Highlights
- Baldur’s Gate 3 features a phenomenal cast of companions with their own personalities and quests that tie into the main story.
- Players can choose from twelve different classes and multiclass them for intriguing combat situations.
- This article provides armor combinations for various classes, such as Barbarians, Clerics, Bards, Wizards, Rangers, Rogues, and Monks, with specific benefits and effects for each class.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the greatest RPGs to be released in 2023. It has a phenomenal cast of companions that each have their own interesting personalities as well as quests that link perfectly alongside the main story of the game. Besides all this, players are also able to select between twelve different classes that can be multiclassed with others for intriguing combat situations.
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Each class has its own armor or weapons that it is proficient in, which means players should also be on the lookout for new gear that will work perfectly with their build. With that in mind, some armor combinations are much more rewarding than others, so players may need to experiment with the gear they find to uncover what works best for them.
Updated on January 26, 2024, by Megan Smith: Besides Baldur’s Gate 3 earning game of the year in 2023, during the month of December, the game was also finally released for players on the Xbox Series X/S allowing them to finally experience the best RPG of the year. With many players going onto their next run of the game, players have started looking for the best armor for Gale in BG3 or any of the other characters. Finding the best combinations of chest plates, boots, and gloves and making a player’s class even more powerful, such as finding a use for the Sharpened Snare Cuirass in BG3. With this in mind, these are by far the best armor combinations in Baldur’s Gate 3 and where each piece can be found.
10 A Battle Necromancer
A Wizard That Sits Comfortably On The Frontlines
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Circle of Bones |
Dropped By Balthazar in the Gauntlet of Shar |
Allied undead are resistant to bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage. Players can also cast animate dead. |
Reaper’s Embrace |
Dropped by Ketheric Thorm |
All damage is reduced by two. Players cannot be moved against their will by spells or actions, but have disadvantage on dexterity saving throws. |
Gloves of Dexterity |
Purchased from A’ja’nir Jeera in Crèche Y’llek |
Increases the wearer’s dexterity score to 18. |
Helldusk Boots |
Found in a locked chest on the Upper Levels of the Wyrm’s Rock Fortress. |
A player cannot be forcefully moved by an enemy’s spells or actions, they also ignore the effects of Difficult Terrain. When a player fails a saving throw, a player can use their reaction to succeed instead. |
Cloak of Displacement |
Purchased in Danthelon’s Dancing Axe |
At the beginning of a player’s turn the cloak activates, making enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against the wearer. This effect remains until the wearer takes damage. |
Players that want to experience what it’s like to be the death knight opponents they may commonly face in Baldur’s Gate 3 should look no further than using this combination of armor choices when deciding on what their character should wear. While this character may predominantly be a wizard, in order to wear the Reaper’s Embrace armor that gives the player the majority of their protection, they will first need a level in a class such as Paladin to allow them to equip it while still being able to use their spells.
Other than this, armor like the Gloves of Dexterity will mean players can remove all their skill points from dexterity and instead invest them into their intelligence for hard hitting spells while still being able to hold their own with a versatile weapon.
9 Bold Sword Bard Build
A Bard Whose Spells Are Just As Deadly As Their Sword
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Helmet of Arcane Acuity |
Found In the Mason’s Guild |
Players gain a level in Arcane Acuity for two turns when they make a melee attack. |
Armor of Agility |
Sold by Gloomy Fentonson at Stormshore Armory |
Players add their dexterity modifier to their armor class. This armor also doesn’t impose disadvantage on stealth checks. |
Daredevil Gloves |
Purchased from A’ja’nir Jeera in Crèche Y’llek |
The wearer gains a plus 1 to their spell attack roll. They can also cast ranged spells as a melee spell attack. |
Vital Conduit Boots |
Purchased from A’ja’nir Jeera in Crèche Y’llek |
When the player casts a spell that needs concentration, they gain 8 temporary hit points. |
Bards that choose the subclass of College of Swords may find themselves regularly in the way of damage. Some players may at first struggle to keep their bard alive because of this. Fortunately, with the right armor combo, this can be avoided.
