Death Howl features 35 collectible Totems scattered across the Spirit World, offering passive bonuses ranging from bonus mana and extra card draw to poison procs, collision damage buffs, and shield generation. Players begin their adventure with four familial starter totems and gradually collect the remaining artifacts by completing regional side quests, raiding hidden caves, defeating Elder Spirit encounters guarding nests, and spending Teardrops on realm upgrades.
This guide details the confirmed totems documented across the Spirit World's realms, their exact mechanical effects, official balance adjustments from game updates, and how to acquire them.
How Totems Work in Death Howl
Totems act as continuous passive enhancements in tactical grid combat. They are unlocked early in the story during your journey through the Forest of Howling Shadows after interacting with the moose spirit Nanntok at an awakened Sacred Grove.
- Press the totem key (default T on keyboard) to bring up the totem inventory menu.
- Drag and drop an available totem into an active focus slot.
- Equip the totems that directly synergize with your current deck archetype before stepping into an encounter grid.
Early in the game, only one totem slot is accessible. Advancing through regional progression and spending Teardrops unlocks additional slots, allowing multiple passive bonuses to trigger simultaneously. Because different battles present unique threats—such as retaliating armored bosses, explosive enemies, or ranged attackers—matching your active totems to your deck plan is essential for survival.
Starter Totems
Upon unlocking the totem interface in the Forest of Howling Shadows, four starter totems representing Ro's family members are automatically available.
| Totem Name | Confirmed Effect | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Father's Talisman | First Turn: +1 Card Draw | Automatically available upon unlocking the Totem menu |
| Brother's Bracelet | First Turn: +1 Damage on Next Attack | Automatically available upon unlocking the Totem menu |
| Mother's Pelt (Mother's Cloth) | First Turn: Grants temporary Shield / Defense (1 to 2 Block depending on version) | Automatically available upon unlocking the Totem menu |
| Sister's Flute | First Turn: Inflicts Weak on a random enemy | Automatically available upon unlocking the Totem menu |
Realm of Distorted Hollows Totems
The Realm of Distorted Hollows contains eight regional totems spread across three sub-areas: the Forest of Howling Shadows, the Meadows of Delusion, and the Creek of Spectral Falls.
| Totem Name | Region / Sub-Area | Confirmed Effect | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bird Nest | Forest of Howling Shadows | Each Turn: Draw 1 card; drawn card costs 1 more Mana that turn | Eastern Forest nest. Follow the bird during the "Flames of Vengeance" side quest and defeat the guarding Elder Spirit. |
| Resin | Forest of Howling Shadows | At the End of Each Turn: Deal 1 damage to adjacent enemies | Reward for completing the "Flames of Vengeance" side quest by returning the Blue Bird to the Burning Tree. |
| Squirrel's Tail | Forest of Howling Shadows | Grants extra health to summoned Fylge (buffed to +4 extra health in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Found inside a secret cave in the forest after defeating an encounter with an Elder Doomglare, Crawling Terror, and Elder Sorrowing. |
| Tree Root | Forest of Howling Shadows | Passive defensive/root utility (exact value varies) | Located in a nest south of the Northern Sacred Grove. Loop west past the cave and defeat the guarding Elder Spirit fight. |
| Beehive | Meadows of Delusion | Gives +1 Mana; adds 4 Bee Sting cards to your draw pile | Located near the southwestern nest. Can be collected alongside the final scale in the "Balancing the Scales" side quest. |
| Pearl | Meadows of Delusion | Each Turn: Discard a random card; gain its Mana cost in Shield | Reward handed over by the giant fish upon turning in all five fish scales for "Balancing the Scales". |
| Reptilian Eggs | Meadows of Delusion | Passive summon/egg utility | Guarded by an Elder Spirit fight (2 Dreadfins, 1 Gloomcroak, 1 Elder Hatchwing) southwest of the northern Sacred Grove. |
| Femur of Large Beast | Creek of Spectral Falls | Adds +1 Damage for the entire battle; Each Turn: Discard 1 random card | Found in a cave system north of the southern Sacred Grove, past two back-to-back encounters including an Elder Crawling Terror. |
Realm of Piercing Winds Totems
The Realm of Piercing Winds contains seven totems divided among The Breathing Chasm, The Hidden Vale, The Glacial Maw, and regional progression.
