Totem Stacking: Anything more recent than 2007?

[kate]

I'm not finding anything on the web that's more recent than a 20-totems post from 2007 on which totems stack and which do not. Given that about half of the totem abilities that are described on that page have been changed, I'm thinking their ability to stack has likewise changed.

Does anyone have any more recent knowledge?

[Redbeard]

What is your specific question? Things that provide the same exact buff wont stack (flametongue, stoneskin etc).

[kate]

So, basically, the only totems that stack are the ones that actively do something, like searing, magma, elementals, tremor, cleansing etc?

I'm not able to find definitive answers on the web about mana spring stacking, but I'll go and do some testing to check it out.

Edit: I don't have a specific question - I'm just trying to understand totem mechanics so that I can mix and match things a little more effectively for my team.

[kate]

Well, just tested it:

Despite the wording being similar on healing stream and mana spring, implying that they have a similar effect, the difference is that healing stream just makes some kind of environmental effect (NOT a buff to the characters) that heals, while mana spring buffs party members in range.

Healing stream stacks, mana spring doesn't. Which everyone probably knew, but I think now I have an idea of how these work a bit better.

Anything that provides a buff rather than an environmental effect doesn't stack - guess I'll figure out which ones provide buffs and which provide environmental effects :)

[BrothelMeister]

Totems that provide a buff (Stoneskin, Wrath, Mana spring) Do NOT stack.

Totems that cause an effect (Healing stream,Grounding, Searing, Magma, cleansing, Tremor [ when stagger droppped ] ) Do stack

[Daeri]

Probably a stupid question but does flame tongue stack with wrath ? I'm not sure because their effects are very similar but not strictly identical. And does anyone know if the 3% critic bonus that wrath provides stacks with the similar talent that ret pallies have ?

[kate]

Totems that provide a buff (Stoneskin, Wrath, Mana spring) Do NOT stack.

Totems that cause an effect (Healing stream,Grounding, Searing, Magma, cleansing, Tremor [ when stagger droppped ] ) Do stack

Yes, but figuring out which provide a buff vs. which cause an effect based on the tooltips is not possible to know.

They really should just make the tooltips clearer, from a mechanics standpoint.

[BrothelMeister]

things that apply a buff to you or party members, or a debuff to enemies do not stack with themselves, or lesser versions of themselves (flametongue and wrath)

Things that cause an effect (ie no buff or debuff on friendlies or enemies) stack. Drop a totem near an enemy. See a buff on you or a debuff on them, your question is answered. The only exception is grounding, which provides a buff, even tho its actually an effect.

[BrothelMeister]

Earthbind NO
Stoneskin, NO
Stoneclaw, N/A
Strength of Earth NO
Tremor, Yes [stagger drops]
Earth Elemental, N/A

Searing, Yes
Magma, Yes
Frost res, NO
Flametongue, NO [not with wrath either]
Wrath, NO [not the debuff either]
Fire Ele, N/A

Healing stream, Yes
Mana spring, No
Cleansing, Yes,
Mana tide, Wait what?
Fire res, NO

Windfury, No
Grounding, Yes
Sentry, N/A
Nature res, NO
Wrath of Air, No

[zenga]

shouldn't cleansing be 'stargger drops' as well? and same for groundings?

[BrothelMeister]

You have no need to stagger cleansing or grounding, the cleansing will all cleanse at the same time, and the grounding totems sacrifice themselves one at a time