Ninja Stealth Build - Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3)

The best Ninja build for Baldur's Gate 3. This build mixes martial arts of unarmed combat and weapons. Moreover, the main highlight is the teleportation with Shadow Step​ and easy invisibility using Cloak of Shadows​. The build is the epitome of stealthiness and rewards those who leave combat unseen.

Ninja Build

This build is the perfect choice for Dark Urge or Solo playthrough. It is very similar to Gloomstalker Assassin Build, which I made some time ago. The main difference is that this is a much more mobile stealth build, being able to teleport through the arena and vanish into the shadows.

Shadows Monk can teleport using Shadow Step​ at the cost of a bonus action. This is a perfect way to get into positions without being seen or escape combat. The action has no limitations besides it being a Lightly Obscured​ area, which are plenty in this game.

The next step is Cloak of Shadows. It allows you to become invisible and stay invisible while obscured. Again, this has no limitation, only action points. Why is being Invisible​ important? If the enemy cannot find you, they leave the combat.

To top this, the build can utilize both unarmed and melee weapon combat depending on the situation. The main downside is that the build starts going from level 5 and reaches its full potential on level 9. That can be late for some people, but I promise it's worth it!

Hope I got your interest, and let's jump into the build

Leveling Overview

Here is a concise table with all the main picks during your leveling progression. For more detailed reasoning, I go further in the article. Also, do not forget to check the recommended gear as it is crucial.

Level	Class	Selection
1	Monk	STR - 8, DEX - 17, CON - 15, INT - 8, WIS - 16, CHA - 8
		Skills: Acrobatics, Insight
2	Monk	-
3	Monk	Subclass: Way of Shadow
4	Monk	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 DEX or  Tavern Brawler​ +1 CON
5	Monk	-
6	Monk	-
7	Rogue	-
8	Rogue	Skills: Perception, Athletics, Acrobatics
9	Rogue	Subclass: Thief
10	Monk	-
11	Monk	Feat: Ability Improvement +2 DEX or Alert​
12	Monk	-

Starting the Game

This section covers the creation screen and what would go into the best Races, Abilities, and Skills for a Ninja. Some of these choices are impactful, as you cannot respec them.

Races

Picking a race provides various benefits - abilities, dialogue options, looks, etc. Also, keep in mind whether your picked race has Shield proficiency as this can improve survivability or give benefits for offensive.

Race	Features	Description
Githyanki	Martial Prodigy​	A versatile race that unlocks some good actions for combat and exploration. It also gives medium armour proficiency.
Wood Elf	Elven Weapon Training​ Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry​ Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.	Both of these are good picks as they increase movement speed. For any kind of build that mostly engages in melee combat, this is a huge buff.
Wood Half-Elf	Civil Militia Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry Fleet of Foot - your movement speed is increased by 1.5m.
Drow	Drow Weapon Training​ Superior Darkvision​ Fey Ancestry	Both of these race picks come with the Darkness​ spell, which synergizes well with the Ninja kit later, if you get Blinded​ immunity from items.
Drow Half-Elf	Fey Ancestry​ Darkvision​ Civil Militia​
Deep Gnome	Gnome Cunning​ Superior Darkvision​ Stone Camouflage​	Although it is a little race, it does get advantages to mental abilities, which is good when you later use Resonance Stone.
Half-Orc	Darkvision​ Relentless Endurance​ Savage Attacks​	Great race as a frontliner when you are often in melee combat. Moreover, the bonus critical rolls provide a bit of bonus damage.

Class

Overview
Monk
Features
Flurry of Blows​	Very powerful attack, allowing you to do two hits with a bonus action and Ki points.
Ki	A unique resource for Monk actions.
Unarmoured Defence​	Allows getting the armor class from the Wisdom modifier.
Martial Arts: Dextrous Attacks​	Similar to how finesse weapons work, Monk attacks scale based on high ability between Strength and Dexterity.
Martial Arts: Deft Strikes​	Set the base attack of unarmed attacks to 1d4, later this becomes 1d6 and 1d8.
Martial Arts: Bonus Unarmed Strike​	Gives an option to attack with your fists using a bonus action.

