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Totem example

A righteous fire totem.

Totems are a type of creature. Totems appear in the game as monsters, and also as allies created by certain skills. Like any other creature, totems have life, and they will be destroyed if their life drops to zero. Totems do not leave exploitable corpses. Totems cast by players use their skills according to the player's stats, including modifiers from charges and buffs (like auras) affecting the player.

Totems as monsters

Totems appear in some areas, such as the Ancient Pyramid, and are just like any other monster, except that they usually cannot attack1 or move2. They are commonly found projecting auras that affect nearby monsters.

There are several unique totem monsters, for example Kuduku, the False God (who always appears in The Ledge) and The Idol Beyond (boss at the Module Error: Item link: No results found for search parameter "Underground Sea Map".).

1 In map with Area contains many Totems modifier, some totems cast skills for example, the Ice Nova skill iconIce Nova.
2 Except Lightning Warp skill iconLightning Warp totems.

Totems as allies

Certain skills allow the player to summon a totem ally. Depending on the skill, totem will then attack, cast spells, or project an aura for the player. It will continue to cast until it is destroyed or its duration expires. These skills have the Totem keyword.

The act of summoning a totem can be sped up by increased Totem Placement Speed modifiers. As of version 3.0.0, base totem placement time is 600 milliseconds[1].

Totems allies are not considered to be minions, and are therefore not affected by minion-specific modifiers such as increased Minion Damage and Minion Instability.

Totems are also not considered party members.

Any auras projected by the totem will affect all of the player's allies, including minions and party members. Auras and aura-like effects can affect totems (this includes degeneration effects),[2] summoned totems are only affected by auras that affect defensive properties, summoned totems still use their summoner's skills. In order for an offensive aura to have an effect, it must affect the summoner, not the totem.

Active totem limit

By default a player can have only {{#ask: -Has subobject::Character Has stat id::base_number_of_totems_allowed |?Has stat value= |mainlabel=- |limit=1}} active totem at any time. Casting a second totem will cause the oldest living totem to be destroyed. This is a global limit among all skills, for example if the player has a Rejuvenation Totem skill iconRejuvenation Totem active, and then casts Decoy Totem skill iconDecoy Totem, the Rejuvenation Totem will be destroyed and a Decoy Totem will be created.

The exception to this rule is the Searing Bond skill iconSearing Bond totem, which allows players to place one additional Searing Bond totem above the maximum cap by default (for example, with the standard limit, players can have 2 Searing Bond totems or 1 Flame Totem and 1 Searing Bond totem).

Totems can have different maximum active totem limits. If a totem is summoned at the maximum limit of totems, it will destroy the oldest totem that doesn't break the totem limit.

For example, with Ancestral Bond (+1 Totem), the Ascendant's Hierophant passive (+1 totem to a totem gem socketed to the helmet), and Iron Commander inventory iconIron CommanderIron Commander
Death Bow
Bow
Quality: +20%
Physical Damage: (33.6-38.4) to (82.8-92.4)
Critical Strike Chance: (6.50%-7.50%)
Attacks per Second: (1.37-1.44)
Weapon Range: 120
Requires Level 32, 107 Dex(30-50)% increased Critical Strike ChanceAdds (8-12) to (16-24) Physical Damage
(14-20)% increased Attack Speed
(14-20)% increased Totem Life
(14-20)% increased Totem Placement speed
Siege Ballista has +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems per 200 Dexterity
Adds 1 to 3 Physical Damage to Attacks per 25 Dexterity
The Eternals commanded an army that need not eat, sleep, or breathe
without the usual depravities of necromancy.
Iron Commander inventory icon
with 400 Dexterity (+2 Siege Ballista totems), players can summon up to 6 totems up at a time, but a maximum of each of the following kind of totems:

  • 2 of any other totems
  • 3 of totems socketed to the helmet
  • 3 Searing Bond skill iconSearing Bond totems (4 if socketed in helmet)
  • 4 Siege Ballista skill iconSiege Ballista totems (5 if socketed in helmet)

