Baldur's Gate 3: Best Light Armor (& How To Get Them)

Understanding how all the components of Baldur’s Gate 3 work can be difficult, especially for new players to the genre or DnD. For example, players might not know that AC stands for Armor Class and is the minimum number enemies must roll to hit the target. Light Armor in BG3, tends to have low AC, but a character’s Dexterity Modifier is also added to this value.

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Characters must also have Light Armor Proficiency to wear it, but thankfully, most classes and a few races have this by default. This armor selection includes all the key stats, as well as the overpowered effects that can be found on the best BG3 Light Armor.

Updated July 8, 2024, by Joe Grantham: Game of the Year winner Baldur’s Gate 3 is a colossal RPG full to the brim with hundreds of items, including a healthy selection of Light Armor options. While some Light Armor is very clearly the best, some niche options only benefit a specific subclass, albeit often tremendously. As the game is fairly evenly spread across its three Acts, the best Armor is often inaccessible until later stages of the game, and so, for example, the best Act 1 armor is just as valuable as the best Act 3 armor.

12 Leather Armor +2

Solid AC, A Stealth Bonus, & Dexterity Bonuses

AC	Rarity	Effects
13 + Dexterity Modifier	Rare	Stealthy: Gain a +1 bonus to Stealth Checks. Balance: Gain a +1 bonus to Dexterity Saving Throws and Ability Checks.

Location: Bought from Act 1 & 2 traders.

With a good Armor Class for Light Armor and lots of small bonuses, Leather Armor +2 is one of the best options for the early and mid-game, although it is best utilized by those who incorporate stealth into their gameplay. This is because one of the bonuses improves Stealth Checks.

To obtain Leather Armor +2 players will need to reach level 7, and from then on they will be able to purchase it from various merchants. While it doesn’t unlock as early as Padded Armor +2 for example, players can still reach level 7 later on in the game’s opening Act.

11 Padded Armor +2

Solid AC & Take Less Bludgeoning Damage

AC	Rarity	Effects
13 + Dexterity Modifier	Rare	Superior Padding: Take 2 less Bludgeoning damage

Location: Bought from Act 1 & 2 traders.

While the Padded Armor +2 isn’t anything to write home about, it is nonetheless a solid option for the early and mid stages of the game. It has a relatively high Armor Class of 13, and whenever players face off against enemies who deal Bludgeoning damage, Padded Armor +2 really comes into its own.

To purchase Padded Armor +2 from merchants in Act 1 or 2, players will need to be level 5 or higher, but after passing level 8 the armor will no longer be sold and better options will become available.

10 Shadeclinger Armor

Gain A Bonus To Stealth & Be Safer While Obscured

Baldur's Gate 3 Shadeclinger Armor (Light Armor)

AC	Rarity	Effects
12 + Dexterity Modifier	Rare	Shadeclinger: While Obscured, the wearer has Advantage on Saving Throws. Stealth +1

Location: Bought at the Last Light Inn, Act 2.

Shadeclinger Armor is a solid option for stealth builds in Baldur’s Gate 3, and Rogues, for example, may want to take advantage of it in Act 2, becoming one with the Shadow-Cursed Lands. Having Advantage on Saving Throws while Obscured makes the character more resilient to AOE attacks, which don’t require a visible target to click on.

Thankfully, Shadeclinger Armor is very easy to acquire in most playthroughs, as it can be purchased at the Last Light Inn, at the start of Act 2. Here, it is sold by Quartermaster Talli.

9 Armor Of The Sporekeeper

Perfect For Circle Of The Spores Druids

Baldur's Gate 3 Armor of Landfall (Light Armor)

AC	Rarity	Effects
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, the wearer can spread Bibberbang Spores, Timmask Spores, and Haste Spores.

Location: Looted from Philgrave’s Mansion, the Lower City, Act 1.

