New unique for totem?

because unique for totem is not really that many, even its only one.

so here is my idea:
the unique will make your totem can cast the spell/attack without any enemy have to be around him (in range), but at random directions.

pros:
+can cast anytime.
+good for most projectile type.
+killing offscreen? maybe, but its random direction.
+good for stormcall, flameblast totem? i think yes.
+auto zombie? (desecreate, raise zombie, spell totem?) although i doubt it'll have any benefits.

cons:
-not really useful for certain totem (shockwave totem, searing bond, and certain linked spell totem), but still can cast the spell/attack without any enemy around him (except for searing bond).

i think the most suited base item for this unique would be paua ring, because totem have high mana cost. and another effect would be increasing a bit for totem duration?, maybe, i don't know. i'm not thinking that much at the moment.

so how you guys think?
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I think they don't have many totem uniques because they don't want to make it any easier to play than it already is

but if I were to make a totem unique it would synergize with the theme of Soul Mantle by giving you more totem power at a high price:

+35% cast speed when summoning totems
50 Less Life and Energy Shield (global)
Your Totems have +12% max resists
Your Totems cast Immortal Call when damaged.
Blood Magic
+1 additional totem.

It would be an item level 70 amulet. With the same rarity as Crown of Eyes. I suppose it would sell for 1-2 exalt. Not that high demand but also not that much supply either.
Totems were kind of all the rage, not long ago. Sure, they had a real cost in points to go get for many classes. And also, they have very serious cast/attack-speed reductions. But as a mechanism it provided reflect immunity and the ability to stand behind something, and still allows trap usage.

But now, spell echo is all the rage in multiplying damage dealt for casting, and spell echo implicitly does not support totems.

This is how GGG said they want to change behavior. By making drastic changes, that slap you in the face, and then slowly bringing things toward actual final balance.

Under this principle, after some time, some buff to totems would eventually be allowed, if behavior has successfully changed. I know all my builds this season went from Totems for reflect safety to Spell Echo + Vaal Pact + Life Leach. So, pretty successful so far...

I'll let someone else do the math, but Spell Echo cast speed improvement over Faster Casting isn't small, and then the Spell totem has 50% less damage and 30% less cast speed. (Multiplicative, not Additive.)

All that being said, Spell totem is intended to be niche, and thus expect efforts to keep it from regaining too much use.

But I would quickly disagree to anyone who thinks that totems will never see anything positive come there way.
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I think they don't have many totem uniques because they don't want to make it any easier to play than it already is

i don't think that's the reason for not adding more unique for totem, because totem build is still far behind compared to any 1 shot build.

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+35% cast speed when summoning totems
50 Less Life and Energy Shield (global)
Your Totems have +12% max resists
Your Totems cast Immortal Call when damaged.
Blood Magic
+1 additional totem.

i like the idea with totem cast immortal call when damaged, but the question is how do the totem gaining endurance charges?. and i think it's a bit op because +1 additional totem. combined with soul mantle, ancestral bond. that would be 4 totems at once?. but i would pay for even up to 5ex if i can add 1 more totem. lol.

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This is how GGG said they want to change behavior. By making drastic changes, that slap you in the face, and then slowly bringing things toward actual final balance.

well, i hope it is. glad to hear that. actually i want to complain why totem dps is so low these days compared to other build with some uniques that can reach up to 25k dps or higher even without sacrificing defense nodes. but all my complain is answered by your explanation already. thanks. but adding some more unique for totem build would be nice.
I still have another unique to design.. who knows? And perhaps someone else, or even GGG, has something in the works. So very many uniques still to come.

I was considering a Viper Strike related unique because I had a great deal of fun with the old version for a time, but then VS got very drastically altered to the point where I started not liking the direction my thoughts were headed. Still a great skill, just maybe not for this one.

So, I've been back to thinking along the lines of Soul Mantle. Ways to improve it via another slot, ways to add more chaos to the builds, ways to not give another +1 Totem but for it (and SM) to still be strong and desirable.