| Totem Name | Region / Sub-Area | Confirmed Effect | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frostalite | Progression Upgrade | Special Realm Totem power | Unlocked through the regional Teardrop skill progression tree. |
| Bear Skull | The Breathing Chasm | On Kill: Gain 3 Shield | Located in the northern nest west of the eastern Sacred Grove, past an Elder Horned Menace, Coiled Seducer, and Sorrowing. |
| Engraved Antlers | The Breathing Chasm | First Turn: Discard 1 random card; add 2 random Engraved cards (Patch 1.0.0.5 reduced discard penalty to 1 card) | In a cave on the western side of The Breathing Chasm between two spirit encounters. Defeat 2 Elder Sorrowings, a Crumbler, and an Elder Crawling Terror. |
| Opal | The Breathing Chasm | Passive regional benefit | Reward for completing the "Reap of Weep" side quest started by speaking to the two-headed bird in the northeast corner. |
| Petrified Cheernut | The Hidden Vale | Gives -1 Mana; draw 1 less card each turn; grants +1 Shield whenever you gain Shield (updated in Patch 1.0.0.3) | Nest / exploration reward within The Hidden Vale. |
| Thick Fur | The Hidden Vale | Once Per Battle: Prevents a lethal killing blow, keeping current health instead of dropping to 1 (updated in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Reward for completing "The Laughing Face of Death" side quest in The Hidden Vale. |
| Frozen Driftwood | The Hidden Vale | Passive chill/defense effect | Located in The Hidden Vale region. |
| Frozen Fish Head | The Glacial Maw | First Turn: All enemies are Frozen for 1 turn | Found within The Glacial Maw sector. |
Realm of Gloomy Waters Totems
The Realm of Gloomy Waters houses nine totems across Dead Roots, The Wailing Marshes, Shores of Darkness, and skill unlocks, with a strong focus on poison, health sacrifice, and curse conversion.
| Totem Name | Region / Sub-Area | Confirmed Effect | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorns | Progression Upgrade | Retaliatory damage (increased from 1 to 2 damage in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Unlocked through regional Teardrop skill progression. |
| Infected Tooth | Dead Roots | First Turn: Lose 2 Health; On Kill: Inflict 2 Poison on a random enemy | Located within Dead Roots. |
| Twig Entangler | Dead Roots | First Turn: Inflict 2 Poison on a random enemy | Found inside a nest in Dead Roots. |
| Red Rock | Dead Roots | On Kill: Restore 1 Mana (nerfed from 2 Mana down to 1 Mana in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Reward for completing the "In Search of Beauty" side quest in Dead Roots. |
| Obsidian Mirror | Dead Roots | Passive mirror/status benefit | Located within the Dead Roots region. |
| Bloody Swan Feather | The Wailing Marshes | Movement costs Health instead of Mana | Found within The Wailing Marshes. |
| Skullcap | The Wailing Marshes | First Turn: Lose 1 Health; On Kill: Draw 1 card (nerfed from 2 cards to 1 card in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Located within The Wailing Marshes. |
| Algae Bubble | The Wailing Marshes | Health loss trigger (nerfed to lose 2 Health instead of 1 in Patch 1.0.0.3) | Reward for completing the "Entangled Relationship" side quest. |
| Adder Stone | Shores of Darkness | Each Turn: Transforms all curses into random playable cards (reworked in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Located in the Shores of Darkness region. |
Realm of Hostile Plains Totems
The Realm of Hostile Plains holds six totems split across the Moors of Withered Memories, the Valley of Desolation, and the Cadaver Dunes, focusing on sustained shields, position pushes, and big mana gains.
