Best Monk Beginner build in Path of Exile 2

Discover everything you need to know about Best Monk Beginner Build in Path of Exile 2 including the best skills, stats, and gear.

Path of Exile 2 has received an initial release on December 6, 2024. There is a total of 12 distinct Classes, each granting its own uniqueness in the game. Unfortunately, the Classes in Path of Exile 2 are gender-locked, meaning you cannot choose the gender of a specific Class as it is predetermined. Selecting the best beginner Monk build is crucial at the early stages because gameplay depends on it. Explore the Monk Build in Path of Exile 2 and see how he redefines early-access gameplay! In this guide, we’ll discuss the Best Monk Build in Path of Exile 2 including the best gear and passive skills to use.

Best Monk Beginner build in Path of Exile 2 Explored

This setup is very unique because we’re going to be striking enemies with Quarterstaff. This Invoker Monk build uses Tempest Flurry for tough bosses and Storm Wave for Clear for the huge speed and distance to proc. Our Monk beginner build aims for bonuses to Lightning damage / Attack Speed. We include the Armour that grants Mana, Life, and resistances for a 75% cap. For body armour, Evasion is pretty important to roll. Invest in a weapon to get more damage from it and get Flat Lightning damage at your staff.

In this full overview of the setup, we will explain what skill gems and skill links should you focus on. Then as well, we’ll see what is the best gear and how to get it for both the leveling and midgame. And then finally we will go over the passive skill tree, stats, and your skill rotations, so we would be able to get the highest damage possible, and much more.

Monk Build Pros	Monk Build Cons
High Damage Output	Low Defense
Mobility	Complex Resource Management
Versatile Skill Set	Steep Learning Curve
Ice and Lightning Damage

Best Monk skills and support gems in Path of Exile 2

Here are the best beginner skills and support gems that you should use in the initial stages of the Path of Exile 2:

• Quarterstaff Strike
• Tempest Fury
  • Conduction (Support Gem)
  • Martial Tempo (Support Gem)
  • Crescendo (Support Gem)
  • Lightning Infusion (Support Gem)
• Cast on Shock
  • Comet (Support Gem)
  • Spell Echo (Support Gem)
  • Concentrated Effect (Support Gem)
  • Inevitable Critical (Support Gem)
• Tempest Ball
  • Ruthless (Support Gem)
  • Magnified Effect (Support Gem)
• Vaulting Impact
• Killing Palm
  • Behead (Support Gem)
• Blasphemy
  • Enfeeble (Support Gem)
  • Clarity (Support Gem)
• Orb of Storms
  • Overabundance (Support Gem)
  • Lightning Exposure (Support Gem)

Quarterstaff Strike

Strike with your Quarterstaff.

Tempest Fury

Perform a series of aggressive strikes. When used in quick succession, the third use strikes three times, and the fourth use performs a final strike that calls down a powerful shocking bolt.

• +4 to melee strike range
• Converts 60% of physical damage to lightning damage

Conduction (Support Gem)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, making it more likely to shock

• Supported Skills have 100% more chance to shock

Martial Tempo (Support Gem)

Supports attacks, causing them to attack faster.

• Supported Skills have 25% more attack speed

Crescendo (Support Gem)

Supports strikes that perform a final strike at the end of a combination of attacks, allowing you to use the final strike twice in succession.

• Final strike of supported skills can be performed twice in succession

Lightning Infusion (Support Gem)

Supports attacks, causing them to gain lightning damage but deal less cold and fire damage.

• Supported attacks gain 25% of damage as extra lightning damage
• Supported attacks deal 50% less cold and fire damage

Cast on Shock

While active, gains energy when you shock enemies and triggers socketed spells on reaching maximum energy.

• Gains 20 energy when you shock an enemy with a hit from a skill, once per skill use

Comet (Support Gem)

Calls down a mass of ice from the sky, dealing high damage at the targeted location. Targeting close to you will cause you to jump back as you cast.

• Deals 37 to 56 cold damage
• +1 second to total cast time

Spell Echo (Support Gem)

Supports spells that affect an area around you or a target location. Supported spells echo, causing their effects to happen again after a short delay. Cannot support channeling skills remote skills.

