- This article is about totems in general. For a list of totem skills, see Category:Totem skills
A Totem is 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 are not affected by auras.[1]
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 attack or move. They are commonly found projecting auras that affect nearby monsters.
There is a unique totem monster Kuduku, the False God, who always appears in The Ledge, and casts Spark and Shock Nova.
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 is considered a spell, and can be sped up by increased Cast Speed modifiers.
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.
Active totem limit[ | ]
By default a player can have only one 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 active, and then casts Decoy Totem, the Rejuvenation Totem will be destroyed and a Decoy Totem will be created.
This limit can be increased to 2 totems by the keystone Ancestral Bond.
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 is a single passive skill in the centre area of the tree that can increase totem range by 15%.
Skills cast by totems[ | ]
Totems use the player's own skills as though the player had cast them, and therefore skills cast by totems are affected by Charges on the player.[2][3] Totems themselves have a maximum Power Charge and Frenzy Charge limit of zero, because those charges would have no effect.[3] 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.
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 and so forth.
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.
Totem Skills[ | ]
Totem skills are aligned with the Strength attribute. Skills that can create totems include:
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.