Discover the best Rogue Armour in Baldur’s Gate 3, equipping your class with the top 10 early and end-game choices.
When choosing armour for your Rogue, it is important to consider your character’s playstyle and the types of enemies you will be facing. You will have light armour proficiency and thus primarily rely on light armour and clothing equipment. Light armour has powerful set bonuses that aid in defensive, offensive, and stealth playstyle. This guide explains the best armour for the Rogue class and how to use it.
Best Armour for Rogue Class in Baldur’s Gate 3
The best armour for the Rogue class is Bhaalist Armour, Elegant Studded Leather, and Helldusk Armour. Bhaalist Armour is the best overall for the Rogue class because it can double piercing damage in melee range. Simply put, nothing in BG3 has more damage potential than Bhaalist Armour. Elegant Studded Leather is an early Act 3 alternative with a high AC and Shield spell. Finally, Helldusk Armour is a staple for Heavy Armour that has built-in proficiency and 21 AC! Regardless of your subclass, let us review the best armour and equipment for the Rogue class.
Best Armour for Rogue Class in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3):
- Bhaalist Armour: 2x Piercing Damage
- Elegant Studded Leather: High Armour & Initiative
- Helldusk Armour: Heavy With Proficiency built-in
- Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Very Rare): Stealthly Medium Armour
- Mask of Soul Perception: +2 Attack and Initiative
- Shade-Slayer Cloak: Easier Criticals when Stealth
- Disintegrating Night Walkers: Mobility & Misty Step
- Gloves of Archery: More Ranged Damage & Proficiency
- Shadow of Menzoberranzan: Free Invisibility Spell
- Drow Studded Leather Armour: Highest Armour Early
Related:
10 Drow Studded Leather Armour
Drow Studded Leather Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Light
- Armour Class: 12 + Dexterity modifier
- Proficiency Requirement: Light Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Rare
- Weight: 5.85 kg / 12.7 lb
- Value: 1,000 gp
- Where to Find: Heavy chest in Underdark, Festering Cove at coordinates (X:71 Y:-220).
- Special Bonus: Stealth +1
The first major upgrade for your Rogue class is light armour Drow Studded Leather Armour. Upon entering the Underdark, you can find this Rare Light Armour in the Festering Cove. You gain 12 AC + Dexterity modifier which will most likely land you at 15 AC. Moreover, this item set comes with a Stealth +1 bonus which helps with the Rogue archetype.
Additionally, you can kill or recruit Minthara Companion inside the Shattered Sanctum. She has a similar item, Spidersilk Armour, which can be useful as an early-game upgrade. Unfortunately, Light Armour is a quite weak item set in Act 1 of BG3, but it gets a lot better in later acts.
9 Shadow of Menzoberranzan
Shadow of Menzoberranzan features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Light Armour
- Armour Class: None
- Proficiency Requirement: Light Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Rare
- Weight: 0.5 kg / 1.1 lb
- Value: 190 gp
- Where to Find: Myconid Colony for completing Defeat the Duergar Intrduers quest.
- Shrouded in Shadow: Become Invisible for 2 turns. The spell breaks if you attack, cast another spell, act, or take damage.
When it comes to survival in Act 1, nothing beats Shadow of Menzoberranzan’s rare light armour helmet. This helmet grants Shrouded in Shadow ability, which is invisibility for two turns. You can use this skill once per short rest, making it a frequently used benefit of this helmet. Consider destroying the Duergar in Act 1 to unlock a special cove in the back, containing this helmet.
Additionally, if you plan on playing Honour Mode difficulty, invisibility is essential to prevent a group wipe. Consider this a priority and worth a little questing to unlock one of the best Rogue Armours in Baldur’s Gate 3.
8 Gloves of Archery
Gloves of Archery features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Gloves
- Armour Class: None
- Proficiency Requirement: None
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Weight: 0.5 kg / 1 lb
- Value: 60 gp / 170 gp
- Where to Find: Sold from Grat the Trader in the Goblin Camp.
- Corellon’s Guiding Hand: You gain Proficiency with Longbows and Shortbows. In addition, your ranged weapon attacks deal an additional 2 damage.
