Baldur's Gate 3 Monk Guide - All Subclasses (Way of Shadow, Four Elements and Open Hand)

in this Baldur's Gate 3 Monk class guide I'm gonna be covering the Monk class including all three subclasses and providing you some useful information I'll be doing more build guides for Baldur's Gate 3 but for now let's look at how among functions and its basics monks are a fast and agile class that favor unarmored combat and they add their wisdom modifier to their armor class and can move further when not wearing armor or using a shield additionally they can Dash and disengage as bonus actions as long as they have the key for it key is a resource that all monks gain that they can use to dash disengage use Flurry of Blows to land multiple hits as a bonus action or a variety of other things based on their subclass monks continue gaining key every level so they can use these features more and more the higher level they go in the Monk class monks can also make an unarmed attack as a bonus action if they make an unarmed attack or if they attack with a weapon they have Proficiency in and is not two-handed or heavy note that monks can use strength or dexterity for any of their melee attacks as long as they meet the same criteria this gives monks many attacks in combat since they gain extra attack at level 5 though they lean heavily towards melee combat because of the unarmed attack bonus action in this section we'll take a look at how to set up your monk during character creation for best results we'll begin with abilities first since this is arguably the most important part aside from choosing your subclass your primary ability as a monk is dexterity though monks can make decent use of wisdom as well however how much wisdom among needs really depends on their subclass and if you're multi-classy or not strength can also be an option for monks too especially if they plan to play exclusively on arm dexterity increases your attack rolls damage rolls boost Armor class and initiative allows you to reduce the damage of projectiles and reflect them improve sleight of hand acrobatics and stealth checks as well as improve dexterity saving throws and is incredibly good for a monk wisdom increases your armor class when unarmored increases the spell DC of way of the four elements spells and increases your wisdom skill checks and wisdom saving throws Constitution is there to help keep you alive via HP since monks don't have a huge Health pool and can help prevent you from getting downed quickly for this reason I strongly recommend that you invest 16 in dexterity and 14 in Constitution during character creation wisdom will vary depending on whether or not you play unarmored and if you go away of the four elements or not consider 14 here if you want but you can get away with less you can see on screen that I put up some different setups depending on whether you want to play like a normal monk a four elements monk or even a strength-faced monk note that I've changed these from the recommendations of the game as they're more optimized for the character during the early Goings when it comes to race elf is good for long sword and Longboat proficiency as well as fate ancestry they also gain dark vision which can help land your attacks in Dark Places IELTS also have perception proficiency while wood elves have stealth proficiency and can move further either are a good choice granting one skill proficiency you might likely take anyway deep gnome is not a bad choice for Advantage on wisdom intelligence and charisma-saving throws as well as Superior dark vision and they also have advantage on stealth checks this is great if you wish to go way of The Shadow Lightfoot halflinks are another solid choice because they re-roll if they roll a 1 on any attack roll ability Checker saving throw all but preventing them from ever critically missing they can also not be frightened easily and they have advantage on stealth checks which is again good for way of shadow half elf and human are not bad choices if you want light armor and shield proficiency and some weapon proficiencies monks wouldn't otherwise have just remember that unarmored defense only works if no armor is warm and unarmored movement is only added if no armor or Shield is used so there are trade-offs to wearing armor on a monk trade-offs that get worse the more levels of Monk you take for skills monks can handle the lock picking and pickpocketing of the group if you don't have a rogue Granger bar because they have high dexterity so consider taking the urchin background particularly if you're going away with shadow inside and Athletics are also good choices since you'll have some wisdom and Athletics helps with shoving and shove prevention next let's take a look at the general monk progression at level 1 monks gain access to a resource known as Ki which allows them to perform certain actions and bonus actions in combat using this resource monks gain two key at level 1 and then one key per level from this point onward key is replenished every short rest also at this level monks gain unarmored defense which allows them to add their wisdom modifier to their armor class when not wearing armor this does not stack with a barbarian's unarmored defense nor the draconic bloodline sorcerer's draconic resilience nor the Mage Armor spell also at this level monks can use their dexterity or strength whichever is higher when making