The totem limit can be increased by:

  • Selecting the Ancestral Bond keystone to gain +1 extra totem.
  • Equipping the Soul Mantle inventory iconSoul MantleSoul Mantle
    Spidersilk Robe
    Quality: +20%
    Energy Shield: (211-230)
    Movement Speed: -3%
    Requires Level 49, 134 IntSocketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Spell Totem
    (20-25)% increased Spell Damage
    (100-120)% increased Energy Shield
    50% increased Totem Life
    +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems
    Inflicts a random Hex on you when your Totems die, with 80% more Effect
    The greatest mistakes cause suffering
    long after they have been made
    Soul Mantle inventory icon
    unique armor to gain +1 extra totem.
  • The Ascendant's Hierophant notable passive +1 extra totem for the totem socketed to your helmet.
  • The Hierophant's Ritual of Awakening notable passive to gain +2 extra totems.
  • Equipping the Iron Commander inventory iconIron CommanderIron Commander
    Death Bow
    Bow
    Quality: +20%
    Physical Damage: (33.6-38.4) to (82.8-92.4)
    Critical Strike Chance: (6.50%-7.50%)
    Attacks per Second: (1.37-1.44)
    Weapon Range: 120
    Requires Level 32, 107 Dex(30-50)% increased Critical Strike ChanceAdds (8-12) to (16-24) Physical Damage
    (14-20)% increased Attack Speed
    (14-20)% increased Totem Life
    (14-20)% increased Totem Placement speed
    Siege Ballista has +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems per 200 Dexterity
    Adds 1 to 3 Physical Damage to Attacks per 25 Dexterity
    The Eternals commanded an army that need not eat, sleep, or breathe
    without the usual depravities of necromancy.
    Iron Commander inventory icon
    unique bow to gain +1 extra Siege Ballista Totem per 200 Dexterity.
  • Equipping the Skirmish inventory iconSkirmishSkirmish
    Two-Point Arrow Quiver
    Requires Level 19(20-30)% increased Global Accuracy Rating+(15-25) to Intelligence
    +(30-50) to maximum Mana
    (20-30)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
    0.2% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana
    Attack Skills have +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems
    If two great leaders like Lioneye and Kaom
    had been on the same side of the battle,
    nothing would remain unconquered.
    Skirmish inventory icon
    unique quiver to gain +1 extra attack skill totem.
  • Equipping the Tukohama's Fortress inventory iconTukohama's FortressTukohama's Fortress
    Ebony Tower Shield
    Quality: +20%
    Chance to Block: 25%
    Armour: 494
    Movement Speed: -3%
    Requires Level 61, 159 Str+(20-30) to maximum Life40% increased Totem Damage
    +(80-100) to maximum Life
    +1 to maximum number of Summoned Totems
    +300 Armour per Summoned Totem
    Blood Magic
    Mortal Conviction
    Tukohama knew that he could not lose a fight in his fortress.
    So he carried his fortress to the fight.
    Tukohama's Fortress inventory icon
    unique shield to gain +1 extra totem.

With these conditions met, the potential maximum number of totems per player is:

Totem range

Totems have a range which determines how far they can "see" for the purposes of targeting enemies with attacks and spells. Totem range is not considered an area of effect, and will not be altered by AoE modifiers. There are no longer any ways to increase Totem range.

Skills cast by totems

Skills used by totems are affected by the player's passive skills, equipment, and linked support gems. Skills used by totems use the player's weapon when applicable. For example, Ranged Attack Totem may use Frenzy if the player has a ranged weapon equipped.

Totems use the player's own skills as though the player had cast them. Therefore, buffs and charges (except Endurance Charges) on the player will apply to totems.[3][4] Totems themselves have a maximum Power Charge and Frenzy Charge limit of zero.[4] Any charges generated by the totem are simply discarded, and will not transfer back to the player.[5]

Note that the totem casts the player's skill, meaning that the skill is paid for with the totem's mana (or life if it is affected by Blood Magic), and any reflected damage will be reflected onto the totem, not the player.

