Grounding Totem

Grounding Totem
Grounding Totem Level 20 Restoration shaman PvP talent 5.9% of base mana 30 sec cooldown Instant Summons an Air Totem with 50 health at the feet of the caster that will redirect all harmful spells cast on a nearby party or raid member to itself. Will not redirect area of effect spells. Lasts 3 sec.
Properties
Class	Shaman
School	Nature
Cooldown	30 seconds
Other information
Level available	20

Grounding Totem is a Restoration shaman PvP talent. It applies a buff to all party members within range which effectively makes one party member immune to the next spell cast on them, apart from AoE spells. This spell will affect the totem instead, destroying it.

Tips

• The Grounding Totem is very useful for initially shutting down mages in PvP. Simply [Wind Shear] to break their first cast, drop the Grounding Totem to absorb their second cast, and [Wind Shear] should be ready again by the time the mage can cast again.
• It is also useful to place a Grounding Totem down when needing to heal as it can redirect spells that prevent you from healing like [Wind Shear] and [Counterspell].
• The Grounding Totem is noteworthy when trying to escape a class that has spell based snares, such as a mage's [Frostbolt] so the shaman doesn't get slowed down when fleeing. Grounding Totems are exceptionally well at absorbing mana drains as they will not be harmed from it Mana Drain but still redirects the spell.
• It is possible, though rare, for a Grounding Totem to be able to absorb more than one direct damage spell. This typically can happen if the two spells finish casting before the totem is hit by the initial spell. Being as how spells with a travel time (such as [Frostbolt]) do not damage the target until the projectile hits, the totem will redirect any of these types of spells until it takes damage and summarily gets destroyed (after which the Grounding Totem buff will be removed).
• Grounding Totems do not tend to work against boss abilities that mind control players (such as those found with Harbinger Skyriss or Baroness Anastari). However, they do work against monster initiated mind controls (such as those found with Spectral Retainer). The same is also true for fear effects, with the Rift Keeper in Black Morass having a fear that can be grounded. Direct damage effects and curses are generally groundable, even if from a boss.

Trivia

In the TCG.

• During Patch 1.6.0 the Grounding Totem was not behaving as designed: it occasionally sucked up spells and effects (even those outside the scope of the totem) as often as they could be applied, rather than once every 10 seconds (it was still being destroyed by the first damaging spell that hit it). This was most noticeable when fighting a rogue in melee and seeing "Crippling Poison fails. Grounding Totem is Immune" appear in the combat log for every time you were hit.

Patch changes

• Hotfix (2024-02-08):
  • Resolved an issue causing some spells to kill Grounding Totem without directly targeting the totem.
  • Resolved an issue causing redirected damage over time effects to apply to Grounding Totem. Grounding Totem is once again immune to debuff effects.
    
• Patch 9.0.1 (2020-10-13): Now has 50 health (was 5). Any damage taken automatically kills the totem.
  
• Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Converted from a rank 43 honor talent to a PvP talent.
  
• Patch 7.3.0 (2017-08-29): The totem will no longer take damage from spells that are redirected to it.
  
• Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Changed into an honor talent for Restoration (was a level 38 ability for all shaman). Duration reduced from 15 to 3 seconds, but redirects all spells for the duration. Cooldown increased from 25 to 30 seconds.
  
• Patch 6.1.0 (2015-02-24): Now protects both party and raid members (up from only party members). Additionally, fixed an issue where Grounding Totem was incorrectly redirecting [Provoke] (monk), [Growl] (hunter pet), and [Defile] (death knight).
  
• Patch 5.1.0 (2012-11-27): All totems are now considered spells, and summoning totems can be prevented by silencing effects. Grounding Totem falls into the Nature school.
  
• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Duration reduced from 45 to 15 sec.
  
• Patch 4.1.0 (2011-04-26): Cooldown has been increased to 25 seconds, up from 15.
  
• Hotfix (2011-01-05): Friendly Grounding Totems are no longer affected by a warlock's [Soul Swap] or [Soul Swap: Exhale]. The Grounding Totem is not despawning on either cast, and Soul Swap is working correctly when moving damage-over-time effects to other targets that are near the totem.
  
• Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Now requires level 38 (was 30).
  
• Patch 3.2.2 (2009-09-22): Will now properly protect against the [Death Grip] spell.
  
• Hotfix (2009-02-18): A Grounding Totem is now properly destroyed even if the grounded spell did not do damage.
  
• Patch 2.3.0 (2007-11-13): This totem is now immediately destroyed upon the first spell it redirects, rather than redirecting a spell every 10 seconds.
  
• Patch 1.10.0 (2006-03-28): This totem will no longer absorb the procs from  [Frostguard],  [Annihilator],  [Bludgeon of the Grinning Dog],  [The Chief's Enforcer],  [The Judge's Gavel],  [Hammer of the Titans],  [Blackblade of Shahram], and  [Bonereaver's Edge]. Tooltip updated to be more clear.
  
• Patch 1.9.0 (2006-01-03): This totem will no longer absorb the spell from  [Crippling Poison] or  [Deadly Poison].
  
• Patch 1.6.0 (2005-07-12): Fixed graphical anomalies when using channeled abilities in a group with a grounding totem.
  
• Patch 1.5.0 (2005-06-07): Fixed a bug that allowed some area of effect spells to be "grounded" and/or destroy the totem.
  
• Patch 1.4.0 (2005-04-19): Should no longer redirect area effect spells or be destroyed by area effects spells.
  

See also

• Grounding Totem, TCG card

Other versions

• Classic

  Grounding Totem
  Grounding Totem Level 30 shaman ability 6% of base mana 15 sec cooldown Instant Tools: Air Totem Summons a Grounding Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster that will redirect one harmful spell cast on a nearby party member to itself every 10 seconds. Will not redirect area of effect spells. Lasts 45 sec.
  Properties
  Class	Shaman
  School	Nature
  Cooldown	15 seconds
  Other information
  Level learned	30
  Improvements	[Guardian Totems]

• BC Classic

  Grounding Totem
  Grounding Totem Level 30 shaman ability 5% of base mana 15 sec cooldown Instant Tools: Air Totem Summons a Grounding Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster that will redirect one harmful spell cast on a nearby party member to itself, destroying the totem. Will not redirect area of effect spells. Lasts 45 sec.
  Properties
  Class	Shaman
  School	Nature
  Cooldown	15 seconds
  Other information
  Level learned	30
  Improvements	[Guardian Totems]

• Wrath Classic

  Grounding Totem
  Grounding Totem Level 30 shaman ability 6% of base mana 15 sec cooldown Instant Tools: Air Totem Summons a Grounding Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster that will redirect one harmful spell cast on a nearby party member to itself, destroying the totem. Will not redirect area of effect spells. Lasts 45 sec.
  Properties
  Class	Shaman
  School	Physical
  Cooldown	15 seconds
  Other information
  Level learned	30
  Improvements	[Guardian Totems]
  Glyphs	[Glyph of Grounding Totem]

• Cataclysm Classic

  Grounding Totem
  Grounding Totem Level 38 shaman ability 5% of base mana 25 sec cooldown Instant Tools: Air Totem Summons a Grounding Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster that will redirect one harmful spell cast on a nearby party member to itself, destroying the totem. Will not redirect area of effect spells. Lasts 45 sec.
  Properties
  Class	Shaman
  School	Physical
  Cooldown	25 seconds
  Other information
  Level learned	38
  Glyphs	[Glyph of Grounding Totem]

• MoP Classic

  Grounding Totem
  Grounding Totem Level 38 shaman ability 5.9% of base mana 25 sec cooldown Instant Summons an Air Totem with 5 health at the feet of the caster that will redirect one harmful spell cast on a nearby party member to itself, destroying the totem. Will not redirect area of effect spells. Lasts 15 sec.
  Properties
  Class	Shaman
  School	Physical
  Cooldown	25 seconds
  Other information
  Level learned	38
  Glyphs	[Glyph of Grounding Totem]

External links

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