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Force Palm is one of the most versatile abilities in Crimson Desert. It is a combat tool, a puzzle-solving mechanic, a traversal aid, and even a mining technique. Kliff learns Force Palm automatically during Chapter 1 in the main quest Abyss Without Balance. The ability condenses energy into your palm and releases it in a single powerful strike that reduces the target's defense. Throughout the game you will unlock several variants that expand its uses into healing, aerial combat, diving attacks, elemental damage, and core-shattering focused blasts.
This guide covers every aspect of Force Palm: the basic controls, Spirit resource management, each variant and how to unlock it, and practical tips for combat, puzzle solving, and exploration.
Force Palm is activated by pressing a single button. Hold the input to aim, then release to fire the palm strike at your target.
Platform | Activate Force Palm | Switch to Healing Palm | |
|---|---|---|---|
PlayStation 5 | Press R3 (Right Stick) | Hold R3, then press L3 | Hold L3 + R3 |
Xbox | Press Right Stick | Hold Right Stick, then press Left Stick | Hold Left Stick + Right Stick |
PC / Keyboard + Mouse | Click Mouse Wheel (Middle Click) | Hold Mouse Wheel, then press Tab | Press X |
When you press the Force Palm input, Kliff enters an aiming stance. A targeting reticle appears showing where the palm strike will land. Release the button to fire. You can cancel by dodging or pressing the block button.
Force Palm costs 5 Spirit per use. If nothing happens when you press the Force Palm input, your Spirit meter is most likely empty. Spirit is the green resource bar displayed below your health. It does not regenerate passively during combat in most situations, so you need to recharge it manually.
To recharge Spirit, hold L3 + R3 on a controller or press X on keyboard. Kliff enters a brief focus stance and channels energy, refilling the Spirit meter. You are vulnerable during this animation, so find a safe window between enemy attacks before recharging. Certain skills and items can also restore Spirit passively or on hit.
In combat, Force Palm is primarily used to reduce an enemy's defense. Each hit temporarily lowers the target's Defense stat, making your follow-up attacks deal more damage. Against regular enemies this is useful but not essential. Against bosses, it becomes a core part of your strategy.
A single Force Palm strike visibly lowers the defense of the target for a short duration. Stacking multiple hits extends and deepens the debuff. This is especially effective at the start of a boss encounter or whenever a boss enters a new phase with increased defenses.
Force Palm contributes significantly to the stagger gauge (the yellow bar beneath an enemy's health bar). Each palm strike fills roughly 20-25% of a boss's stagger bar. Landing three consecutive palm strikes on a boss will often break their posture entirely, leaving them open to a finisher attack. Some bosses, like the Crimson Nightmare, can only be damaged after you fill their stagger gauge with Force Palm hits.
The general boss strategy with Force Palm follows a cycle: dodge the boss's attack pattern, land 3-4 Force Palm hits to fill the stagger gauge, then unleash your strongest weapon combos while the boss is stunned. The Excavatron boss in the Stolen Quarry quest is a prime example. When its drills light up, hitting it with Force Palm staggers it and cancels its devastating Dig attack.
Force Palm is the primary tool for solving environmental puzzles throughout Crimson Desert. The ability can interact with special objects in the world that glow with a faint energy shimmer.
Moving objects: Aim Force Palm at a puzzle piece and fire to push it into the correct position. Many puzzles in the Abyss areas require sliding stone blocks into alignment.
Connecting objects to surfaces: Certain puzzle objects need to be attached to specific walls or slots. Force Palm locks them in place once you push them to the right spot.
Activating mechanisms: Some devices and platforms respond only to Force Palm energy. Striking them triggers switches, opens doors, or powers up machinery.
Rebuilding structures: During the Abyss Without Balance quest, you use Force Palm to rebuild a kiln by pressing scattered fragments into the correct positions.
If a puzzle object does not respond to Force Palm, it may require Focused Force Palm instead (see the Focused Force Palm section below). Objects that require the focused variant typically have a multicolored shimmer or a visible internal core.