• 30% less cast speed
• Echoes once
• Echoes from supported spells have 1% more area of effect

Concentrated Effect (Support Gem)

Supports any skill with an area of effect, causing that area to be smaller but any area damage it deals to be higher.

• 50% less area of effect
• Supported skills deal 40% more area damage

Inevitable Critical (Support Gem)

Supports any skill you use yourself that hits enemies, causing it to accumulate critical hit chance over time.

• Supported skills gain 25% increased critical hit chance each second, up to 100%. This critical hit chance is lost whenever a skill supported by inevitable critical critically hits

Tempest Ball

Build a combo by successfully striking enemies with other skills. After reaching maximum combo, use this skill to cause the Bell on your staff to grow to a massive size as you drop it on the ground. The Bell damages enemies on impact and can be hit by your skills, creating a damaging shockwave. Elemental Ailments applied to the Bell cause its shockwaves to deal extra damage of the corresponding type and hits which would have caused knockback to increase the area of effect of the shockwaves.

• Deals (18601)% more damage per Elemental Ailment afflicting the Bell (18602)% of physical damage converted to the corresponding damage type of each Elemental Ailment afflicting the Bell.
• Requires 4 combo to use
• Lose combo if you generate no combo for 8 seconds
• Limit 1 Bell

Ruthless (Support Gem)

Supports attacks, causing repeated use to be more effective at stunning enemies.

• Every fifth use of supported attacks causes (1)% more stun buildup

Magnified Effect (Support Gem)

Supports any skill with an area of effect, making it larger.

• Supported Skills have 40% more area of effect

Vaulting Impact

Leaps forward and slams the ground, sending out a stunning shockwave that is especially potent against Dazed enemies.

• +1 second to total attack time
• 30% more stun buildup
• Consume Daze on enemies to cause 300% more stun buildup

Killing Palm

Dash to an enemy and strike them with an unarmed attack, culling enemies if their life is low enough. Each enemy killed by this strike grants a power charge. Enemies around you that can be Culled will be highlighted. This skill always strikes with your bare fist, even if you have a Quarterstaff equipped.

• 5 to 9 added attack physical damage
• Culling Strike
• Can’t be evaded
• +700% to critical hit chance

Behead (Support Gem)

Supports strike skills, causing them to steal modifiers from rare monsters they kill.

• Killing blows from supported strike skills against rare monsters grant one of their modifiers for 20 seconds

Blasphemy

Turns socketed curse skills into vile auras, applying their effects to all nearby enemies.

• Socketed curse skills apply in an Aura around you
• Reserves 60 spirits per socketed curse

Enfeeble (Support Gem)

Curses all targets in an area after a short delay, making them deal less damage

• Curse duration is 6 seconds
• Curse radius is 1.5 meters
• Cursed normal, magic, or rare enemies deal 20% less damage
• Cursed unique enemies deal 10% less damage
• Curse applies after a 1-second delay

Clarity (Support Gem)

Supports persistent buff skills, causing you to gain an increased Mana Regeneration Rate while a supported skill is active.

• 30% increased Mana Regeneration Rate while a supported skill is active

Orb of Storms

Creates an orb of electricity that fires Chaining Lightning Bolts at nearby enemies.

• Orb disappears after 10 bolts
• Fires a bolt every 3.5 seconds, and when you use a Lightning skill near the orb
• Chains 3 times
• Deals 2 to 5 lightning damage
• Limit 1 orb

Overabundance (Support Gem)

Supports skills that can have a limited number of effects active at once, increasing that limit at the cost of their duration. Only applies to restrictions that use the word “Limit”.

• Supported skills have +1 to Limit
• Supported Skills have 50% less skill effect duration

Lightning Exposure (Support Gem)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, causing it to deal less damage but inflict lightning exposure for 8 seconds on shocking an enemy.

• Supported skills deal 25% less damage
• Supported skills inflict lightning exposure for 8 seconds on shocking an enemy

Best Monk Stat Priorities

Monk in Path of Exile 2 refers to a character focused on agility, melee combat, and sometimes elemental damage. Your stats are crucial in every aspect as your gameplay mostly depends on them. Prioritize attack speed, critical strikes, and damage modifiers to deliver fast and devastating melee attacks while maintaining agility and precision.

