The monk is in Baldur’s Gate 3 a versatile class. This time we show you the monk build with the subclass: Way of the Open Hand. We will list the attribute points, talents, and items for you.
What kind of class is the monk? The monk class in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a versatile choice for players looking for a dynamic playstyle. This class can focus on both offensive and defensive strategies.
The monk uses ki as an internal energy source (resource) to enhance the physical capabilities of the body. They have a variety of impressive moves that they can execute swiftly and powerfully with bare fists.
In this guide, we show you a build for the subclass Way of the Open Hand
, which is specialized in unarmed combat and uses their hands and ki to deal massive damage and also to heal themselves.
Best Monk Build: Attribute Points
How should I best distribute my attributes? As a monk (Way of the Open Hand), your main attribute is Dexterity, which affects initiative and armor class. You have the class feature Martial Arts: Dexterous Attacks
, which means that the damage of your unarmed attacks (fists) is based on Dexterity instead of Strength, as long as your Dexterity is higher than your Strength.
This is how you can distribute your attribute points:
Dexterity: 16
Wisdom: 16
Constitution: 14
Strength: 10
Charisma: 10
Intelligence: 8
Talents for the Monk
We recommend pushing your Dexterity to 20 first, by choosing the talent Ability Improvement
at levels 4 and 8, which allows you to increase your Dexterity by +2 each time.
At level 12, we recommend the talent Alert
, which grants you a +5 bonus to your initiative and makes you unable to be surprised. This gives you a high chance to attack first in the round.
How do you play the monk?
The monk is one of the easier classes. You deal good damage, have a high movement rate, and also hold up well in fights, being able to take quite a bit of damage. Your resource is called ki points, which you can use to perform certain monk attacks. The ki points recharge on each short rest. The movement rate of your monk increases with level ups. As a monk, you focus on single-target damage.
Your most important attack is the following class action – Flurry of Blows: Knockdown (requires ki points). With this class action, you strike twice in quick succession and may knock the target down, causing them to be prone.
If a target is prone (thus failing the saving throw), they cannot move, take actions, bonus actions, or reactions. Additionally, they are at disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Your melee attacks against a prone creature, however, are at advantage.
If you make an unarmed attack (or with a monk weapon), you can make another unarmed attack as a bonus action.
- Your most important combo looks like this: Unarmed Strike + Unarmed Attack (bonus action) if you do not want to waste ki resource.
- If you want the target to be prone, then: Flurry of Blows: Knockdown + Unarmed Strike
How to best execute the various attacks
From Level 5
From level 5, you can then strike the target twice, because you gain an Extra Attack as a class feature, so for example Flurry of Blows: Knockdown + Unarmed Strike + Unarmed Strike.
You also gain additional class actions, including one to stun your opponent – namely Stunning Strike
. You can also alternatively use this instead of Flurry of Blows: Knockdown.
This is what the most important combo looks like:
- Unarmed Strike + Unarmed Attack + Unarmed Strike (bonus action) if you do not want to use ki resource
- If you want the target to be prone, then: Flurry of Blows: Knockdown + Unarmed Strike + Unarmed Strike
From Level 6
As a subclass feature, at level 6 you unlock the ability to add a damage type of your choice to your unarmed attacks: necrotic, psychic, or radiant damage. Your attacks then deal an additional 4-7 damage. It is a passive effect that you can turn on and off.
Level 7
With the class feature Evasion
, you can avoid certain spells. If a spell or effect would deal half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw, it deals no damage on a success and only half damage on a failure.
Level 9
You gain the class feature that prevents difficult terrain from slowing you down. Additionally, you can jump 6m further as long as you are not wearing armor and not wielding a shield. You also gain access to additional class actions, including AoE damage.
Level 10
The class feature Purity of Body
makes you immune to poison damage, and you cannot be poisoned or afflicted by diseases.
Best Monk Build – Which Items are Worth it in the Endgame?
As a monk, you do not wear armor, but clothing. When you do not wear armor, you add your Wisdom modifier to your Armor Class (AC), which increases your defense and allows you to withstand more in combat.
- Helmet: Horns of the Berserker
- Vest of Soul Rejuvenation
- Gloves of Soul Snatching
- Ring: Murderer’s Favorite
- Ring of Free Action
- Amulet of Misty Steps
- Bone Thorn Boots
- Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo
- In general, gloves that enhance armor class or unarmed attacks are worth it
If this specific monk build does not suit your preferences, you can easily swap and adjust a bit. The presented build is only one way to design your monk.
If you prefer to go for a multiclass build, we can recommend the monk-rogue: Baldur’s Gate 3: Player builds clever monk build – Deals up to 320 damage per turn
