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In Baldur's Gate 3, Monks are a unique class that don't necessarily rely on traditional weapons to deal damage. Though Monks can equip a variety of weapons with no issue, and some are even good for the class depending on the build, Monks typically benefit the most from armor and equipment that enhances Unarmed damage.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Monk Class Build
Though the Monk Class wasn't available in BG3's Early Access, fans are already pretty sure that the way of Shadow will be the best Monk build.
The best "weapon" for Monks in BG3, that enhances their Unarmed attacks most directly, are Gloves. Gloves often come with modifiers for extra Unarmed damage and hit chance, as well as other benefits specifically for Monks. With any of these best unarmed weapons, Monks are able to dish out some ridiculous damage with just their bare fists, and most can be found relatively easily throughout the game.
Updated March 20, 2024 by Erik Petrovich: The best Monk weapons aren't necessarily actual weapons – for the most part, the best Monk weapons BG3 players can get are also the best Monk Gloves BG3 offers. Though Monks can use weapons, their unique improvements to Unarmed damage make it actually worse to wield something than to not, especially with these pieces of equipment recommended in this guide to the best Monk weapons in BG3. Check out the rankings below for two new suggestions: the Bracers of Defense and the Gloves of Belligerent Skies. Both of these are among the best Monk weapons BG3 offers because of their passive upgrades to AC and their synergies with the rest of the Monk class' abilities, respectively.
7 All Gloves With Extra 1d4 Elemental Damage
- Gloves of Cinder and Sizzle
- Hellgloom Gloves
- Helldusk Gloves
- Seraphic Pugilist Gloves
- Servitor of the Black Hand Gloves
- Snow-Dusted Monastery Gloves
- The Forked Lightning
Throughout almost all of Baldur's Gate 3, and particularly throughout the first two acts, players will come across a number of Gloves that enhance Unarmed damage in some way. Almost all of these add a simple 1d4 of various Elemental damage to Unarmed attacks, often also accompanied by a spell or slight boost to stats, like Spell Save DC.
Because Monks use Unarmed attacks several times in one turn, this quickly becomes an incredibly powerful boon – 1d4 extra damage several times a turn, thanks to moves like Flurry of Blows, really adds up.
Choose any of these Gloves while leveling a Monk and locating the other powerful Monk Gloves on this list. They will serve perfectly fine until players find the really powerful Monk weapons, and some of the spells they grant keep them useful well into the end of the game.
6 Bracers of Defense
The Bracers of Defense are one of the best unarmed Monk weapons because, although they don't confer damage bonuses like the other best Monk Gloves, the buff is invaluable for the survivability of Monks. With these equipped, and as long as the Monk doesn't equip any Armor or a Shield (aside from Clothing), they will get a +2 to AC.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Light Armor (& How To Get Them)
For gamers who prefer a stealthy play style in Baldur's Gate 3, these light armor pieces are among the best gear available.
This buff is called Become The Bulwark, and in addition to AC bonuses granted by the Monk class itself, this puts Monks on about the same AC level as a medium-to-heavy Armor wearer. Monks can feel like glass cannons in BG3, able to deal out an enormous amount of damage but take lots in return.
If you are confident going into combat, equip another set of the best Unarmed weapons BG3 offers and take advantage of their buffs to Unarmed damage. But if it's a tough one, and your Monk is likely to get pummeled, go into combat with these equipped instead.
5 Gloves of Belligerent Skies
The Gloves of Belligerent Skies aren't for every Monk build, but for some, these are arguably the most useful Monk gloves you can get before Act 2. When the Monk who equips these deals any Thunder, Lightning, or Radiant damage, their target gets two stacks of the Reverberation debuff. This reduces STR, DEX, and CON Saving Throws by 1 for each stack, and at five stacks, the target has to succeed a CON Saving Throw to avoid being knocked prone.