Background

Backgrounds are mostly for role-playing and you can pick whatever you prefer. If you want to optimize, then it would be good to pick backgrounds that are based on your ability points of Wisdom and Dexterity.

Moreover, due to high Dexterity, it is also a good choice to pick Sleight of Hand-related options. These will allow you to become the main lockpicker, pickpocketer, or trap disarmer.

Abilities

Now, let's take a look at the abilities of the Ninja build. Correct allocation will allow us to maximize the early gameplay and get good modifier bonuses.

Ability	Value	Description
Strength	8	I recommend dumping this stat. The main reason is that either you will go with Tavern Brawler​ and use Elixir of Hill Giant Strength to set it to 21, or rely on Dexterity for damage. Either way, there is no point in increasing strength to more than 10.
Dexterity	17 (15+2) - With Auntie Ethel Hair 16 (14+2) - No Hair	This plays a few roles. First, it improves Armor Class. Second, it improves initiative, allowing one to go earlier during the Turn. Last, if it's higher than your strength damage and attack rolls, you will get a bonus from Dexterity..
Constitution	15	Important for HP and survivability. It will later be rounded to 16 using Tavern Brawler.
Intelligence	8	Not an important ability for the build
Wisdom	16	The ability is important until you start using Light Armor. This will either be Act 2 or Act 3. Wisdom provides a bonus armor class making it easier to avoid enemy hits. However, when wearing armor it will stop serving any purpose besides skill checks.
Charisma	8	This build should not rely much on this ability.

Skills and Expertise

Overall, the skills should be impacted by your roleplaying and background decisions. However, you would still want those that will give you the best benefits. My recommendations are to pick those at which you have a high ability modifier and these are Dexterity-related.

• Acrobatics
• Sleight of Hand
• Stealth

For Wisdom related:

• Animal Handling
• Insight
• Medicine
• Perception
• Survival

Leveling Progression

Here is the detailed progression for the Ninja build to get you started. You can use it as a guideline because early games can be daunting and overwhelming. Later on, once you get the feel for the class you can start picking your options

Overall, up until levels 5-6, it will be quite difficult to do much. You do not have access to the iconic actions - Shadow Step​ and Cloak of Shadows. So until then, I recommend staying with a vanilla setup and using your fists and clothing to maximize survivability.

You could also go with Open Hand Monk Build until level 6 and then respec. If you are doing a solo run, learn the encounters, use the environment to your advantage, and utilize ranged attacks.

Level 2

Reaching the first level-up already brings some good actions to improve tactical options

Feature	Description
Unarmoured Movement​	Makes it easier to reach and move between enemies.

That is not all, by using Ki points you can get an improved version of some base actions:

Action	Description
Patient Defence​	Not something that I would use, as the bonus action has better uses.
Step of the Wind: Dash​	Can be used to reach longer distances or jump on enemies on higher ground.
Step of the Wind: Disengage​	A better option of Disengage by using Ki Point and a bonus action.

Optional - Elixir of Hill Giant Strength

Well, there is a trick early in Act 1, after you reach the first settlement - Druid's Grove. There you can stock up on some powerful potions for Acts 1, and 2 - Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.

What do they do? They increase the Strength to 21 until a Long rest. More or less, this negates any need to have an investment in Strength if you plan to use them till the late game. This way, you can utilize Tavern Brawler​ to the maximum potential with unarmed attacks.

This is somewhat gimmicky, however, if you are interested,d here is a guide on how to farm Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.

You will have an alternative option to use Club of Hill Giant Strength and later Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength to set strength to a high value and open up the elixir slot.

Level 3

As a Monk at level 3, you can choose the subclass. It impacts how you play the build and what combat options there are.

