Mastering Attack Speed with Hollow Palm Ritualist in PoE2
The Hollow Palm Mechanic
The Hollow Palm Keystone is a fascinating cornerstone for this build. When active, it grants massive attack speed and flat physical damage while the character remains unencumbered—meaning no gloves, main-hand weapon, or off-hand are equipped. This design creates a "martial artist" archetype that fights with bare fists, while scaling off Dexterity and raw stats instead of relying on weaponry.
In Path of Exile 2, Hollow Palm has gained even more flexibility. Since many new Ascendancy archetypes emphasize stat scaling, it naturally pairs well with the Ritualist, who benefits from high attribute stacking while channeling their dark spiritual energy into brutal physical damage.
Why Ritualist Fits the Playstyle
The Ritualist Ascendancy thrives on two core principles:stat amplification and layered scaling. Unlike other melee classes that demand heavy reliance on weapon damage, Ritualists benefit from global bonuses tied to attributes like Strength and Intelligence. By pairing Hollow Palm's innate scaling with this attribute-focused design, you unlock a synergy that allows the build to hit extraordinary attack speeds while also using Intelligence to multiply both survivability and offense.
For example, Ritualists can access nodes that reward investment into Intelligence with bonus damage and defensive mechanics. Since Intelligence stacking already provides Energy Shield and mana scaling, it creates a naturally tanky, resource-rich shell that complements the lightning-fast strikes of Hollow Palm.
The Role of Attack Speed
Attack speed is the lifeblood of this build. Hollow Palm's base bonuses already accelerate unarmed strikes to rapid levels, but once combined with additional Ritualist passives, Frenzy charges, and support gems, the pace reaches almost absurd levels. Faster strikes don't just mean more damage per second—they also smooth out leech, ensure on-hit effects trigger constantly, and create a fluid combat rhythm that feels distinct from slower, weapon-based builds.
Players pursuing this setup often focus their passive tree and gear around maximizing Dexterity (for raw Hollow Palm damage) while supplementing it with massive Intelligence gains (for survivability and ritual scaling). The end result is a high-speed character who punches and claws through mobs like a storm, all while maintaining substantial defenses.
Intelligence Stacking:More Than Just Defense
Stacking Intelligence doesn't just make this build tougher—it also boosts its offense. Many Ritualist passives and ascendancy nodes provide direct damage multipliers based on Intelligence. This transforms the stat from a simple defensive boost into a true dual-purpose scaling mechanism. Items that increase Intelligence, such as amulets, rings, and body armors, become cornerstone pieces of the build.
Additionally, the more Intelligence you stack, the larger your Energy Shield pool becomes, which is critical for surviving high-level bosses and endgame mapping. Combined with leech mechanics and Hollow Palm's relentless attack rate, this setup ensures constant sustain.
The Hollow Palm Ritualist with attack speed and Intelligence stacking is one of the most exhilarating melee archetypes in POE 2 Currency. It offers a perfect marriage between raw speed and layered stat scaling, producing a build that is both brutally efficient and surprisingly durable. Whether you want to tear through maps at lightning pace or challenge bosses with a stat-fueled juggernaut, this setup delivers.
For players seeking a unique martial-artist playstyle that capitalizes on attribute synergy, the Hollow Palm Ritualist is easily one of the most rewarding paths to explore in Path of Exile 2.