melee attacks while unarmed or with monk weapons monk weapons or any weapons they have proficiency with that are not two-handed or heavy this makes them the only class in bg3 that can attack in melee using dexterity while not using a finesse weapon additionally after attacking with a monk weapon or while unarmed they can use their bonus action to make an additional unarmed attack unarmed attacks are made in melee range so if you make your attack with a ranged weapon you'd have to move up to use this and finally at this level monks also gained Flurry of Blows which allows them to punch twice rapidly using their bonus action and one key point this does more damage than the typical unarmed attack since it hits twice at level 2 monks gain unarmored movement allowing them to move further in combat if they're not wearing armor and they are not using a shield also at this level they can spin a key Point as a bonus action to make attacks against them have disadvantage and to have advantage on dexterity saving throws for one turn this is incredibly good and gets even better the more difficult the enemies become and finally at this level monks gained step of the wind allowing them to use Dash or disengage as a bonus action in exchange for one key Point additionally when using this jump no longer consumes a bonus action so they can also jump on the same turn this gives monks incredible Mobility even better than Rogues as long as they have the key to use it at level 3 all monks can use their reaction to reduce the damage of a projectile fired it they roll a d10 and add their dexterity modifier to this and if the damage is reduced to zero or lower they can also deflect that missile back at the attacker potentially damaging them this can be used once per round and note that it doesn't negate other negative effects that may come along with the attack such as if and staring strike was used even if damage is reduced to zero also at this level monks will select a subclass and gain subclass features of that subclass we'll be covering these more in detail in the subclasses section at level 4 monks can use the reaction in combat to reduce their fall damage by half should they be knocked off a ledge or down a long ways also a level 4 monks will gain their first feat ability Improvement is a great choice for monks in order to pump dexterity since they use it for so many things but there are other good Feats as well for instance dual Builder is great for monks if you want to use two non-light weapons and game plus one Armor class and lucky is great for picking up some uses of advantage and controlling outcomes mobile is also good allowing you to move even further or Tavern brawler if you're playing a strength focused Monk at level 5 monks gain extra attack which allows them to make a second attack on a turn they use their action to attack with this allows them to attack twice and then use their bonus action for unarmed attack or fluria blows which can be a deadly combination also at level 5 all monks gain access to stunning strike which allows them to try to stun enemies while also making a weapon or unarmed attack the target must pass.constitution saving throw or become stunned and the difficulty class of stunning strike is equal to 10 plus your dexterity or strength modifier whichever is higher at level 6 monks gain improved unarmed movement further increasing their movement speed when not using armor or Shield also at level 6 the Monk's unarmed attacks count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance or immunity to non-magical attacks this allows them to still deal good damage with unarmed attacks even if the enemy has physical resistance or immunity all monks gain a subclass feature at this level as well which we will cover more in the subclasses section at level 7 just like Rogues monks take no damage when successfully saving against a spell that targets dexterity that would deal damage even if they saved and take only half damage if they fail the saving throw this drastically reduces the damage they take from some spells and other harmful effects also at this level monks automatically cast Stillness of mind if they are Charmed or frightened ending these effects on them instantly at level 8 monks will gain their second feat ability Improvement is still a great choice but there are other good ones as well which I mentioned earlier at level 9 monks gain Advanced unarmored movement which prevents difficult train from slowing them down and they can jump an additional six meters as long as they're not wearing armor or using a shield at level 10 monks gain improved unarmored movement once again further increasing their movement speed when not using an armor or shield and also at this level all monks gain purity of body making them immune to poison damage and they can't be poisoned nor affected by diseases of any kind at level 11 all monks gain their final subclass feature which we will cover in the subclasses section and at level 12 monks will gain their final feat ability Improvement is still a great choice if you're not at 20 dexterity or strength yet but there are other good choices as well which I mentioned earlier next let's take a look at equipment monks and bg3 typically don't wear armor of any kind or use a shield because of the benefits the game to armor class from their wisdom but more importantly to their movement speed however