Overview
Way of Shadow
Features
Shadow Arts: Hide​	Allows hiding with just a bonus action instead of an action.
Shadow Arts: Pass Without Trace​	It can be useful if you need to pass stealth checks with companions. For example, sneaking through areas where enemies may see you.
Shadow Arts: Darkness​	Very powerful action that can complement both Shadow Monk and Warlock with Devil's Sight. You can use this to hide from ranged enemy attacks, and safely attack anyone that dares to enter. I recommend Eversight Ring if you plan on doing melee combat inside to avoid getting blinded.
Shadow Arts: Darkvision​	Not useful, and does not work inside Darkness.
Shadow Arts: Silence​	Another powerful action, that you can use to break enemy concentration or immobilize mages.
Minor Illusion​	You can use this while being invisible. Group enemies together and let your caster kill them, or cast Darkness​ to change the playing field.

Level 4

Level 4 brings the first feat, it will be a huge improvement.

Feat

Here you can select from a few choices, based on your playstyle and what kind of playthrough you are doing.

Feat	Description
Tavern Brawler​	One of the best feats that you can get for Monk builds. Even though the build does not have high strength you can either get it via Elixir of Hill Giant Strength or Club of Hill Giant Strength. The attack roll and damage boost are immense, making you a powerhouse in combat.
Alert​	The additional initiative bonus can be great for starting combat early, especially in Honour Mode runs.

Level 5

This is a huge milestone for the build as it unlocks a few powerful features.

Feature	Description
Extra Attack​	Allows striking twice, greatly improving the damage output. However, for shadow monks, this will not be as important. The main reason is that the build will be saving that action point for Cloak of Shadows. So It would be best to utilize this if you have Haste​ or Potion of Speed activated on yourself.

Monk class also gains a special action, giving a little bit of crowd control capabilities.

Actions	Description
Cloak of Shadows​	The signature action of Shadow Monk. You can use an action point to become invisible while staying in obscured places. This is a truly powerful capability that can be used without any limitations. I will cover more on how to utilize this in the Combat section. Just to tell you, it allows Shadow Monk to single-handedly trivialize multiple encounters without getting hit.
Stunning Strike (Melee)​	This can be activated by utilizing a melee weapon. Makes the enemy skip the turn
Stunning Strike (Unarmed)​	It can be activated by utilizing unarmed stats, even if you are wearing a weapon. Makes the enemy skip the turn.

After unlocking Cloak of Shadows,​ I suggest equipping the recommended weapons in the equipment section. You will now use action points for either Cloak of Shadows​ or Stunning Strike (Melee). So this opens up weapon slots as a stat stick to improve your off-hand Flurry of Blows​ damage.

Level 6

This is the last level before jumping into multiclassing, and it unlocks another signature action of Shadow Monk

Actions	Description
Shadow Step​	This allows you to move freely between shadows. As it costs a bonus action, it can be used indefinitely without a spell slot or other limitations. This is a perfect way to reach enemy backlines or set yourself up before the combat starts.

The Monk class also gets an additional feature:

Feature	Description
Ki-Empowered Strikes​	You can now overcome resistance to non-magical attacks.

Level 7 - Rogue Lv 1

Now, let's jump into the next important step for Ninja Build - unlocking Rogue via multiclass:

Overview
Rogue
Features
Sneak Attack (Melee)​	This can be exploited with weapon attacks for an additional 1d6 damage once per turn. Be sure to have an advantage or attack using Hide. Later, more damage rolls are added.
Sneak Attack (Ranged)​	This can be exploited with weapon attacks for an additional 1d6 damage once per turn. Be sure to have an advantage or attack from hiding. Later, more damage rolls are added.

Skills

Picking the Rogue class allows one to select additional skills. My recommendation would be Sleight of Hand. With it, you can unlock most of the chests in the game. Here are my suggested options:

• Sleight of Hand
• Acrobatics
• Insight
• Perception
• Survival

Level 8 - Rogue Lv 2

This level gives some options for bonus action. However, there is nothing important.

