12. Gloves of Thievery (Act 1)
The Gloves of Thievery (pictured) are most likely the first powerful pair of gloves that you will acquire in the game.
You can use the Gloves of Thievery to unlock all sorts of things, from doors to gilded chests. They give you Advantage on Sleight of Hand Checks and don’t require any type of armor proficiency.
The Gloves of Thievery are great for:
- Rogues - Arguably the sneakiest of the classes, the Rogue in your party will highly benefit from these gloves. (Especially if they enjoy pickpocketing.)
- Gloomstalker Rangers - Gloomstalker Rangers are at home in the darkest of places, and having these gloves adds to their ability to easily manipulate their way through the shadows.
- Way of the Shadow Monks - This is a subclass that can be truly excellent, with the correct gear. Give the Shadow Monk in your party these gloves to give them a good boost early on in Act 1.
How to get the Gloves of Thievery:
After completing the ‘Find the Missing Shipment’ sidequest, you can buy them from Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout.
11. Gloves of Missile Snaring (Act 1)
The Gloves of Missile Snaring (pictured) seem simple but are remarkably useful in the game.
When wearing the Gloves of Missile Snaring, you can intercept missiles from ranged weapon attacks, reducing their damage by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier. The gloves do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Gloves of Missile Snaring are great for:
- Monks - Monks rely mostly on melee combat, and as such can be vulnerable to ranged weapon attacks made by intelligent enemies. However, Monks are naturally dexterous, so putting these on your Monk will make them basically untouchable by arrows.
- Rogues - Rogues rely on Dexterity for a lot of their abilities. Giving your Rogue these gloves will help them weave around the battlefield without getting hit by ranger attacks.
- Bards - The AI in the game has a particular knack for having ranged enemies focus on your spellcasters. Giving your Bard these gloves will give them an edge against all the arrows flying their way.
How to get the Gloves of Missile Snaring:
You can purchase the gloves from the dwarf trader Arron in the Druid Grove.
10. Gloves of Power (Act 1)
The Gloves of Power (pictured) are remarkably powerful for an item found so early in the game.
The description of the Gloves of Power claims that they only benefit those who have the mark of the Absolute. However, anyone who equips the item gains the full benefits whether you have the mark or not. The armor does not require an armor proficiency, so anyone can equip it to gain ‘Absolute’s Bane.’ This gives the wearer the chance to occasionally subtract 1d4 from an enemy’s Attack Rolls and Saving Throws by making a melee or ranged attack.
The Gloves of Power are great for:
- Clerics - When your Cleric runs out of spells, these gloves can be very helpful to make sure your Cleric stays useful in battle.
- Monks - The Gloves of Power are excellent for Monks. The majority of the attacks your Monk will make will be melee attacks. These Gloves will allow your Monk to rush in and soften up any enemies for your casters/ranger party members.
- Warlocks - Speaking of casters, the Gloves are excellent when used with a casting class like Warlock. The ability to take 1d4 away from saving throws will allow your Warlock to pack more punch with the few spell slots they have.
How to get the Gloves of Power:
During the goblin fight in front of the entrance to the Druid Grove, kill Za’krug and you can take it off their body.
9. Hellrider’s Pride (Act 1)
The Hellrider’s Pride (pictured) are a set of gloves that the designated ‘healer’ of the party will be grateful for.
The Hellrider's Pride grant you the ability to grant resistance against Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage dealt by melee or ranged weapon attacks. The gloves also add a +1 to your Strength Saving Throws. However, they require a Medium Armour Proficiency.
The Hellrider’s Pride are great for:
- Clerics - Clerics are most often known as ‘the healers.’ This pair of gloves on a Cleric (like Shadowheart) is a major boost to your entire party.
- Paladins - Paladins are essentially Clerics with better melee capability. These gloves will be quite useful every time your Paladin uses ‘Lay on Hands.’
- Druids - It’s not what they’re most known for, but Druids have solid healing capability. Give these gloves to your Druid if they are the designated healer for the party.
How to get the Hellrider’s Pride:
You can get the Hellrider’s Pride from Zevlor at the Emerald Grove in 3 different ways. You can convince Kagha to halt the ritual during the ‘Save the Refugees’ quest or kill her and receive the gloves as a reward from Zevlor. You can also steal them from Zevlor, or kill Zevlor and loot his body if you side with the goblins.
8. Gloves of Dexterity (Act 1)
The Gloves of Dexterity (pictured) are a dream for the sneakiest member of your party.