Regular stats

• Dexterity
• Intelligence
• Strength

The Monk is a Dexterity/Intelligence hybrid class, meaning you need to reserve some attacks through evasion. The ones that you use will be steeped by your energy shield. As a melee fighter, you want to be a tank with a few hits, making Strength stat crucial as well. Dexterity boosts your attack speed, accuracy, and evasion, and Strength on the other hand grants added melee damage and life scaling. Intelligence is optional and you can consider it when using elemental skills or auras that require Intelligence.

Defensive stats

• Energy shield
• Evasion
• Life leech

This Monk beginner build focuses on agility, evasion, and mobility, making it defense-oriented around avoiding hits. Evasion is the primary defense for neglecting attacks, so you need to look for evasion nodes on the passive tree with a high evasion rating. Enhance your Life pool to tackle hits that cross evasion. Aim for the Life nodes in the passive tree and gear with enhanced Life. Energy Shield adds an extra layer of defense to your character, enhancing survivability in combat. Make sure to equip hybrid evasion/energy shield gear.

Offensive stats

• Physical damage
• Elemental damage
• Cold damage

Physical damage is the primary damage type for most Monk-style melee skills. With enhanced physical damage stats, you’ll be dealing massive damage and killing enemies with 2~3 hits. Lightning damage adds fire, lightning, and cold damage for elemental “fists.” The enhanced cold damage allows you to freeze enemies in a place, dealing massive damage with your attacks.

Best Monk Passive Skills

Path of Exile 2 offers passive skill nodes that we recommend to grab when you got a chance because they’re highly effective. The Monk has stronger early options for the passive skill, enhancing the initial survivability. However, if you want to min-max more, they are easily respec-ed. You will get a massive boost to both attack power and attack rate without depending on flasks. Consider picking notable passives in the star-shaped cluster from your starting point. Choose elemental specialization if you’ve selected an Ascendancy class during Act 2.

• Flow Like Water- 8% increased Attack & Cast speed, +5 Dexterity and Intelligence
• Step Like Mist- 4% increased movement speed, 15% increased mana regeneration rate, +5 Dexterity & Intelligence
• Mindful Awareness- 24% increased evasion, 24% increased maximum energy shield
• Life From Death- Recover 3% life on kill
• Tenfold Attacks- 4% increased attack speed, 6% increased attack speed if you’ve been hit recently, 10+ to Strength
• Killer Instinct- 30% increased attack damage when on full life, 50% increased attack damage when on low life
• Immortal Thirst- 15% increased maximum energy shield, 25% increased amount of mana leeched
• Immortal Infamy- 10% increased energy shield recharge rate, recover 2% life on kill, +10 to intelligence

How Skill Tree is set in POE2

For most new players, the passive skill tree is extremely daunting but actually, it’s quite simple. A character is granted one passive skill point every time they level up and are sometimes even granted more from completing certain quests. In extremely simple we have the intelligence section which focuses on spell damage, summoning, and elemental damage.

Next, we have the Dexterity section which is more focused on ranged combat, evasion, and speed. At the bottom left, we have the Strength section which is more melee and defense-oriented. Next, we’ve passive nodes and they are split into two categories. The small passives that grant minor bonuses such as a small increase in attack speed, spell damage, melee damage, or attributes.

Second, we’ve notable passives. These are larger passive points that grant greater bonuses than the smaller ones but they have stats on them that are often closely related to the small passives leading up to them. Think of these as checkpoints to work towards. On top of this, we have a third passive point but is not entirely compared to the two others. For the third one, we have the keystones which are build changing character defining that often provide a massive amount of power with a downside. However, these downsides can be reduced or worked towards.

Following a specific setup is extremely useful and understanding the passive skill tree can make or break your character. Investing more time in this specific section will upgrade your knowledge of the game.

Best Monk Gear

Monk is a little squishy and a mixture of energy shield and evasion can solve your initial problems in the game. Damage and attack speed are your bread and butter in the path of Exile 2 while playing as a Monk.

