Monks in Baldur’s Gate 3 get Martial Arts attacks that can only be used if you use unarmed attacks or Monk Weapons. To become a master of the Martial Arts in BG3, here is what Monk Weapons are.
Monk Weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3 are melee weapons you are Proficient with. This includes Versatile Weapons, Simple Weapons, and any weapon your Race grants Proficiency in. The only Monk Weapons you can wield with two hands are Versatile Weapons, like a Quarterstaff which you start with.
All Monk Weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3, explained
When contemplating if a weapon is a Monk Weapon or not in BG3, look at the top section of the weapon’s description and see if its type matches what qualifies as a Monk Weapon. To help differentiate Simple and Versatile Weapons, here is a breakdown of what weapons fit in each category:
- Simple Weapons
- Clubs
- Daggers
- Handaxes
- Javelins
- Light Hammers
- Maces
- Sickles
- Quarterstaves
- Spears
- Greatclubs
- Light Crossbows
- Shortbows
- Versatile Weapons
- Battleaxes
- Longswords
- Spears
- Tridents
- Quarterstaves
- Warhammers
To maximize the effectiveness of your Monk in Baldur’s Gate 3, you need to use unarmed attacks or Monk Weapons. Monk Weapons aren’t clearly defined which is why we’ve done it here for you.
The reason you need to use Monk Weapons or unarmed attacks is because at Monk level one, you get Martial Arts: Dextrous Attacks, Martial Arts: Deft Strikes, Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike. These three bonuses allow your attacks to use Dexterity instead of Strength, always deal an additional 1d4, and use a bonus action to deal another unarmed attack — if you use a Monk Weapon or unarmed attack. All of Monk’s greatest abilities are conditional on Monk Weapons or unarmed attacks.
Now you know what Monk Weapons are in Baldur’s Gate 3. If I can help you understand Monk Weapons, I can also help you create the best Monk build in BG3. We’ve also got a breakdown on the best Monk subclasses, should you need a further helping hand.