Kills made by totems are credited to the creator of the totem for the purposes of experience gain, but effects such as life gain on kill effects will not affect the player.

Any Minions created by the totem are treated as if they had been cast by the player, and are subject to the same maximum minion limits, will get the benefits of Necromantic Aegis, and so on.

Totem stats

While skills cast by the totem are affected by all modifiers affecting the player, the stats of the totem itself are not. The totem will not benefit from passive skills or gear that increase life or energy shield, will not be affected by Chaos Inoculation or increased resistances, the totem is not considered to be wearing the player's armour, and so forth. Totems have a standard 40% elemental resistance and 20% chaos resistance regardless of difficulty.[6]

Totem skills

When a Trap, Remote Mine, and Totem skill are all linked in combination, the result is a skill that lays a mine. When the mine is detonated, it lays a trap. When the trap is sprung, it casts a totem, which then can cast the linked skill.

Therefore totems can never lay traps or mines. Totems can not be made to cast other totems.

Totems do not work with trigger gems. They can not be summoned by them nor trigger any further effects.

Active skill gems

{{#ask:

Has item class::Active Skill Gems
Has gem tags::Totem
|?Has name 
|?Has inventory icon
|?Has infobox HTML
|link=none
|format=template
|template=SMW_item_table/ul/basic/row
|named args=yes
|userparam=

}}

Support skill gems

{{#ask:

Has item class::Support Skill Gems
Has gem tags::Totem
|?Has name 
|?Has inventory icon
|?Has infobox HTML
|link=none
|format=template
|template=SMW_item_table/ul/basic/row
|named args=yes
|userparam=

}}

  • Module Error: No skills found with q_where = skill.active_skill_name="Minion and Totem Elemental Resistance" is notable for affecting totems despite not having the proper keyword.

Passive skills

There are passive skills that grant bonuses to totems.

Damage

These passive skills increase the damage dealt by totems cast by the player.

Template:Passive table

Attack and Cast Speed

These passive skills increase the attack speed or cast speed of totems cast by the player.

Template:Passive table

Critical Strike

These passive skills affect the totem's critical strikes.

Template:Passive table

Placement Speed

These passive skills affect how fast the totem is summoned by the player.

Template:Passive table

Life

These passive skills increase the totem's maximum life.

Template:Passive table

Duration

These passive skills increase the totem's duration.

Template:Passive table

Miscellany

These passive skills are related to totems, but do not fit into any other category. Template:Passive table

Ascendancy passive skills

There are Ascendancy passive skills that affect totems.

Template:Ascendancy passive table

Unique items

#invoke: Item table

Achievements

If you manage to have 3 totems at one time, you will be rewarded the following achievement:

Name Description
Ancestral Power
Ancestral Power achievement icon
Have 3 totems alive at one time.

Version history

Version Changes
2.2.2
  • Summoned Totems are now deleted when the player moves very far away from those totems. This caused issues with the Hierophant skill "Ritual of Awakening" where you would receive less damage per active totem. Those totems would be very far away and unable to attack or cast yet would still penalise the player's damage.
  • Fixed a bug where players could have multiple Offerings active at once through the use of traps, totems or mines.
2.0.0
  • Totem placement can now be sped up with a new Totem Placement Speed stat. Cast speed no longer places totems more quickly. Base totem placement speed is faster than the cast speed used to be.
  • Base Totem Placement Speed has been increased from a placement time of 800ms to 600ms.
  • Various other changes to Totems.

References

  1. aggixx (September 13, 2017). "Trap throwing speed is unimplemented". Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  2. Mark_GGG (December 12, 2014). "1.3.0 Patch Notes". Official Path of Exile Forums. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  3. Mark_GGG (August 3, 2012). "Spell Totem". Official Path of Exile Forums. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Mark_GGG (October 12, 2012). "Question about totems and charges". Official Path of Exile Forums. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  5. https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/320101#p2783478
  6. Bex_GGG (Nov 30, 2016). "2.5.0 Patch Notes". Official Path of Exile Forums. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
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