Baldur’s Gate 3: Best Monk Subclass [Stats, Pros, & Cons]

After spending 140+ Hour's in-game, here are my thoughts on the Best Monk Subclass.

By Saqib December 3, 2023

Selecting the Best Subclass for Monk can be hard in a game like Baldur’s Gate 3, and once you reach Level 3, you have to make a choice. The three subclass choices presented to the Monk are the Way of the Four Elements, the Way of the Open Hand, and the Way of Shadow.

Key Takeaways

Monk has three unique subclasses: Way of the Four Elements, Way of the Open Hand, and Way of Shadow.
Way of the Four Elements specializes in bending the Four Elements to deal damage.
Way of the Open Hand specializes in Unarmed Damage and using your Ki to heal yourself or hurt enemies.
Way of Shadow specializes in stealth to sneak around the battle and strike when it counts, similar to a Ninja.

Best Subclass for Monk in Baldur’s Gate 3

The table below has stat allocations for all three subclasses for Monk.

Stats	Way of the Four Elements	Way of the Open Hand	Way of Shadow
Strength	10	8	8
Dexterity	17	17	17
Constitution	13	15	15
Intelligence	10	8	8
Wisdom	16	16	16
Charisma	8	8	8

1. Way of the Open Hand

Best at dealing direct damage.

Baldur's Gate Way of the Open Hand Monk — Way of the Open Hand [image by me]

This subclass is probably the best subclass for a Monk. It might be generic as it represents the classic Monk, calm and collected, able to do a lot of damage. Not only can this subclass deal a ton of damage to a target, but with Ki-Resonance, they can resonate the Ki of an enemy and make them explode at will.

I will list a table below for the optimal stats.

Strength	8
Dexterity	17
Constitution	15
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	16
Charisma	8

Pros

It is versatile, as you can stun and put enemies in a prone state.
As a Reaction, you get resistance to falling damage.
You get self-healing by using Ki.
Ability to infuse your fists to do additional Necrotic, Psychic, or Radiant Damage.

Cons

It possesses limited range to deal with ranged enemies unless you use Ki-Resonance.
Monks are squishy as they wear Clothes to maximize their abilities.

Note: Ki is Recovered upon Short Rest for every subclass of Monk.

2. Way of the Four Elements

Best at crowd control.

Baldur's Gate 3 Way of the Four Elements Monk — Way of the Four Elements [image by me]

This subclass allows you to have all Four Elements at your command. Allowing you to deal with enemies from long range. This can range from Freezing Enemies to Burning them or combining spells with your other spellcaster for devastating area effects.

Here’s a table for the Optimal Stats.

Strength	10
Dexterity	17
Constitution	13
Intelligence	10
Wisdom	16
Charisma	8

Pros

Play to the enemy’s weakness by using the Four Elements.
Certain spells that allow you to fly, pull enemies, or push enemies away.
Deal with enemies with both Melee or Ranged attacks.

Cons

Spells are dependent on you, Ki, and you will run out of Ki.
Your skill points will be spent all around due to Spells.

Note: Different Spells have different Spell Modifiers.
You will need to get specific equipment pieces to boost your Stats.

3. Way of Shadow

Best for stealthy approach.

This subclass is basically similar to an Assassin, except that you wanna play a stealthy Monk. This subclass has some really unique stuff going on for it. Allowing you to hide in shadows and some Abilities that allow you to remain undetected.

Finally, a table for the optimal stats

Strength	8
Dexterity	17
Constitution	15
Intelligence	8
Wisdom	16
Charisma	8

Pros

Specialization in stealth.
Teleport between shadows for advantageous situations to strike enemies.
It provides abilities to become Invisible, as well as Silence or Blind enemies.
Lastly, you can teleport behind unsuspecting enemies to deal with Psychic Damage.

Cons

This subclass is too dependent on stealth mechanics.
It gives you limited abilities related to attacking enemies directly.

My Thoughts On The Best Monk Subclass

BG3 My In-Game Time — My In-Game Time [image by me]

After putting in more than 40+ Hours into this game, I can say that Way of the Open Hand is the Best Monk Subclass in Baldur’s Gate 3. Not only can it deal a lot of damage, but it also provides you with a good amount of survivability without having to invest in other stats or being dependent on mechanics such as stealth in battles.

Lastly, I suggest you check out our review of the game by our expert Huzaifah. You should also look at how to get Gloves of Dexterity, which are excellent for any monk.