One of the most useful applications of Force Palm has nothing to do with combat or puzzles. You can use Force Palm while airborne to catapult yourself upward. Jump and press the Force Palm input up to three times in succession while in midair. Each activation propels Kliff higher, allowing you to scale tall cliffs, walls, and buildings without consuming stamina for climbing.
This technique is faster than traditional climbing and works on almost any vertical surface. Combine it with the Double Jump skill for even greater height. The only cost is Spirit, so make sure your Spirit meter has enough charge before attempting a tall ascent.
Force Palm doubles as a mining tool. When you encounter ore deposits on cliff faces or in hard-to-reach locations, you can destroy them with Force Palm instead of using a pickaxe. Climb to the ore vein and press R3 (or Mouse Wheel on PC) to shatter it and collect the resources.
Be aware that using Force Palm while clinging to a wall pushes you off. Position yourself directly next to the ore vein so the resources drop before you fall. Alternatively, if the ore is visible from a distance, you can use a Charged Shot to break it from range.
As you progress through the game and invest Abyss Artifacts in the skill tree, Force Palm expands into several specialized variants. Each variant builds on the base ability and adds a distinct function.
Variant | Unlock Requirement | Primary Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
Chapter 1, Abyss Without Balance quest (automatic) | 5 Spirit | Defense reduction, stagger, puzzles | |
Level Force Palm to Level 1 | 5 Spirit | Upward propulsion, aerial puzzles | |
Level Force Palm to Level 1 | 5 Spirit | Heal horse and allies | |
Level Force Palm to Level 2 | 5 Spirit | Allows two consecutive strikes | |
Level Force Palm to Level 3 | 5 Spirit | Allows three consecutive strikes | |
Unarmed Combat Lv.3 + Force Palm Lv.3, costs 1 Abyss Artifact | Swift follow-up strike after Force Palm | ||
Observe skill in action during story | 5 Spirit | Powerful downward aerial strike | |
Complete House Roberts questline, observe spirit near Fort Perwin | Shatter multicolored stones, access blocked paths | ||
Unlock Flame or Frost elemental imbue (mid-game) | Adds fire or ice elemental damage to palm strikes |
Healing Force Palm converts your palm energy into restorative energy. To activate it, hold the Force Palm input (R3 / Mouse Wheel) to enter the aiming stance, then press L3 (Tab on PC) to switch to the healing variant. The aiming reticle changes color to indicate the switch. Release to fire the healing palm at your target.
The most common use is healing your horse. Your mount takes damage during combat and from environmental hazards. When your horse stops sprinting or appears sluggish, it likely needs healing. Stand near your horse, aim the Healing Force Palm at its torso, and release. You can check your horse's health through the Inventory Menu when your horse is summoned nearby.
Healing Force Palm also works on allied NPCs during escort missions and companion quests. Aim at any friendly character and release to restore a portion of their health.
Aerial Force Palm activates automatically when you use Force Palm while airborne. Jump and press R3 (Mouse Wheel on PC), and Kliff fires the palm strike downward, propelling himself upward. You can chain up to three aerial palm strikes in succession, gaining significant height with each one.
In combat, Aerial Force Palm pushes enemies into the ground, dealing impact damage and briefly pinning lighter foes. In puzzles, it can push elevated objects downward onto pressure plates or into slots below.
The traversal use is the most impactful. Three consecutive aerial palm strikes let you reach ledges, rooftops, and cliff tops that would otherwise require a long climbing route. Combine with Double Jump for maximum height. This consumes 15 Spirit total (5 per strike), so make sure you have enough charge before starting the ascent.
Diving Force Palm is a powerful downward strike that channels all your energy into a single plunging attack. You unlock it by observing the skill in action during a story sequence, rather than through the skill tree.
To use Diving Force Palm, press R3 after an Aerial Swing or press R3 while falling from a significant height. Kliff channels energy and slams downward with tremendous force. This deals heavy damage to enemies below and creates an area-of-effect impact zone.