For most characters, Armor of the Sporekeeper is fairly useless, although Necrotic damage dealers can boost their damage. However, its true purpose is for members of the Druid subclass, Circle of the Spores. For these characters, this piece of Light Armor is without a doubt their best option, as it provides many benefits to the niche playstyle.

As a Very Rare item, players will have to wait till Act 3 to don the Armor of the Sporekeeper, which can be bought or looted from Mystic Carrion in Philgrave’s Mansion. This is a house inside the Lower City, near the Counting House.

8 Blazer Of Benevolence

Perfect For Bards

AC	Rarity	Effects
11 + Dexterity Modifier	Uncommon	Remedial Rhymes: When the wearer inspires an ally using Bardic Inspiration, they gain 4 temporary hit points.

Location: Rewarded for saving Volo at the Shattered Sanctum, Act 1.

In addition to being an example of peak Baldurian fashion, the Blazer of Benevolence has a very interesting effect. It provides the wearer with Remedial Rhymes, which means that when the player inspires an ally, using Bardic Inspiration, they gain 4 temporary hit points.

This is perfect for Bards or players who have multiclassed into the Bard class. The Blazer of Benevolence can be found in the Rescue Volo Quest, as a reward, at the Shattered Sanctum.

7 Armor Of Moonbasking

Perfect For Circle Of The Moon Druids

AC	Rarity	Effects
11+ Dexterity Modifier	Very Rare	Lunar Beastial Vitality: The wearer gains 22 temporary hit points after casting Wild Shape. While those temporary hit points are active, reduce all incoming damage by 1. Lunar Bestial Fortitude: The wearer has a +2 bonus to Armor Class. They also have Advantage on Saving Throws against spells. This effect persists while using a druidic Wild Shape ability.

Location: Bought in the Undercity Ruins of the Lower City Sewers, Act 3.

Armor of Moonbasking is one of the best defensive Light Armor pieces, but only on the back of Circle of the Mood Druids. This is because they gain an impressive 22 temporary HP after casting Wild Shape. Incredibly, this is far from the only defensive boon granted while in Wild Shape.

Armor of Moonbasking can be found in the Undercity Ruins, a region of the Lower City Sewers. Here it is sold by Voiceless Penitent Bareki. The fact that it is only found so late in the game is a downside, but for users of Wild Shape, the wait is more than worth it.

6 Spidersilk Armor

Good Stealth And Defense

AC	Rarity	Effects
12 + Dexterity Modifier	Rare	Stealthy: +1 bonus to Stealth Checks. Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws.

Location: Dropped by Minthara in the Shattered Sanctum, Act 1.

For those who enjoy being at one with the shadows, the Spidersilk Armor might just be the perfect companion. Other than its solid stats and effects, this armor looks tough, sleek, and gorgeous – a very interesting combination that is not easy to come by, especially in the location where it is found.

The Spidersilk Armor can be found in the Shattered Sanctum, where it is dropped by Minthara. She is one of the first boss fights in Act 1, although players can instead choose to reason with her and may even end up recruiting her. In fact, for many players, Minthara is one of the best companions in all of BG3, and her Spidersilk Armor thankfully comes with her, with players able to assign it to whoever they prefer.

5 Penumbral Armor

One Of The Best Stealth Items

Baldur's Gate 3 Penumbral Armor (Light Armor)

AC	Rarity	Effects
12 + Dexterity Modifier	Rare	Stealthier: While Obscured, the wearer gains a +3 bonus to Stealth Checks.

Location: A house in the Ruined Battlefield, Act 2.

A +3 bonus to Stealth Checks is nothing to be scoffed at, so if players have other ways to stay Obscured, the Penumbral Armor instantly becomes a must-have item for Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3. It also looks fantastic, and any Rogue or Ranger would look great in it.

A collage of the best boots in Baldur's Gate 3 and Astarion facing away

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The Penumbral Armor can be found in the Shadow Cursed Lands during Act 2, in an abandoned house at the Ruined Battlefield. As this item is fairly easy to acquire, its value goes up.

