How to Level a Hollow Palm Monk in PoE 2

The Monk class in Path of Exile 2 begins its journey wielding a Quarterstaff, but it doesn't take long before the class fully embraces unarmed combat. Thanks to the powerful Hollow Palm Technique passive, Monks can use Quarterstaff skills while completely unarmed, converting defensive stats like Evasion and Energy Shield directly into offensive power. The result is a fast, fluid, Lightning-based build that clears the campaign with shocking speed and surprisingly high survivability once properly geared.

This guide covers the best Monk leveling build in PoE 2 Patch 0.4, focusing on an Unarmed Lightning Monk that dominates Acts and transitions cleanly into early endgame content.

PoE 2 Hollow Palm Monk Leveling Overview

This build is centered around four core concepts:

·Unarmed combat using Quarterstaff skills

·Lightning damage and Shock scaling

·Extreme mobility and fast attack speed

·Strong synergy between Evasion and Energy Shield

While extremely powerful, the Hollow Palm Monk can feel fragile in the early campaign. Proper positioning, dodging, and using ranged Lightning skills are essential until your defenses scale up later. Equipping strong Path of Exile 2 Items early, or grabbing key upgrades from vendors, can significantly reduce early-game risk.

Acts 1 & 2 - Wind Blast and Staggering Palm

In the first two Acts, your damage revolves around Wind Blast, Staggering Palm, and Vaulting Impact.

Core Skills

·Wind Blast - Wide-area clear and crowd control

·Staggering Palm - Enables Heavy Stuns and damage amplification

·Vaulting Impact - Massive AoE burst against stunned enemies

·Tempest Flurry - Fast attack replacement for basic strikes

Wind Blast clears packs efficiently, while Staggering Palm primes enemies for devastating follow-ups. Once a Heavy Stun lands, Vaulting Impact wipes groups instantly.

Replace your default attack with Tempest Flurry as soon as it becomes available. Its attack speed, Shock application, and synergy with Staggering Palm make it a core skill throughout the entire leveling process.

Recommended Early Supports

·Rapid Attacks

·Rage

This early setup already resembles the late-game version, making progression into Act 3 smooth and intuitive.

Lightning Damage Transition

Once Storm Wave unlocks, the build begins its transformation into a true Lightning powerhouse.

Key Changes

·Replace Wind Blast with Storm Wave

·Prioritize Elemental Armament and Rage

Transition from Physical to Lightning scaling

With even modest flat damage on gloves and rings, Storm Wave clears entire zones effortlessly and melts bosses. At this stage, you'll also replace:

·Staggering Palm → Siphoning Strike

·Vaulting Impact → Falling Thunder

This change enables consistent Power Charge generation and much stronger Lightning-based AoE damage.

Charged Staff - The Build Comes Online

Unlocking Charged Staff is the turning point for the Hollow Palm Monk. When combined with Tempest Flurry, Charged Staff massively boosts DPS, Shock uptime, and overall clear speed.

Survivability may still lag slightly at this point, so avoid face-tanking dangerous packs. Use Storm Wave to fight from range when needed and rely on mobility to stay safe until your defensive layers catch up.

Generating Power Charges Consistently

Power Charges are essential for maximizing damage and Shock effectiveness.

Primary Generation Methods

·Lingering Illusion (Spirit Skill)

·Siphoning Strike (Shock-based generation)

Lingering Illusion creates clones after dodging. When destroyed, these clones drop orbs that grant Power Charges. To run this alongside Herald of Thunder, complete the Tribal Vengeance quest in Act 3 to raise your Spirit cap to 60.

An alternative setup uses Combat Frenzy with an Electrocute Support and the Resonance passive to convert Frenzy Charges into Power Charges.

Early Endgame Skill Setup

Main Skills and Supports

·Tempest Flurry - Rapid Attacks, Rage, Elemental Armament

·Storm Wave - Rapid Attacks, Elemental Armament, Shock

·Charged Staff - Shock, Prolonged Duration

·Siphoning Strike - Magnified Area

·Elemental Weakness - Focused Curse

·Herald of Thunder - Magnified Area, Elemental Focus

·Lingering Illusion - Charge Profusion

·Tempest Bell - Overabundance, Close Combat

Gameplay Loop

·Clear packs with Storm Wave

·Use Tempest Flurry and Tempest Bell for bosses

·Maintain Power Charges through dodging and Siphoning Strike

Passive Tree Priorities

This setup reflects a level 45 Monk.

Key Passives

·Concussive Attack

·Immaterial

·Tenfold Attacks

·Killer Instincts

·Conservative Casting

·Spectral Ward

·Blinding Strike

·Agile Succession

·Subterfuge Mask

·Hollow Palm Technique

These nodes boost damage, Evasion, Energy Shield, and survivability through Blind and Daze effects. If damage feels sufficient early, prioritize defensive pathing first.

When to Take the Hollow Palm Technique

You can allocate Hollow Palm Technique as early as level 14. Early access provides Physical damage scaling with Skill Gem levels, making the early campaign smoother. Picking up or choosing to buy POE2 Items with strong flat attack stats further amplifies this advantage.

Ascendancy Choice - Invoker Monk

The Invoker Ascendancy is ideal for this build.

Key Ascendancy Nodes

·Lightning damage bonuses

·Meditate for Energy Shield recharge and Overflow

·Sunder My Enemies for crit-based resistance bypass

·I Shall Rage for Unbound Avatar boss damage

Gear Priorities for Hollow Palm Monk

Because Hollow Palm requires empty weapon slots, gear optimization is crucial.

Stat Priorities

·Flat damage to Attacks

·Mana regeneration or Mana on Kill

·Evasion and Energy Shield

·Elemental Resistances

·Attack Speed

Flat damage gloves and Iron Rings with elemental damage are enormous upgrades. Use Runes to fix resistances, and consider trading or using POE2 Currency if upgrades stall.

Evasion vs Energy Shield?

Ideally, stack both:

·Evasion converts into Attack Speed

·Energy Shield converts into Critical Chance

An Evasion/ES chest is strongly recommended.

Final Thoughts

The Hollow Palm Unarmed Lightning Monk is one of the fastest and most exhilarating leveling builds in PoE 2 Patch 0.4. While fragile early on, it scales into a lightning-fast, high-damage powerhouse with excellent bossing potential. If you enjoy reactive combat, constant movement, and screen-wide Lightning explosions, this Monk build is one of the strongest leveling options available right now.