Spirit Link Totem Spell Effect

[Revelations]

Could somebody actually tell me to wich elemental totem this spell belongs to?

It's an Air totem..

Will see how it turns out in practice before I comment on it.. Afraid it will backfire every now and then.. but if part of the backfire can be resisted that sounds better than I thought.

[Kucedon]

air totem you say!? Hmm why not a fire totem since the spellpower buff is almost always covered by other classes.
Hmm I was hoping it was a spell with a cooldown like nature's swiftness.

Let's see how it works out.

[frester]

wonder if the health spread will bypass MS effects, say you can drop it on halfus and heal the tank with stacks by healing others

[Samthemann]

wonder if the health spread will bypass MS effects, say you can drop it on halfus and heal the tank with stacks by healing others

Judging by the wording I'd have to assume that yes it does 'bypass' it since the health is redistributed and most likely won't be considered damage or healing, though I'd appreciate combat logs from the beta to confirm.

You can still misuse them. Most of the arguments I've seen against SLT involve people dropping it when it wouldn't be helpful or in some ridiculous hypothetical scenario that you'd have to be an idiot to use the CD during.

You can certainly pop PS/GS/etc at the wrong time during a fight and hurt people because of it, because when the time comes that you actually need the CD, you won't have it.

Everything we have as healers is a tool. How and when you use your tools is what makes you better than other healers.

I'm pretty sure we're arguing different points here. I completely agree with your last statement and my goal is not to make this totem out to be useless. I'm merely comparing what other healers have as their cd's and how strong and flexible they are to this new totem. Imo, and only an opinion, I don't think it matches up to what others have. I haven't even brushed upon the fact that a priest 40 yards away can at a whim place their barrier or pain supp where and on whom they desire etc whereas a shaman would need to be stacked where they want the totem. /shrug I must just be hard to please.

[Mammoth]

It looks a bit disappointing. With a name like "Spirit Link" I was hoping for a beam effect joining all players to the totem. Shaman's have enough aura totems already, lets have more chain heal style effects.

[Deleted]

I was wondering about something. I hear people " complaining" (or rather, pointing out as a con against SLT) that you could kill other people with this totem. But, as far as I'm aware (and according to the tooltip, because I have no first-hand experience) this totem does not in fact distribute damage taken to everyone in range. This means that, if somebody gets oneshot, nobody else will be affected. Correct?

So, to re-iterate. If you drop SLT when one person is about to get stomped one way or the other and that person does NOT die, all remaining health in range is distributed each second. When a person dies, his/her health is no longer available, can't be distributed and won't affect any other person in range.

Am I right or wrong on this one?

[Teriz]

You can still misuse them. Most of the arguments I've seen against SLT involve people dropping it when it wouldn't be helpful or in some ridiculous hypothetical scenario that you'd have to be an idiot to use the CD during.

That's the QQing I'm talking about....

---------- Post added 2011-03-10 at 12:13 PM ----------

Unless you completely disable the ability (like the elemental totems), every ability is considered for both PvE and PvP. That said, this totem has as many negative possibilities as positive ones in PvP it's hard to fathom it going live at all in it's current shape. I would've prefered it to be invisible than as obvious as it is to be quite honest.

So that no one in your party or raid will know where to stand to get its benefit?

---------- Post added 2011-03-10 at 12:15 PM ----------

I'm pretty sure we're arguing different points here. I completely agree with your last statement and my goal is not to make this totem out to be useless. I'm merely comparing what other healers have as their cd's and how strong and flexible they are to this new totem. Imo, and only an opinion, I don't think it matches up to what others have. I haven't even brushed upon the fact that a priest 40 yards away can at a whim place their barrier or pain supp where and on whom they desire etc whereas a shaman would need to be stacked where they want the totem. /shrug I must just be hard to please.

A shaman can also ghost wolf and get to places pretty quickly, so it shouldn't be that hard to position this totem where necessary.

[Seriss]

Looks pretty sweet to me. But I've said from the start that this is an interesting new concept of a CD.

The only cons I've seen so far is that its use for PvP is questionable - and we were asking for a raid or tank saver. So this point is moot.

And that there are situations where it might not be optimal to use. Which goes for just about any other CD out there as well. Pop your PW:Barrier all you want when people are spread out all over the place. Pop your aura mastery when 2 people get moderate damage. Shield the raid when no AoE damage is imminent... It's amazing how people come up with sucky scenarios for spirit link totem while completely ignoring that other CDs can be applied in about the same brainless manner.

A 20 yards diameter isn't shabby. You'd be positioning yourself properly way before the dangerous moment already. Raid positioning is already planned in advance. Stack up here when ability x hits. Otherwise remain in that area over there and set your rangecheck to value y.