One of the weaknesses of the Rogue class is the lack of Marital Weapon proficiency, limiting your weapon choices. For range users, you can solve the Rogue’s issues with the Gloves of Archery, gaining proficiency in Longbows! Longbows are commonly featured throughout Act 1 of BG3, and you can create a powerful ranged Rogue with Titanstring Bow and Hill Giant Club Strength. Titanstring adds damage based on strength modifier, and Hill Giant Club gives you 19 Strength. Thus, you can get a +4 rare Longbow with huge damage for range Rogues.
7 Disintegrating Night Walkers
Disintegrating Night Walkers features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Boots
- Armour Class: None
- Proficiency Requirement: None
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Weight: 0.55 kg / 1.1 lb
- Value: 360 gp
- Where to Find:
- Night Walker: Can’t be Enwebbed, Entangled, or Ensnared and can’t slip on Grease or Ice.
- Misty Step: Cast as a level 2 spell (Recharge on Short rest).
Nothing in Act 1 beats the mobility benefits of Disintegrating Night Walkers’ boots. These boots prevent common terrain status effects, specifically avoiding prone. Moreover, you gain the Misty Step spell usage per short rest. If you combine Night Walkers with the Shadow of Menzoberranzan helmet, your survivability will drastically improve.
There are multiple ways to obtain Disintegrating Night Walkers in the Underdark, Grymforge. The simplest is to kill or steal from Ne’re. The fight can be difficult, so plan accordingly if you disagree with his plans or just steal!
6 Shade-Slayer Cloak
Shade-Slayer Cloak features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Cloak
- Armour Class: None
- Proficiency Requirement: None
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Weight: 0.5 kg / 1 lb
- Value: 360 gp / 570 gp
- Where to Find: Lower City Guild Hall in Act 3.
- Stealthy Critical: While Hiding, the number you need to roll a Critical Hit while attacking is reduced by 1. This effect can stack.
Reducing Critical Hit rolls is a powerful way to improve your burst damage on the Rogue Class. The Shade-Slayer Cloak is a strong Act 3 item that can lower your critical roll by 1 while hiding and the effect stacks with other reductions. You can combine this Cloak with the Elixir of Viciousness to reduce the need even further. This leans into what to Rogue does well, regardless of subclass, burst damage.
Later in Acts 2 and 3, you can acquire the holy trinity of critical and Rogue damage; Bloothirst Legendary Dagger, Knife of the Undermountain King, and Bhaalist Armour. These items combine lowering your critical significantly while doubling damage with piercing. Thus, you will have some of the most bursts in Baldur’s Gate 3, and that’s what makes Shade-Slayer Cloak one of the best items for the Rogue Class.
5 Mask of Soul Perception
Mask of Soul Perception features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Helmet
- Armour Class: None
- Proficiency Requirement: None
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Weight: 0.5 kg / 1 lb
- Value: 1,300 gp
- Where to Find: In Devil’s Fee, Lower City in Act 3, second floor in a Gilded Chest DC 20.
- Soul Perception: Gain a +2 bonus to Attack rolls, Initiative Rolls, and Perception Checks.
- Detect Thoughts: Cast as a level 2 spell ( Recharge on Short rest).
A simple way to add damage to your Rogue build is by obtaining the Mask of Soul Perception early in Act 3. You gain a +2 bonus to Attack Roll, Initiative, and Perceptions checks as well as Detect Thoughts spell. This helps you build character in combat while exploring, and even through dialogue. To obtain this Mask, head to House of Hope (Devil’s Fee). Simply go upstairs, bypass traps, and open a chest. And now you have one of the best Rogue Armour’s in Baldur’s Gate 3!
4 Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Very Rare)
Dark Justiciar Half-Plate (Very Rare) features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Medium Armour
- Armour Class: 17
- Proficiency Requirement: Medium Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Weight: 12 kg / 24 lb
- Value: 2,900 gp
- Where to Find: Gauntlet of Shar, Act 2, most kill the Nightsong.
- Shar’s Umbrae: While obscured, the wearer has an Advantage on Stealth Checks. Advantage on Constitution Saving throws.
- Shar’s Protection: While the wearer has Shield of Faith active, reduce all incoming damage by 2 and reflect damage received back at the attacker, who takes 1d4 Necrotic damage.
- Shar’s Aegis: Cast as a level 1 spell ( Recharge on a Long rest).