these improvements increase as your monk level increases making it less important if you multi-class weapon wise monks will typically avoid two-handed weapons to gain the benefit of their unarmed attack as a bonus action but they can still use versatile weapons very effectively even if they use them in two hands for this reason I advise monks to use something like a staff spear longsword battle ax or Warhammer or even play unarm and which you use will really depend on what you find while playing bg3 and whether or not you have the proficiency for it from your race or multi-classing and what subclass you chose accessory wise look for things that boost their Armor class so that you are less likely to get hit monks don't have a ton of armor class so they can benefit from having some more next let's take a look at Monk subclasses choosing among subclass in bg3 is not that hard of a decision because they are also distinctly different want to be better with your unarmed attacks than choose way of the open hat like to play a stealthy monk then choose way of Shadow one have some spells in Your Arsenal then choose way of the four elements first let's take a look at way of the open hand at level 3 weigh of the Open Hand monks gain a modified Flurry of Blows that allows them to stagger push or topple enemies when using it the Stagger version is guaranteed as long as the attack connects preventing the target from taking any reaction that route the push version targets the strength of the character as long as the attack connects they must make a strength saving throw or be pushed back the difficulty class for this save is 10 plus the strength or dexterity modifier of the monk whichever is higher the topple version targets the dexterity of the character as long as the attack connects and they must make a dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone attacking prone enemies in melee provides advantage on attacks the difficulty class for this save is 10 plus the strength or dexterity modifier of the monk whichever is higher at level 6 wave the Open Hand monks gain manifestation of Mind Body and Soul allowing them to add different damage types to their unarmed attacks this is not only great for getting around physical resistances but also adds damage to fluria blows and makes this subclass lean more towards unarmed combat than other monks also at this level way of the Open Hand monks gain wholeness of body which heals them replenishes half of their total key and then restores one key and provides an extra bonus action per turn for three turns once per long rest as an action this is incredibly strong as it allows the monk to regain a ton of key while also allowing them to use Flurry of Blows or unarmed attack twice each turn at level 9 weigh the Open Hand monks gain key resonation punch which allows them as an action or bonus action to make an unarmed attack that allows them to follow up with key resonation blast that is not an action or bonus action which does force damage to anyone within 5 meters key resonation blast targets the dexterity of characters it hits who must make a dexterity saving throw and take half damage even if they save against it the difficulty class of the saving throw is equal to 8 plus the wisdom modifier and proficiency bonus of the month at level 11 weigh the Open Hand monks gain Tranquility which provides them the benefits of the sanctuary spell which prevents them from being targeted directly by enemies until they attack or take a hostile action towards another creature this allows them to begin combat without worrying much about being attacked before their turn next let's take a look at way of Shadow at level 3 wave Shadow Monks gain the minor illusion can trip allowing them to cast it whenever they want also at this level way of Shadow Monks gained Shadow Arts which allows them to hide as a bonus action much like Rogues and allows them to cast The Following spells using two key points each pass Without a Trace darkness dark vision and silence at level 5 way of Shadow Monks game cloak of Shadows allowing them to become invisible if they are at least lightly obscured this can be used as many times as you want and has no rest requirement before using it a second time at level 6 way of Shadow Monks gain Shadow step allowing them to teleport up to 18 meters as a bonus action as long as they are lightly obscured and where they teleport to is also lightly obscure they also gain advantage on their next melee attack after using this for one turn and they can use this every turn if they wish at level 11 way of Shadow Monks gained Shadow strike which can be used with a weapon or unarmed as an action allowing them to teleport up to 9 meters striking the target for increased psychic damage this attack costs three key to be used and must be used while hidden or invisible and lastly we come to way of the four elements at level 3 wave the four elements monks will get to choose three disciple of the element's spells most of these are similar to other spells in bg3 just with different names and more powerful ones will become available as you reach higher monk levels the Spells you gain at this level cost two key points to cast and some of them Target armor class and some Target and ability spells that Target abilities use 8 plus your wisdom modifier plus proficiency bonus to calculate their spell difficulty class while