Soloing as a Monk - Baldur's Gate II

This guide is a collection of tips for soloing as a Monk in Baldur’s Gate II. These tips were provided by GameBanshee users.

Character Creation

Race: Human

Alignment: Lawful Good / Lawful Neutral / Lawful Evil

Stats: At Least 18 for Strength, Dexterity and Constitution

Weapons:
1 slot in single weapon style
1 slot in Scimitar (Scarlet Ninja to)
1 slot in Sling (Everard + 5)

Skills: Distribute equally among Hide in Shadows and Move Silently

Equipment

Armour: None

Gauntlets: You should buy the Bracers of AC 3 from Ribald in the adventure mart at the start until your Monk’s AC improves. When it does improve you can go for the gauntlets of weapon skill then to expertise. Finally finish it off with the gauntlets of crushing.

Helms: From my point of view you only need the Pale Green Ioun Stone. But if you would want to trade THACO and hit points for AC then go for the Dusty Rose Ioun Stone instead.

Amulets: Amulet of Power (Interplay’s Patch) or Kaligun’s Amulet of Magic Resistance

Rings: Ring of Gaax and Ring of Protection + 2

Cloaks: Cloak of the Sewers.

Boots: As the Monk’s Movement Rate Increases with Levels there is no need for the boots of speed. Boots of Avoidance will be a better choice. With the Monk’s higher level missile diffraction ability and the boots you will almost never be hit by arrows and the likes.

Belts: Belt of Inertial Barrier until your Magic Resistance gets better. Later on you should go for the Girdle of Frost Giant Strength.

Wands? Strangely I could use wands as a monk (with only the interplay patch). If you can too then you should take the 2 wands from Irenicus dungeon (Monster Summoning + CloudKill). Two very useful spells for the Monk. Remember to sell and buy back the wands to recharge them.

Monster Summoning: If your version of the game disallows using of the Amulet of Power. Then you will have a hard time dealing with Vampires. But however you can summon monsters to your aid continuously as long as you have enough money to pester the Vamps while you stun or attack them.

CloudKill: For taking out Dragons, wizards, Mind Flayers and Umber Hulks

How to Slay Your Enemies

Wizards: Until you get to level 14 or higher I would not recommend attacking high-level wizards. The reason being that they have “single kill” spells. As you are soloing the game any domination of charm spells will instantly take you out of the game but at level 14 you would have gained immune to charm spells and ability Quivering Palm. For taking out wizards who cast tons of protection magic on themselves you just have to use the Quivering Palm attack on them. Even though you can’t deliver the damage they will have to make the save. I always could take out any wizard with this tactic. Or if the need arises use a protection from magic scroll. (There are only a few of these in the game)

* Note a better tactic when you get 100 in Hide in Shadows and Move Silently is to Stealth then move up to wizard and either Stun Blow or Quiver Palm them. Also if you can use wands for your game you should use the CloudKill and Monster Summoning Wand.

Golems: No problem with these critters because your fist are considered as blunt weapons. Also for the tough ones such as Iron Golems or Adamantine sometimes if you’re lucky you can quiver palm them for instant death. If there are too many coming to you at once try to stun blow them.

Beholders: When you are at the highest levels you can just walk up to them and bash them with your fist due to high magic resistance. If there are too many of them lure them one by one with the Sling. A single quiver palm can instantly kill them usually. The cloak of reflection which you get later in the game will also do the trick.

Vampires:
Use the long sword Daystar’s ability Sunray to take them out.
Use a protection from undead scroll.
Use Monster Summoning Wand to pester them while you take them out by yourself.

Dragons:
Protection from Fire Scroll (If red dragon).
Only attack dragons when you have at least more then 50% magic resistance.
Drink a potion of regeneration and attack with your Monk’s Fist. Drink Potions of extra healing when below 50% health. When you are near death you should move out of the dragon’s sight and heal yourself. Note that it is possible to run away from a non-hasted dragon because the monk’s movement rate is fast.

Liches: Just cast a protection from undead scroll and punch away. The lich will just stand there doing nothing. Not even casting protection spells when you punch him.

Mind Flayers: Wand of CloudKill and close the door or stealth yourself and stun/quiver them.

Kangaax/Lich: If your Monk is high level enough just fist him till he changes to demi lich form because you have high magic resistance. If not cast a protection from magic scroll and fist him instead.

Demi-Lich: You could damage him with Everard + 5 but he regenerates too fast. So a possible for solution would be to change into a Slayer and attack him. Also the Slayer is immune to Imprisonment.

Irenicus (Mage Form): Just wait for his fire shield to wear off. And pound him with fist. Because at this point you should have max out already with 83% magic resistance. (Character + Ring of Gaax + Kaligun’s Amulet of Magic Resistance). Your magic resistance can even resist off the 8th level spell maze!!!

Irenicus (Slayer Form): Stun and kill the Pit Fiends and Demons then deal with Irenicus. With 93% magic resistance (an additional 10% from the tears of Bhaal). All his spells are useless, just watch out for his Slayer melee attacks and heal when necessary.

Immune to Normal Weapons (Good or Bad?): Most people think that this is useless, however I think otherwise. With this ability you become totally immune to several creatures with good THACO that constantly use normal weapons always such as: Shadows, Wandering Horrors, Yuan TI, goblins, orcs, lizard man, Sahuagins, Kuo-Tou, etc.

This is very useful as most of the time you will encounter them in large groups.