One of the strongest Rogue armour’s is the Dark Justiciar Half-Plate Very Rare medium armour. Yes, this is medium armour, so ideally used when your build multiclasses with the Ranger gaining medium armour proficiency. The Very Rare version of Dark Justiciar Armour gives you a free Shield of Faith spell. Once you apply it to yourself, you reduce all incoming damage by 2 and return damage to attackers. Moreover, this item has 17 AC by default and +2 more AC if you have 14 or higher Dexterity, making it hard to hit you.
However, this armour does come with a downside in that it requires you to destroy the Nightsong in Act 2. We won’t spoil that decision for you, but it’s a critical one that will shape your entire playthrough for Baldur’s Gate 3 so think wisely.
3 Helldusk Armour
Helldusk Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Heavy
- Armour Class: 21
- Proficiency Requirement: None (unique)
- Rarity: Legendary
- Weight: 20 kg / 40 lb
- Value: 8,000 gp
- Where to Find: Looted from Raphael in the House of Hope Act 3.
- Special Bonus: Armour Proficiency, Infernal Retribution, Prime Aegis of Fire, Fly
One of the best armours overall in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Helldusk Armour because it gives damage reduction, proficiency and 21 AC. Typically, Rogues avoid heavy armour because it can be detrimental to your stealth and sneaking. However, Helldusk doesn’t impose any disadvantage on stealth and it grants all sorts of defensive buffs.
However, it’s not number one because Helldusk Armour doesn’t offer any offensive benefits. This armour, for the Rogue Class, is purely defensive. While that is important for survival, Rogue want burst damage, and initiative so they can go first. And in that regard, there are simply two better armour options.
2 Elegant Studded Leather
Elegant Studded Leather features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Light Armour
- Armour Class: 14
- Proficiency Requirement: Light Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Weight: 5.85 kg / 12.8 lb
- Value: 2,000 gp
- Where to Find: Complete Return Rakath’s Gold in Lower City, The Counting House Act 3.
- Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls Initiative Rolls.
- Advantage: on Stealth checks.
- Shield: Cast as a level 1 spell ( Recharge on a Short rest).
One armour that has everything built in for your Rogue build is Elegant Studded Leather. This armour gives you a +2 in initiative, a Shield spell for survival, and an Advantage on Stealth checks. Moreover, Elegant Studded Leather is extremely easy to get, simply completing the Return Rakath’s Gold quest early in Act 3.
This armour doesn’t have the raw defensive power of Helldusk, but the Shield spell is a deceptively powerful way to boost survivability on demand. Using a reaction, you can increase your Armour Class (AC) by 5 when attacked. If you have 20 Dexterity, 14 AC from using this armour that comes to 19 AC by default. Adding 5 AC puts you at 24 AC for a limited time. Thus, you get the extra defensive burst when you need it while retaining the identity and playstyle of the stealth Rogue. Consider Elegant Studded Leather one of the best Armour in Baldur’s Gate 3 for the Rogue class.
Related:
1 Bhaalist Armour
Bhaalist Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Armour Type: Light Armour
- Armour Class: 14
- Proficiency Requirement: Light Armour Proficiency
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Weight: 5.85 kg / 12.8 lb
- Value: 2,000 gp / 2,700 gp
- Where to Find: Become the Unholy Assassin of Bhaal in the Murder Tribunal Act 3.
- Aura of Murder: Enemies within 2 meters are Vulnerable to Piercing damage unless they are Resistant or Immune to it.
- Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls.
The most powerful armour in all of Baldur’s Gate 3 for increasing damage is Bhaalist Armour and it’s perfect for melee dual-wielding Rogue. This light armour gives Aura of Murder, doubling your pricing damage within a 2-meter range. If you choose to play a Dual Wield melee Rogue, you want to use the Bloodthirst Legendary Dagger, Knife of the Undermountain King Shortsword, and Shade-Slayer Cloak. This will lower your critical roll by 3 and will double damage!
Moreover, you can use the Shadow of Menzoberranzan to go invisible before any fight. When you attack from Invisible, you can trigger the surprise status effect and skip the enemy’s turn. With this combination, you can essentially one-shot bosses in the game without them taking a turn. You can do this by obtaining more actions with Elixir of Bloodlust and Potion of Speed.
Simply put, nothing in the entirety of BG3 increases damage like Bhaalist Armour. While it forces you to play melee damage, that’s okay for a burst damage Rogue build that wants the most damage possible. Thus, we rated Bhaalist as Baldur’s Gate 3 Best Armour for Rogue Class!
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