God forbid that we use our brains when putting this totem to some use.

Funny thought is... people can even alternate between being in range and out of range. Imagine the tank standing in the swirly zone (I want to call it Swirly Totem!). Group 1 running into the zone for a moment, then back out, then group 2 for the second hit... and if all of them had 100% health, they'd give a nice chunk of healing to the tank. So even if you couldn't stack up completely for some boss ability reason, one could find ways to somehow make it work.

I think one could come up with a lot of clever ways to put this totem to use. I'm almost certain that future boss fights will practically throw good situations for it in your face as Blizzard seems to design bosses around certain abilities (instagibs if you don't have a guardian spirit up or similar stuff in WotLK).

[Deleted]

So that no one in your party or raid will know where to stand to get its benefit?

There's a simple way to solve that with a macro. I would rather have a textbubble announce "SPIRIT LINK" (for pve) than announce with bright lights to the enemy team in arena that there's a 5hp totem up to whack-a-mole or exploit in other ways (like Cycloning the lowest health target in the team).

[Deleted]

Spirit Link Totem (new talent) reduces damage taken by all party and raid members within 10 yards by 10%. This lasts 6 seconds, and every second it is active the health of all affected players is redistributed among them, such that each player ends up with the same percentage of their maximum health. This counts as an Air totem and has a 3-minute cooldown.

Say you have 5 people affected by this totem. One tank at 1hp, and 4 melee at 100k hp. The totem hits and all the remaining hp are put in one big pile and redistributed so that everybody gets the same % hp.
(I don't know how much a tank has but lets say 200k and dps have 100k for simplicity).
Everybody in the group would get to 65% after the drop. 65k for dps and 130k for the tank. Well aprox. I just made this in my head as i was writing so my math may be a bit off.
At least this is how I think the totem works.

So.. Let's say, if a tank is dying (f.e 10k/200k hps) and the next swing is incoming, I have to run into melee range before swing/bossability, place this totem on/near the tank+melee, run back out because of bossmechanics and whatnot and THEN heal?

Will a tank survive that? Compare this to guardian spirit, bubble, tranquility or any other REAL cd out there. I still don't get how this is a tank-saving cd when you got minimal time until next dmg incoming on him. My goblin legs can't run that fast.

How is this useful at fights where people spread? For example flash freeze or chain lightning fights. People usually spread 10+ yards then.

[Teriz]

There's a simple way to solve that with a macro. I would rather have a textbubble announce "SPIRIT LINK" (for pve) than announce with bright lights to the enemy team in arena that there's a 5hp totem up to whack-a-mole or exploit in other ways (like Cycloning the lowest health target in the team).

Personally I love the big beautiful spell effect. PvPers need to just deal with it, or not use it.

[Deleted]

Prob the only thing great with it is the looks.. :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RStmCBMYYc

[Seriss]

So.. Let's say, if a tank is dying (f.e 10k/200k hps) and the next swing is incoming, I have to run into melee range before swing/bossability, place this totem on/near the tank+melee, run back out because of bossmechanics and whatnot and THEN heal?

Will a tank survive that? Compare this to guardian spirit, bubble, tranquility or any other REAL cd out there. I still don't get how this is a tank-saving cd when you got minimal time until next dmg incoming on him. My goblin legs can't run that fast.

How is this useful at fights where people spread? For example flash freeze or chain lightning fights. People usually spread 10+ yards then.

I don't know about you, but I will certainly not see to it that I grab a position that'll require me to run a long distance before applying my CD. I'll make sure that our raidlead knows that shamans have to stand at certain key positions. Like... when you're healing the debuffs at Chimaeron. You position yourself in a way that will allow you to reach everyone. Which means, you won't be standing in some corner. Now someone might even say: "But... but... my 40 yards cast range is limiting me! I have to run here and there to be able to reach people!" Yep, so position yourself in a way that'll allow you to do your job and minimise the chasing.

You're a shaman. I'm a shaman. We KNOW how to deal with totem positioning! At the latest, I've known it when carrying my Grounding Totem after the add-tank at M'uru to eat those huge-ass casts that would otherwise one-shot the poor guy. The totem only had a very small range. It had to be positioned some 8-10 yards or so away from the tank. So what did you do? You timed your movement. Positioning was clear beforehand. There was no way around having to run for a bit. And if you ran too far, the AoE from the little adds would kill you. The job was a bitch, but I loved the challenge of it.

What I'm trying to say is that when you're a shamy, you should be used to dealing with positioning. Because that's what we do. That's what separates the good shamy from the average shamy.

