Don't take Spirit Totem.
It's really really good if used by a Skald. That's because Skald has a high charisma, and applies it to an entire group. That way, it actually amounts to noticeable damage.
But since the Spirits don't benefit from any effect that enhances damage for you - no power attack, weapon enchantments, anything - it'll just remain 1D4+2 damage. FOREVER! (well, 1D6+2 eventually).
Superstition is a staple for a reason.
It's +2 to saves at 2nd level. It goes up to +3 at 4th level, +4 at 8th level...it ends up being +6 to all saves (except against poison, traps and such). That's basically +50% to your base saves, and still easily +25% to your overall save after items and ability scores.
Sure, you have to save against friendly spells. That sucks, right?
Only if you're not well-coordinated with the party. If your party does any pre-combat buffing, spells will work just fine on you. There's a bunch of beneficial spells that don't have saving throws at all (not even harmless ones), so those work just fine on you. Once you can rage-cycle, you can simply drop out of the rage for one round if your allies want to buff you. And when you go down and need healing, your rage will end automatically anyway, so healing spells (which are either emergency- or after-combat cast) work just fine on you.
Extra-nifty trick if an ally wants to buff you: have them ready an action to cast the standard-action spell with "when my friend ends their rage". On your turn, you end your rage as a free action. This triggers your allies spell, and you don't have to make a save. Your turn is still going on, so you just start your rage up again. Cheesy? Maybe. Effective with teamwork? Certainly.
It also opens up really good rage powers.
Witch Hunter isn't "a small bonus to damage". It's as much damage as a Fighter gains from Weapon Training, with the same scaling. And eventually, everything you'll be fighting will qualify for that damage bonus on account of having some spell-like ability (well, except some NPCs, but certainly all monsters).
Spell Sunder is nice as well. Granted, without Improved Sunder you'll provoke attacks of opportunity. But it being a Sunder combat maneuver, you can use it in place of melee attacks, so it doesn't prevent you from doing damage. Plus, it's pretty nice to have outside of combat since you can negate magical effects that way (even if only temporarily) without a spellcaster having to cast dispel magic.
But IMO it's
Eater of Magic that is the real gem here. Granted, it only comes online at 10th level. But effectively (with rage cycling), you can re-roll any saving throw (including against supernatural effects, though still not against traps or poison). That's huge. Together with Superstition, you'll be pretty safe from spells at that point.
Auspicious Mark is nice, but it'd be better if you could use it on skills (you can, but your rage precludes you from using most relevant skills). Plus it eats up a lot of rage rounds rather quickly if you start rage cycling for it.
Only take Lesser Elemental Rage if you go for Rage Cycling. However, it's only 1D6 damage so you can put this off until quite a bit later. Also, only ever take it if you don't have another use for your swift actions.
Reckless Abandon is pretty nice. You should have the hit points to take hits, so a weaker AC won't matter terribly much.
Savage Dirty Trick is great. It's in place of a melee attack (so you still get your other attacks), deals some damage (=strength modifier) and can outright nauseate or daze an enemy.
If you do want a Totem, I'd suggest the
Elemental (Air Totem). The start is a bit weak - another scaling bonus to saves, but only against spells with the [air] descriptor. However, the next step (which you take as a rage power as normal) is great once you get Rage Cycling. Free Air Walk whenever you're raging? You just removed your need for flight-effects entirely. And it's
next step is also nice - it's difficult to concentrate next to you, enemy ranged attacks get a penalty to hitting you and creatures smaller than you (I hope you get enlarge person somewhere) get knocked back if they attack you.
But really, this is just a good two-step way to get flight.
A note on Rage Cycling:
It's the art of not being fatigued after ending your rage. That way, you can end and start it each round, which in turn allows you to use all your "once/rage" powers as often as you want. You can do it in a bunch of ways. Without dipping into Oracle or taking the Horizon Walker PrC, you have two options:
- taking the
Internal Fortitude Rage Power and using a
Flawed Scarlet and Green Cabochon Ioun Stone. The latter turns fatigued into sickened, the former makes you immune to being sickened.
- using a
Cord of Stubborn Resolve. It takes up the Belt Slot, but now everything that would fatigue you only deals 1D6 nonlethal damage. That's not ideal, but it's better than being fatigued, not using a rage power you wanted to use, or not getting the benefit of an allied spell. Plus you can use it without taking a rage power.
What would I personally take?
2nd: Superstitious
4th: Witch Hunter
6th: Savage Dirty Trick. Spell Sunder if your party is short on people who can remove buffs from enemies or counter environmental magical effects. Both if you have a feat to spare for extra rage powers.
8th: Internal Fortitude for Rage Cycling.
10th: Eater of Magic to laugh at spellcasters.
12th: Lesser Air Totem (worth getting earlier via feat if possible)
14th: Air Totem (worth getting earlier via feat if possible)