The Gloves of Dexterity increase your Dexterity Score to 18, giving them a +4 Dexterity modifier. They also add +1 to your Attack Rolls. These gloves do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Gloves of Dexterity are great for:
- Rogues - Rogues are arguably the class that most relies on sneaking around. Put these gloves on your Rogue to take the most advantage of their sneak attack damage.
- Monks - Monks use Dexterity for their attacks, so these gloves give them a major boost for combat.
- Rangers - Rangers use Dexterity for their ranged weapon attacks. Equipping your Ranger with these gloves will allow them to more easily dodge attacks and rain down damage from afar.
How to get the Gloves of Dexterity:
The Gloves of Dexterity can be found near the end of Act 1, in the Underdark. Make your way to Creche Y’llek, aka the Githyanki Creche, and allow Lae’zel to do the talking once you get inside. Here, you can find A’jak’nir Jeera and buy the gloves from him.
7. Gloves of the Automaton (Act 2)
The Gloves of the Automaton (pictured) start out moderately useful, but once you use the ‘Circuitry Interface’ Class Action, they become much more powerful.
The Gloves of the Automaton give you +1 to Strength Saving Throws as well as access to the Circuitry Interface Class Action. With this Class Action, melee and ranged weapon Attack Rolls have Advantage, and you have resistance to Lightning Damage. But you should note that you are considered a construct while wearing the gloves and can not receive healing from the majority of healing spells in the game. Keep some healing potions in their inventory, and you can have them heal themselves as a bonus action to get around this. These gloves do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Gloves of the Automaton are great for:
- Barbarians - Barbarians are probably the best class to wear these gloves. They are the classic ‘tanks’ in the game. Combined with your Barbarian’s Rage ability, these gloves will make them pretty much unstoppable.
- Fighters - Fighters are often in melee range dealing out a vicious amount of damage. Putting these gloves on your Fighter will make them even more vicious in battle.
- Paladins - Paladins are pretty beefy, for a class that has a lot of healing ability. Your Paladin is an excellent choice for these gloves, especially combined with their Divine Smite ability for extra damage. However, you will not be able to heal yourself using your Paladin magic at all. So make sure to keep potions of healing handy.
How to get the Gloves of the Automaton:
You can get the Gloves of the Automaton if you keep the deep gnome Barcus Wroot alive throughout Act 1. You will encounter him first at the Blighted Village and then inside Grymforge. In Act 2, if he is still alive, you can buy the gloves from him at the Last Light Inn.
6. Helldusk Gloves (Act 3)
The Helldusk Gloves (pictured) provide a nice boost to your spellcasters.
The Infernal Acuity feature gives the wearer of the Helldusk Gloves a +1 bonus to Spell Attack Rolls and to their Spell Save DC. Your caster can also use the Infernal Touch ability to do an additional 1-6 Fire damage. Unarmed attacks deal an additional 1-6 Necrotic damage, and can inflict Bleeding. On top of all that, you also receive a +1 to Strength Saving Throws and gain the cantrip Rays of Fire. These gloves do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Helldusk Gloves are great for:
- Wizards - Wizards are one of the more powerful caster classes. Give your Wizard these gloves to add to their expertise in and out of battle.
- Bards - Bards highly benefit from the Rays of Fire cantrip as well as the Infernal Acuity feature of the gloves. The gloves also make it easier for your Bard to successfully cast spells like Charm Person.
- Sorcerers - To make your Sorcerer’s spell slots stretch a bit further, equip them with a dagger and take advantage of the Infernal Touch feature of the gloves, as well as the spellcasting boost.
How to get the Helldusk Gloves:
You can get the Helldusk Gloves by defeating Haarlep the Incubus inside Raphael’s Boudoir at the House of Hope.
5. Legacy of the Masters (Act 3)
The Legacy of the Masters gloves (pictured) are excellent for boosting melee combatants.
The Legacy of the Masters gloves provide you with a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls as well as a +1 to Strength Saving Throws. You need to have a Medium Armour proficiency to take full advantage of these gloves.
The Legacy of the Masters gloves are great for:
- Fighters - Fighters are almost always on the frontlines when it comes to combat. Giving these gloves to your Fighter will help them dish out even more damage than usual.
- Barbarians - Your Barbarian will thank you for these gloves when they don’t have to Recklessly Attack nearly as much, if at all.