[Endus]

Unless you completely disable the ability (like the elemental totems), every ability is considered for both PvE and PvP. That said, this totem has as many negative possibilities as positive ones in PvP it's hard to fathom it going live at all in it's current shape. I would've prefered it to be invisible than as obvious as it is to be quite honest.

It's a talent.

If you think all talents are intended to be equally viable in PvE and PvP, you haven't been paying attention for the last 6 years. Arguing that this is bad for PvP therefore it's useless is exactly as silly as arguing that Focused Insight is terrible for PvE and therefore it's useless.

If you don't think it's useful in PvP, spend your talents elsewhere.

[Deleted]

Yeah I'm all for a free CD we didn't have before that doesn't share a totem with something useful or another spell's CD. My point was that this totem is very situational in its practicality. Example time!

Pro usage: Phase 2 Nefarian: where you're on a pillar and about to go through a crackle and people are randomly taking spikes of damage, drop the totem, HR, and CH to victory. Awesome!

Con usage: Magmaw heads up phase: raidwide aoe and some random splashes but everyone's hurting only a little bit, pop the totem down and you have a 1/3 effective PW:Barrier, gg.

Pro usage: Phase 2 Cho'gall: Some people are affected by the healing debuff from the adds, drop the totem HR and CH and bam they get healed regardless of their debuff. Hell yea.

Con usage: Omnitron Defense System: Fire guy and chain lighting guy are out at the same time, lots of aoe abound, stack totem HR CH again for effectively 10% damage reduc. Meh.

Then there are situations where this totem will kill you and or those around you.

Bad touch 1: Antramedes: 1 baddie got to 100 sound, you pop this totem and watch as that devastation wrecks your raid in stead of just the bad.

Bad touch 2: Chimaeron: Any time non feud, whoops you hit it by mistake and now even though you're 6 yards from ppl, you're not 10 and get someone killed by balancing health and they went below 10k.

If this totem were to go live as is, I'd be fine with it. But my argument is that it doesn't solve the problem that Blizz thought they were addressing. Raid leaders saw that all 5 healer specs were somewhat even on throughput, but still need to pick and choose who to bring. The CD's that Paladins and Priests bring to raids that help through the hardest parts of fights by popping AM, HoS, PW:B, Pain Supp, Guardian etc and ultimately reduce the incoming damage of the whole of the raid or of the tank by a considerable amount is what made them more valuable and therefore chosen first over shaman and druids. This totem doesn't make or break boss fights. 10% dmg reduc when a priest can provide 30% doesn't sell me, the balancing thing when there are so few fights where that portion of the totem really outshines anything else on the table, I don't like it. 3/12 where its great and 9/12 where its situational or merely a weak CD makes me sad.

What absolute, utter ridiculous drivel.

Firstly, there are fights you've mentioned as bad where another stage of said fight would make it awesome (sup feud). As has been said, listing situations that is a bad time to use a cooldown when there are other times in the fight that would make it awesome is stupid and biased. And everyone elses cooldowns have bad/risky times to use them.

Secondly, where the hell are people getting the idea that someone getting gibbed like from 100 sound will suddenly kill everyone else?? It quite clearly states that it checks everyone's health every second and redistributes it evenly - it says nothing nor in anyway implies that it splits damage taken.

Thirdly, a pro that I think people haven't realised is the benefit for effective healing. In an AoE heal situation, people are often on various different HPs, and quite often there will be 1 or 2 high and 1 or 2 low etc etc. This means that there is often at least some case of over healing done because of the nature of AoE heals and HoTs. With this totem keeping everyone's health even, BOOM, you're healers are instantly more efficient and effective.

Fourthly, in situations where the tank is gonna get gibbed, there are more often than not people within 10 yards of him, and at least in my experience, I've never been too far from the tank that I can't ghost wolf in in extremely short order. You should be able to predict based on the fight and what's happening when you're going to need to pop the cooldown to save the tank, and get in position accordingly. And what's this all about always having to move out because of mechanics? Sure, you do on some fights, but then, you wouldn't use this cooldown at that stage of the fight, and more likely at another stage, if it's needed at all.

Fifthly, as I now raid with my priest as of a couple of weeks ago (ironically because shamans lacked cooldowns and we didn't have a priest in our 10 man), I can tell you that there are plenty of fights that my cooldowns are pointless/not needed/not nearly as effective. That's the case for all cooldowns and all fights. So bitchin' just cause it's not useful in every conceivable situation ever is ridiculous.

Just the idea that we're getting an emergency cooldown should be making people over-joyed (does for me!), let alone this cooldown that (a) was asked for and (b) is very very solid, and situationally absolutely freaking amazing.

