Light Armor in Baldur's Gate 3 provides defenses and additional bonuses to characters that possess the armor proficiency and have invested in the Dexterity (DEX) ability. Light Armor is ideal for Bards, Rogues, Rangers, and other DEX-based builds that highlight a gameplay of stealth, nimbleness, and attacking first in battles. Wearing armor that a character is proficient in will grant defenses against various Enemies and also provide different fixed and random modifiers that affect the player's stats, without imposing penalties.
Armor pieces are usually obtained as rewards from completing quests, purchased from merchants, looted from various locations, or dropped by Enemies and Bosses. This page will indicate a list of all the Armor Pieces in Baldur's Gate 3, which will include their descriptions and values. You can find detailed information on its location and properties on each individual page linked below.
Baldur's Gate 3 Light Armor
Table of Contents
- Baldur's Gate 3 How Light Armor Works
- Baldur's Gate 3 Who can wear Light Armor?
- Baldur's Gate 3 Best Light Armor
- Baldur's Gate 3 Changes for Light Armor
Light Armor and How They Work in BG3
Characters that wear Light Armour receive a full Dexterity modifier on top of the equipment's Armor Class (AC), which determines how well the character avoids being wounded in battle. It generally provides a lower baseline AC compared to Medium or Heavy Armor pieces, but having a high Dexterity stat will make up for the difference, while preserving the character's ability to remain stealthy and mobile in battles. Light Armor works best for characters with 18-20 Dexterity, or any character with access to its Proficiency, to receive the category's full benefits.
- A character that wears armor they're not proficient in will receive penalties, such as having disadvantage on their combat efficiency, affecting the Ability Checks, Saving Throws, and even Attack Rolls.
Who can wear Light Armor in Baldur's Gate 3
Some classes determine the character's ability to wear armor category, but some Races, like Human, Half-Elf, Githyanki, or Shield Dwarf will allow this through Racial features. The Lightly Armoured feat will also unlock this proficiency.
Best Light Armor in Baldur's Gate 3
Drow Studded Leather Armour
Studded Leather Armour is a versatile Light Armor that offers decent protection at 12 AC, and it also provides +1 to Stealth, which determines a character's ability to conceal themselves from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone without being seen or heard. It can be worn by any class with Light Armor proficiency.
Leather Armour +1
This Light Leather Armor +1 grants the wearer bonus to Stealth checks, while providing a decent protection at 12 Armour Class. It's also one of the armor pieces that's accessible during the early stages of Act I (can be bought from Dammon (Sylvanus' Grove, The Hollow) and Arron, at The Hollow (Druid Grove).
Elegant Studded Leather
This Light Armor grants +2 to Initiative Rolls, which determines the first attacker in battles. Elegant Studded Leather also grants an advantage on Stealth checks, which works well for stealthy classes like Rogues.
BG3 Light Armor Changes, Tips, and Notes
- Notes and Tips for Light Armor go here.
- Proficiency in Light Armor can be obtained via Class, Race, or Feat choice.
- Lightly Armoured grants proficiency in this armor category. This is a feat that can be unlocked at Level 4 by all classes.
- Bards' starting armour is now a Simple Jerkin.
- Female gnomes no longer get a Shadowheart-inspired hairstyle when equipping Studded Leather Armour.
BALDUR'S GATE 3 LIGHT ARMOR COMPARISON TABLE
You can search by Name, Rarity, or Effect. Just type into the search box what you are looking for.
Quick Search of All Light Armor
Name |
AC |
Quality |
Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Very Rare | High Spellcasting: You gain a +1 bonus to Spell Save DC. Green Bed Regeneration: When starting your turn on Plant Growth Surface or Vine Surface regain 1d4 hit points. Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws Checks. Plant Growth |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Very Rare | Lunar Bestial Vitality: You gain 22 temporary hit points after casting Wild Shape. While those temporary hit points are active reduce all incoming damage by 1. Lunar Bestial Fortitude: You have a +2 bonus to Armour Class. You have Advantage on Saving Throws against Spells. This effect persists while using your druidic Wild Shape ability. |
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Very Rare | Malefic Funghi: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to Spell Save DC and when dealing Necrotic damage, they deal an additional 1 Necrotic Damage. Spore Sacks: While imbued with Symbiotic Entity, you can spread Bibberbang Spores, Timmask Spores, and Haste Spores. |
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14 + Dexterity Modifier | Very Rare | Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls. Aura Of Murder: Enemies within 2m become Vulnerable to Piercing damage, unless they are Resistant or ltnmune to it. |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Uncommon | Remedial Rhymes: When you inspire an ally using Bardic Inspiration, you gain 4 temporary hit points. |
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11 +Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Stealth +1 |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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14 + Dexterity Modifier | Very Rare | Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls. Advantage on Stealth Checks
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Uncommon | Stealthy: Gain a +1 bonus to Stealth Checks. |
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Stealthy: Gain a +1 bonus to Stealth Checks. Balance: Gain a +1 bonus to Dexterity Saving Throws and Checks. |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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11 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Uncommon | Superior Padding: You take 1 less Bludgeoning damage. |
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Superior Padding: You take 2 less Bludgeoning damage. |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Stealthier: While obscured, the wearer gains a +3 bonus to Stealth Checks. |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Uncommon | Stealthy: Gain a +1 bonus to Stealth Checks. |
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11 +Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Shadeclinger: While obscured, the wearer has Advantage on Saving Throws. Stealth +1 |
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11 +Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Stealthy: Gain a +1 bonus to Stealth Checks. Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws Checks. |
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12 + Dexterity Modifier | Common | N/A |
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Superior Padding: You take 1 less Bludgeoning damage. |
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Uncommon | Superior Padding: You take 1 less Bludgeoning damage. |
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14 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Superior Padding: You take 1 less Bludgeoning damage. Ambusher: Gain a +1 bonus to Initiative Rolls. |
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13 + Dexterity Modifier | Rare | Bolstering Critical: When scoring a Critical Hit or killing a hostile creature, wearer gains 15 temporary hit points. |
Shield
Baldur's Gate 3 Light Armor Gallery
AnonymousI'm currently playing as a tactician and warlock, and I'm donning the BLAZER OF BENEVOLENCE armor, which I've dyed black and red. You can snag this armor from the Act 2 Inn vendor. Without a doubt, it's one of the most visually appealing armors in the game. However, I recently spotted another armor in a video that an upgraded model and stats to the BLAZER OF BENEVOLENCE. I'm trying to find it bcs I need to upgrade and not have my warlock limited to bard armor. The aesthetics of the armor matter MOST to me.
- Anonymous
Lore Bards are in a tough spot early on. They are a squishy spellcaster with no Mage Armor, no Shield (Spell), and no Shield (proficiency.) With nothing but Light Armor to rely on you are either forced to pick a Githyanki or Shield Dwarf for Medium Armor, a Human or Half-Elf for Shields, or make sure your first Feat is "Moderately Armoured." Otherwise you are going to have a very rough and short life.
- Anonymous
Outside of the Druid's Armor of Moonbasking and a few selections, Light Armors really only exist to help your stealth. With 18 Dex (a +4 Modifier), the highest AC you're getting with the best Light Armor is 18. Heavy Armor easily gets to 20 by mid game. And Medium Armor, even capped at +2 Dex Modifier, reaches 19 and occasionally 20. More importantly, Medium Armor has way better Armor Effects than light armor does.
Imo, outside of Rouge, Specific Druid Builds, Specific Bard Builds, Shadow Monk, and Gloomstalker Rangers, no one has any business using light armor.
Light armor in this game suffers a lot because it's almost all for stealth and non of it is for close combat
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