Shamans should get 4 basic totems. 1 for each element. Water. Fire. Wind. Earth.
You can have 2 out at any given time. The idea is that each element (totem) has 2 effects on it and when you drop it you get to use a switch button. So you can drop 2 totems and have 4 different effects to switch between in real-time using 2 buttons. This makes you actually play with the totems. For example if you drop the water totem it will either give you healing or give you mana that you can switch between. These effect must of course be figured out but for the sake of argument, wind will either give you a wind rush effect for better kiting or if you switch it, faster casting or attack speed maybe.
Fire can be a ranged damage searing ordeal or an aoe magma thingie.
Earth will apply grounding totem to enemies or stone skin to allies.
They way I see it is nothing overpowered but enought effect for an enemy player having to make the decision to take the totem out or leave it, with you still gaining the effect or they being affected by it. I think they only thing that is needed to be done is to give the totem enought life not be one shotted. That it might take a couple of hits. Its life can scale with yours or something. This will work as a damage mitigation during the time it takes for opponent to bring it down for you to get a heal or damage out or gain (or as enhancement close) distance or whatever. For PVE they will just generate aggro so you have to keep up with that.
And get rid of that elemental pet crap and instead introduce elemental guardians. 1 for each totem. The guardian will envelope the totem you decide to pop it on when under attack and give it a heightened protection. Effects should of course be discussed but for example, water guardian will start healing the totem. Fire can maybe start directing fire damage back to the attacker.
Wind can maybe do some type of storm effect that make the attacker miss it more.
Earth will probably just make the totem able to sustain more damage.
And in addition to this the totems should be semi-mobile. They are supposed to be close by anyway. The player should be able to pick the, one, totem up and carry the effect around and place it again if he/she so wishes, within its duration. But carry the effect like an aura will reduce its power because it will be more powerful when placed where it can harness the elements more steadily.
And here’s the idea. if you pick up a totem with the guardian up or you pop the guardian while carrying it, the guardian will envelope the player giving you the protection it gives the totem. Like a passive healing with water guardian. A fire blow-back shield on the enemies attacks with fire. A bigger chance fore opponent to miss or a type of smokebomb effect making you harder to target with the wind guardian. Or basically get a stone armor by having the earth guardian around you. This doesn’t just happened by a single button press. You actually have to pick it up so it’s not unfair or overpowered by any stretch of the imagination. Just very very cool.
Outside these basic totems, that of course have to come with a cooldown for each school to balance the effects, you can still have some totems like tremor, incapasitator or PVP totems whatever they are called.
A lot is happening and can make for some interesting combo effects and strategies but still don’t demand more than 4 totems and 2 switch (stance/aura) buttons. You get some protection by guardians shielding you instead of just giving the shaman some boring magic barrier.
The guardians pops just like elementals currently do, a maximum of 2 each given time. And to pick up a totem is to move close to it and click.
Simple. Now it just have to be balanced
And yeah… I’m really high btw.
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