4 Studded Leather Armor +2

A Solid Defensive Option

Baldur's Gate 3 Studded Leather Armor +2 (Light Armor)

AC	Rarity	Effects
14 + Dexterity Modifier	Rare	Superior Padding: Take 1 less Bludgeoning damage. Ambusher: Gain a +1 bonus to Initiative Rolls.

Location: Sold by merchants in Acts 2 & 3.

With the joint highest AC of all Light Armor, Studded Leather Armor is already one of the best options for characters with Light Armor Proficiency and a high Dexterity stat. With a high Armor Class, players will be less likely to be hit, and if it is ever Bludgeoning damage coming their way, then they will take 1 less damage.

Studded Leather Armor can be purchased from various merchants in Acts 2 & 3, depending on the player’s level. The ability to get this item earlier than its Very Rare counterparts lends it value. Alternatively, it is also dropped by Orin’s Slasher form later on for players who miss it initially.

3 Armor Of Landfall

Spawn Healing Plants To Heal On & Slow Enemies

AC	Rarity	Effects
13 + Dexterity Modifier	Very Rare	Plant Growth (Lvl 3 Spell): Make weeds burst from the ground and smother the area. Creatures moving through the weeds have their Movement Speed quartered. Green Bed Regeneration: When starting a turn on Plant Growth or Vines regain 1d4 hit points. High Spellcasting: Gain a +1 bonus to Spell Save DC. Advantage on Constitution Saving Throws.

Location: Purchased in Sorcerous Sundries, Act 3.

One of the most interesting Light Armor pieces in BG3 is the Armor of Landfall, which has a good AC and a spell that smothers the floor with plants. This Plant Growth will slow anyone who steps on it, but if the wearer starts their turn on it, they will heal.

While this Light Armor is best for members of The Circle of the Land, a Druid subclass, it is still good for any spell caster and has a few other bonuses. Armor of Landfall can be purchased in Sorcerous Sundries, from Rolan or Lorroakan’s Projection. If Lorroakan happens to be dead, it can instead be pickpocketed from Rolan in Ramazith’s Tower.

2 Bhaalist Armor

Deal More Piercing Damage Up Close

Baldur's Gate 3 Bhaalist Armor (Light Armor)

AC	Rarity	Effects
14 + Dexterity Modifier	Very Rare	Aura of Murder: Enemies within 2m become vulnerable to Piercing damage unless they are resistant or immune to it. Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls

Location: Purchased in the Murder Tribunal, Act 3.

With a high AC of 14 and a passive that makes nearby enemies take more Piercing damage, it is easy to see why the Bhaalist Armor is one of the best Light Armors in the game. Even if players don’t have the best Rapiers or other Piercing weapons, their allies can still take advantage of the aptly named Aura of Murder.

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Bhaalist Armor can be purchased in the Murder Tribunal from Echo of Abazigal after the player has become an Unholy Assassin. This is an option that only those roleplaying as a morally dark character will want to take.

1 Elegant Studded Leather

The Best Defensive Light Armor

Baldur's Gate 3 Elegant Studded Leather (Light Armor)

AC	Rarity	Effects
14 + Dexterity Modifier	Very Rare	Ambusher: Gain a +2 bonus to Initiative Rolls. Advantage on Stealth Checks. Shield (Lvl 1 Spell): Use a Reaction to increase AC by 5 before being hit. Lasts until the start of the caster’s next turn.

Location: In a vault in the Counting House, Act 3.

When it comes to the best Light Armor in BG3, at least from a defensive point of view, it is hard to argue against Elegant Studded Leather. Not only does it have the joint highest AC, but it has also two great effects and provides the wearer with one of the best defensive spells, Shield.

Elegant Studded Leather can be found in the Counting House of the Lower City in Act 3. More specifically, it is safe for the time being in High Security Vault Number 9.