Path of Exile 2's Patch 0.3.0 introduces a game-changing keystone: the Hollow Palm Technique, finally allowing players to create true unarmed builds. For years, players have fantasized about going fully hand-to-hand in Wraeclast, and PoE 2 now makes that dream a reality. In this guide, we'll break down how Hollow Palm works, the ascendancies that best complement it, and the top builds for leveling and endgame content.

What is the Hollow Palm Technique?

The Hollow Palm Technique is a keystone passive that allows your character to attack as though wielding a quarterstaff while leaving both hand slots empty. Essentially, your skill gems act as your weapon:

· Weapon stats ignored: You forego attack speed, crit chance, and flat attack damage from weapons or shields.

· Skill scaling: Physical damage scales directly with your skill gem level, making gem progression the primary source of power.

· Gear bonuses: Hollow Palm grants 1% attack speed per 25 evasion and 0.1% base crit per 10 energy shield from equipped armor—calculated from gear stats, not your character sheet.

For example, moderate hybrid gear (1,800 evasion and 700 energy shield) gives a 75% attack speed increase and over 12% base crit chance—higher than most quarterstaffs. Unarmed attacks also start with a 5% base crit, giving Hollow Palm builds strong offensive potential.

Hybrid defenses become attractive, as stacking evasion and energy shield boosts both offense and defense. Additionally, Deflection, a new defensive mechanic, grants a chance to block incoming damage and scales with hybrid gear.

Best Ascendancies for Hollow Palm Builds in PoE 2 0.3

The synergy between ascendancy mechanics and Hollow Palm's unique scaling is critical. Here's a tiered ranking of ascendancies for unarmed builds:

S Tier

1. Invoker Monk

Invoker Monk's nodes like Lead Me Three Grace and Sunder My Enemies scale well with Hollow Palm, boosting evasion, energy shield, crit, and attack speed.

Recommended Build: Elemental Shattering Palm

· Uses Shattering Palm for chain explosions in mapping.

· Gear: Thunderfist gloves, elemental-enhancing rings.

· Bossing: Swap to quarterstaff skills for single-target damage.

2. Acolyte of Chayula Monk

Chayula Monk excels with volatility stacking and chaos damage proliferation, combined with Hollow Palm attack speed.

Recommended Build: Volatility Unarmed Chayula

· Focus: High attack speed + crit to stack volatility.

· Skills: Mana Tempest, Ember Fusillade.

· Defense: Hybrid gear and deflection.

3. Ritualist Huntress

Ritualist benefits from extra ring slots and Mystic Attunement, providing flat damage and sustain while unarmed.

Recommended Build: Ring Stacking Hybrid Unarmed Ritualist

· Early league: Strong leveling without weapon dependence.

· Skills: Contagion, Unearthed, and Chance to Poison support.

· Defensive focus: Life on Hit, hybrid armor.

A Tier

· Deadeye – Good for crit stacking and mark effects.

· Gemling Legionnaire – Boosts skill gem levels; otherwise average.

· Witchhunter – Offers flat damage, AoE clear, and offensive buffs.

· Stormweaver – Some synergy via elemental infusions and shock chance.

B Tier

· Blood Mage – Limited unarmed utility.

· Lich – Mainly spell-focused; low synergy.

· Pathfinder – Poison-focused; not ideal for unarmed.

C Tier

· Chronomancer – Time manipulation and spellcasting; minimal synergy.

· Infernalist – Fire and spell-based; weak for Hollow Palm.

F Tier

· Smith of Kitava / Warbringer / Titan / Tactician – Poor tree positioning and no unarmed scaling.

· Amazon – Minimal synergy; projectile and penetration focus.

Hollow Palm Build Guide for Leveling & Endgame

Hollow Palm is a smooth league starter due to gem-scaling damage, eliminating the need for weapon drops.

1. Attack Speed & Critical Chance Calculations

· Attack speed: Total evasion ÷ 25 → 1,800 evasion = 75% attack speed bonus.

· Crit chance: Total energy shield ÷ 10 × 0.1 → 700 ES = ~7% base crit, plus the 5% unarmed base.

2. Leveling Tips

· Hollow Palm is accessible around level 16, Act 2.

· Early gear: Pure evasion bases for speed; hybrid bases if intelligence permits.

· Low-level attack speed: 784 evasion = 31% bonus → ~1.8 attacks/sec.

3. Sourcing Damage Early

· Skills like Tempest Fury convert physical to elemental.

· Flat damage per gem level is crucial; some skills may feel weak early if flat scaling is low.

4. Endgame Considerations

· Hollow Palm thrives with Thunderfist gloves, Original Sin rings, or Atziri's Acuity gloves.

· Bossing: Use Shattering Palm for clearing and a high-damage quarterstaff skill for single targets.

5. Practical Advice

· Prioritize evasion and energy shield on all gear.

· Early leveling: Focus on evasion; energy shield hybrid later, and Accumulate Path of Exile 2 Currency.

· Don't depend on rare items early—plan with common gear first.

· Supplement damage with rings or gear that provide flat damage.

Conclusion

Patch 0.3.0 makes unarmed combat a viable and exciting option in Path of Exile 2. The Hollow Palm Technique transforms skill gems into weapons, encourages hybrid defensive builds, and introduces powerful new interactions with ascendancies like Invoker Monk, Chayula Monk, and Ritualist Huntress.

Whether you're leveling through the campaign or diving into endgame content, Hollow Palm offers strong scaling, fast attacks, and flexible defenses, making it one of the most innovative and rewarding playstyles in PoE 2 to date.