speed of the wearer. This ring can be acquired during Act 1 inBG3’s Goblin Campfromthe Goblin named Crusher, shown above inAmazonia Amazon’s video. Players can slip the ring off of his toe stealthily or slay him to loot it off of his corpse.
Taking the Thief subclass from Rogue can drastically increase a Monk’s damage and mobility by providing an additional bonus action.
Monks are already one of the most mobile classes in the game, especially if players decide toadd three levels of Rogue for the Thief subclass. This means that Monks no longer have to spend Ki points on Dash and can save them for Flurry of Blows damage. Always having three extra meters of movement per turn will allow the Monk to cross the battlefield with greater ease, which allows the class to deal its full damage.
9Shifting Corpus Ring
Two Free Concentration Spells
TheShifting Corpus Ringcan be acquired in Act 2 from Fist Marcus after defeating him in the combat encounter at Last Light Inn. It comes with two concentration spells that Monks can use: Blur and Invisibility.Blur imposes Disadvantage on enemy attack rolls, which can help a Monk take less damage from all sources.
+1 to AC and Saving Throws
Ring of Free Action
Ignore the effects of Difficult Terrain and cannot be Paralyzed or Restrained.
The Sparkswall
The wearer can’t be electrocuted and has resistance to Lightning damage.
Fetish of Callaruren Smoothhands
Invisibility Spell
Most Monk players take theWay of the Open Hand subclassdue to its strength and ease of use, which means they won’t be casting any Monk spells. This frees up concentration for spells from gear, which is this ring’s primary focus. Also, Monks typically have high Stealth and Sleight of Hand, meaning invisibility can come in handy for utility purposes such as theft.
8Khalid’s Gift
Increase Monk’s Wisdom Score
The Khalid’s Gift amulet can be found in Act 3 in Elerrathin’s Home by usingJaheira’s Harp-Shaped Pinto gain access to her basement, as shown inrAAZ1312’s video above. It prevents Jaheira from getting cursed and grants the user one cast of level 3 Aid. However, the primary benefit of this amulet is thatit provides a +1 to Wisdom, which will boost the effectiveness of a Monk’s attacks.
This amulet is excellent for players who have an odd number for their Wisdom Score, such as 17 or 19.Stats only obtain a boost with even numbers, so using this Amulet to get to 20 Wisdom for a +5 boost will greatly enhance the attacks of Monks, especially when used in conjunction with the Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo. However, if the Monk’s Wisdom is already 18 or 20, then there is no point in using this amulet.
7The Deathstalker Mantle
Free Invisibility On Final Blows
The Deathstalker Mantle is a cloak that can be acquired in Act 1, but only if the player chooses theDark Urge as their origin. This cloak is provided by the Butler for the Dark Urge during a campsite cinematic. Itgrants the wearer invisibility for two turnsafter executing a creature.
Another great cloak option for Monks is the Cloak of Displacement, but I often find that I get more use out of it on spellcasters.
This cloak is great for any character that can perform multiple attacks in one turn, which means it works very effectively on Monks, who have the most attacks per turn by far. Having invisibility for two turns can allow the Monk to position themselves for absurd amounts of damage, as they already have incredible mobility.Invisibility grants the user Advantage on their next attack roll, which means a Critical Hit is quite likely to occur.
6Gloves of Crushing
Bonus To Unarmed Attack Rolls
TheGloves of Crushingcan be bought or stolen in Act 2 from the vendor Roah Moonglow in Moonrise Towers. These gloves provide the user with a+1 bonus to unarmed Attack Rollsas well as an additional 2 bludgeoning damage on each unarmed attack. These gloves will remain an uncontested choice for Monks until late into Act 3 when they get the Gloves of Soul Catching in the House of Hope.
+2 to AC while not wearing armor
Gloves of Cinder and Sizzle
Unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-4 Fire damage. Level 3 Scorching Ray Spell
Seraphic Pugilist Gloves
Unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-4 Radiant damage. Level 4 Guiding Bolt Spell
Snowdusted Monastery Gloves
Unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-4 Cold damage. Level 3 Scorching Ray Spell
Servitor of the Black Hand Gloves
Unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-4 Force damage. Level 3 Fear Spell
Thunderpalm Strikers
Unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-4 Thunder damage. Level 3 Thunderwave Spell
While Monks have no shortage of glove options in Baldur’s Gate 3, I prefer the Gloves of Crushing due to the bonus to Attack Rolls, rather than options like theGloves of Cinder and Sizzleor theSeraphic Pugilist Gloves,which only add additional elemental damage. However, players should feel free to use any elemental glove option when engaging enemies with elemental vulnerabilities.
