Baldur s Gate 3 Monk Build Guide Subclasses Feats Races and Skills

Swift strikes, flawless focus, and peerless adaptability-Monks in Baldur’s Gate 3 thrive through precision and mastery. Here’s how to shape the strongest subclass, pick the best feats, and craft a build that turns every battle into artful control.

There’s no single best class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and the game gives you as many opportunities for creative problem solving as it does for punching. Finding the best class really just boils down to how you want to play. Even when playing solo, you’ll still manage the rest of your party, so you’ll get to experiment with multiple classes at once.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about the Monk class in Baldur’s Gate 3, and learn all about the best Monk subclass, feats, and build.

Update (April 15): Added details of the new subclass introduced in Patch 8, which also adds cross-play support and a photo mode.

Is Monk the best class for you in BG3?

The Monk is a strong choice for players who enjoy mobility, precision, and agility over raw power. This class rewards quick thinking and tactical positioning, striking hard and fast before slipping out of reach. Its ki abilities offer incredible flexibility for both offense and defense, making it perfect for players who prefer fast-paced combat and minimal reliance on equipment. However, the Monk can feel fragile without proper build planning, so it suits players who enjoy mastering timing, momentum, and resource management in battle.

Monks are a melee class that swap out brute Strength for quick Dexterity. They are, frankly, not the best melee class for beginners – that would be Fighters or Barbarians. Monks are a lot more, in a word, dope, though, with more exciting attacks and abilities. They do require a little more attention and planning to manage their Ki Points. Monks are a great class when you’re ready to get flashier with your melee combat and generally up your game.

Monks also let you explore how various stats interact – like the way Monk Wisdom increases AC. And, at the same time, higher Wisdom means they’re better at non-combat things like Insight or Perception.

Monk class features

The Monk class focuses on agility, precision, and mastery of ki energy to deliver fast and powerful unarmed strikes. Monks can deflect projectiles, channel their inner strength for extra attacks, and move across the battlefield with unmatched speed. Their features emphasize mobility and self-sufficiency, offering unique defensive options such as patient defense and deflect missiles. As they level up, Monks gain diverse abilities that blend martial prowess with spiritual discipline, making them formidable in both offense and defense.

Monks are all about Dexterity and Wisdom, and there are several class features that reflect that.

• Unarmored Defense – while not wearing armor, you add your Wisdom modifier to your Armor Class
• Martial Arts: Dextrous Attacks – attacks with Monk Weapons (Simple Weapons that are not two-handed or heavy) and unarmed attacks scale with your Dexterity instead of Strength
• Martial Arts: Deft Strikes – attacks with Monk Weapons and unarmed attacks deal 1d4 Bludgeoning damage unless their normal damage is higher
• Martial Arts: Unarmed Strike – after making an attack with a Monk Weapon or while unarmed, you can make another unarmed attack as a bonus action
• Unarmored Movement – at level 2, your movement speed increases by 10ft while you are not wearing armor or using a shield

Hit Points

• Hit Dice – 1d8 per Monk level
• Hit Points at 1st Level – 8 your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at higher levels – 5 your Constitution modifer per Monk level after 1st

Ki Points

Monks use Ki Points to power all of their extra attacks and actions. You start with 2 Ki Points at level 1, and gain a point per level after that. Ki Points recharge on a Short Rest.

Actions

At level 1, Monks get the Flurry of Blows Action that lets you do two extra melee attacks as a Bonus Action.

At level 2, Monks get three more Ki Point Actions:

• Patient Defense – for 1 turn, Attack Rolls against you have Disadvantage, and you have Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws
• Step of the Wind: Dash – double your movement speed and jump no longer requires a bonus action
• Step of the Wind: Disengage – Retreat to safety by Disengaging and jump no longer requires a bonus action

Proficiencies

• Weapons – Simple Weapons, Shortswords
• Skills – Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Religion
• Saving Throws – Dexterity, Constitution

Monk subclasses

Monk subclasses in Baldur’s Gate 3 define how your character channels ki and approaches combat. The Way of the Open Hand focuses on precise, unarmed techniques that disrupt enemies and control the battlefield. The Shadow Monk blends stealth and mobility, using ki to teleport and strike from darkness. The Four Elements path turns ki into elemental magic, letting you harness fire, water, air, and earth for ranged and area attacks. Each style shifts how your Monk performs in both skirmishes and exploration, giving different ways to balance power, speed, and utility.