| Totem Name | Region / Sub-Area | Confirmed Effect | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wing of Pelican | Progression Upgrade | Grants free movement steps on the grid each turn | Unlocked through regional Teardrop skill progression. |
| Horned Beetle | Moors of Withered Memories | At the End of Each Turn: Gain 1 Shield for each enemy damaged this turn | Inside the western cave of Moors of Withered Memories. Defeat the Infected Molar and Elder Crawling Terror. |
| Crystallized Ox Heart | Moors of Withered Memories | End of Battle: Heal up to 2 Health lost during this battle (nerfed from 3 down to 2 in Patch 1.0.0.5) | Reward for completing the "Uninvited Sorrows" side quest (clear all spirits in the Moors without resting at Sacred Groves). |
| Goathoof | Valley of Desolation | Enemies take 2 extra damage on collisions when pushed into obstacles or board edges | Located in the southernmost nest of the Valley of Desolation, guarded by multiple Elder Spirit encounters. |
| Amber Figurine | Valley of Desolation | First Turn: Gain 5 Shield and ignore the next ailment received | Reward for finishing the "Scattered Senses" side quest in the Valley of Desolation. |
| Shell of Whispers | Cadaver Dunes | Gives +2 Mana; Draw 1 less card each turn | Inside a central cave in Cadaver Dunes, guarded by a Sandbiter, Bleakbone, and an Elder Horned Menace. |
Tactical Totem Synergies and Observations
Testing totems across standard runs and high-difficulty Rebirth mode encounters highlights specific interactions worth noting:
- Red Rock and Multi-Target Clearing: Red Rock awards 1 Mana whenever an enemy dies. In board states crowded with low-health summons or fragile targets, clearing multiple entities with linear attacks or area spells like Earthquake immediately refunds Mana, enabling extended combat turns. Note that developer patch 1.0.0.5 adjusted boss encounters so auxiliary eyeball entities on select major bosses no longer trigger kill procs.
- Horned Beetle for Sustained Block: Because Horned Beetle checks every damaged enemy at the end of your turn, multi-target hits or area-of-effect pings grant multiple points of Shield. This allows players to hold ground against high-damage bruisers without committing dedicated block cards.
- Bird Nest with High-Cost Discard Decks: Drawing an extra card every turn while penalizing its Mana cost by +1 functions as pure upside in archetypes built on discard mechanics, such as Frantic Stabbing or Triple Arrow, since the card can simply be pitched to fuel discard thresholds.
- Amber Figurine for Turn-One Setup: The 5 Shield and ailment immunity allow safe movement through hazardous terrain like acidic ooze or hostile line-of-sight attacks during turn one without forfeiting tempo.
- Adder Stone Against Curse-Heavy Enemies: Encountering spirits like Bleakbone or specific endgame elites that repeatedly pollute your draw pile with curses becomes manageable when Adder Stone converts those dead cards into active hand tools every turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many totems can you equip at once in Death Howl?
You begin the game with a single active totem focus slot. Additional slots unlock as you progress through regional storylines and invest Teardrops into your progression tree.
What happened to the Red Rock totem in recent patches?
In update patch 1.0.0.5, the developers reduced the Mana refund granted by Red Rock from 2 Mana per kill down to 1 Mana. In that same balance patch, specific boss eyes were updated so they no longer trigger "Kill" effects.
Can totems be swapped inside combat?
No. Totems must be equipped while exploring the overworld map before entering a battle grid. If you trigger an encounter with suboptimal gear, you can retreat on the opening turn to reconfigure your build and try again.
Does the Crystallized Ox Heart totem allow overhealing?
No. The Crystallized Ox Heart restores health lost during that specific battle (up to 2 HP following patch 1.0.0.5 adjustments). It cannot increase your health pool beyond your pre-battle status, and a previous bug causing accidental overhealing was resolved in hotfixes.
