Armour of Agility can produce enormous AC on a high-Dex character and adds +2 to every saving throw. Armour of Persistence has lower headline AC but permanent Blade Ward/Resistance-style defence and flat damage reduction. Helldusk starts at 21 AC and treats the wearer as proficient, making it flexible across classes. Bhaalist Armour has only 14 + Dexterity, but its 3 m Aura of Murder can make enemies Vulnerable to Piercing and can double the right party’s damage. Potent Robe is clothing with 10 base AC, yet a Charisma cantrip caster may value it more than any plate because it adds Charisma to cantrip damage.
The “best armour” depends on whether the build needs AC, saves, damage multiplication or a class-specific passive
That is why no item belongs at “S+ for everyone.” Start with the build engine, then ask what the armour fixes or multiplies.
Armour of Agility is the high-Dex medium-armour endpoint: 17 base AC, full Dexterity modifier and +2 to every saving throw.
The six chest pieces worth knowing
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Item | Type / AC | Best fit / Why |
|---|---|---|
Yuan-Ti Scale Mail | Medium 15 + full DEX | Act 2 high-Dex martial / archer / Full DEX to AC, +1 Initiative, no Stealth disadvantage. |
Armour of Agility | Medium 17 + full DEX | Act 3 high-Dex martial / archer / Full DEX, no Stealth disadvantage, +2 all saving throws. |
Armour of Persistence | Heavy 20 | Frontline tank / Honour anchor / -2 all incoming damage, permanent Blade Ward-style physical resistance and Resistance (+1d4 saves). |
Helldusk Armour | Heavy 21 | Any class that wants premium armour without proficiency / Wearer treated as proficient, fire resistance, -3 damage, Infernal Retribution, Fly 1/LR. |
Bhaalist Armour | Light 14 + DEX | Piercing party / close-range enabler / +2 Initiative; 3 m Aura of Murder makes non-immune enemies vulnerable to Piercing. |
Potent Robe | Clothing 10 + DEX (+1 AC passive) | Warlock / Charisma cantrip caster / Adds CHA to cantrip damage and refreshes CHA-mod temporary HP each turn. |
Yuan-Ti Scale Mail is the Act 2 bridge that lets high-Dex characters use every point of Dexterity while staying in medium armour.
Armour of Agility vs Armour of Persistence
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Question | Armour of Agility | Armour of Persistence |
|---|---|---|
Who can use it? | Medium Armour proficiency | Heavy Armour proficiency |
AC model | 17 + full DEX modifier | 20 fixed |
Saving throws | +2 all saves | Permanent Resistance effect: +1d4 to saving throws |
Damage mitigation | High AC prevents hits | -2 flat incoming + permanent Blade Ward-style physical resistance |
Stealth Best for | No disadvantage DEX 20+ characters that want AC + saves | Heavy armour route; not a stealth piece STR/CON frontline that wants always-on mitigation |
Persistence is an attrition item: it reduces incoming damage and improves saves every fight without needing a setup turn.
Helldusk: the proficiency rule is what makes it universal
Helldusk Armour has 21 AC, reduces incoming damage by 3, grants fire resistance, retaliates after successful saving throws and gives Fly once per Long Rest. Its defining line is Helldusk Armour: the wearer is considered proficient while wearing it. A Wizard, Sorcerer or other normally non-heavy character can therefore use the chest without the normal “not proficient, cannot cast spells” penalty. That does not automatically mean they should — losing a caster robe passive can still be worse than gaining AC.
Helldusk Armour is unusual because the armour itself solves proficiency for the wearer.
Bhaalist Armour: enormous damage, enormous story cost
Bhaalist Armour grants +2 Initiative and Aura of Murder. As of Patch 8 the player armour’s aura radius is 3 m. Enemies inside become Vulnerable to Piercing unless immune; a resistant enemy normally has resistance cancelled rather than being pushed all the way to vulnerability. This can multiply a piercing-heavy team built around bows, spears, rapiers and piercing melee weapons.
The catch is both spatial and narrative. The wearer has to stand within 3 m of the target, so a backline archer wearing it will not automatically double ranged damage from safety. The normal acquisition route requires becoming an Unholy Assassin at the Murder Tribunal and buying it from Echo of Abazigal. Treat that story cost as part of the item, not a footnote you discover after committing the save.
Bhaalist Armour is a party damage enabler: the 3 m Aura of Murder is the reason to use it, not the 14 base AC.
Potent Robe: “armour” lists need to include clothing when the passive is the build
Potent Robe gives +1 AC, adds Charisma modifier to cantrip damage via Gregarious Caster, and grants temporary HP equal to Charisma modifier at the start of the wearer’s turn. It stacks especially well with Agonising Blast on Warlock. The robe is rewarded by Alfira for Rescue the Tieflings, so a Dark Urge run must preserve Alfira if it wants the item. This is exactly why “highest AC = best chest” is bad guidance for a cantrip caster.
