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Totem Only - Voodoo Build


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This guide was written before the AddOn. Things which have changed for PC-Players with the AddON:

 

Deathblow is no longer for spells.

Regeneration per Hit (RpH) is working now.

Acute Mind and staff combat got nerved a bit.

 

So one idea could be to do more totems at a slightly lower damage. Adding hunting focus as Oddi asked and use shurikens from inside a dustdevil modified for spell block and radius. The regeneration times of the Totem won't matter much if you socket RpH and you can keep the totem at its malus once you have enough regeneration per hit.

The hunter buff is best modified for hit chance. Add a few -enemy chance to evade rings to counter the lack of a weapon skill.

 

The next steps:

Without nature lore the nature spells won't do much damage. So modify tangled vine not for damage but for defense purpose: radius and slowing enemy attacks. Kep the regeneration time of tangled vine below 3-4 times RpH. Acute mind is discussable if you modify it for intelligence or not. I have no experience how much intelligence it will give without the lore. And against Bosses the life leech shurikens will add a big amount on damage. So damage boosted Totems are not needed in boss fights.

 

Once your RpH is around 3 Seconds you should be able to keep your buffs at their malus and recharge your totem with a few shuriken hits.

 

I would choose the old-classical regeneration system if you play the AddOn.

 

For head hunting: you need only twisted torment modified for it. Don't modify your ghost pet for head hunting. Make a combination with torment and ravaged impact and your life leech shuriken will recharge the combination, as long ypour twisted torment regenration time is below your RpH. This way you can stack several twisted torments and add their chances to get a head.

Edited by chattius
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This guide was written before the AddOn. Things which have changed for PC-Players with the AddON:

 

Deathblow is no longer for spells.

Regeneration per Hit (RpH) is working now.

Acute Mind and staff combat got nerved a bit.

 

So one idea could be to do more totems at a slightly lower damage. Adding hunting focus as Oddi asked and use shurikens from inside a dustdevil modified for spell block and radius. The regeneration times of the Totem won't matter much if you socket RpH and you can keep the totem at its malus once you have enough regeneration per hit.

The hunter buff is best modified for hit chance. Add a few -enemy chance to evade rings to counter the lack of a weapon skill.

 

The next steps:

Without nature lore the nature spells won't do much damage. So modify tangled vine not for damage but for defense purpose: radius and slowing enemy attacks. Kep the regeneration time of tangled vine below 3-4 times RpH. Acute mind is discussable if you modify it for intelligence or not. I have no experience how much intelligence it will give without the lore. And against Bosses the life leech shurikens will add a big amount on damage. So damage boosted Totems are not needed in boss fights.

 

Once your RpH is around 3 Seconds you should be able to keep your buffs at their malus and recharge your totem with a few shuriken hits.

 

I would choose the old-classical regeneration system if you play the AddOn.

 

For head hunting: you need only twisted torment modified for it. Don't modify your ghost pet for head hunting. Make a combination with torment and ravaged impact and your life leech shuriken will recharge the combination, as long ypour twisted torment regenration time is below your RpH. This way you can stack several twisted torments and add their chances to get a head.

 

 

I am on PS3 so I have no access to the Add-on.

I do not believe that reg rings work for Totem...

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Regeneration per Hit 2seconds means that each time you do a hit with a weapon that the regeneration time -not the cooldown- of a regenerating combat art is cut down by 2 seconds. It will not affect the cooldown which starts after the regeneration part is done.

 

Buf if you modify totem for less cooldown it will have less and less cooldown while its regeneration climbs up with each combat art level. You won't be able to do a totem each 3 seconds, but you can do high level totems quite fast because you can more or less ignore the regeneration part.

 

Regeneration per Hit is working on the consoles.

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Regeneration per Hit 2seconds means that each time you do a hit with a weapon that the regeneration time -not the cooldown- of a regenerating combat art is cut down by 2 seconds. It will not affect the cooldown which starts after the regeneration part is done.

 

Buf if you modify totem for less cooldown it will have less and less cooldown while its regeneration climbs up with each combat art level. You won't be able to do a totem each 3 seconds, but you can do high level totems quite fast because you can more or less ignore the regeneration part.

 

Regeneration per Hit is working on the consoles.

 

I understand. I was just hoping not to have to use a wep but only totems... oh well...

So you guys suggest throwing stars because they are one handed and ranged?

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  • 3 months later...

Ok,so I've started your build and its great so far ive been able to get two totems out at level 8 cuz I got the gold mod quickly and it helps a lot AM really helped out with my regen and when its rengenerating I can get two out also with that third mod I just have a couple of questions for you.

 

1)Im not sure about if I should use a sword or a staff cuz you've been saying staff but ive been doing great with a a sword/shield

 

2)Along with someone else on here I was doing great with my pet and no Acient Bark and I saw you said rush to level 35 wiht Ancient Bark no pet and I just dont see why you wouldnt just use pet til level 35 unless in later lvls it gets really hard without it.?

 

3(last one)ok whats does keep @ focus penalty level mean?

 

-Shadow.

Edited by ShadowsNitemare
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Ok,so I've started your build and its great so far ive been able to get two totems out at level 8 cuz I got the gold mod quickly and it helps a lot AM really helped out with my regen and when its rengenerating I can get two out also with that third mod I just have a couple of questions for you.

