What if there was a class capable of jumping with no action cost, and there was a magic item that dealt damage every time you landed? With this broken Thunder Jump build for Monks, you could Solo-Run the entire Act 1 of Baldur's Gate 3 in Tactical Difficulty.
BG3 Hamarhraft Build for Monks
At level 2, Monks receive the feature Step of The Wind, which allows them to Dash as a bonus action and make free use of Jump — as long as they still have movement left to use. Monks can increase their movement to ridiculous amounts, so with the proper gear and spells, you will be able to Jump more than 40 times during your turn.
This in itself seems useless, but the key to this build is the magic maul Hamarhraft. When equipped, this weapon allows the wielder to deal 1d4 thunder damage in a radius of 10ft every time they land from a jump.
This damage can't be evaded or resisted: it is a consistent average of 2.5 Thunder damage to every creature in the area of landing. Do that 40 or so times per turn, and you could have an unavoidable 100 average damage output (being able to hit several creatures simultaneously).
Best Race for the Thunder Jump Monk in BG3
Here, there is one indisputable winner, and it is the Wood Elf (or Half-Wood-Elf). Their extra speed of 35ft is going to be key for the build.
Related: Tavern Brawler Monk BG3 build guide
Best items for the Thunder Jump Monk in BG3
There is a condition in the game called Momentum, which increases the character's move by 10ft. Therefore, I made a loadout with items that either induce that condition or improve the base movement speed.
| Item | Type | Effect | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamarhraft | Maul | Deals 1d4 thunder damage in a radius of 10ft every time the wearer lands a jump. | Waukeen's Rest, in a Gilded Chest inside a room on fire (X:-82, Y:630). |
| Crusher's Ring | Ring | Increases movement speed by 10ft. | Dropped by Crusher at the Goblin Camp (X:-76, Y:438). |
| Springstep Boots | Boots | When the wearer dashes, they gains momentum for 3 turns. | In the Treasure Room behind Dror Ragzlin's Throne in the Shattered Sanctum (X:296, Y:72). |
Thunder Jump Monk Level Progression for BG3
Monk will be our primary class, but multiclassing into the Thief Rogue will grant you an extra bonus action for an extra Dash. Here is how I built my monk level by level:
| Level | Class Level | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monk 1 | Unarmoured Defence, Flurry of Blows. |
| 2 | Monk 2 | Unarmoured Movement grants you 10ft of extra speed. Step of The Wind: Dash |
| 3 | Monk 3 | Subclass: Way of the Open Hand, Deflect Missiles |
| 4 | Monk 4 | Choose the Mobile feat to gain 10ft of movement speed, Slow Fall grants you resistance to falling damage |
| 5 | Rogue 1 | Expertise, Sneak Attack. |
| 6 | Rogue 2 | Cunning Actions: Dash, Disengage, Hide (not really useful for this build) |
| 7 | Rogue 3 | Subclass: Thief, this will grant you an extra bonus action you can use to Dash. |
| 8 | Rogue 4 | Athlete feat to increase Dexterity to 18 and jumping distance by 50%. |
| 9 | Monk 5 | Extra Attack |
| 10 | Monk 6 | Your subclass grants you Wholeness of Body to regain 1 Ki-Point and get an extra bonus action. Improved Unarmoured Movement grants you 10ft more of speed and increases your Jump distance by 20ft. |
| 11 | Monk 7 | Evasion, Stillness of Mind. |
| 12 | Monk 8 | Ability Score Increase feat: Dexterity to 20. |
Related: Eldritch Knight BG3 build guide
Thunder Jump Monk Tactics in BG3
Finally, it's time for maths. Your turns are going to last long and will require delicate micro, but here is how I go about it:
- Your base speed is 70ft: 35ft from race, +15 from Unarmoured Movement, +10 from Mobile feat + 10ft from Crusher's Ring (note that you can't wear armor or a helmet if you want to trigger Unarmoured Movement).
- Step of The Wind: Dash will allow you to double that speed with a bonus action. Now you have 140ft of movement.
- It becomes 210ft if you use your second bonus action to Cunning Action: Dash.
- If Gale or another party member casts Haste on you (or throws you a Potion of Speed), you can use Dash as an action for 280ft of movement.
- It becomes 290ft when you get Momentum from your boots.
There you go, now you can jump about 50 times per turn (assuming you consume 6ft of movement per jump), and destroy your enemies with Thunder blasts.
For more on Baldur's Gate 3, check out BG3 Salami Dual Wielder Build Guide or Best spells for Shadowheart in BG3 here on Pro Game Guides
Published: Nov 17, 2023 01:23 pm