[2.5 Video Guide] Beginner's Build: Dual Flame Totem, Blood Magic Chieftain [Atziri & HC/SC Viable]

im abit confused atm. does having +dmg on rings like lightning fire etc does it help you totem? i just see alot of rings and necks with + dmg on em. or is just for a worthless stats that happen to roll on your items

The best stat for dmg increase that you can get on rings and amulet is cast speed. Ft damage is also affected by %increased fire or spell damage. It is not affected by +x-y fire/ice/lightning damage to ATTACKS, since it is labeled a spell, not an attack.
However the + to attacks mods are prefixes and the only relevant prefix for this build on rings is life, so as long as there is enough life the other 2 prefixes on the rings don't matter (flat evasion, flat es and mf are not totally useless). On Amulets the prefix combination of spell damage, life and % armor would be perfect though.
For suffixes you prolly want dex or int, resistances and if not in need of thoose cast speed is optimal and str quite nice.

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gufling wrote:

im abit confused atm. does having +dmg on rings like lightning fire etc does it help you totem? i just see alot of rings and necks with + dmg on em. or is just for a worthless stats that happen to roll on your items

Those stats on rings and necklaces apply to attacks only. They're certainly useful on oterh builds, but not this one, unfortunately.

Based on how Shockwave Totem gets bonuses from regular Cast Speed and Totem Spell cast speed, it seems likely that Flame Totem would also get those bonuses since it casts a spell projectile. Thus Totemic Zeal should give the 5% cast speed bonus.

The Diamond Skin notable grants 15% all ele resists and thus could open up a suffix roll on shields, amulets, and rings since the "of the Rainbow" suffix caps at 16% and is only had from ilvl 60+. This would open up stats, another resist roll, or on amulets in particular up to 17% increased fire damage.


Scion can also do this build, although one would have to mule a Flame Totem from a Marauder, Templar, or Witch or buy one through for an alch. The two starting possibilities are the Projectile Damage line on the bottom of Scion for a minor boost to Dex and some damage or the Life Regeneration line on the left to be a bit more tanky.

The Projectile Damage line is more efficient overall since it only takes 4 points to get to the main guide tree as opposed to the 6 going for life regen would. It also helps a bit with Dex requirements. From that start it would go down to Sentinel, left and maybe picking up Totemic Zeal right then, up through Constitution, left to Totemic Mastery, and then up to Sanctity where it would follow the same path as a Marauder from then on.

The Life Regen line is faster to get up to Ancestral Bond. It simply goes left to Shaper, down and left to Totemic Mastery, then up to Sanctity and follows the Marauder path.

Scion also has natural access to Faster Casting, Fire Penetration, Faster Projectiles, and Iron Will for the main setup.

Great guide! Was looking for cheap, fun, casual friendly build. This was just what I was looking for.

I am currently noobing it up on the HC 1 month race. I have a nice(for my ghetto arse) 3 link +2 fire wand, when should I switch to a 4 link? Can't afford a 5 link yet.

Stats to look for on a rare wand? There are only 75 pages to look through to see if someone already asked this :p

Edit

Just re read liftings post :) never mind my stupidity :)

no, the question was does a +2 fire wand beat a 4 link generally?

And of course the following question is does a +3 wand beat a four link or even a five?

Can't find alot of info on it but how do your skills effect totems? Do they get my weapon damage/crit/as do they get all the passive I take from the tree? Only thing I know is they don't get my life/red and they get my %elem, spell damage.