Action	Description
Cunning Action: Hide​	Hide from enemies by succeeding Stealth checks. Stick to the dark and avoid enemy sightlines. Attacking or casting a spell will reveal your location. Probably the most important. Now you can start sneaking using Bonus action and then use Sneak Attack at the same turn
Cunning Action: Dash​	Cover more distance this turn: double your movement speed.
Cunning Action: Disengage​	Retreat safely: moving won't provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Level 9 - Rogue Lv 3

This level unlocks a rogue subclass that improves Ninja combat prowess, especially with Flurry of Blows.

Subclass

Overview
Thief
Features
Fast Hands​	Allows another bonus action, in Monk's case this will be Flurry of Blows, for more damage per turn.
Second-Story Work: Falling​	Reduces fall damage.

Overall, this will greatly improve your damage output on the first turn.

Level 10 - Monk Lv 7

The level unlocks a few class features

Feature	Description
Evasion​	Gives a huge survivability boost against spells.
Stillness of Mind​	Allows for avoiding Charmed​ and Frightened​ conditions, making many combat encounters easier.

Level 11 - Monk Lv 8

The second feat of the build is unlocked, and an additional Ki Point has been added.

Feat

Feat	Description
Ability Improvement	You can go for Ability Improvement, and in this case, Dexterity +2, is great both for initiative and bonus Armour Class. Moreover, if you are not using Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength, it will boost your damage.
Alert​	One of the options for feat. Makes it easier to go early in combat, especially if you will not utilize Surprised​ mechanics.

Level 12 - Monk Lv 9

The last level gives new features that are not relevant to the setup the build uses. However, there is one important upgrade.

Feature	Description
Advanced Unarmoured Movement​	Can freely walk through difficult terrain, making it easier to reach foes. Perfect for situations where there is Ice, Grease, or other effects on the ground.

There is an unmentioned upgrade, the monk Martial Arts: Deft Strikes​ at level 9 Monk gain 1d8 rolls, instead of 1d6. When using flurries this is an additional 2~ points of damage per flurry.

Potions, Elixirs, and Consumables

Let's take a look at what consumables we can use to further empower the build.

Potions

These are general consumables, and most of them are activated for a few turns. Potions are separate from Elixirs and can be active together.

Consumable	Description
Potion of Speed	This is a very powerful potion. It gives an additional action point which can be used to cast a spell or attack. The activation is generally by drinking using a bonus action. However, you can stack together with party members and make one member Throw​ it on the ground, giving Hastened​ to everyone.
Potion of Invisibility	Although you already have the Cloak of Shadows, this potion can still be useful to become invisible just by using a bonus action.
Oil of Accuracy	The attack roll bonus is pretty good, which improves your success chances.
Diluted Oil of Sharpness	Helps with attack and damage rolls.

Elixirs

Unfortunately, only one Elixir can be active at a time. However, the good thing is that they last until a long rest, making them very useful and economical.

Be sure to activate them before combat as otherwise, you will need to use Bonus Action.

Consumable	Description
Elixir of Bloodlust	One of the best elixirs, as it gives additional action, for more attacks. I would only use it once you stop utilizing Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
Elixir of Hill Giant Strength	My recommendation for the early game, to pump strength and improve the effectiveness of Tavern Brawler. This can be substituted for Club of Hill Giant Strength and later Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength. Here is a farming guide for Elixir of Hill Giant Strength
Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength	An upgraded version that is available mostly in Act 3 via crafting or purchasing. Sets Strength to 27, the highest value possible.
Elixir of Vigilance	This gives a large boost to initiative, almost guaranteeing that you go first.
Elixir of The Colossus	Provides bonus damage of 1d4 and some other good bonuses.
Elixir of Heroism	Boosts attack rolls by 1d4.

Illithid Powers

This special mechanic in Baldur's Gate 3 allows you to consume tadpoles and unlock special Illithid Powers.

At first, you can only use the base powers. As you move to Act 3, you will be able to unlock the outer ring powers, also called Elite.