At level 3, Monks choose from one of the following subclasses.

Way of the Four Elements

Way of the Four Elements Monks use their Ki to control the elements.

You gain the Harmony of Fire and Water Action that lets you regain half of your Ki points once per Long Rest.

Way of the Four Elements Monks can cast spells using Ki instead of spell slots with Disciple of the Elements. You’ll choose three spells from the Monk spell list:

Baldur’s Gate 3 Monk Way of the Four Elements spells

The Way of the Four Elements Monk in Baldur’s Gate 3 trades consistent damage for versatility, channeling Ki to cast elemental spells inspired by fire, water, air, and earth. Abilities like Fist of Unbroken Air, Flames of the Phoenix, and Water Whip let the Monk manipulate the battlefield with ranged attacks and crowd control. These powers consume Ki Points, so resource management is key. When built well, this subclass blends martial agility with spell-like abilities, giving players dynamic options in both offense and support.

Way of the Open Hand

Way of the Open Hand Monks specialize in unarmed combat. You learn three new Actions that use Ki Points.

• Flurry of Blows: Topple – Punch twice in quick succession for 2d6 Bludgeoning damage and possibly knock the target Prone
• Flurry of Blows: Stagger – Punch twice in quick succession for 2d6 Bludgeoning damage and Stagger the target to make them unable to take reactions
• Flurry of Blows: Push – Punch twice in quick succession for 2d6 Bludgeoning damage and possibly push the target 17ft away

Way of Shadow

Way of Shadow Monks hide in the shadows and focus on stealth and subterfuge.

You’ll learn the Minor Illusion Cantrip to distract enemies, and Shadow Arts: Hide that makes hiding a Bonus Action.

You’ll also get four new spell-like uses for your Ki Points:

• Shadow Arts: Pass Without Trace – gives you and all nearby companions a 10 bonus to Stealth Checks
• Shadow Arts: Darkness – create a dark shroud that Heavily Obscures and Blinds creatures within
• Shadow Arts: Darkvision – grant a creature the ability to see in the dark out to 40ft
• Shadow Arts: Silence – create a sound-proof sphere where all within are Silenced and Immune to Thunder damage.

Drunken Master

Added in April 2025’s Patch 8, Drunken Master Druids bring the power of booze to any fight. You’ll be able to regenerate Ki by drinking alcohol, and get new attacks like Intoxicating Strike that buffs your AC (and debuffs your target’s) and Sobering Realization that sobers up a drunken enemy with physical and Psychic damage.

Best Monk subclass and build in BG3

Open Hand subclass stands out for its crowd control and burst damage in Baldur’s Gate 3. Pick Wood Half-elf or Githyanki for Dexterity and Wisdom boosts, starting with Tavern Brawler feat to maximize unarmed strikes. Prioritize Tavern Brawler, Ability Improvement for Dexterity and Wisdom, and Alert to act first in combat. Gear focuses on Dexterity gloves, Wisdom-boosting amulets, and mobility items like Boots of Speed. This setup delivers top single-target damage while knocking foes prone and denying reactions, thriving from levels 5 to 12.

Baldur’s Gate 3 races don’t really have any direct impact on your class, but certain races and subraces come with features that play well with certain classes like extra movement or proficiency with certain weapons. For Monks, it’s best to focus on movement and expanding the list of Monk weapons with races like:

• Wood Elves and Wood Half-Elves have an extra 5 ft of movement and let you treat shortswords as Monk weapons
• Humans‘ Civil Militia feature adds spears to the Monk weapon list
• Any of the Dwarf subraces let you treat handaxes and light hammers as Monk weapons, but theGold Dwarves‘ Dwarven Toughness gets you an extra hit point each level

When you’re creating and leveling up your Monk, Dexterity (for hitting things) is your most important stat followed closely by Wisdom (for your Unarmored Defense AC boost and for Monk spellcasting). Make Dexterity your highest stat and Wisdom your second highest.

At level 3, you’ll choose your Monk subclass. Way of the Four Elements mixes in some Last Airbender vibes while Way of Shadow makes you a lot more ninja-like. For simplicity and combat effectiveness, though, the Way of the Open Palm is the best subclass. You’ll get options for more versatile attacks that let you control the battlefield with your punches.

