Baldur's Gate 3: Best Armor In Act 1 & How To Get Them

Baldur's Gate 3

By Joe Grantham

Updated Jun 5, 2024

Regardless of build, Armor is one of the most important items in Baldur's Gate 3 as it is the main provider of the Armor Class (AC) stat which is the minimum number that enemies must roll to successfully land an attack. There are technically four types of Armor, these being Clothing, Light Armor, Medium Armor, and finally Heavy Armor.

A grid showing Lae'Zel, Astarion, and Karlach from Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3: Armor Combos You Should Wear Together

With so many armor options available in Baldur's Gate 3, it can be hard to decide what to wear. That said, these are arguably the best combinations.

Heavier types of Armor typically provide more AC at the cost of stealth, and characters must also possess the correct Armor Proficiency to wear heavier options. While the absolute best Armor is naturally found in Act 3 of the game, there are nonetheless some great Armor options in Act 1, as long as players know where to look or reach a high enough level.

Updated on June 4, 2024, by Joe Grantham: Due to the requirement of proficiency in order to wear the heavier types of armor, players need a wider variety of options to choose from when selecting what to wear in Act 1. As such, this list has been updated to include clothes and robes that are typically worn by wizards and sorcerers. These light options still offer some protection and there is always the option to cast the Mage Armor spell to raise a character's AC, making them harder to hit.

7 The Graceful Cloth

Baldur's Gate 3 The Mighty Cloth (Clothing)

Type	AC	Effects
Clothing	10 + Dexterity Modifier	Cat's Grace: The wearer gains the Cat's Grace spell and increases their Dexterity by 2, to a maximum of 20. Cat's Grace (Lvl 2 Spell): Grants Advantage on Dexterity Checks and the target only takes half falling damage. Nimble As a Cat: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to their Dexterity Saving Throws and also increases their Jump distance by 1.5 m.

Location: Sold by Lady Esther, Rosymorn Monastery Trail.

For players with a build focused on Dexterity who also don't have the proficiency to wear proper armor, The Graceful Cloth is an absolute must. In many ways, it's incredible that this item of clothing can be found in Act 1, as it not only increases Dexterity by 2 but comes with a whole host of additional benefits. For example, players can jump further and have a higher success chance on Dexterity Saving Throws. With the Cat's Grace spell, Dexterity Checks also become easier, and fall damage is halved.

As long as players have the coin, The Graceful Cloth can be bought from Lady Esther on the mountain trail that overlooks Rosymorn Monastery, where players will find a Githyanki creche.

6 Infernal Robe

Fire Resistance & An Anti-Cold Shield That Damages Attackers

Type	AC	Effects
Clothing	10 (+1) + Dexterity Modifier	Grants Resistance to Fire damage. Fire Shield: Warm (Lvl 4 Spell): The caster shields themselves with flames, to take only half of any Cold damage and to deal 2d8 Fire damage to melee attackers.

Location: Rewarded by Mizora for killing Karlach near the Risen Road.

For characters with no armor proficiency, the best clothing option is arguably the Infernal Robe, especially if players know they will be facing off against Fire spells or other forms of Fire damage. This is because they will only take half the damage, and they can even cast a Fire Shield on themselves that reduces incoming Cold damage and burns any melee attackers fool enough to come close.

However, the Infernal Robe comes at a cost, as after recruiting Wyll, players must kill the highly loveable Karlach in order to be rewarded by Mizora. Wyll is found at the Emerald Grove, and Karlach is by the Risen Road.

5 Scale Mail +2

High AC For Medium Armor

Type	AC	Effects
Medium Armor	16 + Dexterity Modifier (Max 2)	Superior Material: The wearer takes 1 less Slashing damage. Ambusher: Gain a +1 bonus to Initiative Rolls.

Location: Bought from merchants after hitting level 7.

For high AC from Act 1 Medium Armor, look no further than Scale Mail +2, which also takes 1 less damage from the common damage type of Slashing. It also grants a plus 1 bonus to Initiative Rolls, which means players have a better chance of having their turn earlier in combat.