Diving Force Palm works best as a combat opener when engaging enemies from an elevated position. Jump from a cliff or rooftop, target a group of enemies below, and unleash the diving palm to start the fight with a devastating opening strike.
Focused Force Palm is one of the most important abilities in the first third of Crimson Desert. Unlike other variants, it is not unlocked through the skill tree. You learn it by completing the House Roberts faction questline and then observing a spirit's demonstration near Fort Perwin.
Complete the House Roberts faction quests, which involve clearing bandit-controlled areas including the Karin Quarry.
Clear Fort Perwin (located southwest of Hernand). This requires defeating The Red Nightmare boss and his forces.
After Fort Perwin, travel west along the main path until you reach a small mountain passage.
Inside, you will find a spirit standing before a rock wall with a shimmering multicolored stone. Watch the spirit's demonstration.
Kliff automatically learns Focused Force Palm after observing the spirit.
Focused Force Palm requires precise timing. When you activate Force Palm on a multicolored stone, a leaf symbol appears and begins moving toward the stone's inner core. Watch the leaf carefully as it approaches the core. When the core glows gold, release the Force Palm button. If your timing is correct, the focused energy penetrates the core and shatters the stone.
If you release too early or too late, the palm strike connects but fails to penetrate the core. The stone remains intact and you must try again. Practice the timing on the first stone you encounter after learning the ability. The visual cue is clear: wait for the gold glow, then release.
Focused Force Palm is required to break through shimmering rock walls that block critical paths. Most notably, it unlocks the route to the Grey Mane Camp fast travel point, which is a central hub for the mid-game region. Without this ability, large portions of the map remain inaccessible.
These are passive upgrades rather than separate abilities. Force Palm Proficiency unlocks at Force Palm Level 2 and allows you to perform two consecutive palm strikes without breaking the combo. Force Palm Expertise unlocks at Force Palm Level 3 and extends this to three consecutive strikes.
Three rapid palm strikes are enough to fill most regular enemies' stagger gauges completely and make a significant dent in boss stagger bars. Investing Abyss Artifacts to reach Force Palm Level 3 early is one of the strongest upgrades available in the early game.
Force Palm Pulse is a follow-up attack that fires a swift, powerful second strike immediately after a standard Force Palm. It requires Unarmed Combat Level 3 and Force Palm Level 3 to unlock, plus one Abyss Artifact. This ability extends your palm strike combos and increases damage output during stagger windows.
Once you unlock elemental imbue abilities (Flame and Frost), you can infuse your Force Palm strikes with elemental damage. Elemental Force Palm becomes available after unlocking either the Flame or Frost skill trees through Abyss puzzles at the Spire of Ringing Truth.
Flame Force Palm: Adds fire damage to each palm strike. Effective against enemies weak to fire and can ignite environmental objects.
Frost Force Palm: Adds ice damage to each palm strike. Slows enemies on hit and can freeze weakened targets.
You can switch between elements in your skill loadout. The active element applies to all imbue-compatible abilities, including Force Palm, weapon attacks, and other elemental skills.
Upgrade Force Palm early. Reaching Level 3 for the triple-strike combo is one of the best early investments. It transforms boss fights from endurance tests into manageable encounters.
Always check your Spirit before a fight. If your Spirit is empty, Force Palm will not activate. Get into the habit of recharging Spirit between encounters.
Use aerial palm strikes for traversal. Climbing tall structures with three quick palm jumps is faster than manually scaling walls and does not consume stamina.
Stack defense reduction on bosses. Open a boss fight with 2-3 Force Palm hits to lower their defense before committing to weapon combos. Your overall damage increases significantly.
Mine ore from walls. When you see ore veins on cliff faces, climb to them and use Force Palm. Position yourself directly next to the vein before striking, since the palm push will knock you off the wall.
