Today's 1.57 skill: Exploding Totem

[Brother Laz]

The replacement for Liche Totem sits in the spot of Mana Tide Totem. It does nothing until it gets killed, at which point it unleashes a Blast Wave.

Damage is physical and does not increase with skill level; instead, it comes with an energy factor multiplier based on skill level. At level 19, it inherits 2100% of your energy factor. It always hits 6 times and stuns for 1 second per nova.

Skill level 25, character level 120, 500 energy, 100 energy factor, +100% physical/magic skill damage: 703-2812 per nova; 4218-16872 total damage.

Same, but with 1000 energy: 1125-4500 per nova; 6750-27000 total damage.

Same, but with 300 energy factor: 2750-11000 per nova; 16500-66000 total damage.

Same, but with 2000 energy and +300% physical/magic skill damage: 10392-41571 per nova; 62352-249426 total damage.

Fun fact: the new Void Archon's Warp Field Aura reduces enemy physical resists by 20%, +5% per level in Warp Field (the Dark Legion replacement). At level 25 in Warp Field, non-immunes go down to -145% and immunes are reduced to 71% physical resistance. Coincidentally, this totem does physical damage.

[aerial]

How about health points of this totem?
I guess fact that it casts blast wave make it hard to activate multiple totems in the same moment.

[Logger_120]

Oh wow! This will definitely help totemancers. With the new corpse generating skill and this skill totemancers should be much more interesting to play. This will add a totally different feel to the totemacer. For one this build wouldn't even consider Blood Tide Totem since a huge bonus to life doens't help your ub3r totem die faster, which is what you want. Also you would want to cast this totem near enemies rather than away from them like most the other totems. Very interesting change. I like it. The dmg potential seems amazing, very much like a sorc. Nice use of multiple hits to aviod the dmg cap issues.

[Brother Laz]

How about health points of this totem?
I guess fact that it casts blast wave make it hard to activate multiple totems in the same moment.

Its life is 100 at all levels; monster area effect attacks can set off multiples. (Hint: Meteor Shower, Supernova)

......

Also you would want to cast this totem near enemies rather than away from them like most the other totems. Very interesting change. I like it.

It has higher threat to attract more monsters to it, too.

[nimrod]

Sounds like a very cool skill.
What is the range of the nova?

[Maxx Power]

This sounds pretty neat, but it could completely destroy the current offensive totems. I mean who wants to do a paltry 1k-2k cold damage when you can shove down a few totems and get upwards of 62k-249k damage per totem? Sure they need to be destroyed, but with 100 life most things in Destruction will kill them off in one hit. The only downside I see is needing corpses to use it, but that's something all the other offensive totems have to deal with. My advice; Spell Timer.

[pza]

if the nova only stuns, then it's ok, but if it als knocks back, then not. other totems or summons would hate that totem.

@maxxpower, of course there will be a spelltimer. otherwise it would be stun2death.

only thing that boggles my mind: why should energy factor bonus be the thing that damage depends from? it sounds nice, but for this, i found energy factor bonus to be too seldom on items. of course you can increase it withcertain items, but ... somehow erm... too high dependency on these few?
otherwise it would certainly fit to an elemental totemmancer. though i'd love their abitlity to hit something to be fixed (missile speed, missile autotarget(?), some kind of aoe or faster attack speed...)

don't listen to me, i'm right about to start crying. and according to my sig, i should slap me now.

[Mon3y13ankeR]

Wow this skill sounds awsome. But like Maxx Power said, you should add something that it won't be much better than other totems.

Ideas for Balancing:

- Add life per slvl. would 100 hp be to much? (100 x 19 = +1900 at slvl21). This will probhably weaken the skill. The problem is that it will be to much life for the beginning....

- Add some resistances per slvl? [3% per slvl? 3% x 19 = 51% to all resistances (including poison and magic??) on slvl 19] I dont think this will be to much.

- Add some reduce damage taken per slvl? (2% per slvl? 2% x 19 = 38% on slvl 19) Only problem with this one is, that it can become immortal with +skills. I think adding a cap would fix this (99%? *joke* better would be 70% or something like this). Or just make it a self synergie and set it to 4% (4% x 19 = 76% on slvl 19)

- Adding Evasion Ability??? (4% per slvl? 4 x 19 = 76% chance to avoid on slvl 19)

out of ideas. i hope i could help you.

PS:
i dont like spelltimers

[DemonicAngel]

- Add life per slvl. would 100 hp be to much? (100 x 21 = +2100 at slvl21). This will probhably weaken the skill. The problem is that it will be to much life for the beginning....