Armor of Agility may be an armor piece players earn later in the game, but before this moment, the combination of the helmet of Arcane Acuity and the Daredevil Gloves will allow the player to increase the amount of damage done by their spells after dealing melee damage. What makes this even better is that the effect can stack, meaning players can use these ranged spells up close and destroy their opponent.
8 Rage And Wrath
Increases The Barbarian’s Damage
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Bonespike Helmet |
Purchased from the voiceless Penitent Berenice in the Lower City Sewers |
When a player rages, surrounding enemies must make a wisdom saving throw or take 2-8 psychic damage. |
Bloodguzzler Garb |
Found on a Duergar in the Underdark |
When an enemy damages the player, the player gains Wrath for 1 turn. |
Bonespike Gloves |
Found on Strangler Luke in the Undercity Ruins |
The player’s attacks ignore resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning damage. |
Linebreaker Boots |
Found in the Worg Pen in the Shattered Sanctum or on Beastmaster Zurk |
Once per turn, when a player dashes, they gain Wrath for 2 turns. |
Players tend to struggle to find the perfect gear to put on their Barbarians, especially as it’s best when they rely on their unarmored defense. Thankfully, all four of these pieces of gear don’t require any sort of armor proficiency and, therefore, classes as clothing.
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Gear like the Bloodguzzler Garb and Linebreaker Boots will give the player the feature known as Wrath. This will increase the Barbarians’ melee damage by one, so they do even more damage to surrounding opponents. Combining this with the Bonespike Gloves means even those that are resistant to slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning damage will also be damaged by these attacks. Finally, the Bonespike Helmet helps the Barbarian directly when they Rage, as each surrounding creature must make a Wisdom saving throw or take psychic damage.
7 Supporting Clerics
Protection And Healing On The Frontlines
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Wapira’s Crown |
Accept the reward from Zevlor after killing the Goblins in Act 1 |
When healing an ally, the caster gets 1-6 hit points back. |
Adamantine Scale Mail |
Forged at the Grymforge |
All incoming damage is reduced by 1 when equipped and attackers can’t land critical hits on the armor user. |
The Reviving Hands |
Purchased at the Stormshore Tabernacle in the Lower City |
When a player heals a creature, they gain Blade Ward. If they are revived, they gain the effect of Death Ward. |
Boots of Speeds |
Curing Thulla in the Underdark |
Allows the player to dash as a bonus action by using the action Click Heels. |
Clerics can be excellent frontline units, but sometimes, it’s better to have an individual who will mainly focus on support. Armor pieces like Wapira’s Crown can be earned early into a player’s adventure and will allow a player to regain their own hit points while also healing another; meanwhile, The Reviving Hands add further protection to those the Clerics bring back to life.
The Adamantine Scale Mail is by far the best medium armor available in Baldur’s Gate 3, with not only its high AC but additional perks. Boots of Speed may not seem that special compared to everything else, but it allows the team’s medic to quickly get across the battlefield or out of harm’s way.
6 A Bard’s Bravery
Increased Amount Of Bardic Inspiration
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Birthright |
Purchased at Sorcerous Sundries in Baldur’s Gate |
Increases Charisma by 2. |
Blazer of Benevolence |
Rescue Volvo from the Shattered Sanctum |
When inspiring an ally, the player gets 4 temporary hit points. |
Cerebral Citadel Gloves |
Found in the Emperor’s Old Hideout |
When a player charms or frightens a creature, they gain a 1d4 bonus for their attack and saving rolls. |
Boots of Brilliance |
Found Inside the Gauntlet of Shar |
Players can restore their Bardic Inspiration. |
Vivacious Cloak |
Found in the Grand Mausoleum |
The player gains 7 temporary hit points after casting a spell while they are in melee. |
There may be no Bard companion for players to recruit in Baldur’s Gate 3, but the class is still available for players to choose for themselves or change a companion into by using Withers. There are plenty of interesting armor combinations that work perfectly for such a class, but this is one of the best. Birthright may not add anything too special, but it can increase the player’s Charisma modifier past the threshold of 20.
