Fire Totem RE Discussion

LuchiousCaine

While I was trying to contemplate ideas for an RE that would work to make Fire Totems more fun, I found myself come up empty handed.

There isn't a single Legendary RE that touches on totems at all and only a few RE that does anything to Fire Totems specifically, so I want to create a discussion that could perhaps bring ideas on the table for potential ways to make an RE around them.

Here are a few fire starters:

Fire Totems damage scales with the caster's spell power, by varying % depending on the type of totem, including the Fire Elemental Totem.
I did some dummy testing and noticed that Searing Totem's cast time also benefit from the caster's spell haste and Wrath of Air's haste buff, however it already has relatively fast cast time, so the difference is hard to notice. Fire Totems can also do critical hits, but I haven't tested if their critical rating scales with the caster's too. There is also the Shaman talent called Rising Flames which increases its casting speed by 30%, making it fire roughly every second.
Totems cannot be buffed by spells such as Mark of the Wild or Arcane Intellect, but they do benefit from aura effects, such as other totem aura effects, Paladin auras, Mage's Brilliance Aura and from talents such as Sanctified Retribution or Ferocious Inspiration.
The Fire Elemental from the Fire Elemental Totem is different the Totems themselves in that they can be buffed by Mark of the Wild, etc, including all the aura effects. Surprisingly enough it can even benefit from Bloodlust! Sadly, the Fire Elemental has a short duration of 30sec but is quite powerful. There is potential here.
Fire Nova is a Shaman spell that causes a fire nova around an active Fire Totem. It has very few REs too. There could be potential here.

Some thoughts on REs:
Synergy RE that links Fire Totems to Warlock Destruction or Mage Fire talents?
Searing Totem's fireball explodes in small AoE or leaves a burning DoT?
Increase Fire Elemental's duration?

Hope this topic can spark some debate.

WiliemDemon

I'll try to think about something, but I don't guarantee anything, after reading it, I have about 4 options in my head, but I have to think about it a bit so that it's not too OP

WiliemDemon

for now
Covering Fire-tooltip.png
Fiery Destruction-tooltip.png
Totem Strike-tooltip.png

LuchiousCaine

@WiliemDemon Great ideas for sure!
Covering Fire sounds complicated to program. Perhaps it could change the way the totem fires to be in a cone, like the Unbounded Drain Life? So it would shoot out Dragon's Breath, but instead of disorenting, it causes the debuffs you mention?

Fiery Destruction is a great one, although I could see the Molten Skin and Flamestrike parts be two separate REs. Maybe it could even be made so all Fire Totems gain the benefit of Mage/Warlock Fire talents, depending on the totem type you have out?
So Searing Totem would benefit from Fireball or Incinerate talents and Magma Totem would benefit from Flamestrike or Hellfire talents. I could see that becoming powerful.

Totem Strike is a freaking call-back to the time Hunter traps could be thrown. It would be amazing to allow that for ALL totems!

Neat ideas overall! Here is one for Living Bomb:
Final Flame-tooltip.png

LuchiousCaine

Here is another fast one. A rare one this time, since it's relatively simple, but strong none the less:

Mortar Totem-tooltip.png

Something this simple is also the kind of RE that are lacking for Fire Totems. There is even a severe lack of Uncommon ones. Magma Totem has two Uncommon and no Rares, and Searing Totem only has a single Uncommon and no Rares.
It's pretty terrible.

LuchiousCaine

With Midsummer event on right now, I can't help but wonder if it would be possible to use the Brazier of Dancing Flames for something fun, like have the Fire Elemental Totem be transformed into said Brazier and have the elemental be the fire draenei?
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Brazier_of_Dancing_Flames
I imagine it's doable to code since it's just model swapping.

Not sure what RE effects it would have, but it could be themed around dancing and fire.
What if it teaches you some channelling spell(s) that makes you dance when channelling, and then grants and/or the fire elemental a buff?

LuchiousCaine

A concept that I don't know if possible because it'd require reprogramming of the Fire Totems, but what if there was REs that changed the fire damage into Nature/Lightning damage and could have some synergy with Lightning Bolt/Chain talents?

Anyone else with ideas?