Mastering the Unstoppable: Unleashing the True Power of Baldur's Gate 3's Way of the Open Hand Monk
Become an unstoppable force in Baldur's Gate 3 with the lethal Way of the Open Hand Monks Unleash brutal abilities that make them the deadliest melee attackers in the game Discover the true power of this melee build!
Highlights
Monks in Baldur's Gate 3 are a challenging class for beginners due to their lack of armor, but they make up for it with devastating physical capabilities.
The subclass of Monks known as Way of the Open Hand amplifies raw power, enabling players to unleash mighty strikes and exert influence over adversaries using their unarmed attacks.
For a Way of the Open Hand Monk, Dexterity and Wisdom are essential attributes, as they bolster damage output, accuracy, and armor class, thus heightening their combat prowess.
Monks in Baldur's Gate 3 offer a unique gameplay experience. They specialize in close combat and dealing significant damage to their enemies, but unlike other classes, they do not use any armor. This makes them an exciting choice to play, although not recommended for beginners.
Those who choose to stick with the Monk class will greatly benefit from their physical abilities and their ability to unleash devastating attacks against anyone who opposes them. It is especially impressive that some of their most powerful strikes are delivered with their bare hands, following an initial attack with a weapon. This skill is useful across all Monk subclasses, but the Way of the Open Hand is particularly important, allowing players to feel like formidable individuals whose own bodies are their greatest weapon.
Way of the Open Hand Monks are Among Baldur's Gate 3's Deadliest Melee Attackers
Monks who follow the Way of the Open Hand in Baldur's Gate 3 harness their immense power to enhance the class's finest qualities. Unlike the Way of the Shadow and Way of the Four Elements, which emphasize stealth and magic, respectively, the Way of the Open Hand focuses on delivering devastating blows with versatility.
Similar to other Monk subclasses, the abilities of the Way of the Open Hand consume ki points, ensuring a balance between frequency of use and limitation. These abilities are interconnected with various unarmed strikes that can be employed, ranging from toppling foes to forcefully pushing them back.
The distribution of stats in this subclass can be quite fearsome, particularly when it comes to how Monks utilize Dexterity and Wisdom. While Strength may be a secondary stat for Monks, they possess a trait that enhances their armor class based on their Wisdom if they choose not to wear armor. Even with a decent amount of Wisdom, a Monk can maintain a respectable armor class while benefiting from powerful clothing sets.
Dexterity is the primary stat for Monks and greatly impacts the damage and accuracy of their unarmed strikes. This means that their hits are both powerful and effective. As a result, Monks can unleash incredible attack combinations, starting with a topple that deals up to 20 damage, then following up with a stun attack to force the enemy to skip their next turn while inflicting further damage, and finally finishing off with a standard attack.
An optimally built Way of the Open Hand Monk has the potential to inflict 40-50 damage per round, making them a formidable force capable of eliminating many enemies and significantly damaging bosses. Additionally, they possess a strong defense, thanks to their respectable levels of Constitution and Wisdom, enabling them to withstand substantial blows. Interestingly, despite the emphasis on physical strength, it is ironic that the Strength stat holds little importance for this bruiser build in Baldur's Gate 3. As Monks' attacks are scaled with Dexterity, Strength mainly comes into play for saving throws, an area in which Monks excel.
While lacking in ranged capabilities, certain races such as the Elf or Drow exhibit proficiency in using bows and crossbows, allowing for the creation of an optimal Way of the Open Hand Monk without requiring the use of a Feat on Weapon Master. This choice of race serves as a viable option, providing the Monk with decent archery skills until they close the distance between themselves and their target.
Upon determining what would engage a Monk with Way of the Open Hand, their potential becomes evident as one of the party's most powerful members. With their exceptional skills and innate abilities, this subclass revitalizes one of Baldur's Gate 3's underappreciated classes. PC players can already enjoy Baldur's Gate 3, while it releases for PS5 on September 6th.