I think he meant that it will always be 100. At level 1, it will have 100 life. At level 20, it will still have 100 life.

[Mon3y13ankeR]

[...]
only thing that boggles my mind: why should energy factor bonus be the thing that damage depends from? it sounds nice, but for this, i found energy factor bonus to be too seldom on items. of course you can increase it withcertain items, but ... somehow erm... too high dependency on these few?
[....]

I like the energy factor bonus because it would fit the playing style. You try to get as much energy and energy factor as possible and don't have to care much about your life because the monsters attack your totems.

- Add life per slvl. would 100 hp be to much? (100 x 21 = +2100 at slvl21). This will probhably weaken the skill. The problem is that it will be to much life for the beginning....

I think he meant that it will always be 100. At level 1, it will have 100 life. At level 20, it will still have 100 life.

and I meant he could add some life to the totem per slvl. So the totem wan't die to fast in destruction.

[EDIT]: Editet my first post because i did the calculations with wrong max lvl..... just saw its lvl 19

[rickcarson]

@Laz: That is certainly different.

My suggestion would be to have this particular totem have
(1) a high agro (see #3)
(2) lots of hitpoints (see #3)
(3) proc the stunning nova on struck, not on death

But I think I see what you are doing with this Totem, you want to have something which soaks up all the Vessel of Death corpses?

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I know I said I wouldn't, but I went back and played around with the Totem-mancer some more.

Can I just say that I got a maxed Harvest (+8 to Demon Seed). And it dropped my timer from 16.2 seconds down to 14.8 seconds.

AKA for something which grants +8 to a skill, it blows goats.

(Actually, I like the faster run/walk, which is good, because as far as actually doing anything for the totem part of the totem-mancer it doesn't.)

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Also, wierdly enough, Death Seed spawns an extra corpse every 5th level, starting at level 0, whereas you get an extra totem every second level, starting at level 1 (ie increases on the odd levels). Is that a feature?

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Another question: now that I've been playing around with Stormeye totems, is it shooting partial Mind Flays? The graphics + the whole 'sometimes there is a monster standing around completely unscratched' makes me think they are similar.

If so, does it also have NHD?

Would it be possible to bump up the partial part of the Mind Flay at higher levels to get better coverage?

Actually, since apparently "Lightning Cascade sux", how about making Stormeye shoot Lightning Cascades instead? That would be gosudesu.

[rickcarson]

I like the energy factor bonus because it would fit the playing style.

Yes except, it doesn't.

What it would do is let you actually have a go at that uber-level with the robot bosses since there are elemental tri-immunes there.

Except for the bit where you need to teleport, because teleporting will ruin your life as a totem-mancer in 1.56

In 1.57 it should be better, Vessel of Death will work around the numerous timer related issues.

What's that you say? Flogging a dead horse? But of course! What else did you think a Necromancer would do??!!

You try to get as much energy and energy factor as possible and don't have to care much about your life because the monsters attack your totems.

Yes except, at the moment, they usually don't.

[Brother Laz]

This sounds pretty neat, but it could completely destroy the current offensive totems. I mean who wants to do a paltry 1k-2k cold damage when you can shove down a few totems and get upwards of 62k-249k damage per totem?

Well, everyone with minions basically. The Void Archon helps minion builds much more than totem builds.

......

if the nova only stuns, then it's ok, but if it als knocks back, then not. other totems or summons would hate that totem.

Then you don't use it with minions.

It has a 10-5 second spell timer, btw. This means, for instance, that you can't use it easily with RC or Necromantic Trance, or UA.

only thing that boggles my mind: why should energy factor bonus be the thing that damage depends from? it sounds nice, but for this, i found energy factor bonus to be too seldom on items. of course you can increase it withcertain items, but ... somehow erm... too high dependency on these few?

Damage depends on energy factor and energy, obviously. Raise your energy.

otherwise it would certainly fit to an elemental totemmancer. though i'd love their abitlity to hit something to be fixed (missile speed, missile autotarget(?), some kind of aoe or faster attack speed...)

Frostclaw can now shoot over obstacles.

......

Ideas for Balancing:

Remember the assassin's bombs when the fuse increased per level? People don't like their skills getting worse per level... (See also: Titan Strike, which is being changed as well)

......

My suggestion would be to have this particular totem have
(1) a high agro (see #3)
(2) lots of hitpoints (see #3)
(3) proc the stunning nova on struck, not on death

Yay, imba!