This pair of Monk Gloves BG3 players can get work in tandem with elemental-type abilities. As such, it's best for a Monk with the Way Of The Four Elements to hunt these down, as they can more regularly take advantage of their triggered effect. But Way of Shadow and Way of the Open Hand Monks can still inflict Reverberation if they use abilities of those Elemental types (like with Multiclassing) – it's just more accessible for Way of the Four Elements monks.
4 Thunderpalm Strikers
Of all the Gloves in BG3 that enhance Unarmed strikes with an extra d4 of Elemental damage, the Thunderpalm Strikers might just be the most useful. They add a simple 1d4 Thunder damage to Unarmed attacks, sure, but the real value of these Gloves comes from the spell it grants to its wielder: Thunderwave.
All Baldur's Gate 3 Monk Subclasses, Ranked
The Monk, added in the full release of Baldur's Gate 3, is a master of hand-to-hand combat that can channel Ki to perform a number of incredible feats
Thunderwave is a Level 1 spell that deals 2d8 Thunder damage in a cone, and pushes enemies hit away from the caster. With the Thunderpalm Strikers, Monks can cast this spell at Level 3 for free once per Long Rest, which means it deals 4d8 Thunder damage. The Pushing effect is incredibly powerful against enemies close to ledges or, if aimed accurately, can be used to get enemies away from the party without hurting allies.
To get the Thunderpalm Strikers, head to Angleiron's Basement in Rivington (the first area of Act 3). Speak with Bumpnagel to purchase these Gloves for 450 Gold.
3 Gauntlet of the Tyrant
The Gauntlet of the Tyrant is an incredibly useful Monk unarmed weapon because, in addition to an extra 1d4 Force damage on Unarmed hits, it improves their wielder's Spell Save DC. This affects how likely enemies are to be affected by the Monk's CC spells. The gloves also grant a new spell to Monks once per long rest: Command. All of these effects combined make them powerful late game Monk weapons, though there are still some slightly better options.
The Gauntlet of the Tyrant is worn by none other than Enver Gortash, and of course, to get the Gauntlet of the Tyrant, players will have to defeat their current wielder. Though it's listed as the Netherstone-Studded Gauntlet when looted, it turns into the Gauntlet of the Tyrant in players' inventory.
2 Gloves of Crushing
The Gloves of Crushing are incredible for increasing Unarmed damage. Not only do they increase Unarmed damage by a flat amount rather than an amount determined by a 1d4 dice roll, they also make it easier to hit with Unarmed attacks. These Gloves give a +1 to Unarmed Attack Rolls, and an extra 2 flat damage on Unarmed strikes.
Why You Should Play a Monk in Baldur's Gate 3
Baldur's Gate 3 offers players a ton of classes to choose from, and the Monk's abilities make it an option that should pique interest from fans.
Though other gloves are technically able to deal more damage, the extra chance to hit with Unarmed attacks that the Gloves of Crushing grant is really powerful. It doesn't matter what the damage dice are if the attack doesn't hit in the first place, after all.
To get the Gloves of Crushing, head to Moonrise Towers and speak with the vendor Roah Moonglow. The Gloves of Crushing only cost 160 Gold, making them quite affordable for the power increase.
1 Gloves of Soul Catching
Arguably the best monk weapon in BG3 is the Gloves of Soul Catching. With no actual weapons equipped, the Gloves of Soul Catching will boost Unarmed attacks with a whopping 1d10 Force damage on hit, as well as the ability to regain health when striking with Unarmed attacks. Players can heal 10 regular HP once per turn when they connect an Unarmed hit. This bonus can also be dropped to gain Advantage on all Attack Rolls and Saving Throws until the next turn.
If that wasn't enough convincing that the Gloves of Soul Catching are the best Unarmed Gloves in BG3, the fact that they increase Constitution by 2 might be. But to take advantage of all these benefits, players must delve into the House of Hope – Raphael's house, to be clear – and save the eponymous (and very real) Hope.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Platform(s)
- PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
