Discover the best Light Armour in Baldur’s Gate 3, equipping your class with the top eight early and end-game choices. Let’s explore the strongest and optimal options for each proficient class and race.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, wearing Light Armour will reduce damage taken and to wear it your character needs to be proficient with it to not impose a Disadvantage on your Attack Rolls or prevent you from casting Spells. Light armor is generally worn by stealth damage dealers like rogues and rangers. While the Dexterity-focused builds benefit greatly from light armor, Bard, Druids, and Warlocks can also benefit from it in some build combinations, as well as other classes mainly using Cloth, Medium, or Heavy.
Light Armor allows for a Dexterity modifier to be added to AC. Every 2 dexterity you get another 1 added to your dexterity modifier. Unlike medium which caps this advantage at 2, Light can stack as much dexterity and therefore obtain more AC. 14 Dexterity +2 AC, 20 Dexterity +4 AC.
Classes with Light Armour proficiency: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Paladin
Races with Light Armour proficiency: Human (Civil Milita), Half-Elf (Civil Milita), Githyanki, Shield Dwarf (Dwarven Armour Training)
What is the Best Light Armour in Baldur’s Gate 3?
The best light armour in Baldur’s Gate 3 is Bhaalist Armor because it has 14 AC, can double piercing damage, and +2 to initiative rolls. This gives you the most damage potential overall than other options in the game. The Aura or Murder passive gives you a better chance at going first, and eliminating the highest priority target is a huge advantage to your team.
Overall, the Bhaalist Armor offers very strong protection that can be a valuable asset to any character in Baldur’s Gate 3. It provides a good AC boost, has a powerful passive ability, and is relatively easy to get. If you are looking for powerful armor, the Bhaalist Armor is a good option to consider.
The Best Light Armor for each proficient class in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Barbarian: Studded Leather Armour +2
- Bard: Blazer of Benevolence
- Cleric: Studded Leather Armour +2
- Druid: Armour of Moonbasking
- Fighter: Studded Leather Armour +2
- Ranger: Bhaalist Armour
- Rogue: Drow Studded Leather Armour
- Warlock: Elegant Studded Leather
- Paladin: Studded Leather Armour +2
7 Padded Armour +1
Padded Armour +1 features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Recommended for Class: Ranger
- Armour Class: 12 AC
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Location: Random Loot, Act 1-3
The Padded Armor +1 is a great early game Act 1 item for light armour users. It has AC of 12 + Dexterity modifier, which is a bump up from the default light armour. You can get this early in the game and while it doesn’t offer any wild offensive benefits, it allows you to avoid attacks at a greater rate early in the game.
Very early in the game you can learn or use a scroll of Mirror Image. If you have 16 Dexterity plus this item and the Mirror Image, you would be at 24 AC until someone attacks you. This combination is incredible for survival, especially on tactician difficulty early on.
6 Drow Studded Leather Armour
Drow Studded Leather Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Recommended for Class: Rogue
- Armour Class: 12 AC
- Rarity: Rare
- Location: Underdark X:83 Y:-207, Inside Lolth’s Cultist’s cache, Act 1
Very early in the game, there are two race light armour pieces that help with stealth checks. This one doesn’t require you to kill a certain NPC and still gives a +1 to stealth. The ideal class for this is the Rogue because you get the benefit to stealth checks which is very important for damage.
Rogues, especially early on, do not have a lot of ways to get into stealth. Their entire damage revolves around sneak attacks at range or melee. Using a bonus action is the common way to get into stealth, and having a melee companion or ally attack can give you an advantage. Even a +1 stealth check bonus can help get that much-needed sneak attack off, and this is a great pickup in Act 1.
5 Blazer of Benevolence
Blazer of Benevolence features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Recommended for Class: Bard
- Armour Class: 11 AC
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Location: Shattered Sanctum for rescuing Volo, Act 1
This light armour set is made for the Bard class only. Bardic Inspiration is a unique buff that helps an ally gain a +1d6 bonus to their next attack or roll. The duration last until long rest which is very nice. Temporary hit points mean you get extra health that is taken first before your health. It also lasts until long rest or another source of temporary hit points is used. This goes hand and hand with Bardic Inspiration another long-duration buff.
