Best unarmored monk level build in PoE 2

While in the monk class Road to exile 2 Armed with a quarterstaff by default, players can finally ditch their big sticks in favor of their bare fists. The Hollow Palm Technique passive from the game's actual skill forest allows players to use the Quarterstaff skill with unarmed attacks while allowing players to balance their offensive stats with defensive ones, which often leads to surprisingly tanky late-game builds.

The following is an early campaign/leveling version of an unarmed Lightning Monk build PoE 2 Which packs a ridiculously high DPS output with a gameplay loop that flows like water.

PoE 2 Empty Palm Monk level build

There's a lot going on with this build, especially in the early stages. We're going to go over each of the setups before diving into the late campaign/early end game build.

Wind Blast and Staggering Palm

For most of Acts 1 and 2, we strongly recommend using Air blast, Amazing palmand Vaulting effect As your main damage skill. Wind Blast deals large area damage, while Staggering Palm empowers all your attacks after using it to heavy stun an enemy.. Vaulting Slam is for massive AoE burst damage against enemies that are already heavily stunned.

This playstyle is also very similar to the build we use for Act 3 and beyondSo you don't have to worry too much about any changes to how the final build itself plays. Compared to something like the Bear Druid build it has a lot more range, but it's also a lot squishier.

Grab Tempest Flurry and use it instead of your normal Quarterstaff Strike attack. It attacks very quickly, can be shocked, and triggers Staggering Palm's air blasts very quickly.

You can use whatever support gems you want for these abilities, though we recommend Quick Attack and Rage for Wind Blast, then

Electrical damage transmission

Got it once storm surgeyou can Replace it with Wind Blast and focus on stacking elemental damage bonuses through support gems. (ie through Elemental Armament and Rage). At this point in the game, you'll be powerful enough to fly through PoE 2Campaign and melt bosses pretty quickly, assuming you have enough flat damage bonuses on your gloves and rings.

We'll also replace Staggering Palm with Siphoning Strike so we can generate Power Charges, and we'll also get rid of Vaulting Slam in favor of Falling Thunder for massive AoE Lightning damage.

Charged staff

The build really comes online the moment you land a charged strike. This is a huge buff to our damage output, especially with Tempest Flurry. However, you don't have the ability to stand there and tank incoming damage while punching things, so you'll still have to rely mostly on Storm Wave.

How to generate power charges

Uses construction long confusion As the main way of generating power charges. This is a spirit skill, meaning to use it together with Herald of Thunder, you need to complete the Tribal Vengeance quest in Act 3 to obtain an item that increases your maximum spirit to 60.

Lingering Illusion releases its clone after being stunned. When these clones are destroyed, they release a blue ball that gives you a power charge when picked up. You'll basically have power charges all the time, if you don't forget to pick up the orbs.

Siphoning Strike is still a good way to get power charges with this build since you'll be dealing a lot of shock. Alternatively, use Battle frenzy and furnished ElectrocuteSupport a gem in one of your damaging abilities. You need it too Resonance passive to turn frenzy charges into power charges.

Early end game construction

How to play Build

Spam Storm Wave clearing mobs and dealing ranged damage, then use Tempest Flurry + Tempest Bell to fight the bosses. Keep using Siphoning Strike and Lingering Illusion to get Power Charges.

inactive tree

The following passive tree setup is for a level 45 character.

We can't stress enough how much of a glass cannon this build is in the early stages of the game. If you play it like a melee build you will die a lot, so keep your distance and spam your dodge roll every chance you get.

Focus on achieving the following first:

• Aggressive attack
• immaterial
• Tenfold attacks
• killer instinct
• Conservative casting
• Spectral Ward
• Blinding Strike
• Agile Succession
• Subterfuge Mask
• Hollow palm technique

Our passive tree setup consists of 4 Strength, 8 Dexterity, and 2 Intelligence nodes.

In essence, these passives will only increase your damage, stealth rating, and energy shield.. Daze and Blind from Concussive Attack and Blinding Strike also contribute to your overall survivability.

Prioritize your route based on what you need. If you have enough damage from your gear, you'll want to go for defensive passives like intangibles first. Otherwise, take damage boosters instead.

As you continue to level up, make your way towards Lightning and Crit passives. Reincarnate the mind if necessary.

When should you take hollow palm?

As far as leveling is concerned, It doesn't matter when you take the Hollow Palm Technique. In our playthrough, we immediately went to it so we could take it as level 14.

You will receive a physical damage bonus to your attacks based on your Skill Gem level when you take the Hollow Palm Technique.

climbing

This build uses Summoner Ascendancy for lightning damage and a bonus to the Meditate skill, which we can use to recharge and overflow our energy shield. Useful for late campaign and early endgame stages, but it will eventually be replaced by the beautiful My Enemies passive so we can ignore enemy resistances in Crit. Once you get your fifth and sixth points, get I Shall Rage for the Unbound Avatar skill, which is great for fighting bosses.

equipment

Because Hollow Palm doesn't require you to carry any weapons in your hand slots, you don't have to worry about finding a good weapon. Instead, try to get the following stats on your other gear pieces.

• Flat damage on attack

• Mana regen per second/mana on kill

• Stealth and energy shield

• resistances

• attack speed

If you want to maximize your DPS, try to get a pair of gloves with as much flat damage bonus as possible. Equip two iron rings with damage and elemental resistance measures, and use Runes to patch any holes in your defenses. There are many good items being sold by other players, so if you have currency items left, try trading.

Stealth or energy shield?

Ideally, you want a bit of both. You can definitely go for Evasion/ES on all your armor pieces, though you can try mixing and matching dedicated Stealth and Energy Shield pieces until you're satisfied with your survivability. If anything, we recommend at least using an Evasion/ES body armor piece.

The Hollow Palm Technique increases your attack speed and crit chance based on your Evasion Rating and Energy Shield respectively. Stack it as high as you can.