It is also fairly easy to acquire as players just need to reach level 7 and then Scale Mail +2 will show up in the inventories of Act 1 merchants. Level 7 can be achieved by clearing most areas in Act 1, but players don't need to worry about doing everything.

4 Padded Armor +2

High AC For Light Armor & Take 2 Less Bludgeoning Damage

Type	AC	Effects
Light Armor	13 + Dexterity Modifier	Superior Padding: The wearer takes 2 less Bludgeoning damage.

Location: Bought from merchants after hitting level 5.

Padded Armor +2 is arguably the best Light Armor in Act 1, with an AC of 13 which can be increased quite a lot by characters with a high Dexterity stat. It also reduces incoming Bludgeoning damage by 2, which is nothing to quaff at against certain enemies.

Baldur's Gate 3: Best Clothing

From Gortash's garbs to Isobel's robes, players can't go wrong with the following clothing items in Baldur's Gate 3.

To find Padded Armor +2, players will first need to reach level 5, which doesn't take long at all, and then it can be purchased from various Act 1 merchants. For example, Roah Moonglow, or Dammon the Infernal Mechanic at the Emerald Grove will both have it in stock.

3 Adamantine Scale Mail

Attacking Enemies Deal Slightly Less Damage, Can't Crit, & Are Sent Reeling

Type	AC	Effects
Medium Armor	16 + Dexterity Modifier (Max 2)	Magical Plate: All incoming damage is reduced by 1. Adamantine Backlash: When a melee attack hits, the attacker is sent Reeling for 2 turns. Attackers can't land Critical Hits on the wearer. Disadvantage on Stealth checks.

Location: Forged at the Adamantine Forge in the Underdark.

The Adamantine Scale Mail not only has a high AC of 16 but is also jam-packed with effects, such as the ability to prevent enemies from landing Critical Hits, making it the best Medium Armor in Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3.

As with the other Adamantine items, however, the Adamantine Scale Mail must be crafted at the Adamantine Forge, in the Grymforge area of the Underdark. Players will need to find the Scale Mail Mould and one Mithral Ore to forge it.

2 Plate Armor +1

The Highest AC In Act 1

Type	AC	Effects
Heavy Armor	19	Superior Plate: The wearer takes 1 less Piercing damage. Disadvantage on Stealth checks.

Location: Bought from merchants after hitting level 8.

In terms of AC, players will find no better option in Act 1 than the Plate Armor +1, which means they will rarely get hit by early-game enemies who must roll a 19 or higher. Although the reduction of 1 Piercing damage is unlikely to make the biggest difference, it can occasionally prove useful, especially against groups of enemies using the best Piercing weapons.

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However, for the Plate Armor +1 to show up in the inventories of Act 1 merchants such as Dammon and Roah Moonglow, players must reach level 8. To reach level 8 this early, players will need to scour almost the entire map, which means finding and clearing all the hidden locations in Act 1 of BG3.

1 Adamantine Splint Armor

Attacking Enemies Deal Less Damage, Can't Crit, & Are Sent Reeling

Type	AC	Effects
Heavy Armor	18	Magical Plate: All incoming damage is reduced by 2. Intense Adamantine Backlash: When a melee attack hits, the attacker is sent Reeling for 3 turns. Attackers can't land Critical Hits on the wearer. Disadvantage on Stealth checks.

Location: Forged at the Adamantine Forge in the Underdark.

In all of Act 1, players will find no better Armor than the Adamantine Splint Armor, which requires Heavy Armor proficiency to be worn. Not only does it have a high AC of 18, but the additional effects of reducing any damage received by 2 and preventing crits are game-changing this early on.

Unlike other items that are found or looted, this Heavy Armor must be crafted at the Grymforge like all the other Adamantine items. The Grymforge is an area in the Underdark, which is one of the ways to reach Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3. Even if players prefer to take the Mountain Pass in the end, it can be a good idea to first visit the Grymforge for this strong Armor.