Best Monk Feats in BG3

Feats that enhance agility, defense, and accuracy suit a Monk’s fast-paced combat style best. Mobile helps maintain momentum by avoiding opportunity attacks, while Alert ensures striking first in battle. Tavern Brawler boosts damage for Strength-based builds, and Athlete or Tough grants extra survivability. For Dexterity-focused Monks, Sentinel pairs well with Flurry of Blows to control enemy movement and protect allies.

Every four levels, you’ll get the option to either increase your stats or choose a Feat. Feats are special talents that add features to your character. If you’re happy with your stats and start taking Feats, Monks can benefit from:

• Athlete. Your Strength or Dexterity increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. When you are Prone, standing up uses significantly less movement. Your Jump distance also increases by 50%.
• Durable. Your Constitution increases by 1, to a maximum of 20. You regain full hit points each time you take a Short Rest.
• Mobile. Your movement speed increases, and difficult terrain doesn’t slow you down when you Dash. If you move after making a melee attack, you don’t provoke Opportunity Attacks from your target.
• Savage Attacker. When making weapon attacks, you roll your damage dice twice and use the highest result.
• Tough. Your hit point maximum increases by 2 for every level you have gained.

Which Monk subclass has the highest single-target DPS late game

Way of the Open Hand is generally considered the Monk subclass with the highest consistent single-target DPS in late-game Baldur’s Gate 3, especially when optimized with gear, Elixirs, and multiclass options like Thief Rogue. This is because it multiplies the value of each extra attack with powerful riders (prone, push, no reactions) rather than just adding new damage types or spells.​​

Why Open Hand leads in DPS

• Open Hand’s boosted Flurry of Blows gives strong control (prone, push, reaction denial) that indirectly increases DPR by granting advantage and preventing enemies from escaping or retaliating.​​

• In optimized builds (often Monk 9 / Thief 3), the extra bonus action from Thief lets you stack many Flurry hits in one turn, turning each Open Hand rider into a huge single-target damage and lock-down tool.​​

How it compares to Shadow

• Shadow Monk excels at mobility, debuffs, and ambushes, making it a top control and burst option but not quite as dominant in sustained “stand-and-punch-this-boss-down” scenarios.​​

• Community discussions and tier rankings tend to describe Open Hand as “top-notch single-target damage,” while Shadow is framed more around battlefield control and debuffing.​​

If you want a purely numbers-driven, late-game boss killer, an optimized Open Hand (often with a Thief dip) is usually the best Monk choice.

Which feats maximize a Monk’s late-game single-target DPS

For maximizing a Monk’s late-game single-target DPS in Baldur’s Gate 3, the most important feats are Tavern Brawler (for STR-based unarmed builds) and Ability Score Improvements into your primary stats (DEX/WIS for classic Monk, or STR/WIS for Tavern Brawler variants).​

Core damage feats

• Tavern Brawler

  • Huge boost to unarmed damage on STR-focused Monks by adding your STR modifier again on thrown and improvised/unarmed attacks, which scales incredibly with late-game STR elixirs.​

  • Commonly taken at level 4 on Open Hand builds aimed at top sustained single-target DPS, and is central to popular “optimal TB OH Monk” setups.​

• Ability Score Improvement (ASI)

  • Pumping DEX and WIS (or STR and WIS for Tavern Brawler builds) raises both attack/damage and AC, giving reliable hit chance and better survivability for standing in melee and punching bosses all fight long.​

  • Late-game optimized Monk guides often end with something like 18 DEX and 20-22 WIS (or very high STR plus high WIS), prioritizing ASIs after grabbing Tavern Brawler.​

Secondary but strong options

• Alert

  • Acting earlier in initiative lets a Monk start locking down bosses with Stunning Strike and unloading high-DPS turns before enemies respond, indirectly increasing overall single-target output.​

• Mobile

  • Not a raw damage multiplier, but helps you stay on your chosen target without provoking opportunity attacks, keeping your entire turn focused on hitting one enemy instead of repositioning.​

If your only goal is maximum late-game single-target DPS, the typical progression is: take Tavern Brawler first on a STR build, then spend the remaining feat slots on ASIs to max your attack stat and WIS as quickly as possible.​