Illithid Power	Type	Description
Favourable Beginnings	Base	Beneficial power to take as it does not have any costs, and provides only benefits on the first hits with attack rolls.
Luck of the Far Realms​	Base	It's an easy way to ensure you land critical hits.
Cull the Weak​	Base	It can help to kill an enemy faster if it is left with a few HP.
Psionic Backlash​​	Base	A great way to weaponize your reaction and disable spell activation.
Ability Drain​	Base	Decreases enemy ability score.
Shield of Thralls​	Base	Excellent option for bonus temporary HP. It can also apply Stunned on foes after it is destroyed.
Illithid Expertise​	Elite	It can be used to maximize the effectiveness of charisma-based skills, especially those relevant to the main character.
Psionic Dominance​	Elite	It can be used to save yourself from a deadly spell.

Equipment Recommendations

Now I would like to go through some gear recommendations to maximize the Ninja Build. Items are especially important as they take the build to the next level thanks to their unique effects.

Act 1

In Act 1, you should be using Unarmed attacks most time, and pump strength with Elixir of Hill Giant Strength. 

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Knife of the Undermountain King	I recommend picking this weapon up, it can be dual-wielded with Club of Hill Giant Strength, and I would recommend using it together with Stunning Strike (Melee).
	Club of Hill Giant Strength	This is an amazing weapon as it sets strength to 19 and improves your damage when using Tavern Brawler​ feat.
	Corellon's Grace	A decent early-game monk weapon. You can use it until you obtain Tavern Brawler​ to attack with fists. Otherwise, it can continue to be used until you obtain some of the weapons with better stats.
Ranged	Bow of Awareness	Gives bonus initiative, allowing one to go earlier in combat
	Hunting Shortbow	Excellent bow against monstrosities. There are plenty of them in Act 1.
Head	Haste Helm	Provides increased speed at the start of the combat.
Cloak	The Deathstalker Mantle	The only option in Act 1 that is okay, is by providing once-per-turn invisibility. Only available to Dark Urge origin.
Armor	The Graceful Cloth	Gives +2 Dexterity, making it a very good choice for the end of Act 1 and the start of Act 2.
	Armour of Uninhibited Kushigo	Somewhat relatable first unarmed build armor. It is nothing special as I do not think you will utilize the effect.
Gloves	Gloves of Cinder and Sizzle	It gives fire damage, increasing the variety of damage types that you do.
	The Sparkle Hands	Amazing gloves that, after the first hit, will give Lightning Charges. These then provide bonus 1 damage lightning and can stack for a small explosion.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	Avoids slipping on various terrains and most importantly, unlocks Misty Step​ after each short rest. These boots can last till Act 3, as walking on icy surfaces can be deadly for melee build. The item removes this problem.
	Boots of Genial Striding	Does not slow down the movement, but the terrain effects still apply.
Amulet	Sentient Amulet	Great amulet that will be useful for most of the game. With its actions, it is the perfect choice for Monk.
Rings	Crusher's Ring	Improves movement speed, making it easier to reach your next target.
	Ring of Protection	Gives defensive bonuses to Armour Class and Saving Throws.

Act 2 - mid-game

Act 2 changes the landscape, and there will be a lot of dark areas. Moreover, it will provide some amazing items for you to find, which will improve the build damage.

This is also where I recommend equipping Knife of the Undermountain King and a shield if you can. Besides that, there are a few weapon options if you cannot do that.