those that make attack rolls add their wisdom modifier and proficiency bonus to their D20 role except for things of the fire stake which uses your dexterity or strength modifier which is ever higher also at this level Wave 4 elements monks can regain half their key rounded down outside of combat once per long rest at level 6 wave the four elements monks can select another disciple of the element's spell with three new ones to choose from which each cost three key points to cast because they are more potent at level 9 way of the four elements monks gain improved spells and nearly all of their spells will deal increased damage or in the case of clinch of the north win hold another Target when cast also at this level way of the four elements monks can select another disciple of the element's spell and finally at level 11 wave the four elements monks will get to select their final disciple of the element spell and with three new ones to choose from all of which cost four key points to cast because they are even more potent in this section of our Baldur's Gate three month class guide we'll be taking a look at multi-classing a monk and bg3 and what other classes you might multi-class with please keep in mind this is not a complete list but rather helpful suggestions that make good pairings monks are heavily front loaded meaning they gain unarmored defense fluria blows and martial arts at level 1 step of the wind patient defense and unarmored movement at level 2 and deflect missile and a subclass at level three this means many classes might multi-class with monk just for a few levels all monks gain extra attack and stunning strike at level five so that's another solid place to multi-class after however past this point it really becomes about what subclass you chose and what you can get at each level passed let's take a look at multi-classing wave of the Open Hand first I like six levels of way of the open hand and six levels of thief here this gives you extra attack and stunning strike along with Flurry of Blows options increased damage with unarmed attacks as well as wholeness of body which provides you with an additional bonus action and key for three rounds you also gain 3d6 sneak attack from Rogue and an extra bonus action giving you three bonus actions while wholeness of bodies active allowing you to deal a whole lot of damage this also gives you some more skills which can be quite useful I also like three levels of way the open hand and nine of champion this gives you a lot of front loaded parts of the monk while also picking up weapon and armor proficiencies and extra attack from fighter they also get an extra feat at level 6 so you'd still get three feets total if you take Champion you get some nice Synergy with more critical hits as well as improve jump distance which pairs well with step of the win when playing this way you would most certainly use armor since you don't lose out much on movement speed with only three levels of Monk and you will not need wisdom at all and when it comes to multi-classing way of Shadow I like six levels of way of Shadow and six levels of assassin here this gives you extra attack and stunning strike along with the ability to turn invisible at will outside of combat and game access to Shadow step which can be used to position you from outside of combat right near an enemy while maintaining stealth allowing for an easy melee sneak attack that should automatically crit you also gain another attack at the beginning of combat since you are an assassin when it comes to multi-classing way the four elements I like six levels of way of the four elements and six levels of cleric this provides you four spells for your monk and a decent amount of key to do it with and these spells use wisdom to attack within clerics need High wisdom as well making this a great pairing you can also gain some armor proficiencies and weapon proficiencies this way if you want them and if you choose War domain you'll gain even more you'll also be able to use your bonus action to make an attack and it can be from range so you might want to use a ranged weapon when playing this way and stick to high dexterity and wisdom this also provides you with cleric spells you can use offensively or defensively and you could even take another cleric domain instead like light if you want to get some deadly fire spells another good pairing is three and wave the four elements and nine in Ranger since both use wisdom to cast spells this would give you four key points per short West to use on two spells while you gain extra attack a fighting style and armored weapon proficiencies from the ranger this would also allow you to reach level 3 spells with your Ranger 2 and you can choose whichever subclass you like well that wraps up our Monk class guide I hope you guys learned some useful tips and the thing about monks is they have a lot going on with them there are a lot of mechanics two monks and their subclasses are so drastically different most monks will all play differently as always if there are things I forgot to mention that are helpful for new players please leave them in the comments and if you have questions also place them there and I will try and answer them as soon as I can [Music]

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Id: sAwWptV52YA

Length: 18min 57sec (1137 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 31 2023