Heal your horse regularly. Switch to Healing Force Palm (hold R3 then press L3 / Tab) whenever your horse takes damage. A healthy horse sprints faster and lasts longer in mounted combat.
Practice Focused Force Palm timing. The gold-glow window is forgiving once you learn the rhythm. Watch the leaf approach the core and release the moment the glow appears.
Combine with Double Jump. For maximum vertical reach, use Double Jump first, then chain three aerial Force Palm strikes. This covers enormous height and is useful for reaching secret areas and shortcut routes.
If Force Palm is not working, check the following common issues.
Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
Nothing happens when pressing R3 / Mouse Wheel | Spirit meter is empty | Recharge Spirit by holding L3 + R3 (X on PC) |
Force Palm hits but does not shatter the stone | Stone requires Focused Force Palm | Wait for the leaf to reach the core and release when it glows gold |
Healing Palm does not activate | Healing Force Palm not yet unlocked | Invest one Abyss Artifact into Force Palm to reach Level 1 |
Cannot chain multiple palm strikes | Proficiency or Expertise not unlocked | Upgrade Force Palm to Level 2 (two strikes) or Level 3 (three strikes) |
Spirit bar not visible after a quest | Rare UI bug | Reload your save file to restore the Spirit bar display |
One of the highest-value practical uses for Force Palm is cracking shielded enemies open so you can actually land hits on them. This comes up constantly once you cross into new regions where the local troops are built around guard stances, and Force Palm is by a wide margin the simplest answer.
Shielded enemies are rare in the early areas around Hernand, which is why most players reach Demeniss before they ever think about how to deal with a raised shield. Demeniss hits you with the opposite problem: enemies spawn in packs, and a large share of those packs are shielded sergeants and guards. Trying to hit one of these soldiers through the front of their shield just bounces your weapon off and wastes the swing, and the rest of the pack closes on you while you reset.
Force Palm fixes the situation in a single cast. Aim at a shielded target, fire Force Palm, and the shield instantly drops. From there walk up and finish the enemy off with any combo you would use on an unshielded opponent. The timing is forgiving, so you do not need to line up a perfect parry or stagger setup beforehand.
Open with Force Palm on the closest shielded enemy in the pack.
Step forward into melee range while the guard is down and use your normal finishing combo, keeping your stamina available for dodges.
If another shielded soldier in the same pack raises their guard, reset the routine rather than trying to hit through the shield.
This approach is dramatically more reliable than attempting to punch through the shield with raw damage, particularly before your weapon has been refined up. It is also the preferred method for clearing the larger Demeniss camps where you can easily be swarmed by four or five shielded units at once.
Force Palm also has a second major use case as the central repeat block of the aerial movement chain. Chaining multiple Force Palm casts with Aerial Stab, Glide, and Aerial Grapple lets you scale mountains and skip platforming sections inside the Abyss Nexus. That use case is covered in more depth on the Aerial Stab page; treat this section as a quick pointer so you know the skill is doing double duty as both a combat and a traversal tool.
Force Palm is not just a puzzle tool. It is one of the best dodge options in the game when you combine its pogo jump with gliding. The flow is: trigger the pogo jump to launch into the air, enter glide to hover, and then dodge-roll or dash while still airborne to let boss attacks pass under you.
This technique is critical against the Forgotten General, whose ground-wave illusions are difficult to sidestep on foot but trivial to float over. The method scales further when you layer Aerial Roll and Focused Aerial Roll on top, giving you sustained hover time and the ability to reposition mid-air between attack windows.
Patch 1.04 delivered two meaningful upgrades to Force Palm. First, the overall attack speed of the skill was improved, so the pulse lands faster from activation and tap combos flow into follow-up strikes with less animation drag between hits. Second, the hold variant, Force Palm Pulse, now uses a three-stage charge system. You can release at any of the three stages, and damage scales progressively upward from Stage 1 to Stage 3. Stage 1 is the fastest release and the weakest hit, Stage 3 is the slowest release and the strongest hit, and Stage 2 sits in between as a balance between cast time and damage.