But I think I see what you are doing with this Totem, you want to have something which soaks up all the Vessel of Death corpses?

I removed VoD again because people complained that Demon Seed was good enough. I'll remind them after 1.57.

Can I just say that I got a maxed Harvest (+8 to Demon Seed). And it dropped my timer from 16.2 seconds down to 14.8 seconds.

AKA for something which grants +8 to a skill, it blows goats.

Also known as Diminishing Returns. Tried maxing Critical Strike in CLoD?

Also, wierdly enough, Death Seed spawns an extra corpse every 5th level, starting at level 0, whereas you get an extra totem every second level, starting at level 1 (ie increases on the odd levels). Is that a feature?

The totem 'synergy' is special.

Another question: now that I've been playing around with Stormeye totems, is it shooting partial Mind Flays? The graphics + the whole 'sometimes there is a monster standing around completely unscratched' makes me think they are similar.

It's more like charged bolts.

Would it be possible to bump up the partial part of the Mind Flay at higher levels to get better coverage?

And more lag?

Actually, since apparently "Lightning Cascade sux", how about making Stormeye shoot Lightning Cascades instead? That would be gosudesu.

LAGGG!1!

.......

I like the energy factor bonus because it would fit the playing style.

Yes except, it doesn't.

God forbid anyone other than the sorc benefits from energy factor!

Except for the bit where you need to teleport, because teleporting will ruin your life as a totem-mancer in 1.56

...but not 1.57.

You try to get as much energy and energy factor as possible and don't have to care much about your life because the monsters attack your totems.

Yes except, at the moment, they usually don't.

I said this particular totem was getting increased threat.

[DemonTheSecond]

Removing VoD = Necros sucking until the next patch(1.58). Please dont listen to d/a's(dumbasses).

So, every time you cast demon seed then use up all corpses casting, Exploding Totem and they died, you have to wait what...11 more seconds until you can go into another pack of monsters?

On the other hand with VoD you just have to walk right into a pack, wait for it to shoot out some corpses and voila cast away. Yay for dumbasses! I have to wait for another patch to build a necro!

[Brother Laz]

Rock. Hard place.


All of you please go make your own mod with VoD in it (or not).

ET has a timer so you can't use it with DS anyway. Also totems will now teleport after you if you move out. To make up for this ET does area stun and knockback.

I like your thoughtful comment that necros 'suck' without VoD. I think I'll give them some summoning skills in 1.57... and perhaps I'll also make the monsters spawn corpses when they die! I know, it's novel.

[oneillz808]

Would it be possible to bump up the partial part of the Mind Flay at higher levels to get better coverage?

And more lag?

Actually, since apparently "Lightning Cascade sux", how about making Stormeye shoot Lightning Cascades instead? That would be gosudesu.

LAGGG!1!

.......

good. ive yet to see a LIGHTNING CASCADE BUILD.

[ls426]

Here's a crazy idea. Why not just make totems not require corpses, give them all a spell timer (which reduces with skill points to ~1-2s) - or some other way of limiting how many you can have at once, and then do away with any corpse generating skills all together. This would also mean that totems could be used offensively, which would make them much more useful (ie cast them before the battle, instead of once everything is dead). Demon seed is not really that useful because it has a (long) timer and also the delay between when you cast it and when the corpses show up. In the end it's just easier for a summoner to ignore all totems and go with crushing blow from dark power because you can cast that whenever you want and the effect is instant.

[aerial]

As for stoormeye totem, imo spell could be changed to special version of death spiral (balanced damage, chanaged color). This creates perfect circle, not bugged 4 direction shots (wich would happen with mind flay too).
Or spell based on diablo's red lightning skill, creating circle similar to death spiral (that would be even better).
Im wondering if its possible to make totem aim with this (like mobs using this spell). It would look insane, few totems aiming single mob from other directions with red laser ;]

Frostclaw spawning frozen souls (multiple - synergy), but balanced damage, not that strong as sorc's.

Also new crowd control totem but designed for minion oriented builds would be nice (without massive knockback and huge timer). It couldb be something using this 'sonic wave' missiles (used by act3 swamp monsters). Or minion 'on death' ability - explosion + AoE stun. But thats just idea.

[xMeox]

Here's a crazy idea. Why not just make totems not require corpses, give them all a spell timer

because totems without corps = nonmoving summonded monsters = boring and imba

[Brother Laz]

Here's a crazy idea. Why not just make totems not require corpses, give them all a spell timer (which reduces with skill points to ~1-2s) - or some other way of limiting how many you can have at once, and then do away with any corpse generating skills all together.