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One-handed)	Shadow Blade	You can obtain this weapon when equipping Shadow Blade Ring. The weapon deals good damage, and it can be doubled using Resonance Stone.
	Knife of the Undermountain King	Having this weapon equipped will increase critical roll range. This is important once you start attacking mainly with bonus actions.
	Club of Hill Giant Strength	Must use weapon if not using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength.
	Justiciar's Scimitar	Its unique effect can be used to deal bonus damage without breaking concealment. Just be sure to wear this on the main hand.
Melee (Two-Handed)	Shar's Spear of Evening	One of the best weapons in the game, which also fits well with the build. It requires a specific evil decision to be accessible, but gives Blinded​​ immunity, which is essential when using Darkness.
Ranged	Darkfire Shortbow	Amazing bow that allows to precast Haste​ before combat. This may not seem big as you can use Potion of Speed, but sometimes its short duration is not enough.
Head	Dark Justiciar Helmet	A more powerful version, but it requires Medium Armor Proficiency.
	Covert Cowl	This headwear will lead you through the rest of the playthrough unless you have medium armor proficiency for other options.
Cloak	Cloak of Protection	Improves survivability and Saving Throw success.
	The Deathstalker Mantle	If you have this, it is still a solid choice.
Armor	Yuan-ti Scale Mail	If you can wear medium armor, this is an amazing choice as you can scale its Armour Class beyond +2 from Dexterity and does not impose stealth.
	The Graceful Cloth	Still a solid option throughout Act 2 due to bonus Dexterity, before getting ASI +2 Dexterity.
Gloves	Flawed Helldusk Gloves	Deals bonus necrotic damage with unarmed attacks and can apply Bleeding. Also deals bonus damage with weapon attacks, perfect for what is Ninja build is aiming.
Boots	Disintegrating Night Walkers	The boots are still a good option in Act 2.
	Evasive Shoes	Bonus armor class for higher survivability.
Amulet	Sentient Amulet	The amulet is great as it allows for the restoration of Ki Points.
	Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet	It can be an effective amulet against humanoid enemies and fully paralyze them.
	Amulet of the Harpers	Allows casting Shield​ spell, can be a lifesaver if attacked heavily for one turn.
Rings	Shadow-Cloaked Ring	An offensive ring that gives bonus damage against Lightly Obscured​ enemies.
	Eversight Ring	If you use Darkness​ heavily and don't have Shar's Spear of Evening, this ring is perfect to avoid being Blinded​.
	Shadow Blade Ring	Enables you to use Shadow Blade, which deals good damage, and gives an easy advantage. Its damage can also be doubled using Resonance Stone.
	Risky Ring	Provides an Advantage on attack rolls. This is a mandatory ring as it will both guarantee more hits and a higher chance of critical hits.
	Ring of Protection	Bonus armour class is a good bonus, and the ring still takes place.

Act 3 - Final Build setup

This is the last act of the game, where you will get access to the most powerful items. To get them as early as possible, you will need some planning, but overall, it should not be a problem.

There are a few weapon setups that I could recommend:

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (One - Handed)	Crimson Mischief	This is perfect for those who attack with their main hand and use bonus actions for Shadow Step​ + Flurry of Blows​. Wear Rhapsody in the offhand and enjoy bonuses with Scarlet Remittance,​ which apply both to weapon and fist attacks.
	Rhapsody
	Dolor Amarus	These are other weapon recommendations that are perfect to be worn in the offhand and act as stat sticks. Dolor Amarus works only on weapon attacks, but can give a huge damage increase if you can guarantee 100% crit chance with Hold Person​/Hold Monster. Blade of the First Blood is also a decent stat stick with crit chance increase and retaliation effect.
	Blade of the First Blood
	Knife of the Undermountain King
	Club of Hill Giant Strength	The club is still an offhand option if you are not using Elixir of Hill Giant Strength or Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength.

For a fully evil playthrough:

Slot	Item	Description
Melee (Two-Handed)	Shar's Spear of Evening	Now, this is not as powerful as Crimson Mischief in pure damage. However, it is still good and has interesting, unique effects, like Blinded​ immunity.

Now, for the other equipment:

