Best Open Hand Monk BG3 Build Guide

Welcome to the Way of the Open Hand Monk Build for Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3). Monks have access to three subclasses, Way of the Open Hand, Way of the Shadow and Way of the Four Elements. This BG3 Monk Build uses the Way of the Open Hand subclass and works for both PC and Console (PS5 and Xbox Series X/S).

Please visit our Best BG3 Builds overview page for more builds or our Best BG3 Monk Build.

Way of the Open Hand Monks specializes in unarmed combat, using your hands and control of Ki to heal or inflict grievous hurt.

The Monk class doesn’t have to equip any armour, but you don’t have to worry about it because we can still get a high Armour Class through other ways. You can still wear clothes and robes, anything that doesn’t hinder you.

Table of Contents:

Character Creation
Level 1 – New Actions and Class Features
Level 2 – New Actions
Level 3 – Subclass
Level 4 – New Feat
Level 5 – New Class and Weapon Actions
Level 6 – New Class Actions
Level 7 – New Class Features
Level 8 – New Feat
Level 9 – New Class Feature
Level 10 – New Class Feature
Level 11 – New Subclass Feature
Level 12 – New Feat or Ability
Equipment for Monk
Monk Build Tips & Tricks

Pros Monk Build – Way of the Open Hand

Strong Melee Fighter & High AC
Topple, Push, Stagger
Martial Arts Unarmed Strike
High Stun Rate
High Jumping Distance
High Movement Speed
Missiles Deflection
Athletics & Acrobatics
Expert in Trap Disarm & Lockpicking

Cons Monk Build

Weak with Ranged Attacks
Only Simple Weapons

Monk Build Character Creation – Way of the Open Hand BG3 – PS5/PC

Now let us take a look at the best Character Creation options for your Way of the Open Hand Monk in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Note: We are going to show a few possible options below. You can of course pick something else but your Way of the Open Hand Monk will perform better if you pick any of the options below.

Background for the Way of the Open Hand Monk Build

The following Backgrounds are the best choice for your Way of the Open Hand Monk in Baldur’s Gate 3:

Urchin (Sleight of Hand, Stealth)
Outlander (Athletics, Survival)

These backgrounds give us the most proficiency with Dexterity-based skills. Monks main Abilities are Dexterity and Wisdom. Dexterity is the most important Ability because it will increase your damage done, help you disarm traps, lockpicking and pickpocket.

Race – Way of the Open Hand Monk BG3

Races aren’t as important anymore as they were back in early access. However, there are still some races that will perform slightly better than others for our Open Hand Monk Build.

Below are the top 5 best races for a Monk Build in BG3:

Wood Elf (or Wood Half-Elf) – Woold Elves are a perfect fit for the Monk, they gain 1.5m extra movement speed which is important for our build. Additionally, they also have Advantage on Saving Throws against being Charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You also get Darkvision, which lets you see in the dark up to 12m.
Asmodeus Tiefling – Tieflings get Hellish Resistance, which reduced the fire damage they take by half. You also get Darkvision, which lets you see in the dark up to 12m. You also get Produce Flame Cantrip which can be helpful.
Dragonborn – If you want to take only half damage from a certain attack type, then picking a Dragonborn is your best option. Acid, Lightning, Fire, Poison and Frost resistance can be obtained depending on the Subrace you choose.
Human – You get to select an additional Skill to be proficient in. Carrying capacity is increased by a quarter.
Gold Dwarf – Gold Dwarves are a good pick if you want extra Hitpoints. Your hitpoints increase by 1 and increase by 1 every new level. You also get Darkvision (see 12m in dark) and Advantage on Saving Throws against Poins and you only take half the damage against Poison. However, your movement speed is only 7.5 instead of 9m.

Skills for your Monk Build

The Monk is able to choose two additional Skills to become Proficient at, besides those granted from their background. We recommend selecting the following:

Insight (WIS)
Acrobatics (DEX)

We’ll be pushing up our Dexterity and Wisdom Abilities the most for this build, so we recommend making sure you’ve used the combination of your Background and Skill picks to cover Insight, Acrobatics and Stealth. It’s not the end of the world if you deviate from this, but building your Skills around your strengths just allows you to get the most value out of them.