 

1)Im not sure about if I should use a sword or a staff cuz you've been saying staff but ive been doing great with a a sword/shield

 

2)Along with someone else on here I was doing great with my pet and no Acient Bark and I saw you said rush to level 35 wiht Ancient Bark no pet and I just dont see why you wouldnt just use pet til level 35 unless in later lvls it gets really hard without it.?

 

3(last one)ok whats does keep @ focus penalty level mean?

 

-Shadow.

Quick answers....

 

1) The intelligence boost from Acute Mind is glitchy on PS3 when you use Darting Assault or Ravaged Impact. You should occasionally equip a staff from time to time to see if you get better damage, or whatever desireable mods you need. I do not think staffs will out-do good swords/axes on console.

 

2) You will probably need Bark for getting thru Desert-end of game in silver. Bronze, yeah.. just run with the pet. Should be fine.

 

3)Look at your Focus skill, and press R1. It will tell you "highest level without penalty". Then eat runes (or socket, whatever) until the CA is the "highest" it can get. You will know if you are in the penalty if the CA level has a decimal (even if it says 24.0, you are in penalty level - where eating 1 rune will only gain you a partial CA level).

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  • 4 months later...

Giving this build a try in single player - although I'm yet to get a Gold scorp head with my other Dryads.

Chose alchemy early on so may have to drop Combat discilpine or Ancient Magic ( might pick AM).

Gonna make another one with both Combat discilpine and Ancient magic - see how they compare.

Using black curse alot too.

 

Quick question - Spell resistance or Sheild Lore to unlock Armour Lore? .... I'm leaning towards Spell resitance

Edited by Augmint
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  • 3 months later...

I thought combat discipline is not raising totem's damage or it does ?

Hm I thought of replacing combat discipline with enhanced perception,is that a good idea ?If CD is raising totem's damage I will definitely take it.

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Thanks for clearing that out woody :)

I was confused because I checked on sacred wiki and it said only lore and ancient magic increases totems damage,so I thought combat discipline doesn't.

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How acryally combat discipline works:) never noticed it working,

 

You never noticed it, maybe because the damage bonus is directly shown in each CA tooltip.

 

:)

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How acryally combat discipline works:) never noticed it working,

 

When you choose CD as a skill, the damage of your Combat Arts will be raised by X% (as shown in the info for Combat Discipline). Even if you do not have the Combat Arts in a combination, they still benefit from the damage increase of CD!

But, for the 10% (or 20%) regeneration time reduction, you do need to have the CA in a combo slot.

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  • 1 year later...

still dont understand...my token deal 30-50 dmg per hit on 18 level , its really hard to kill a lot of beasts.And I began drink potions , because my buf cant save me.And all it on bronze...I cant even imagine what I would do on silver.

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Ice and Blood nerfed the BIG intelligence damage boost from acute mind. So shrunken heads are more important now, But ice and blood allows regenerating with weapon hits if you have Regeneration Per Hit items. But Reg per hit starts to shine at gold levels upwards. So you have to play a totem dryad in ice and blood as a hybrid in my experience. Probably better to go for the reducing cooldown modifier if you play with regeneration per hit.

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I'm totally underwhelmed with the Dryad's abilities as a spellcaster. Cabalistic Voodoo and Nature Weaver aspects are not much good for killing either mobs or bosses. The Combat Arts seem just plain not useful with the exception of the buffs/castable buffs and tangled vine.

 

The only aspect that has some power behind it seems to be Capricious Hunter, and even then, it takes a blowpipe (or magic staff) and modding Darting Assault before you can take out mobs with any kind of efficiency.

Edited by Flix
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From personal experience, I can say you are wrong, Flix. It's all in the build, and gearing, as always. I don't like pure Weaver-casters, as Ephadic Lances is really only good for bosses (and enemies with the large circles, unless everyone co-operates and lines up for a cast... but the Totem is super-deadly, and shreds mobs from start to end-game. The torment spell is not good for damage, but it is a tool for gathering shrunken heads... and VD has tricksy uses, too, so the Dryad really only has one "spell" that is good for damaging mobs... pretty much par for the course.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Never played this build on Blood and Ice but in Fallen angel it works quite well - there are a few things that make it shine - High Acute mind for the damage, High Voodoo Lore, a corresponding shrunken head to increase the damage, and having more than one totem on screen. What level did you get to flix?

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Never played this build on Blood and Ice but in Fallen angel it works quite well - there are a few things that make it shine - High Acute mind for the damage, High Voodoo Lore, a corresponding shrunken head to increase the damage, and having more than one totem on screen. What level did you get to flix?

 

Not far. Level 50, silver. I wasn't using this build in particular when I made my first comment. I was just trying to maximize any spellcasting abilities the Dryad had. Twisted Torment, low damage. Viperish disease, low damage, not affected by any skills. Edaphic lances, slow execution, extremely narrow effect, low damage.

 

Tangled vine and black curse I changed my mind about. They are great for bosses.

 

The buffs and temp buffs are still great. Acute mind makes a magic staff in a Dryad's hands a lethal weapon.

 

The only spell that really leaves is the Totem. And yeah, I tried a test build level. 200 character with good gear and it was a good offensive spell. The journey to getting there was not too fun though.

 

So I won't say this build is bad, or Dryad is bad. But every other caster outshines the Dryad with killing power of spells.

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