Slot	Item	Description
Ranged	The Dead Shot (BiS)	Increases critical range and is perfect for improving damage. However, this requires Longbow proficiency; it's not a big problem if you are not using ranged attacks, as that does not bring any downsides for melee combat. Otherwise, you would have to be an Elf to have the proficiency.
	Hellrider Longbow	Gives a big boost to the initiative, guaranteeing that you can go first. However, you will need to get Longbow proficiency from your race.
Head	Horns of the Berserker	I think the best option for the helmet is thanks to a necrotic damage boost. This is better than a critical range boost. Otherwise, use the ones from Act 2.
	Helmet of Grit	I think this would be the best helmet as you could do an additional Flurry of Blows​ attack with Bonus action. However, this requires you to have less than 50% HP. If you decide to use this, be sure to equip Amulet of Greater Health. So this does come with it's own risks.
Cloak	Cloak of Displacement (BiS)	Improves the chances of attacks missing the wearer until they get hit for that turn.
	The Deathstalker Mantle	Ensures an easy way to become invisible and leave combat.
	Shade-Slayer Cloak	The cloak can serve a purpose for the build, as you often attack from hiding. However, it should not take priority over survivability; the additional critical range is not that strong when you average everything.
Armor	Bhaalist Armour (BiS)	This is the crème de la crème of this build. It is ridiculously powerful armor, that doubles the damage of piercing weapons. If you are using your weapon attacks to some extent, just take this if the story choices allow.
	Elegant Studded Leather	Although not as good as the one above, the Shield​ spell can be a lifesaver.
	Armour of Agility	If you can wear medium armour, this is another great option for a Ninja build.
Gloves	Gauntlets of Frost Giant Strength	As the build relies on Tavern Brawler​, you can use this item to set strength to 23, and enjoy good bonuses both for unarmed and weapon attacks.
	Helldusk Gloves	Excellent gloves, as they work both on weapon and unarmed attacks, covering all your damage options.
	Gloves of Soul Catching	If you mostly rely on Flurries, these gloves are crazy. They give the highest bonus damage of 1d10
Boots	Helldusk Boots (BiS)	These boots are amazing. Although you would lose some damage, its advantages of overcoming Difficult Terrain​ are nothing to take lightly.
	Boots of Uninhibited Kushigo	Very good boots that you obtain early in Act 3. For this reason, you should also have your Wisdom modifier positive.
Amulet	Sentient Amulet (BiS)	The upgraded version of the amulet is a perfect choice for a Monk.
	Amulet of Greater Health	It makes any Constitution ability investment redundant as it maximizes it to 23 points. Use this together with the Helmet of Grit.
	Magic Amulet	Gives an Advantage on attack. I would use this only if you do not have Risky Ring. Otherwise, this does not provide much use, besides Saving Throw Advantage.
Rings	Shadow-Cloaked Ring (BiS)	A perfect ring for bonus damage. It requires the enemy to be Lightly Obscured.
	Risky Ring	Gives an easy advantage if you find yourself having a low hit chance of less than 80%.
	Eversight Ring	If you use Darkness​ heavily and don't have Shar's Spear of Evening, this ring is perfect to avoid the Blinded​ effect.
	Ring of Protection	Bonus armor class is a good bonus, and the ring still takes place.

Build Mechanics

In this section, I would like to dive deep into how to play the Ninja Build. This will help you utilize it to the fullest and correctly use various actions and spells throughout the game.

Important Mechanics and Combos

Let's go through key mechanics and tips on how to use the build effectively.

Understand stealth mechanics

The main point of this build is that it is extremely deadly when you utilize stealth mechanics well. I have prepared a complete stealth guide that covers them all. There are plenty of stealth options:

• Attacking and creating surprise rounds
• Leaving combat while in the middle of the fight, to reset it
• Become invisible at will
• Gain attack roll bonuses when in stealth
• And many others.

I would like to emphasize the Surprise rounds. Here are the general steps to activate them:

1. You have to be undetected before doing this, best to be outside the red vision cones. If you need to enter the vision cone, make sure that they don't have Darkvision,​ and it's either a Lightly Obscured​ or Heavily Obscured​ area. Or you can just be Invisible​ via effects like Potion of Invisibility, Cloak of Shadows, etc. This almost guarantees a surprise round.
2. You can start the combat by attacking with melee, ranged weapons, or casting offensive spells. The main prerequisite is that you should be "seeable" and in the line of sight of the enemy once the attack lands. So they would have a clear vision of you, and you are not too far away. This is important, as being far away does not trigger Surprise.
3. You can move in other party members if they were ungrouped, so they could also land attacks during this free round.

Cloak of Shadows

Things start to get interesting from level 5. This is when you obtain Cloak of Shadows. It is the iconic ability of a shadow monk, giving it the ability to become invisible at any time while obscured. If you leave obscured places, the invisibility breaks, so be mindful of that.

