Baldur’s Gate 3 offers an exceptional level of freedom for players in designing and customizing their character builds. Beyond the traditional character classes and complex multiclassing options, the game encourages creative strategies for building efficient and powerful characters.
One notable tactic involves equipping formidable weapons in the off-hand while keeping the main hand free. This approach is particularly beneficial for Monks, as it allows them to enhance their builds without sacrificing their ability to deal significant unarmed damage. Below, we outline how you can effectively use an off-hand weapon while your primary arm remains unequipped.
How to Equip Weapons in the Off-Hand in Baldur’s Gate 3
Equipping weapons solely in the off-hand can be a bit tricky, as the game’s mechanics typically favor equipping weapons to the main hand first. However, with a few straightforward steps, you can successfully assign a weapon to your off-hand:
- Start by unequipping weapons from two characters, ensuring that one of them is the character you want to equip with an off-hand weapon.
- Open the party menu by pressing the Tab key and proceed to dual-wield with your desired character, making sure to equip the desired weapon in their off-hand. For example, you might choose to equip a Monk with the
in their off-hand. - Transfer the main hand weapon from the character you want to modify to the empty weapon slot of the second character. This will clear the main hand of the second character while retaining their off-hand weapon.
The Advantages of Off-Hand Weapons for Monks in Baldur’s Gate 3
Monks primarily rely on unarmed strikes to inflict damage, which often leads to missing out on the passive bonuses offered by various weapons in Baldur’s Gate 3. However, the strategy of utilizing an off-hand weapon opens up new avenues for enhancing and diversifying their builds.
By leveraging the passive effects of off-hand weapons, Monks can distribute their ability points more effectively. For instance, they may choose to invest in Wisdom, Constitution, and Dexterity while maintaining a low Strength score of just 8. With items like the Club of Hill Giant Strength, they can elevate their Strength to 19, gaining a valuable +4 bonus to strength checks. This method helps reduce reliance on two of the most sought-after elixirs for Monk characters:
Both Tavern Brawler Monks and those who favor strength-based attacks can optimize their effectiveness by equipping potent off-hand weapons to enhance their strength attacks. Furthermore, investing in Dexterity not only boosts the Monk’s Armor Class but also enhances their initiative, ensuring robust performance in both offensive and defensive scenarios.
In summary, the practice of utilizing off-hand weapons benefits build optimization significantly. By embracing this tactic, players can unlock new levels of utility, better ability score distribution, and overall heightened efficiency in their character builds.
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