Abilities for your Monk Build – Open Hand

The Way of the Open Hand Monk’s most important Abilities are Dexterity, for Unarmed or Weapon Attack Rolls and Armour Class, Wisdom for Ki Abilities hit chance, and Constitution for Hitpoints.

For the best results, aim for an ability distribution that looks something like this:

10 Strength
17 Dexterity
14 Constitution
8 Intelligence
16 Wisdom
8 Charisma

Your exact results may differ depending on which race you chose. The most important things are to have at least 14 Constitution and to maximise your Dexterity and Wisdom.

I don’t recommend reducing Strength below 10, because this will negatively impact your Athletics rolls which can make you more vulnerable to being pushed around in combat. You will also be able to carry less items around with you which might become a pain.

Level 1

With the Monk Class the first two levels are basic features. You get to choose your Subclass with level 3.

Let us take a look at the basic Actions and Class Features that you obtain at level 1 for the Way of the Open Hand Monk setup.

Actions

Flurry of Blows: With this ability you get to punch the enemy twice in quick succession.

Class Features

Below you will see the term “Monk Weapons” pop up frequently. Monk weapons are Simple Weapons (Clubs, Daggers, Handaxes, Javelins, Light Hammers, Maces, Sickles, Quarterstaves, Spears, Greatclubs, Slings, Light Crossbow, Shortbows).

Ki: Ki is the magic that flows through all living beings. You can use it to exceed your body’s physical capabilities.
Unarmoured Defence: Your reflexes are as effective as any armour. While not wearing armour, you add your Wisdom Modifier to your Armour Class.
Martial Arts: Dextrous Attacks: Attacks with Monk Weapons and unarmed attacks scale with your Dexterity instead of your Strength if your Dexterity is higher.
Martial Arts: Deft Strikes: Attacks with Monk Weapons and unarmed attacks deal 1-4 Bludgeoning damage, unless their normal damage is higher.
Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike: After making an attack with a Monk Weapon or while unarmed, you can make another unarmed attack as a bonus action.

Level 2

Note: You also don’t have to pick anything here, you will get all the new features added to your character at level 2 automatically.

You get more health and new Class Features and Actions.

Health increase from 10 to 17
Additional Ki Point.
Unarmoured Movement: 3m movement increase while not wearing armour or shield.
Patient Defence: Attack Rolls against you have Disadvantage, and you have Advantage on Dexterity Saving Throws.
Step of the Wind: Dash: Double your movement speed. Jump no longer requires a bonus action.
Step of the Wind: Disengage: Retreat to safety by Disengaging. Jump no longer requires a bonus action.

Level 3 – Pick your Monk Subclass

At level 3 your health increases from 17 to 24. You also get to pick your Subclass at level 3. Monks have access to Way of the Four Elements (Caster), Way of the Open Hand (Unarmed Combat) and Way of Shadow (Stealth and Subterfuge).

For this BG3 Monk Build we are going to select the Way of the Open Hand Elements Subclass.

Open Hand Monks specialize in unarmed combat, using your hands and your control of Ki to heal or inflict grievous hurt.

You won’t have to select anything yet at level 3, you are given three new class actions:

Flurry of Blows: Topple – Punch twice in quick succession and possibly knock the target Prone.
Flurry of Blows: Stagger – Punch twice in quick succession and Stagger the target, making it unable to take reactions.
Flurry of Blows: Push – Punch twice in quick succession and possibly push the target 5m away.

These new class actions are amazing in combat. Now you can knock enemies Prone, Stagger them or Push them off cliffs or building for maximum damage.

Level 4

At level four your health increases from 24 to 31. You get an extra Ki Point. You also get Slow Fall, which reduces your fall damage by half.

You can also pick a Feat, it is recommended to select Mobile here. This will allow you to move further per turn and difficult terrain won’t slow you down anymore when you use dash.

