The Ultimate Totemic Mod Guide: Totems, Ceremonies & the Baycock Boss

The Totemic mod is one of Minecraft’s most unique and rewarding mods, blending totem-building with musical ceremonies to grant powerful effects, transform mobs, and even summon a final boss. Whether you’re just starting out or trying to unlock the mod’s deepest content, this complete start-to-finish guide covers everything you need to know — from crafting your first totem to defeating the Baycock.

Getting Started: Building Your First Totem

The first thing you need to craft in Totemic is a Totem Whittling Knife. Once you have it, grab any type of wood — the species doesn’t matter — and place logs in a vertical column up to 6 blocks high.

With your Whittling Knife in hand, Shift + Right-click the bottom log and make sure the tooltip reads Totem Base, then right-click to carve it. That creates your totem base. From there, Shift + Right-click the remaining logs above it to cycle through the available totem animal options — bat, blaze, buffalo, cow, enderman, horse, ocelot, pig, rabbit, spider, squid, wolf, and more — and right-click to confirm your chosen carving on each log.

Totem Animal Effects

Each animal carved into a totem log grants a different passive effect to any player standing nearby. Here is the full list:

Bat — Reduces fall speed and negates fall damage

Blaze — Grants fire protection

Buffalo — Increases mining speed

Cow — Grants damage resistance but slows movement speed

Enderman — Grants night vision

Horse — Grants a speed boost

Ocelot — Prevents nearby creepers from exploding

Pig — Adds a luck bonus

Rabbit — Grants a jump boost

Spider — Allows you to climb walls

Squid — Grants water breathing

Wolf — Grants increased attack strength

You can stack multiple totems of the same animal type to amplify the effect. For example, stacking multiple Wolf totems can push your Strength bonus from Strength I all the way up to Strength IV. You must remain within range of the totem pole for the effects to apply.

The Totem Appedia

To reference all ceremonies and totem information in-game, craft the Totem Appedia. Note that this item requires the Patchouli mod to be installed alongside Totemic. It serves as your in-game handbook for all ceremony requirements and effects.

Instruments: The Three Basics You Need First

Ceremonies in Totemic are powered by music. Before you can perform any ceremony, you need to craft the following three instruments:

Totemist Drum — Craft two of these. Made from leather and wood.

Flute — A core melody instrument used in most ceremonies.

Jingle Dress — Crafted from iron balls (made of iron nuggets), leather, and leaves. Equip it in your leg armor slot. It generates melody automatically whenever you jump during a ceremony.

How Ceremonies Work

To start a ceremony, you first select it by Shift + Right-clicking the required instruments in the correct order while standing near the totem base. Once the ceremony begins, two progress bars appear at the bottom of your screen: a melody bar (top) and a time bar (bottom). You must fill the melody bar before the time bar runs out, or the ceremony fails — indicated by grey smoke rising from the totem base.

To fill the melody bar, actively play your instruments by right-clicking them and jump continuously to trigger the Jingle Dress. When an instrument has contributed its maximum melody, white smoke rises from the totem base. Once you see white smoke on a particular instrument, stop using it and switch to your remaining instruments.

You can cancel any active ceremony at any time by equipping your Totemic Staff and left-clicking the totem base.

Ceremony 1: The Rite of Spring

The Rite of Spring is the first ceremony you should perform and is essential for progressing further in the mod. It is a rite of fertility and growth: nearby animals will breed (provided food items are on the ground nearby), and any adjacent saplings will be transformed into Red Cedar Saplings. There is also a decent chance that the food used for breeding will not be consumed.

Red Cedar wood is a core resource in Totemic that you will need for future crafting, so getting this ceremony done early is critical.

How to Perform the Rite of Spring

Required instruments: Flute, then Totemist Drum (in that order)

Place an oak sapling (or any sapling) near the totem base before starting.

Shift + Right-click the Flute, then Shift + Right-click the Drum to initiate.

