Baldur’s Gate 3just got its final patch, and its improvements are many. Besides the full rollout of crossplay, a brand-new photo mode (with stickers!), and the integration of Steam trading cards,BG3is also gettingno fewer than 12 new subclasses: one for every single one of its playable classes. It feels like a triumphant victory lap to close outthe historic success ofBG3, which has sold over 15 million copies, won six separate Game of the Year awards, and successfully revived a franchise dormant for 23 years.
I’m also delighted to say that among those 12 new subclasses is my personal favorite monastic tradition:Way of the Drunken Master. It may not have the raw power of Open Hand, or the stealth-boosting features of Shadow, but it’s very promising. Hidden in the fine print of one of its core features, though, is an important buff that many players will miss. Using this particular feature to the fullest could helpDrunken Masterseize the title ofstrongest monk subclass inBaldur’s Gate 3.
BG3’s New Drunken Master Is A Lot Of Fun
Drunken Master Mixes A Cocktail Of Chaos
Way of the Drunken Master is based on a real martial arts stylethat originated in China, and involves the use of unpredictable, swaying movements thatimitatethe teetering steps of a drunk person - its practitioner is not necessarily drunk. The style was popularized with the release of the 1978 Jackie Chan filmDrunken Master.
Much of the discussion around Way of the Drunken Master coming toBaldur’s Gate 3centers aroundhow fun it’ll be to play. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with that assessment. Perhaps more so than any other subclass, barring onlythe Wild Magic subclasses,the Drunken Master monk specializes in coordinated chaos.
The new subclass has a ton of excellent features to go along with the idea of controlling the uncontrollable: Drunken Fist monks gain Redirect Attack at level 6, which allows them to spend Ki points as a reaction to retaliate against enemies who miss them with attacks. At level 9, Drunkard’s Luck also allows them to spend Ki to negate disadvantage on certain rolls. And Drunken Fist monks also get a handful of just-for-fun features, like immediate proficiency in Performance, the only known way to do so inBG3besides taking levels in bard or helping Alfira in Act One.
All that is a lot of fun, and is likely to make Drunken Master one of the most popular new subclasses to play now that it’s been added toBaldur’s Gate 3. Butthe best feature of Drunken Master is a little more secretive, and you’ll need to learn to use it in order to use the subclass to its greatest potential.
Drunken Technique Is Drunken Master’s Most Powerful Move
How Drunken Technique Works
Far and away,Drunken Technique is the greatest tool in the Drunken Master monk’s arsenal. The in-game description of this feature is as follows:
Punch twice in quick succession and grant yourself an additional 10 ft movement and the benefits of Disengage.
In other words,Drunken Technique is a multiattack that only costs you a bonus action and a single Ki point- it’s not unlike the base monk skill Flurry of Blows in that way. However, Drunken Technique also has two added benefits: first, it grants you the benefits of Disengage, which means enemies can’t use attacks of opportunity on you. And second, it adds an extra three meters or ten feet to your available movement.
Crucially, that extra ten feet of movement stacks with the extra movement provided by the monk’s natural speed. By the time you hit level 12 inBG3,you’ll have a speed stat of 85 whenever you use Drunken Technique.
Let me paint you a picture, and I’ll preface this by explaining thatthis is my go-to combat move as a longtime Drunken Master monk player in tabletopDungeons & Dragonsfor a reason. Your turn as a level 12 Drunken Master monk begins, and you rush up to the nearest enemy, using, say, 20 feet of your movement. You attack them twice using your normal Unarmed Strike action, then twice more using Drunken Technique. You now have 65 feet of movement left, and enemies can’t perform attacks of opportunity, so you’re free to run well out of melee range.
That’s four attacks and 85 feet of movement in a single turn, costing you no more than one measly Ki point. With a pool of 13 Ki points total at level 12, you can perform this move up to 13 times before you run out of juice - and you recharge all your Ki every time you take a Short Rest. As a whole, this maneuver turns the Drunken Master monk into an untouchable damage powerhouse.
Ideally,Drunken Technique should completely replace your Flurry of Blows, unless you want to use a monk weapon. The main benefit of using a weapon is its slightly higher damage than a monk’s Unarmed Strikes, but by the time you hit double-digit levels, the monk’s unarmed damage easily keeps pace with mostBG3weapons. I can’t recommend it enough - and Drunken Master’s new features in the latestBG3patch make it even better.
How BG3’s Drunken Master Is Different From D&D’s
Drunken Master Is Better Than Ever
In addition to its existing features, pretty faithfully ported over fromDnD,Drunken Master gets a few new features inBG3that make it better than ever. For one thing, there’s Cheeky Tipple, which gives you the ability to restore up to half of your Ki points by simply drinking alcohol, which can extend the time your monk can go in between short rests. Unfortunately, this buff is limited to a single use per day, but you find so much beer, wine, and other alcohol as you explore the Forgotten Realms that you’ll find plenty of occasions to celebrate.
In addition,Intoxicating Strike lets you get your enemies drunk with a single punch, which then activates a buff called Life of the Party. This increases the monk’s natural Armor Class, and gives them bonuses on attack rolls against intoxicated targets. They can then sober their enemies up with Sobering Realization, which deals extra Psychic damage to drunk targets.
As a whole, Drunken Master has received some massive buffs inBG3. Larian has taken it, in its already overpowered state, and turned it into something much more well-rounded and exciting. I can’t wait to recreate my tabletop character inBaldur’s Gate 3, and see how their skills translate to the Forgotten Realms.
