Baldur’s Gate 3 kinda exploded onto the scene—like, seriously exploded—with a whole buffet of classes. It’s a smorgasbord that only got, well, smorgasborgier? (Is that a word? It is now.) Anyway, the final patch dumped twelve new subclasses right into our laps. But, not every class fits everyone like a magical glove. Classes and subclasses are like those weird jellybean flavors—you gotta try a few before finding your inner Buttered Popcorn.
Now, these new subclasses just casually rolled in with Patch 8, like, “Hey, wassup?” We’re talking College of Glamour Bard and Arcane Archer Fighter and others that sound like they dropped out of a fantasy novel, like Circle of Stars Druid, Oath of the Crown Paladin, and the giggle-inducing Way of the Drunken Master Monk. Oh, there are more, like Swashbuckler Rogue (yo ho ho), Death Domain Cleric (kinda spooky), Swarmkeeper Ranger, Bladesinging Wizard (who even thought of that name?), Hexblade Warlock, and Shadow Magic Sorcerer. Don’t forget Path of Giants Barbarian, like, wow. But let’s be real, sometimes you just want to smash buttons and cause chaos, and not all these subclasses are gonna scratch that slash-happy itch.
Okay, focus—where was I? Oh right, Drunken Master Monk. Unique little subclass there. Sure, it’s got changes, but it sticks close to its D&D 5e roots. And get this—drink booze and regain Ki Points. I mean, really? Y’all just made drinking in-game have a mechanical benefit. Plus, fun stuff like Drunken Performance and Intoxicating Strike. Drunkard’s Luck, though, wow, use it at Level 11 to cancel out any Disadvantage. Handy, no?
So yeah, these tricks and antics are fantastic for roleplaying. If you dig story-driven stuff over pure power, Drunken Master might be your jam. Or if creating your character’s backstory is your vibe, this subclass screams “Pick me!” louder than a bard at a karaoke bar. Yeah, other subclasses let you draw power from backstory vibes, like Druids and Clerics, but Drunken Master’s got that incomparable comedic charm. I mean, who doesn’t want to play a drunken martial artist now and then?
But, and there’s always a “but,” Drunken Master doesn’t hit as hard as you might want if you’re all about those massive damage numbers. Monks can pack a punch—like, Flurry of Blows mixed with Martial Arts is intense. Getting a subclass at Level 3 can crank that damage dial up even more.
For stealth lovers, Way of Shadow might be it; think ninjas with spells like Silence. Then there’s Way of the Four Elements—basically be your own Avatar: The Last Airbender with fire and air spells. Cool, right? And if raw power’s your thing, Way of the Open Hand’s the route. Unlock bonuses at Level 6 for sick amounts of extra damage.
Anyway, without going on another tangent (oops, already did), those other subclasses might leave Drunken Master behind in terms of pure power. But hey, if you’re in it for quirky play styles and wacky in-game stories, pour yourself a digital drink and go wild. But if dishing out damage is your ultimate goal, maybe give those other monk paths a whirl.