Gear Slot	Gear	Requirement	Effect
Main Hand Weapon	Advanced Crackling Quarterstaff	36 int, 91 dex, 51 level	Adds 1 to (18-27) lightning damage to attacks (48-71)% increased elemental damage with attacks (65-84)% increased physical damage +3 to level of all melee skills
Helmet	Advanced Hewn Mask	46 int, 46dex, 45 level	87 evasion rating 35 energy shield
Body Armour	Advanced Anchorite Garb	67 int, 67 dex, 59 level	+(70-84) to maximum life +(21-25)% to cold resistance
Belt	Plate Belt	25 level	+(100-140) to Armour
Gloves	Advanced Linen Wraps	46 int, 46 dex, 51 level	49 evasion rating 19 energy shield
Boots	Advanced Threaded Shoes	49 int, 49 dex, 51 level	73 evasion rating 29 energy shield
Ring 1	Ruby Ring	8 level	+(20-30) to fire resistance
Ring 2	Sapphire Ring	12 level	+(20-30) to cold resistance
Amulet	Lapis Amulet	8 level	+(10-15) to Intelligence

How to Play Monk in Path of Exile 2

Monk in Path of Exile 2 involves high mobility along with mastering a fluid. It is a damage-focused class that uses Quarterstaves for better speed, range, and damage modifiers. Apply ailments by focusing on lightning and cold skills. Use Energy Shield for sustainability and Evasion to dodge attacks. The nodes near the Shadow starting area are Lightning and Cold Damage Nodes, boosting skill effectiveness. Prefer maximizing elemental damage and critical strikes when fighting bosses in combat.

Use the gear that focuses on elemental damage and Critical Strike Chance along with the Evasion and Energy Shield. Equip the weapons that boost lightning, cold damage, or critical damage. Use rings and amulets to enhance elemental ailment effectiveness. Prioritize equipping Armor with Evasion stats and Energy Shield. Dodge heavy attacks by utilizing mobility and carry flask to maximize elemental resistance. If you’re looking to excel as a Monk in Path of Exile 2, then focus on agility, elemental power, and strategic ability.

Using Invoker Ascendancy for Monk

Invoker specializes in Ice or Lightning damage and enhancing the skill damage. Invoker Looks like a strong choice for cast on critical builds but lacks some defensive capabilities and the quality of life nodes. This makes it a more damage-oriented Ascendancy choice in Path of Exile 2. It uses elemental magic in its attacks and utilizes abilities more than its counterpart in combat. Invokers change into Unbound Avatars that deal additional damage and enhance the ailments inflicted on foes.

The best Invoker Ascendancy passive skills to use are:

• …and I Shall Rage- When you apply Elemental Ailments to enemies, gain Unbound Fury. Once you have enough, transform into an Avatar, dealing more damage and inflicting more Ailments. This passive is strong but not really consistent and should work best with hybrid builds that will utilize a few elements to shock, chill, and ignite.
• …and Scatter Them to the Winds- Trigger Elemental Expression on Melee Critical Strike. Elemental expression will create waves of elemental power to damage enemies around and could be a build in cast on critical.
• Faith is a Choice- It provides Monk with Meditate skill, which you can channel to double energy shield. Initially, it looks pretty strong, but the channeling part needs to be clarified. It can also stack with cast while channeling skill gems which can trigger any particular skill.

Best Path of Exile 2 Monk Build Summary

FAQs about Best Monk Beginner Build in Path of Exile 2 (POE 2)?

1. How important is gear for my Monk build?

Gear in Path of Exile 2 is crucial for any build, including your Monk build. The Gears determine how strong and survivable your build will be in combat. Gear in the Monk build allows you to handle the tougher battle in Path of Exile 2, so always focus on improving gear through crafting, buying, or farming.

2. Can I respec my Monk build if I make a mistake?

Yes, you can respec your Monk build by refunding passive skill points through The Hooded One, an NPC located in the Clearfell Encampment. Complete the “Sorrow Among Stones” quest in Act 1, to unlock this feature. However, it will take you 2 to 5 hours, depending on your pace.

3. How do I acquire Monk’s new skills?

The Monk class in Path of Exile 2 has a wide variety of skills, primarily centered around elemental damage. Getting new skills involves obtaining skill gems that you can socket into the equipment to grant corresponding abilities. You can obtain the skill gems while progressing through the campaign or you can purchase the skill gems from the vendors. Use the support gems to increase the strengthen the effects of your primary skills.

4. What’s the best way to level up the Monk build quickly?

The best way to level up the Monk build quickly is by selecting skills, ascendancies, and equipment, and employing synergistic combat techniques. Enhance your gear and equipment and optimize the skill gem selection.

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