The two main pieces of armor that truly make this combo shine is the Blazer of Benevolence and the Boots of Brilliance. When using their Bardic Inspiration on an ally, the Bard will receive four temporary hit points. This use of Bardic Inspiration can then be refreshed outside of combat through using the Boots of Brilliance.
5 Grand Elemental Wizard
A Wizard That Does Even More Damage
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Hood of the Weave |
Purchased from Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion |
The player gains a plus 2 bonus to their spell save DC and spell attack rolls. |
Robe of Supreme Defenses |
Sold by Ferg Drogher in Rivington |
While concentrating, a player can add their spellcasting modifier to their saving throws and gains a plus one to their armor class. |
Gemini Gloves |
Purchased from Helsik in the Devil’s Fee |
Cantrips can target town foes or allies at once, the same target can even be chosen twice. |
Boots of Arcane Bolstering |
Bought from Arab Oblodora in Moonrise Towers |
Each time the player dashes, the wearer gains an Arcane Charge for two turns. |
Cloak of the Weave |
Purchased from Helsik the Devil’s Fee |
Players gain a plus one to their spell save DC and spell attack rolls. They also gain the ability to absorb elements. |
Wizards are one of few classes in Baldur’s Gate 3 that have no armor proficiencies, this means they are forced to use the clothing that is available in BG3 otherwise they are unable to cast spells. Thankfully, there are countless clothing items for players to experiment with. Many of the available items such as the Hood of the Weave or the Robe of Supreme Defenses simply increase the Wizard’s spell save DC and attack bonus.
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Meanwhile, the Cloak of the Weave does this and more as players can use Absorb Elements once per short rest. When the wearer of the cloak is attacked using an element damage, they can choose to absorb this damage allowing them to take half that damage during that turn but also increasing the damage they do using that same element.
4 A Great Defense
A Strong Frontline Fighter
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Helmet of Grit |
Found in the Szarr Palace |
When the wearer has 50% hit points or less they gain an additional bonus action. |
Adamantine Splint Armor |
Forged in the Grymforge |
All incoming damage is reduced by two, when a melee attack hits the player the attacker is sent reeling for three turns. Attackers can also not land critical hits. |
Gauntlets of Surging Accuracy |
Purchased from Lann Tara in Moonrise Towers |
When using action surge the player gains a plus 1d4 to attack rolls for the rest of their turn. |
The Speedy Lightfeet |
Found in the Blighted Village |
When the player dashes, they gain 3 lightning charges. |
Cloak of Protection |
Purchased from Quartermaster Talli at the Last Light Inn |
The player increases their armor class and their saving throws by one. |
Fighters have the potential to either be incredible damage dealers or brilliant defensive units. With this build, the player can have the best of both worlds. Like the Adamantine Scale Mail, the Adamantine Splint Armor has some of the same effects while also having an even higher AC. The Cloak of Protection then boosts this AC even further, making the wearer nearly impossible to hit.
The Gauntlets of Surging Accuracy increases the player’s chance to hit their target by one d4 when they use their Action Surge for the rest of their turn. Finally, if the battle is too much for the player to handle, if that unit’s health goes lower than 50%, the Helmet of Grit gives them an extra bonus action to heal away the pain.
3 Powerful Ranger
A Ranger With Free Movement
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Circlet of Hunting |
Sold by Arab Oblodora in Moonrise Towers |
Players gain a 14 bonus to their attack rolls against creatures marked by Hunter’s Mark, True Strike, Faerie Fire, or Guiding Bolt. |
Sharpened Snare Cuirass |
Sold by Roah Moonglow in Moonrise Towers |
Players add their dexterity modifier to their armor class. Enemies has disadvantage agaisnt saving throws when resisting both attacks and spells that inflict restrained. |
Legacy of the Masters |
Purchased from Dammon in the Lower City |
Players gain a plus 2 bonus to attack and damage rolls when using weapons. |
Boots of Genial Striding |
Sold by Blurg in the Underdark |
The wearers movement speed is no longer affected by Difficult Terrain. |
Players unlock the only Ranger companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 during the final act of the title. In the meantime, players should be collecting these pieces to make this Ranger one of the most powerful units in the game. Hunter’s Mark is one of the most powerful spells a Ranger can wield through purchasing the Circlet of Hunting. Any foe that is marked by this spell has a plus 4 attack roll when attempting to hit it.