- Paladins - Paladins can do a decent amount of damage and rely on Strength for their melee attacks. These gloves will help your Paladin maintain their edge in combat.
How to get the Legacy of the Masters gloves:
You can purchase them from Dammon at the Forge of the Nine in Baldur’s Gate.
4. Spellmight Gloves (Act 3)
The Spellmight Gloves (pictured) provide an excellent boost for certain casters in your party.
When casting a spell that doesn’t require your enemy to make a Spell Save DC, you can use the Spellmight Gloves to take a -5 penalty to your Spell Attack Roll to deal an additional 1d8 damage. The gloves also work for spells that automatically hit, like Magic Missile. The gloves do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Spellmight Gloves are great for:
- Sorcerers - Sorcerers have access to the spell Magic Missile, which automatically hits any target(s) you choose. Despite not having to take a -5 penalty, these gloves recognize it as a successful hit anyway, leading to a massive stack of damage per turn.
- Wizards - Wizards also have access to Magic Missile. Your Wizard is usually a quite powerful spellcaster and can likely take the -5 penalty on other spells without missing their targets.
- Warlocks - Warlocks have access to the spell Eldritch Blast, which can target multiple targets. Giving your Warlock these gloves will allow them to rain down a lot of extra damage on the battlefield without expending one of your precious spell slots.
How to get the Spellmight Gloves:
Once you finish the ‘Find Dribbles the Clown’ quest, you can get the gloves from Lucretious at the Circus of the Last Day.
3. Bonespike Gloves (Act 3)
The Bonespike Gloves (pictured) are a vicious pair of gloves in the game.
The Bonespike Gloves give your attacks the ability to ignore Resistance to Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning damage. They do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Bonespike Gloves are great for:
- Barbarians - Certain flavors of Barbarian are known for having Resistance to the majority of damage types, but all Barbarians can benefit from these gloves.
- Fighters - With these gloves, your Fighter will do even more damage than normal.
- Paladins - Paladins typically lean into their healing spells, but when they’re acting as a tank for the party, these gloves are perfect to help them wreak havoc in combat.
How to get the Bonespike Gloves:
Defeat Strangler Luke during the ‘Get Orin’s Netherstone Quest’ in the Undercity Ruins before you complete the trial to enter the Temple of Bhaal. If you complete the trial before looting the gloves, Strangler Luke’s body will disappear along with the gloves.
2. Gloves of Soul Catching (Act 3)
The Gloves of Soul Catching (pictured) are perfect for melee combatants.
The Gloves of Soul Catching give you the ability to deal an additional 1-10 Force damage per unarmed attack. Once per turn, on a successful unarmed attack, you regain 10 hit points. You can also choose to trade the healing for Advantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws until the end of your next turn. Your Constitution score is also boosted by 2.
The Gloves of Soul Catching are great for:
- Monks - Monks and these gloves are like peanut butter and jelly, thanks to how much Monks rely on unarmed attacks. Your Monk will thank you when they are suddenly a powerhouse in battle.
- Barbarians - If your Barbarian prefers beating their enemies to a pulp with their fists rather than using a weapon, these gloves are for them.
- Druids - Druids are often unarmed since the majority of their damage comes from their spells and/or wildshapes. Gift your Druid these gloves to give them yet another weapon in their arsenal on the battlefield.
How to get the Gloves of Soul Catching:
If you rescue Hope from the House of Hope and keep her alive during the final fight with Raphael, she will reward you with these gloves.
1. Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength (Act 3)
The Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength (pictured) are arguably the most powerful gloves in the game.
They increase your Strength score to 23. So, whichever character you put them on will then have an automatic +6 to Strength. On top of that, you will have an additional +1 to Strength Saving Throws. These gloves do not require any type of armor proficiency.
The Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength are great for:
- Fighters - Fighters can do a massive amount of damage in combat, as long as they hit. Putting these on your Fighter will make missing an opponent even more of a rarity.
- Druids - Druids are surprisingly tough, with the right gear and wildshape/spell combinations. Your Druid will benefit from the boost of Strength that these gloves give them.
- Barbarians - Barbarians are already known for being strong, but these gauntlets take it to a new level. Your Barbarian will not only gain more of an edge in combat, but it will also make it easier for them to move things around and bust through walls.
How to get the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength:
Head to the Archive in the House of Hope. There, among other powerful artifacts like the Orphic Hammer, you can find these Gauntlets and loot them.
