Exploding Palm

Exploding Palm in action.

Exploding Palm (or EP) is a Techniques Monk skill unlocked at level 13. The Monk inflicts internal damage that causes the target to take damage over time, and to explode dealing huge damage to nearby enemies if it dies while the DoT is in effect.

• An earlier version of this skill had a much more complicated operation. For details, see: Exploding Palm (Feb 2012).

Reaper of Souls Nerf

During D3v and the early months of RoS, this skill had a Crushing Blow type effect, so that a monster that died while marked by the EP would explode and deal a % of the monster's maximum hit points to all nearby enemies. This was a hugely-powerful ability which Blizzard came to feel was overpowered at the highest difficulty levels, especially during Patch 2.1 testing when Greater Rifts were enabled, and Monks were able to complete GR level 100 by exploiting the massive percentage-based damage of EP.[1]

Thus the developers reworked the skill in Patch 2.1 on the PTR in early July 2014, taking out the percentage based damage and replacing it with a very high weapon damage. [2]

Exploding Palm

• Weapon damage increased from 1179% to 1200% over 9 seconds
• Explosion damage has been changed from a percentage of the enemy's maximum Life to % Weapon Damage
• Now deals 2770% weapon damage as Physical if an enemy dies while bleeding

The skill remains strong, and may actually be more effective for players in lower difficulty levels, but prior to the nerf/change EP could deal billions of points of damage in very high level Greater Rifts.

Skill Rune Effects

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="Monk">Exploding Palm</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="The Flesh is Weak">Exploding Palm</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Strong Spirit">Exploding Palm</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Impending Doom">Exploding Palm</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Shocking Grasp">Exploding Palm</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Essence Burn">Exploding Palm</skill>

Skill Design

Pop!

During the beta, all the skills previously known as combos were simplified down so much that only three of them (Fists of Thunder, Deadly Reach, and Crippling Wave) still contain any semblance of combo functionality. These three skills now provide simply an additional effect on every third strike, while the others (Way of the Hundred Fists, Exploding Palm, and Sweeping Wind) now have a single function on every strike. Combos previously consisted of: the normal spell attack on the first strike; a stronger attack on the second; and on the third, an even stronger attack coupled with an additional effect.

Video

A video of the early version of Exploding Palm can be seen below, courtesy of the DiabloInc You Tube channel. This does not represent how the skill works in the game any longer.

Synergies

The following Monk passives provide a benefit to Exploding Palm:

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="Monk">Resolve</skill>

Development

Exploding Palm was first shown at BlizzCon 2009 as one of the originals when the Monk was unveiled. Flux was able to try it out:[3]

This was probably the coolest spell most people saw at Blizzcon, just for the massive blood explosions it created. It was magnificently overpowered, working like an early D2C version of Corpse Explosion. Triggering the third stage of this one, then beating that monster down with 100 Fists, was almost certain to clear any room, killing every monster anywhere near melee range.

This skill was indeed moved from Tier 2 up to Tier 5 for BlizzCon 2010.

Beta

Skill tiers were removed shortly before the beta started in September 2011, and Exploding Palm became a level 12 skill. The skill system was once again overhauled for the Beta Patch 13 in February 2012, and Exploding Palm was classified as a Primary skill and moved to level 11.

For Beta Patch 14, it was re-classified as a Techniques skill and moved to level 13. It was also significantly changed in function: previously, it was a Spirit Generating combo skill that dealt two weak hits, before the third placed the explosive curse effect on the target.

Previous Versions

See the Monk skill archive for more details on previous versions of Exploding Palm and other Monk skills.
Or see Exploding Palm (Feb 2012) for the older version of this skill.

Media

Exploding Palm can be seen in action on video here:

• Gameplay: Blizzcon 2009
• Video: August 2011 Monk Skill Animations

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:

• Diablo III screenshots and pictures
• Exploding Palm specific gallery contents

• 

  Carnage galore.

• 

  Exploding monster from stage 3 Exploding Palm.

• 

  Exploding Palm by GAMi.

References

• BlizzCon 2009 Full Monk Skill Tree stats and discussion
• Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
• Silva's Monk Runestone Effects — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
• Monk Active Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer primary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer secondary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer corpses

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer bloodandbone

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer reanimation

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer curses