Actively play both instruments and jump to fill the melody bar in time.

Watch for white smoke on the drum — once it appears, stop using the drum and continue with the flute and jumping only.

When the ceremony completes successfully, your oak sapling will transform into a Red Cedar Sapling. Grow it into a full tree to begin harvesting Red Cedar Logs.

Ceremony 2: The Buffalo Dance

The Buffalo Dance transforms nearby cows into Buffaloes, which are a key source of materials needed for later progression. To perform this ceremony you will first need to craft Wind Chimes, which require Red Cedar Logs — the very reason you needed to complete the Rite of Spring first.

Wind Chimes

Wind Chimes are a passive instrument: once placed near your totem base, they automatically generate melody during any ceremony without you needing to interact with them. You can place a maximum of 3 Wind Chimes near the totem base at once. For best results, hang them under leaf blocks, as this causes them to generate melody at a faster rate. Wind Chimes must be placed hanging from a block — they cannot be placed freely in the air.

How to Perform the Buffalo Dance

Required instruments: Totemist Drum, then Wind Chime (in that order)

Pen some cows in a ditch or enclosed area near the totem base beforehand.

Shift + Right-click the Drum, then Shift + Right-click the Wind Chime to initiate.

Play the drum and flute actively and jump. The wind chimes will contribute passively.

Stop using the drum once white smoke appears on it, and continue with the flute and jumping.

When complete, nearby cows will transform into Buffaloes. Baby Buffaloes take approximately 20 minutes to grow into adults. If you don’t want to wait, you can perform the Hymn of Maturity ceremony (using Flute then Wind Chime) to roughly halve the growth time down to around 10 minutes.

Once adult Buffaloes are ready, kill them to collect Buffalo Tooth and Buffalo Heart — both are required for subsequent crafting and ceremonies. You will also obtain Raw Buffalo Meat, Cooked Buffalo Meat, and Buffalo Hide, which can be used as a leather substitute.

Ceremony 3: Serenade of Syrinks

The Serenade of Syrinks upgrades your basic Flute into a Pan’s Flute. Pan’s Flute holds significantly more melody capacity than the standard flute, making it much easier to fill the melody bar in future ceremonies. As a bonus, animals and villagers will be unable to resist its melody and will follow you when you play it. Crafting a Rattle is required for this ceremony — and to craft the Rattle you need a Buffalo Tooth, which is why the Buffalo Dance must come first.

How to Perform the Serenade of Syrinks

Required instruments: Flute, then Rattle (in that order)

Shift + Right-click the Flute, then Shift + Right-click the Rattle to initiate.

Quickly move the Flute to your off-hand. You can then hold the Rattle in your main hand and the Flute in your off-hand and use them simultaneously — they will play together with a single right-click action.

Jump continuously and play both instruments until the ceremony completes.

Once the ceremony ends, your Flute is permanently upgraded to Pan’s Flute. You can continue using Pan’s Flute in your off-hand paired with the Rattle in your main hand for all future ceremonies.

Ceremony 4: The Eagle Dance

The Eagle Dance transforms nearby Parrots into Bald Eagles. Eagle feathers and eagle bones dropped by the Bald Eagle are required to craft the Eagle Bone Whistle, which unlocks the final boss ceremony. This is why you should upgrade to Pan’s Flute before attempting the Eagle Dance — without it, this ceremony is extremely difficult to complete in time.

How to Perform the Eagle Dance

Required instruments: Rattle, then Wind Chime (in that order)

Have at least one Parrot in the area near your totem base.

Shift + Right-click the Rattle, then Shift + Right-click the Wind Chime to initiate.

Quickly equip Pan’s Flute in your off-hand. Play the Rattle and Pan’s Flute together and jump constantly.

Wind Chimes will contribute passively. This ceremony can be tight even with Pan’s Flute, so act quickly at the start.