This attack roll is increased further through equipping the Legacy of Masters gauntlets, which increases the attack roll by another +2, even if the spell does not mark them. A simple pair of boots like the Genial Striding ones also means a player never needs to worry about difficult terrain ever again.
2 Cunning Rogue’s Gear
Increased Critical Hits
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Covert Cowl |
Dropped by a Meenlock in the cellar of Last Light Inn |
While obscured, the number needed to roll a critical hit is reduced by one. |
Elegant Studded Leather |
Found in the High-Security Vault no. 9 in the Counting House. |
Players gain a plus 2 bonus to their initiative rolls and an advantage on stealth checks. |
Dark Justicar Gauntlets |
Found in the Gauntlet of Shar |
A player’s weapon attacks deal an additional 1-4 Necrotic damage. |
Disintegrating Night Walkers |
Dropped by True Soul Nere |
A player can’t be enwebbed, entangled, or ensnared. They also can’t slip on grease or ice, and they learn the spell Misty Step. |
Cloak of Cunning Brume |
Purchased from Mattis in Last Light Inn |
When the player disengages, they create a foggy cloud that blinds those that are in it. |
Rogues are the perfect combination of stealth attackers who can deal a lethal amount of damage as long as they have the upper hand. That’s why many of the armor pieces chosen for them allow them to obtain this advantage. Firstly, the Cloak of Cunning Brume allows the player to become invisible. Through this advantage, they can successfully stealth attack. Once they have hit their target, they can safely Misty Step away by using the Disintegrating Night Walkers.
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The Covert Cowl will increase the likelihood of a player getting a critical hit, as it reduces the threshold by one. Finally, while the main piece of Studded Leather armor may seem simple, an increase to the unit’s initiative allows them to get into position faster.
1 Masterful Monk
Improve Damage And Reactions
Item |
Where to find it |
What it does |
---|---|---|
Mask of Soul Perception |
Found in the Devil’s Fee |
A player gains a plus 2 bonus for attack rolls, initiative rolls, and perception checks. They can also cast detect Thoughts. |
Vest of Soul Rejuvenation |
Purchased in Sorcerer’s Sundries |
When a player succeeds in a saving throw against a spell, they gain 1-4 hit points. The player can also make a reaction unarmed strike on any attacker that misses. |
Gloves of Soul Catching |
Save Hope during the House of Hope Quest |
Players’ unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-10 force damage. Once per turn, an unarmed hit will regain 10 hit points or a player can instead gain an advantage on their attack and Saving rolls. |
Helldusk Boots |
Found in a locked chest on the Upper Levels of the Wyrm’s Rock Fortress. |
A player cannot be forcefully moved by an enemy’s spells or actions, they also ignore the effects of Difficult Terrain. When a player fails a saving throw, a player can use their reaction to succeed instead. |
Cloak of Displacement |
Purchased in Danthelon’s Dancing Axe |
At the beginning of a player’s turn the cloak activates, making enemies have disadvantage on attack rolls against the wearer. This effect remains until the wearer takes damage. |
Monks are all about the soul, and that’s why many of the greatest armor combinations for them all share similar names. Combining the likes of the Mask of Soul Perception, Vest of Soul Rejuvenation, and the Gloves of Soul Catching will allow a player to react faster, be more likely to hit, and deal even more damage with their unarmed attacks.
The combination of the Helldusk Boots and the Cloak of Displacement also means that although the player isn’t wearing any actual armor, they are still unlikely to be hit, with the player even choosing to use their reaction to reroll a saving throw.