5Helldusk Helmet
Immunity to Critical Hits
TheHelldusk Helmetcan be found inside Raphael’s vault withinthe House of Hopeafterpassing a DC 10 Wisdom Check and a DC 20 Arcana Check. This helmet provides two incredible passives, such as Infernal Sight, which grants improved Darkvision and immunity to Blindness, and Magical Durability, which grants a +2 bonus to Saving Throws against spells. It also prevents the wearer from being Critically Hit.
While some may be tempted to use the Mask of Soul Perception for an increase in initiative, theimmunity to Critical Hits is too strong to pass up. Not to mention that by this point in the game, Monks' main weakness is against ranged spellcasters. Because the Helldusk Helmet provides a bonus to Saving Throws against spells, it is the clear winner.
4Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo
Boost Your Wisdom Modifier
The Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo can be looted from Prelate Lir’i’c in the Astral Plane just prior to the start of Act 3. These boots grant the wearer increased unarmed damage equal to their Wisdom modifier, which can add up quite a bitonce the Monk’s Wisdom Modifier is at +5 or +6. There are other options that Monks can use as well, such as the Disintegrating Night Walkers, but I prefer to use those boots for different classes.
To use these boots effectively, the player should ensure that their Monk’s Wisdom ability score is an even number. Stats only increase in strength upon reaching even thresholds,as 18 Wisdom will provide +4 and 20 Wisdom will provide +5. As such, a Monk with a Wisdom score of at least 20 will see much greater use out of these boots than a Monk with only 16 Wisdom.
3Vest of Soul Rejuvenation
Increase Armour Class
TheVest of Soul Rejuvenationcan be bought or stolen from theSorcerous Sundriesvendor in Act 3. It grants the wearer Defier’s Rejuvenation, which heals the wearer for 1d4 HP whenever they succeed a Saving Throw against a spell. It alsoadds a new reaction to the Monk’s toolkit called Greater Kushigo Counter, which can be used to make an unarmed strike against enemies that miss the Monk. To top it all off, this piece of clothing grants a +2 bonus to Armour Class.
This is by far the best chest armour for Monks, as there aren’t any other contenders regarding clothing.Monks also have a bonus to AC through their Wisdom, which means that it is not ideal for Monks to use Light, Medium, or Heavy armour. Greater Kushigo Counter is also an incredible reaction, especially when combined with the use of Blur.
2Sentient Amulet
Refund Spent Ki Points
TheSentient Amuletis one of the few pieces of gear in the game that can be upgraded. It is first found in Act 1 in the Grymforge, guarded by a Magma Elemental inside an Adamantine Chest. To upgrade the amulet,the player must bring it to Wyrm’s Crossingand refuse to take on the madness of the trapped monk’s soul according toSpookyFairy’s video.
Ki Restoration: Ki Points equal to Martial Arts Die
Level 3 Shatter Spell
The Sentient Amuletallows its user to refund Ki points equal to their martial arts die,which gets progressively bigger as the Monk levels up. It also comes with a free cast of the Shatter spell. However, while using the un-upgraded version, players should note that the amulet will occasionally force its wearer to make a Wisdom Saving Throw or fall to the ground laughing.
1Gloves of Soul Catching
Free Healing and Advantage
The Gloves of Soul Catching are thebest Monk item in the game, surpassing most if not all other Monk weapon options, and it’s not even a weapon.These gloves are a reward from Hope after defeating Raphaeland freeing her from imprisonment in the House of Hope. These gloves have three effects, all of which are incredibly strong.
Unless you really hate the Elixir of Hill Giant Strength strategy with the Tavern Brawler Feat, there’s no reason Monks shouldn’t be using these gloves.
The Gloves of Soul Catching grants the user’s unarmed attacks an additional 1d10 Force damage. Once per turn, these gloves can be used to heal the wearer for 10 HP or give the wearer Advantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws until the start of their next turn. It alsoprovides a +2 to Constitutionin order to increase the Monk’s health pool. These items allow Monks to reach the highest amount of single target DPS of any class inBaldur’s Gate 3.