Health increase 24 to 31
Additional Ki Point
Slow Fall: Reduces your fall damage by half
New Feat: Mobile

Mobile Feat:

Speed Increased: The distance you can move per turn is increased by 3m.
Mobile: Evade Opportunity Attack: If you move after making a melee attack, you don’t provoke Opportunity Attacks from your target.
Mobile: Evade Difficult Terrain: When you Dash, Difficult Terrain doesn’t slow you down.

Level 5

At level five you you get another health increase from 31 to 38 and an extra Ki Point for your Open Hand Monk Build in Baldur’s Gate 3. Most important here though is the “Extra Attack” that allows you to make one free attack after your normal attack.

You also get Stunning Strike for unarmed and melee weapons that can stun enemies.

The new Stunning Strike you get will be very useful from now on forth as you can stun plenty of enemies in combat and skip their turn.

Health 31 to 38
Additional Ki Point
Extra Attack: Can make an additional free attack after making an unarmed or weapon attack.
Stunning Strike (Melee): Possibly Stuns the target. No damage.
Stunning Strike (Unarmed): Possibly Stuns the Target and deals damage.

Level 6 Way of the Open Hand Monk – PS5/PC

At level 6 your health increases from 38 to 45. You get another Ki Point and improved unarmoured movement (4.5 instead of 3). You also gain Ki-Empowered Strikes, your unarmed attacks count as magical to overcome enemy resistance and immunity to non magical damage. Additionally, the Open Hand Monk subclass also gets Manifestation of Body, Mind and Soul and Wholeness of Body features.

Lastly, you can select a new spell, we pick Gong of the Summits.

Health increased from 38 to 45.
Extra Ki Point.
Improved Unarmoured Movement: Your movement speed increases by 4.5m while you are not wearing armour or using a shield.
Ki-Empowered Strikes: Your unarmed attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming enemies’ Resistance and Immunity to non-magical damage.
Manifestation of Body: Your hands sap the Ki from your enemies’ bodies. Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 4-7 Necrotic damage.
Manifestation of Mind: Your strikes interrupt the Ki flow to your enemies’ minds. Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 4-7 Psychic damage.
Manifestation of Soul: Infuse your strikes with Ki from outside your body. Your unarmed attacks deal an additional 4-7 Radiant damage.
Wholeness of Body: 18 Healing. Regain half your Ki Points and enter a temporary state of Wholeness where you regain Ki Points and have an extra bonus action.

The Body Mind Soul Manifestations will help deal you some extra damage to enemies from now on.

Level 7

At level 7 your health increases from 45 to 52. You will also get another additional Ki Point. At level 7 for your Way of the Open Hand Monk Build in Baldur’s Gate 3 you also get a new class feature called Stillness of Mind. You also get the Evasion class feature that lets you dodge certain spells.

Health increase from 45 to 52
Extra Ki Point
Evasion: Your agility lets you dodge out of the way of certain spells. When a spell or effect would deal half damage on a successful Dexterity Saving Throw, it deals no damage if you succeed, and only half damage if you fail.
Stillness of Mind: If you are Charmed or Frightened, you automatically cast Stillness of Mind to remove the condition.

Level 8

At level 8 your health increases from 52 to 59. You will also get another additional Ki Point. Additionally, you also get to pick a new Feat. It is recommended to pick anything that improves your movement or constitution.

Health increase from 52 to 59
Extra Ki Point
New Feat: Ability Points Improvement

It is recommended to simply pick the Ability Points improvement and add two points to Wisdom for the Way of the Open Hand Monk Build in BG3.

Level 9

At level 9 your health increases from 59 to 66. You will also get another additional Ki Point. At level 9 you get another increase in jumping distance. The class feature Advanced Unarmoured Movement allows you to jump 6m further than normal. Additionally, the Open Hand Monk also gets Ki Resonation class features with level 9.

Health increase from 52 to 59
Extra Ki Point
Ki Resonation: Punch: Perform an Unarmed Attack. Debuff a target for 10 turns with Resonance.
Ki Resonation: Punch (Bonus Action): Perform an Unarmed Attack. Debuff a target for 10 turns with Resonance.
Ki Resonation: Blast: Detonate Resonance on an enemy, dealing 3d6 Force damage to the target and anyone within 5m of the target. The explosion detonates Resonance on nearby targets.