It would also have to coexist peacefully with Ancestral Bond. And traps/mines. Of course.

Perhaps some sort of triggered teleporting.. a sort of deadly/risky shell game? Perhaps totems could become miasmic and/or acquire something like Adder's Touch.. a corruption of their basic forms.

On a belt, maybe? Soul Thread? The miasmic effect could be tethered souls striking out.

Anyway, just some very early thinking out loud. I don't want to really start anything too seriously before Act IV hits and I have some time to experience the new environment.
@Durentis: Think well. As you may be the ranged attack totem's only hope!

What I would REALLY like to see, totem wise, is a ranged attack totem that followed you around, but every time you receive physical damage you get the bleed effect!

So the unique would be:

Your Ranged Attack Totems follow you.
Physical Damage you take causes Bleed.
Subtracts(2-5) maximum endurance charges
Adds (0-2) maximum frenzy charges


or something like that
Last edited by BearCares on Mar 26, 2015, 9:47:26 PM
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BearCares wrote:
@Durentis: Think well. As you may be the ranged attack totem's only hope!

What I would REALLY like to see, totem wise, is a ranged attack totem that followed you around, but every time you receive physical damage you get the bleed effect!

So the unique would be:

Your Ranged Attack Totems follow you.
Physical Damage you take causes Bleed.
Subtracts(2-5) maximum endurance charges
Adds (0-2) maximum frenzy charges


I think charge manipulation is big enough to theme its own unique(s).

We'd almost never not be bleeding.. /cry

Following totems don't make sense to me. Totems should respond to threats or provide static utility, not get lonely.

One thing I do really like atm is "Casting Totem Triggers Shell Game" (or however you can tersely word it). If I have two totems out and cast a third, the three totems and I will each teleport to a random other personal totem or my location. If I cast a fourth, the oldest totem is removed before the teleporting. This gives a shaman something of an ethereal feel with more of a direct bond to her totems. It's a sort of unpredicable wild surge of spiritual energy. It could look really cool with souls surrounding and lashing out from the player and/or totems.
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Anyway, just some very early thinking out loud. I don't want to really start anything too seriously before Act IV hits and I have some time to experience the new environment.

Screw act 4, GGG is not giving his love to totem build! we need to rebel fellow totem build.

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What I would REALLY like to see, totem wise, is a ranged attack totem that followed you around, but every time you receive physical damage you get the bleed effect!

Personally i don't really agree about the idea with "the totem followed you around". because it's just like summoner build. maybe for totem i would suggest with 'can summon all your totem at once' just like what Vagan did.

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One thing I do really like atm is "Casting Totem Triggers Shell Game" (or however you can tersely word it). If I have two totems out and cast a third, the three totems and I will each teleport to a random other personal totem or my location. If I cast a fourth, the oldest totem is removed before the teleporting. This gives a shaman something of an ethereal feel with more of a direct bond to her totems. It's a sort of unpredicable wild surge of spiritual energy. It could look really cool with souls surrounding and lashing out from the player and/or totems.

Seems complicated but i get your point. but why just teleporting to totem, i think it's not really useful because we can just lightning warp here and there. for shamanity to make his bond with his totem stronger i would suggest with:
-your totem gain invulnerable (still can be damaged until leave 1hp but can't die) when it's really close from the caster.
-when your totem dies, it'll heal another totem and the caster based on 10%? of totem maximum health instantly.
-your totem immune to status ailment when all the totem that caster can cast is casted (can only be used with ancestral bond).
-your totem gain onslaught or taunting when the caster is damaged.
-your totem will have unwavering stance, ondar's guile, acrobatic or resolute technique (randomly) if caster can cast up to 3 totem.

Maybe some of them is op but i'm not really sure and sorry for the long post. i just love totem build and i think the "depth" of totem build is still too narrow. hope GGG really do something about totem build on act 4.
well we got a totem to follow us in the golems ^_^

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