Path of Exile (PoE) offers a myriad of unique playstyles, but few are as intriguing as the Hollow Palm Technique. This keystone passive skill transforms the gameplay experience by allowing characters to fight unarmed, leveraging dexterity for massive damage outputs. In this guide, we’ll delve deep into the Hollow Palm Technique, exploring its mechanics, benefits, and how to optimize your build for maximum efficiency.

Understanding the Hollow Palm Technique

The Hollow Palm Technique is a keystone passive skill introduced in Path of Exile that enables characters to count as dual-wielding while unencumbered. Being unencumbered means not having any Path of Exile 1 items equipped in the main hand, off-hand, or glove slots. This unique mechanic provides the following benefits:

• 40% more Attack Speed with Melee Skills while unencumbered: This significant boost enhances the speed and fluidity of attacks, making it a cornerstone for melee-focused builds.
• 14 to 20 Added Attack Physical Damage per 10 Dexterity while unencumbered: This feature allows dexterity to directly scale physical damage, incentivizing players to invest heavily in dexterity nodes and gear.

To acquire the Hollow Palm Technique, players must equip the unique cluster jewel One With Nothing. This jewel can be socketed into the passive skill tree, granting access to the keystone and unlocking the unarmed combat playstyle.

Building Around the Hollow Palm Technique

Constructing a build around the Hollow Palm Technique requires meticulous planning, focusing on dexterity stacking, skill synergy, and defensive layers. Here’s a step-by-step approach to crafting an effective Hollow Palm build:

1. Choosing the Right Class and Ascendancy

While several classes can utilize the Hollow Palm Technique, the Duelist’s Slayer ascendancy is particularly effective. The Slayer offers benefits such as increased area of effect, life leech, and immunity to bleeding, all of which complement the aggressive playstyle of unarmed combat. For instance, a Hollow Palm Cyclone Slayer build has been showcased to achieve impressive damage and survivability, making it a popular choice among players.

2. Skill Gem Selection

The choice of active skill gems is crucial for maximizing the potential of the Hollow Palm Technique. Skills that benefit from high attack speed and can be used unarmed are ideal. Notable options include:

• Cyclone: A channeling skill that allows for continuous movement and damage, synergizing well with the attack speed boost from the Hollow Palm Technique. Cyclone’s ability to hit multiple enemies makes it excellent for clearing packs and sustaining buffs like Onslaught and Rampage.
• Ice Crash: This skill delivers a powerful area-of-effect attack, scaling effectively with dexterity and benefiting from the added physical damage provided by the Hollow Palm Technique. An Ice Crash Hollow Palm Raider build exemplifies the synergy between this skill and the keystone, resulting in devastating damage outputs.

3. Passive Skill Tree and Dexterity Stacking

Investing heavily in dexterity is paramount for a Hollow Palm build. The passive skill tree should prioritize nodes that grant dexterity, increased attack speed, and life. Utilizing timeless jewels like Brutal Restraint can further enhance dexterity and provide additional benefits. For example, certain Brutal Restraint jewels offer mods such as “5% increased Dexterity” or “+20 to Dexterity,” significantly boosting the damage potential of the build.

4. Gear and Unencumbered Status

Maintaining the unencumbered status is essential to harness the full power of the Hollow Palm Technique. This means avoiding any items in the weapon, shield, and glove slots. Instead, focus on acquiring gear that enhances dexterity, life, and resistances in other slots. Key POE 1 items to consider include:

• Amulet: Look for amulets that provide high dexterity and life. Anointed with dexterity-related passives can further boost your stats.
• Rings: Rings with dexterity, attack speed, and resistances are ideal. Crafting or purchasing rings with these attributes can significantly enhance your build’s performance.
• Body Armour: Opt for body armours that offer life, resistances, and, if possible, additional dexterity. The unique body armour Foxshade provides dexterity and movement speed, aligning well with the Hollow Palm playstyle.

5. Defensive Layers

While offense is a significant focus, ensuring adequate defenses is crucial for survival. Incorporate the following defensive layers into your build: