Rogues and Monks can be among the most powerful classes in Baldur's Gate 3, and combining them creates a strong multiclass that can be very fun to play. I built a Thief Rogue Open Hand Monk character that is capable of devastating enemies with additional bonus actions and Rogue sneak attacks; here is how you can build it.
Best stats for a Thief Rogue Open Hand Monk in BG3
A Rogue Monk should primarily have high Dexterity to deal more weapon damage, have higher initiative, and use Rogue abilities. You will also want high Wisdom to increase your AC when not wearing any armor and for Monk abilities.
- Strength: 10
- Dexterity: 17
- Constitution: 14
- Intelligence: 8
- Wisdom: 15
- Charisma: 10
Related: Wild Magic Sorcerer build guide BG3
Thief Rogue Monk leveling guide in BG3
To be the most effective, you will want to start out as a Rogue to gain extra proficiencies. Get up to Level 3 Rogue, then start taking Monk levels to unlock the Way of the Open Hand subclass. There are a few different ways to level a Thief Rogue Monk, but for the most effective abilities, you will want to get to Level 7 Monk and Level 5 Rogue. Here are the best starting options to choose when creating your character:
- Background: Folk Hero
- Proficiencies: Insight, Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth
- Expertise: Perception, Stealth
| Level | Abilities |
| Rogue Level 1 | Sneak Attack Expertise in 2 Skills |
| Rogue Level 2 | Cunning Actions |
| Rogue Level 3 | Fast Hands |
| Monk Level 1 | Flurry of Blows Unarmoured Defense Dextrous Strikes, Deft Strikes |
| Monk Level 2 | Unarmoured Movement Patient Defense Step of the Wind: Dash, Disengage |
| Monk Level 3 | Deflect Missiles Way of the Open Hand Subclass |
| Monk Level 4 | Slow Fall Feat (Ability Score Improvement) |
| Rogue Level 4 | Feat (Mobile) |
| Monk Level 5 | Extra Attack Stunning Strike |
| Rogue Level 5 | Uncanny Dodge |
| Monk Level 6 | Improved Unarmoured Movement Ki-Empowered Strikes Manifestation of Mind, Body, Soul Wholeness of Body |
| Monk Level 7 | Evasion Stillness of Mind |
For leveling a Thief Rogue Monk, you will want to take three levels of Rogue for the additional bonus action, which can be used for Monk attacks. Then, you will want to take four levels of Monk to unlock the subclass actions to boost your bonus action use. You can then take Level 4 Rogue to get your second feat. Both the Level 5 abilities for Rogue and Monk are very helpful, so make sure you get to Level 5 in each before moving on to finish your leveling process at Monk Level 7.
Best Feats for Thief Rogue Monk in BG3
| Feat | Description |
| Ability Score Improvement | You increase one Ability by 2, or two Abilities by 1, to a maximum of 20. |
| Alert | You gain a +5 bonus to Initiative and can't be Surprised. |
| Mobile | Your movement speed increases, and difficult terrain doesn't slow you down when you Dash. If you move after making a melee attack, you don't provoke Opportunity Attacks from your target. |
| Tough | Your hit point maximum increases by 2 for every level you have gained. |
For this Thief Rogue Monk build, you will want to take an ability score improvement at Level 4 to boost your Dexerity to 18 and your Wisdom to 16. After you reach Level 4 for the other class, you should take Mobile to improve your walking speed and not provoke Opportunity Attacks. If you find yourself struggling with health, Tough is a good option, and if you want to make sure you are first in Initiative, Alert is a good choice.
Best Items for a Thief Rogue Monk in BG3
Thief Monk Rogues can benefit from several items in BG3. Here are some of the items that can be great for the build:
- Bow of Awareness - Found in Act 1 at the Ruined Temple of Selune. Although this build is primarily melee-based, having the Bow of Awareness equipped will grant a +1 to Initiative, which can be helpful to ensure you are always high in the Initiative order.
- Gloves of Soul Catching - Found in Act 3 by rescuing Hope. The Gloves of Soul Catching are the best overall gloves to use due to dealing an extra 1-10 Force Damage, the ability to heal or gain advantage every turn after an unarmed strike, and the extremely helpful +2 Constitution.
- Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo - Found in Act 3 during the Astral Plane quest. These boots can boost your damage by adding your Wisdom modifier to unarmed strike damage.
- Vest of Soul Rejuvenation - Found in Act 3 at Sorcerer's Sundries. The Vest of Soul Rejuvenation is great clothing that can heal for 1-4 every successful spell save, and can enable the wearer to perform an unarmed attack as a reaction when an attack misses the wearer.
How to play Thief Rogue Monk in BG3
Overall, the Thief Rogue Monk can be an amazing character with great action economy. Since you will have two bonus actions for most of the playthrough, you can quickly eliminate enemies with two Flurry of Blows on the same turn. One of the only downsides to the build is you need a finesse weapon for Sneak Attack and Monk weapons do not count as finesse, however, if you have a finesse weapon equipped, you can Sneak Attack, then use unarmed strikes to benefit from the Monk attack modifiers.
For more on Baldur's Gate 3, check out BG3 Character Builder – Tools for Creating Builds here on Pro Game Guides.
Published: Jan 3, 2024 01:41 pm