Why is this important? It allows you to become invisible in combat and move away from your last location. After that, enemies will try to detect you. If they don't, the combat ends, and you are free to go.

I think you get the gist. You can chain this to clear rooms full of enemies. However, this costs you an action point, which does not leave you many options to attack. Well, this is where Monk's special action comes in, and the Thief Subclass

Bonus Actions and Flurries

Okay, so we have covered the mobility, but now comes the question of damage. The action point would be used for invisibility, how can you then attack? Here is where Flurry of Blows​ comes in. It gives two attacks for a cost of a bonus action and ki points. Powerful, right?

With Thief (Rogue lv 3), you can do two of these attacks per turn. You can even reach 3 if using a Helmet of Grit. So, as you can see, this damage is nothing to scoff at, and you can easily take out one or two enemies per turn, before becoming invisible again.

Shadow Step

Now, the last aspect of Shadow Monk. At level 6, you will gain Shadow Step. It is similar to Misty Ste,p​ and it allows you to move from shadow to shadow at the cost of a bonus action. No cost for spell slots or ki points.

Because you will have at least two bonus actions, if the situation arises, you can just teleport away from the enemy and either flee or become invisible further away.

Using Darkness

This can be one of the most powerful combos that you can do, breaking enemy logic and actions. There are a few sources of it - spell Darkness, shadow monk action - Shadow Arts: Darkness, and items like Shar's Spear of Evening, that can create it at will.

The main idea is to have a way to counteract its Blinded​ effect. For Monk, you can equip Eversight Ring or Shar's Spear of Evening and gain an advantage on enemies that dare to enter it.

Next, wait till enemies come close to the edges or are inside, then you can attack them without any repercussions. However, before ending the turn, be sure to stand in the middle of the shadow. This was,y enemies with Long Reach cannot hit you.

The good thing is that normal spells and ranged attacks cannot reach you. You can stay safe inside, running to the edge and chipping away at your confused foes. be sure to have a ranged weapon, in case they stand further away.

Early Game Combat

Let's cover how you should progress through combat levels 1-6. The early game is more of a standard monk build as you slowly progress towards the Ninja playstyle.

• Flurry of Blows​ is the main damage source and a good utility of a bonus action.
• Stay safe, and don't risk too much, as you are still somewhat fragile.
• With Cloak of Shadows​ unlocked, you can do some stealthy combat approaches or even leave combat when the situation demands.
• Use Shadow Step​ to get behind enemies before combat, and use it together with Cloak of Shadows​
• Try to stay in darker areas to maintain all the advantages of your features.

Mid to Late Game Combat

The late game is more or less the same; the main improvements come from additional bonus action attack and better gear options.

• Try to engage in combat alone if you know of an upcoming encounter. This way, you can kill an enemy and then use Cloak of Shadows​ to leave combat.
• For a perfect position to enter combat, use Shadow Step. 
• Use Stunning Strike (Unarmed)​ to disable foes and force them to skip turns.
• Use both weapon and Flurry of Blows​ attacks depending on available resources and what resistances the enemy has.

Build Variations

There are a few variations that the build could be changed about. I think it is more for advanced players who are likely doing some deeper optimizations.

Setup	Description
8 Shadow Monk 4 Rogue	This unlocks the third feat, if you need that. However, you lose 1d8 on unarmed attacks and Ki Point.
6 Shadow Monk 4 Rogue 2 Fighter	This is a perfect solo-run build. It gets Action Surge, for first-turn burst attacks, and can equip all weapons. It would require some advanced optimization and testing, with stuff like dual Spears. You will most likely also drop Flurry of Blows and Tavern Brawler​ altogether and concentrate only on weapon attacks. This utilizes monks' Cloak of Shadows and Shadow Step for mobility.

Conclusion

Thank you for reading the Ninja build for Baldur's Gate 3. I hope you enjoyed reading the build. This should cover everything that you need to become the ultimate killer from the shadows.

Cheers!