The attack speed buff and the charging system interact with each other in practice. A faster tap means the opening strike of any combo registers quicker, and since charging now has distinct breakpoints rather than a single linear ramp, you can hold to a specific stage that matches the current boss window instead of committing to a single long hold and hoping the telegraph does not change mid-charge. On shorter openings, release at Stage 1 for a quick pulse; on stunned or otherwise locked-down bosses, hold all the way to Stage 3 for the full damage payoff.
With Force Palm Expertise and Force Palm Proficiency unlocked, the skill stops being a single-press ability and starts behaving like a small combo tree that branches by input. The three most useful patterns post-patch are:
Tap, tap, tap. Three quick taps chain into a three-hit flurry, the pure pressure option. Post-patch, the chain fires faster because the attack speed buff tightens every link in the sequence. This is the right pattern when a boss is mid-combo and you need to interrupt or stack hits before they recover.
Tap, tap, hold. Two quick taps open the combo, then the hold rolls into a charged finisher. The hold portion can release at any of the three Pulse stages, so you can choose to drop a Stage 1 quick finisher, a Stage 2 balanced finisher, or a Stage 3 heavy finisher depending on how much recovery time the boss is giving you after the two opening taps.
Hold, hold, hold. A straight charge sequence that cycles the Pulse through Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3. This is the sustained-damage option and pairs best with stuns or parry punishes, where the boss is committed to a long recovery animation and you have time to reach the full Stage 3 release without being interrupted.
Mixing the three patterns dynamically is what separates a competent Force Palm user from a strong one. Short openings favor tap sequences, medium openings favor tap tap hold at Stage 1 or Stage 2, and the large openings on stuns or knockdowns are where Stage 3 pays off.
Patch 1.04 also fixed two combat bugs that directly affected how Force Palm and other abilities worked alongside primary weapons. The first was a parry bug: previously, the parry action that normally follows a successful guard would not trigger when a non-sword weapon was equipped as the primary weapon. In practice that meant players running spears, long swords, axes, or other non-sword primaries could guard incoming hits but could not convert those guards into parries, cutting off one of the core defensive-to-offensive transitions in the combat system. The 1.04 fix restores the parry trigger for non-sword primaries, so any weapon that can guard can also parry out of that guard the same way a sword can.
The second fix addressed a charge-initiation bug. Certain weapons could not begin a charge under the previous build, locking the player out of charged heavy attacks entirely on those weapons. Patch 1.04 fixed the missing trigger so charge attacks work on those weapons as intended. Both fixes matter for Force Palm users in particular because many hybrid builds rely on alternating primary weapon charges with Force Palm pulses, and both halves of that loop now behave consistently.
A small but important stability fix in Patch 1.04: Kliff no longer falls off edges while using Force Core. Before the patch, activating Force Core near a ledge could push Kliff past the edge and drop him into whatever was below, turning a defensive ability into an accidental fall. Post-patch, the ability respects edges the way the rest of Kliff's moveset does, so you can use Force Core confidently on raised platforms, cliff paths, or near drops during boss fights without worrying about the ability adding to a death.
Force Palm sits at the center of a wider ability tree. The core node is Force Palm itself, and the most common progression expands into several variants, each of which changes how the pulse behaves or where it can be used:
Force Palm Pulse is the three-stage charged hold variant reworked in Patch 1.04.
Force Palm Expertise extends the tap combo and adds the two-hit follow-up.
Force Palm Proficiency extends it further to the three-hit flurry covered above.
Diving Force Palm is the airborne-downward variant used from a jump.
Aerial Force Palm is the in-air horizontal variant for sustained aerial pressure.
Healing Force Palm converts the pulse into a healing effect for support play.
Focused Force Palm is the Focus-mode variant that trades Spirit for burst power.
Elemental Force Palm layers elemental status on top of the base hit.
Force Current is the closely related ability often slotted alongside Force Palm.