If I do this, no one will ever bother with summoning again because it's 'too hard to use'. Like how everyone uses Deathstrike because it is point and click. Might as well rename the necromancer to 'sorceress with optional minions' then.

In the end it's just easier for a summoner to ignore all totems and go with crushing blow from dark power because you can cast that whenever you want and the effect is instant.

Mass summoners don't need totems.

......

good. ive yet to see a LIGHTNING CASCADE BUILD.

This has to do with LC having a bugged damage ramp that is about 3 times too low, and with people following guides blindly. But then again, just put 100 points into LC with Udietoo and it'll work fine, eh oneillz808?

......

As for stoormeye totem, imo spell could be changed to special version of death spiral (balanced damage, chanaged color). This creates perfect circle, not bugged 4 direction shots (wich would happen with mind flay too).

This is charged bolt with a different graphic. Are you telling me charged bolt is bugged?

Or spell based on diablo's red lightning skill, creating circle similar to death spiral (that would be even better).
Im wondering if its possible to make totem aim with this (like mobs using this spell). It would look insane, few totems aiming single mob from other directions with red laser ;]

I believe they call it 'Wake of Inferno' and the first thing every noob modmaker does is give it LBoD graphics and increase the damage to 50K per second.

Frostclaw spawning frozen souls (multiple - synergy), but balanced damage, not that strong as sorc's.

Frostclaw is fine. It is unique, shares traits with GC (even more so once the bugged NextDelay is gone), and in 1.57 will cross obstacles and go through walls.

Also new crowd control totem but designed for minion oriented builds would be nice (without massive knockback and huge timer). It couldb be something using this 'sonic wave' missiles (used by act3 swamp monsters).

Automatic stun is overpowered. Also no one ever uses totems with minions, not even AT. So this one would not get used.

[Skivverus]

Don't forget - you'll always be able to kill this totem. The question is whether unsummoning it (or summoning more totems than you've mastered) will trigger the explosion.

[Skeleon]

Don't forget - you'll always be able to kill this totem. The question is whether unsummoning it (or summoning more totems than you've mastered) will trigger the explosion.

Hey, that's right. Would actually be really cool, to have a remotely triggered bomb instead of timebombs like the Assa has.

Frostclaw is fine. It is unique, shares traits with GC (even more so once the bugged NextDelay is gone), and in 1.57 will cross obstacles and go through walls.

Yay! It's more like "Frostclaw will be fine". But once its missile is able to cross obstacles, it really will be great. It slows enemies, which makes up for lower damage (once it actually hits stuff).

Are you telling me charged bolt is bugged?

No, what's bugged is the aiming of Stormeye, not the attack itself (imho). It behaves like a fire tower (shooting while turning towards the target, thus shooting anywhere but at the enemy until it has turned). A change here would be appreciated (though it isn't as necessary as the Frostclaw change, imho).

Damage is physical and does not increase with skill level; instead, it comes with an energy factor multiplier based on skill level.

Me not really likes.
Kinda forces people to use very specific items. Personally, I'd like it better if it just normally gained power.

[gbr_oNi]

Damage is physical and does not increase with skill level; instead, it comes with an energy factor multiplier based on skill level.

Me not really likes.
Kinda forces people to use very specific items. Personally, I'd like it better if it just normally gained power.

This seems to be a popular misconception about the Exploding Totem. You don't need to use +energy factor items to make the skill good.. it already has an energy factor bonus. You just need a decent amount of points in energy.

[DemonicAngel]

Damage is physical and does not increase with skill level; instead, it comes with an energy factor multiplier based on skill level.

Me not really likes.
Kinda forces people to use very specific items. Personally, I'd like it better if it just normally gained power.

This seems to be a popular misconception about the Exploding Totem. You don't need to use +energy factor items to make the skill good.. it already has an energy factor bonus. You just need a decent amount of points in energy.

Right. But it will also get better when you have some energy factor as well.

[pza]

so what? if i understood correctly the formula must be something like that:

(energy factor bonus * skillevel based multiplier) * bonus from energy (i don't know the exact formula, but there's again the efb inside it) = damage

(i know there's also magic spell damage and such things)

hm... like if... your total energy factor was like weapon damage, the skillbonus would be onweapon ed, and everything else was offweapon-ed...

isn't it like that? so if you had 0 energy factor on your equipment you would deal 0 damage with the totem?