Please consider making damage type changes to Storm Bolt available as passive points or something. I play a lot of Primalist, and it’s a real shame that I have to specialize in Gathering Storm, wasting a skill spec slot (if I wasn’t planning to use it, which I’m usually not), just to have the damage type/aesthetic I want for Storm Bolt, which, more often than not, is purely for flavor purposes. If I make a rock or ice themed build without wanting lightning, I have to waste a whole skill specialization slot.
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Why would it be wasted? It’s buffing your main DPS. It’s no different from using sigils of hope and never using the passive (which you never really do), or any numbers of skills that are there only to provide buffs.
If it increases your damage massively, it’s not wasted. In fact, you might argue that it’s actually your main DPS skill, even if you don’t use it.
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Not all builds revolve around Storm Bolt. It is also definitely not the main DPS in most builds. Sure, the tree gives some cool things, but I’d rather lose some pen in favor of a skill I actually want to use but am forced to use Gathering Storm tree just to switch the flavor/type of Storm Bolt damage.
For example, if I ran a physical damage build and used Upheaval as my main spam/low cost ability, and had my totem use Storm Bolt or even just left it alone, and filled the rest of my slots with physical/rock type moves but didn’t have Gathering Storm tree, then the rock-based build would have a bunch of lightning coming down, which doesn’t really fit the theme. I would gladly sacrifice the slight damage increase from specializing in Gathering Storm to free up a slot that could be used for anything else.
Lastly, being required to fill a skill slot if you want anything other than lightning is limiting, and Sigils of Hope provides way more benefits than Gathering Storm tree passively. Most nodes in Gathering Storm require storm stacks or require you to actively use the skill, making them not beneficial if you’re not using the skill.
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Could make an item that changes storm bolt type to physical? I think you can still combo gathering storm in with upheaval outside of something like that as well though since upheaval can be fired off from a distance. Gathering storm once you’re up closer. Totem to buff up etc. Whatever is clever
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Why would they make an item that does something the skill already has inherently?
Apparently, what OP wants is a visual effect change of the skill so he can combine with whichever theme he wants for the build… Even if that makes the build objetcively worse.
What I don’t know is why not ask for an MTX instead…
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That could solve the issue too I suppose. Could read it either way it seems. As for the item just spitballing. Maybe it could be a sealed champion affix that has a chance to cast the physical storm bolt. Not my first choice personally but if it’s fun I’m fine with it
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Those don’t need to use Gathering Storm.
Then those don’t need to use Gathering Storm.
If it’s just a flavour thing, an MTX can fix that. But otherwise it seems like Storm totem isn’t doing much in that build and that is the wasted skill slot.
Storm bolts is a sub-skill. Sub-skills tend to have an associated skill that boosts it. Like divine bolts and Healing Hands, Fire aura and Flame Ward, Fissure and Smite, etc.
If you want one, you have to take the corresponding skill. It’s a tradeoff.
So if Storm Totem isn’t your main DPS and you don’t want to waste a skill slot (in truth, 2 skill slots, since neither will do much for you) just for flavour, then don’t use storm totem and use something else?
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It is largely for flavor, yeah, that’s the original point of the post. Actually, I’d say it’s almost entirely about flavor. Like if I make a cold dmg Shaman, it’s silly to be forced to spec a skill just to take away lightning bolts when it’s such a prevalent and commonly occurring subskill for Shamans, if that makes sense. What is an MTX? Is that something I do?
If I’m not mistaken, Fire Aura can have it’s damage changed in passive tree and possibly even by Flame Ward, which I think is really cool and should be done for more classes than Mage. Mages can usually change everything to their chosen element fairly easily, which I absolutely love when it comes to customization and character design options.
And the flavor thing would still come into play even without using Storm Totem and Gathering Storm because many of the Shaman passives trigger Storm Bolt.
Apologies ahead of time for scattered thoughts. I’m almost always exhausted when I find the time to check forums.
MTX are the skins you can buy for weapons, armor and skills in the real-money shop.
Yeah could be anything, preferably not super limiting like an affix or idols or whatever. Those are good ideas I hadn’t even thought of that. I just thought of Mage passives changing elements of skills and subskills.
It can, and as far as I’m aware, that’s the exception. Probably because it was a big focus on 1.1.
All other subskills only have chance to proc or more damage nodes in passive tree. Any conversions or proper scaling have to be done with the associated skill.
Anyway, to circle back to your specific case:
If you’re using storm totem as a secondary DPS, then taking Gathering Storm isn’t wasted, because it will let you scale Storm Bolts (as well as convert it) much more efficiently.
And it should be noted that the issue here isn’t that storm bolts conversion is only available in the Gathering Storm tree, but that you have no conversion options (other than cold) for Storm Totem itself, without making it cast storm bolts instead.
If Storm Totem had conversion nodes in its tree or via a unique, you would be able to convert without going for Gathering Storm.
An MTX for the skill would fix the flavour, but it would do nothing for the skill itself, since your build would be scaling physical and storm totem wouldn’t be scaled by it, so it would become mostly useless.
So the question now is:
Why are you using storm totem at all? Given that it takes 2 skills to convert and even then it won’t do much for your build, not to mention it’s off-flavour? It will not compete for DPS, so why not go for support/buff/movement skills instead?
You could be using Fury Leap, Maelstrom (which can be converted to phys and can give you lots of buffs) or Eterra’s Blessing instead.
And Fissure from Smite, if one wants to be pedantic.
That one can’t be changed via passive tree, only skill tree.
As I said, I think Fire Aura is the only one that you can convert directly in the passive tree. Every other subskill needs to use the respective skill tree to change.
So the VK passive that converts Smite to void doesn’t affect Fissure?
I don’t think so. But I haven’t actually tested it, so I’m not 100% sure.
Historically we were told that it didn’t but I think that might have changed? 
As I said, I haven’t tested, so not sure. If you have a source that said so, it’s more reliable than my statement.
Spellblade has something going with fire aura so yeah could work that way too. There’s one at least in the mage section though that I’m not crazy about. The one which changes lightning blast and volcanic orb to cold. Prefer the skill itself being in control rather than the passives there
ohh okay thank you
Normally I prefer in-skill tree changes too but for Storm Bolt, there’s so many different Shaman things that activate it anyway in the passives, such as on hit, on being hit, while casting, etc. and 3 abilities I can think of off the top of my head that can trigger Storm Bolt. With that many things triggering it, it’s almost unavoidable, therefore requiring the tree specialized if I don’t want lightning strikes on my screen.