Level 10

At level 10 your health increases from 66 to 73. You will also get another additional Ki Point. At level 10 your Monk Build will gain the Improved Unarmoured Movement class feature. This increases your movement speed by 4.5m.

Health increase from 66 to 73
Extra Ki Point
Improved Unarmoured Movement: Your movement speed increases by 6m while you are not wearing armour or using a shield.

Level 11

At level 11 your health increases from 73 to 80. You will also get another additional Ki Point.

Health increase from 73 to 80
Extra Ki Point
Tranquility: After a long rest you gain the benefits of Sanctuary (can’t take damage from enemy attacks or spells).

Level 12

At level 6 your health increases from 80 to 87. You will also get another additional Ki Point. At level 12 you get to either pick Ability score improvement or another new Feat.

Health increase from 80 to 87
Extra Ki Point
Ability score improvement or a new Feat

Best Equipment for the Monk Build in Baldur’s Gate 3

Let us take a look at some of the best gear for the Monk Build in Baldur’s Gate 3. The Monk build will easily work without any of the gear from below. However, you will of course be more powerful if you manage to get your hands on some of the gear that is presented below.

Gloves: It is recommended to get the Bracers of Defence for the Monk Build in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can obtain this in the hidden Necromancer’s Lair in this gilded chest in the Blighted Village. You can enter the lair through a wooden hatch inside a building. Once inside, you gotta turn find the lever and activate it to get to the second hidden part of the lair.

Ring: When you are in the Druids Grove you eventually will find the Tiefling Hideout. Kids that steal stuff for a living. If you have the Urchin background you might feel right at home. Mol asks you to steal the Druid Idol and give it to her. If you do that she will award you with the Ring of Protection. This is another way to boost your Armour Class by +1 and make you tankier without having any actual armour active.

There are a few ways to get into the Tiefling Hideout. Make your way to the location and talk to the kids, one of them will steal something from you and trigger a quest. You can either convince them to let you in or crawl through if you have a small character with you.

Boots: Inside the Goblin Camp from the Grat the Trader you can get good boots for the Monk Build. They will increase your jump distance and give you +1 in Acrobatics too. The boots don’t cost that much.

For your Necklace, we recommend the Amulet of Misty Step. This grants you the Misty Step Spell, which lets you teleport to any visible location in range. This is great for quickly taking the high ground for Advantage, or for escaping a tricky situation where you’re getting melee enemies in your face. The Amulet of Misty Step can be purchased from Omeluum in the Myconid Colony, after completing his quest to investigate the parasite.

For another extra spell, look out for the Ring of Colour Spray, found in the Harpy’s Nest in the Druid Grove. This ring grants you the Colour Spray Spell, which lets you Blind creatures with up to 33 combined Hitpoints.

Quarterstaff: Inside the Goblin Camp “Shattered Sanctum” you can find a trader called Roah Moonglow. You can buy the “Gold Wyrmling Staff” from her. It deals good damage and adds a bit of fire damage too. It costs quite a bit though, 806 gold.

Tips & Tricks for the Monk Build in BG3

Let us take a look at a few things that you want to know about the Monk. These Tips and Tricks will make it easier to enjoy a playthrough as Monk.

Monks generally gain 1 Ki Point for every level. That means you will get to spend more Ki points before you have to rest at higher levels.
Monks are best played without armor. They have Unarmored Defense with Wisdom and Dexterity affecting the Armour Class.
You can get a very high Armour Class with the right gear and Unarmored Defense, even higher than some classes with Armour.
You can still wear clothes, just nothing that has the tag Light/Medium/Heavy Armor. Clothes and Robes are okay.
Monk might feel weak at the start, but after level 5 and 6 the class gets a lot more powerful.

Other Baldur’s Gate 3 Builds

If you want to check out the map of Baldur’s Gate 3, please visit the Baldur’s Gate 3 Interactive Map.