You can “cheese” this somewhat by putting it on, casting Bardic Inspiration and taking it off. Different subclasses can wear medium armor and you may gain better offensive or defensive attributes from those. The extra health is nice on a support build for something you’re doing already and it comes in Act 1.
4 Studded Leather Armour +2
Studded Leather Armour +2 features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Recommended for Class: Ranger
- Armour Class: 14 AC
- Rarity: Rare
- Location: Sold by traders Act 2 and Act 3
Studded Leather Armour is an upgrade from earlier Act 1 armor in a few ways. The AC increase to 14, helping you avoid attacks. You get less Bludgeoning damage and increase initiative rolls. High dexterity and initiative allow you to go sooner in the order of combat. This is very useful for a Ranger because you can crowd control a target with a spell, scroll, or arrows.
When you crowd control a target on turn one, it limits the damage significantly to the overall group. In the tough fights early with Githyankis, they seem to attack 14 times before their turn is up (exaggeration here). You can start first, put them asleep, or ensnare them and live to fight another day. This set can be picked up in Act 2 from traders making it a solid upgrade as you progress.
3 Armour of Moonbasking
Armour of Moonbasking features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Recommended for Class: Druid
- Armour Class: 11 AC
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: Sold by Voiceless Penitent Bareki, Act 3
This light armour set is uniquely designed for Druids. Wild Shape is a mechanic which you can turn into various animals and use their specific skills. The unique thing about Wild Shape is, the Druid takes the form and the ability score of the animal they transform into. Some of these can vary wildy (no-pun intended), but your character’s stats or abilities will not influence the damage of the Wild Shape form creature.
This item set is a work around to that. Not only do you get higher health, reduce damage, +2 bonus to AC, but these effects persist while using Wild Shape! Consider this an end-game Act 3 must have Druid light armour set for the Circle of the Moon build.
2 Elegant Studded Leather
Elegant Studded Leather features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
- Recommended for Class: Warlock
- Armour Class: 14 AC
- Rarity: Very Rare
- Location: The Counting House in Baldur’s Gate, Act 3
Warlock can wear light armour, but most of the game item sets are designed for clothing spellcasters. This one is a bit different because it gives 14 AC which nearly replaces the benefit from Mage Armour. It also gives +2 initiative which is nice for a class that lacks an inherit bonus to this. The biggest addition is the spell Shield. When you are about to be hit by an enemy, increase your Armour Class by 5. You take no damage from Magic Missile.
Wizards and Sorcerers can learn this spell and it’s a very strong survivability skill. It uses a “reaction” not an action so it passively activates when you are taking damage. It consumes a spell slot if you agree to use it and your AC shoots up by 5. The reason this is so strong on the Warlock is the class lacks spell slots. Only at the last levels do you receive 3 spells slots, and the design is mainly using cantrip and Hex spell. This is a huge boon to Warlock survivability getting a free, until long rest Shield reaction without consuming a spell slot. Consider this a must-have especially later in the game when survivability can be an issue.
1 Bhaalist Armour
Bhaalist Armour features in Baldur’s Gate 3:
Bhaalist Armour does a few things for you. It gives you 14 AC, increased initiative rolls, and an interesting Aura of Murder. This Aura gives the following: Enemies within 2m become Vulnerable to Piercing damage unless they are Resistant or Immune to it. Vulnerable is a status effect that allows you to double damage!
Within 2m means this is intended for a dual wield build, daggers are a great choice since they are Piercing Damage and would get doubled. The dual wielder feat helps this type of setup as well, with Two-Weapon Fighting giving you an attack with your off-hand weapon. The feat also provides +1 AC while dual wielding as well, making you more survivable. While this is a later-game item, and something for a specific build, it is undoubtedly the best damage light armour sets in Baldur’s Gate 3.
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