Potent Robe can be more important to an Eldritch Blast build than a heavy armour chest with twice the base AC.
Build goal | Accessory / slot priority | What to avoid
Initiative / Honour safety | initiative headgear, bows, rings or Alert-compatible setup | Over-investing after the character already reliably acts first.
Concentration caster | CON save advantage/proficiency, +save gear, AC/mobility | Replacing every defensive slot with +1 damage effects.
Radiating Orb | items that trigger/spread Radiating Orb from Radiant damage | Mixing half of Radiant Orb and half of an unrelated package with no trigger density.
Reverberation | Boots of Stormy Clamour / Belligerent Skies-type condition chain | No condition source to actually build Reverberation.
Piercing party | Bhaalist wearer near target + accuracy/crit accessories on damage dealers | Putting Bhaalist on a backliner 15 m away.
Cantrip caster | Potent Robe + CHA / spell attack / on-cantrip synergies | Heavy armour that turns off the build-defining robe effect for marginal AC.
These are not twelve universally “best” items. They are representative slot winners for specific engines; party competition, quest route and action economy still decide who should wear them.
Accessories: select a set mechanic, not six unrelated “best rings”
12 accessory quick picks by role / How to choose the chest slot
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Item / slot | Act | Best for | Why it earns the slot |
|---|---|---|---|
Hood of the Weave — Head | 3 | Primary spellcaster | +2 Spell Save DC and +2 Spell Attack Rolls; pure reliability for control/burst casters. |
Helm of Balduran — Head | 3 | Frontline / Honour anchor | +1 AC, +1 saves, crit immunity, stun immunity and 2 HP at the start of each combat turn. |
Cloak of Protection — Cloak | 2 | Any defensive core | Simple +1 AC and +1 saving throws; excellent when a build has no stronger cloak-specific engine. |
Legacy of the Masters — Gloves | 3 | Weapon attacker | +2 weapon attack and damage rolls; one of the cleanest accuracy/damage glove slots. |
Gloves of Soul Catching — Gloves | 3 | Open Hand / unarmed build | +2 CON (up to 20), +1d10 Force on unarmed attacks, plus once-per-turn recovery / roll support. |
Boots of Stormy Clamour — Boots | 1 | Reverberation / condition stacker | Applying a condition also adds Reverberation; only strong when the build reliably applies conditions. |
Disintegrating Night Walkers — Boots | 1 | Mobility / terrain safety | Misty Step once per Short Rest plus immunity to common web/entangle/grease/ice movement problems. |
Amulet of the Devout — Amulet | 3 | Cleric / save-DC caster | +2 Spell Save DC and an extra Channel Divinity charge for characters that use the resource. |
Amulet of Greater Health — Amulet | 3 | Concentration caster / tank | Sets CON to 23 and grants Advantage on Constitution saving throws; can completely solve one build axis. |
Coruscation Ring — Ring | 2 | Radiating Orb caster | Spell damage while illuminated applies Radiating Orb; natural Spirit Guardians / spell-damage support piece. |
Risky Ring — Ring | 2 | Attack-roll damage build | Advantage on attack rolls at the cost of Disadvantage on saving throws; powerful, never free. |
Band of the Mystic Scoundrel — Ring | 3 | Swords Bard / weapon-controller | After a weapon hit, eligible Illusion/Enchantment spells can be cast as a Bonus Action, changing the whole turn structure. |
5. Check party competition. One Armour of Agility cannot serve every high-Dex build.
4. Check story/quest cost. Potent Robe and Bhaalist Armour are route-dependent.
3. Check range. Bhaalist Aura only matters close to the target.
2. Check proficiency and Dexterity. Medium armour with full DEX scaling can outperform a heavier-looking item.
1. Identify the character’s real failure mode: getting hit, failing saves, losing concentration, acting late, or lacking damage multiplication.
6. Choose the chest that multiplies the party plan, not the one with the rarest border.
Common mistakes / FAQ
Calling Helldusk strictly better than Persistence because 21 AC is bigger than 20.
Putting Bhaalist on a ranged character who never enters the 3 m aura radius.
Ignoring +2 all saves on Armour of Agility and comparing only AC.
Losing Potent Robe because Alfira died, then copying a Warlock build that assumes the robe exists.
Building one “best accessories” list for every class instead of assembling coherent condition/initiative/concentration packages.
What is the highest-AC medium armour? Armour of Agility starts at 17 and adds full Dexterity.
Can a Wizard wear Helldusk? The armour treats the wearer as proficient, so yes; whether it beats Robe of the Weave/Potent Robe depends on the build.
How big is Aura of Murder now? Patch 8 increased the player Bhaalist Armour aura to 3 m.
Does Potent Robe stack with Agonising Blast? Yes; the Charisma cantrip damage effects can stack.
Is Persistence better for Honour? It is one of the most reliable always-on defensive chests, but a high-Dex character may get more from Agility and +2 saves.