On success, the Parrot transforms into a Bald Eagle. Use Pan’s Flute to lead it to a safe enclosure, or use a mob-capturing mod to contain it. Kill it to collect Eagle Feathers and Eagle Bones, then craft the Eagle Bone Whistle.

Ceremony 5: The Totem Dance — Summoning the Baycock Boss

The Totem Dance is the most complex and climactic ceremony in Totemic. It summons the Baycock, the mod’s final boss, who appears as a large skeleton. Defeating the Baycock rewards you with Baycock’s Bow — a unique weapon whose arrows are only visible to the player who fired them.

How to Perform the Totem Dance

Required instruments: Wind Chime, then Eagle Bone Whistle (in that order)

Shift + Right-click the Wind Chime, then Shift + Right-click the Eagle Bone Whistle to initiate.

Use your full instrument arsenal during the ceremony: Eagle Bone Whistle, Rattle, Pan’s Flute, both Totemist Drums, and your passive Wind Chimes.

Jump throughout to keep the Jingle Dress contributing.

Once the bar is filled, the Baycock will spawn. Defeat it to claim Baycock’s Bow.

Additional Ceremonies Reference

Beyond the core progression ceremonies, Totemic includes a number of situational ceremonies worth knowing about:

Dance Macabre — Brings zombies back to life using rotten flesh; they may return as zombie villagers.

Sun Dance — Reduces the caster to half health, but heals and shields all nearby players for a period.

Lullaby — Calms and heals nearby villagers.

Drought Dance — Stops rain.

Rain Dance — Starts rain.

Zathachial Waltz — Causes all nearby plants to grow much faster than normal for a short time.

Symphony of the Depths — Grants water breathing for several minutes.

War Dance — Grants Speed and Strength for a few minutes.

Hymn of Maturity — Speeds up the growth of baby animals and the hatching of eggs; roughly halves growth time.

The Medicine Bag: Taking Totem Effects on the Go

Once you have Buffalo Hide, you can craft a Medicine Bag. This item lets you store the effect of any nearby totem pole and carry it with you — so you’re no longer restricted to staying in range of your totem.

How to Use the Medicine Bag

Stand near the totem pole that has the effect you want to store.

Sneak + Right-click the totem pole with the Medicine Bag to link it to that totem’s effect.

Remain near the linked totem pole — the bag will slowly fill with that effect’s capacity.

Once charged, open the Medicine Bag to activate the stored effect wherever you are.

The bag depletes over time while open. Return to your totem pole to recharge it.

Other Totemic Crafting Highlights

Red Cedar Wood

Red Cedar obtained from growing Red Cedar Saplings (unlocked via the Rite of Spring) can be used to craft various Totemic-specific items including Wind Chimes and decorative blocks.

Totem Torches

Totem Torches are craftable from Totemic materials and provide a larger light radius than standard vanilla Minecraft torches. They are also a decorative upgrade for any totem build area.

Summary

Totemic is a deeply interconnected mod where each step unlocks the next. Here’s a quick recap of the recommended progression path:

Craft a Totem Whittling Knife and build your first totem pole.

Craft a Flute, two Totemist Drums, and a Jingle Dress.

Perform the Rite of Spring to obtain Red Cedar Saplings.

Grow Red Cedar, then craft Wind Chimes.

Perform the Buffalo Dance to get Buffalo Teeth and Buffalo Hide.

Craft a Rattle using the Buffalo Tooth, then perform the Serenade of Syrinks to upgrade to Pan’s Flute.

Perform the Eagle Dance to get Eagle Bones and Feathers.

Craft the Eagle Bone Whistle, then perform the Totem Dance to summon and defeat the Baycock.

Claim Baycock’s Bow and use the Medicine Bag to take totem effects on your adventures.

With the right instruments, a little patience, and this guide at your side, you’ll have no trouble mastering everything Totemic has to offer. Good luck, and enjoy the ceremonies!

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