[Remortal]

It gives it a small bubble, but mine is used on cd to give myself a shield 4x stronger to negate 16k damage. And I know its not intended for pvp, would just be nice to have one, I'd even take a barkskin clone at this point. Kind of hard to do anything while being focused by a warrior and any other dps. Warriors or a dps alone I can handle and kite. Guess ol earthbind and I will keep on pillar humping.

You solo arenas?

[Mammoth]

Yeah I'm all for a free CD we didn't have before that doesn't share a totem with something useful or another spell's CD. My point was that this totem is very situational in its practicality.

Situational talents are great. Knowing how to adapt to situations is fun. Many classes have these things.

Then there are situations where this totem will kill you and or those around you.

Bad touch 1: Antramedes: 1 baddie got to 100 sound, you pop this totem and watch as that devastation wrecks your raid in stead of just the bad.

Bad touch 2: Chimaeron: Any time non feud, whoops you hit it by mistake and now even though you're 6 yards from ppl, you're not 10 and get someone killed by balancing health and they went below 10k.

You can't seriously complain that an ability is bad because it will kill people in your raid if you use it wrong. You have to use your brain and use it right. Don't have it up if its going to kill people.

Atramedes, people shouldn't get 100 sonic. If they do you should have some raid rule where he runs away quickly to minimise the damage that is going to be shared. Either that or take the totem down.

If this totem were to go live as is, I'd be fine with it. But my argument is that it doesn't solve the problem that Blizz thought they were addressing. Raid leaders saw that all 5 healer specs were somewhat even on throughput, but still need to pick and choose who to bring. The CD's that Paladins and Priests bring to raids that help through the hardest parts of fights by popping AM, HoS, PW:B, Pain Supp, Guardian etc and ultimately reduce the incoming damage of the whole of the raid or of the tank by a considerable amount is what made them more valuable and therefore chosen first over shaman and druids. This totem doesn't make or break boss fights. 10% dmg reduc when a priest can provide 30% doesn't sell me, the balancing thing when there are so few fights where that portion of the totem really outshines anything else on the table, I don't like it. 3/12 where its great and 9/12 where its situational or merely a weak CD makes me sad.

It's a great new tool to your arsenal. As a raid leader I'm certainly not passing over shamans. Not when they're bringing Healing Rain, Mana Tide and a wide range of buffs.

"there are so few fights where that portion of the totem really outshines anything else on the table" -- getting a new move isn't meant to make you the most OP healer available. You all have uses, and this talent certainly isn't as weak as you make it out to be.

---------- Post added 2011-03-10 at 03:19 PM ----------

Secondly, where the hell are people getting the idea that someone getting gibbed like from 100 sound will suddenly kill everyone else?? It quite clearly states that it checks everyone's health every second and redistributes it evenly - it says nothing nor in anyway implies that it splits damage taken..

100 sonic isn't an instant shot. Its a chain of shots. With healing and split health that person will stay alive for quite some time. The totem will pulse every second and normalise the health. Thus by the time he's dead everyone will be near 10% HP. The next modulation will hurt.

[Themessiah]

The totem wont ever kill you, but it may get you killed. It cant share health equally across 0% since there is no health to share. However, it may drop a group to 1% ish or close. In which case, it could well get you killed.

[Seriss]

100 sonic isn't an instant shot. Its a chain of shots. With healing and split health that person will stay alive for quite some time. The totem will pulse every second and normalise the health. Thus by the time he's dead everyone will be near 10% HP. The next modulation will hurt.

Well, then maybe this CD isn't for saving people from their own fails? I want to see a PW:Barrier that'll save him, or a Pain Sup, or or or... there's stuff that you're not meant to survive. And if you wish to use your CD on stuff that has the potential to kill your raid, be my guest

[Nedrud]

Prob the only thing great with it is the looks.. :P

youtube.com/watch?v=7RStmCBMYYc

The swirling circles are nice and useful to visually catch the totem's area of effect, but the big "steam jets" along the borders are just unnecessary and blatantly over the top, especially since they gave Efflorescence and Sanctuary new and more sober spell effects to try to not over-saturate the already way too shiny and flashy visual-effects fest that are our raids.
I think I'll macro it with a /train emote: "choo choo, all aboard the steam train!" :-/
Anyway, that's just irrelevant, this totem has far more serious flaws already...

To stay on the subject of minor flaws, making it an Air totem makes its already awkward positioning even worse, since it will spawn on our back, and its current placement on the 5th tier of the resto tree, next to Telluric Currents, means it will steal a talent point from Acuity/Ancestral Swiftness (tipically): I hoped for a 3rd or 4th tier placement, to be able to make a better use of the currently almost wasted point in 1/2 Cleansing Waters (from a PvE point of view, of course)...

This new CD, while potentially interesting, could definitely use some more polishing...