Necromancer Skill Overview

Necromancer Skill Overview

The power of blood, bone, curses, and hordes of obedient minions are the Necromancer’s to command. After many months of development, we’re now ready to give you the low-down on the skills and passive abilities that are now available for select testers to try in the Necromancer Closed Beta.

Note: The following content is still under development. Both numbers and functionality may still be subject to substantial change. In addition, Necromancer-specific Legendary items and class sets are not yet available for testing.

The contents of this blog have been updated to reflect the most recent Beta patch (4/25). 

Table of Contents


Primary


Bone Spikes

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Generate: 24 Essence.
    • Summon bone spikes from the ground dealing 150% weapon damage per second.
  • Sudden Impact (Physical)
    • Bone spikes stun enemies for 1 second.
  • Path of Bones (Physical)
    • Now unleashes a line of spikes that deals 100% weapon damage. Damage is increased by up to 100% for those further away.
  • Bone Pillars (Poison)
    • Instead strikes the target and up to two nearby enemies with large bone pillars for 150% weapon damage.
  • Frost Spikes (Cold)
    • Leaves a frost patch that reduces the movement speed by 60% for 2 seconds.
  • Blood Spikes (Physical)
    • Enemies bleed for 50% weapon damage over 2 seconds and heal you for 0.5% of your total life over the duration.

Siphon Blood

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Generate: 15 Essence each time damage is dealt.
    • Siphon the blood from the targeted enemy dealing 300% weapon damage.
    • Siphon Blood heals you for 2% of your total health every second while channeled.
  • Suppress (Cold)
    • Enemies are also slowed by 75%.
  • Purity of Essence (Physical)
    • Essence gained is increased to 20 while you are at full health.
  • Drain Life (Physical)
    • Increases the amount of health restored to 6% but no longer restores Essence.
  • Power Shift (Poison)
    • Damage is increased by 10% each time damage is dealt. Max 10 stacks.
  • Blood Sucker (Physical)
    • You pull in all health globes within 40 yards while siphoning.

Grim Scythe

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Generate: 12 Essence per enemy hit
    • Slash with a summoned Scythe in front of you dealing 150% weapon damage as Physical.
  • Blood Scythe (Physical)
    • Heal for 1% of your health per enemy hit.
  • Execution (Physical)
    • Enemies below 20% health have a 5% chance to be decapitated and instantly killed.
  • Frost Scythe (Cold)
    • Each enemy hit increases your attack speed by 1% for 5 seconds. Max 15 stacks.
  • Dual Scythes (Physical)
    • Slash with two summoned Scythes in front of you dealing 150% weapon damage as Physical and push enemies together.
  • Cursed Scythe (Poison)
    • Enemies hit by the scythe have a 15% chance to be inflicted with a random curse.

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Secondary


Death Nova

Base Skill (Poison)

  • Cost: 20 Essence
    • Unleash a Nova that deals 350% weapon damage to all enemies within 25 yards.
  • Tendril Nova (Physical)
    • Now heals you for 1% of your health per target hit and reduces damage dealt to 225%.
  • Bone Nova (Physical)
    • Spines radiate outward and deal 475% weapon damage within 12 yards.
  • Blood Nova (Physical)
    • Spend 10% health to unleash a Blood Nova that deals 450% weapon damage to all nearby enemies within 25 yards.
  • Blight (Poison)
    • Leave a lingering patch of blight on the ground slowing enemies by 60% and causing them to deal 15% less damage for 1 second.
  • Unstable Compound (Poison)
    • Each cast increases the radius of your next Nova by 5 yards up to 2 times.

Bone Spear

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 20 Essence
    • Summon a piercing bone projectile that causes 450% weapon damage to all enemies it passes through.
  • Crystallization (Cold)
    • Each enemy hit has their attack speed reduced by 20% and your attack speed is increased by 3% for 3 seconds stacking up to 10 times.
  • Shatter (Physical)
    • Instead of piercing now detonates on the first enemy hit dealing 450% to all enemies within 15 yards.
  • Blighted Marrow (Poison)
    • Damage is increased by 15% for each enemy Bone Spear passes through.
  • Blood Spear (Physical)
    • Bone Spear turns into Blood Spear. Damage is increased to 518% weapon damage at the cost of 10% health.
  • Teeth (Physical)
    • Launches 5 razor sharp teeth that deal 300% weapon damage.

Skeleton Mage

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 40 Essence
    • Raise a skeleton from the ground to attack your foes dealing 400% weapon damage per attack. Lasts 6 seconds.
  • Gift of Death (Physical)
    • Risen Skeletons leave a corpse behind when they die or expire.
  • Singularity (Physical)
    • Consumes all Essence to summon a powerful minion. The minion’s damage is increased by 3% for every point of Essence consumed.
  • Life Support (Physical)
    • Risen Mages cost 10% health to cast but lasts an additional 2 seconds.
  • Contamination (Poison)
    • Raise a contaminated mage that channels an aura of decay for 175% weapon damage for its duration.
  • Skeleton Archer (Cold)
    • Raise a Skeleton Archer that deals 400% weapon damage.
    • Skeleton Archers increase your attack speed by 3% for 5 seconds each time they deal damage. Max 10 stacks.

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Blood & Bone


Bone Armor

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 10 Essence
    • Cooldown: 10 seconds
    • Rip bones from nearby enemies, dealing 150% weapon damage, and create armor that reduces damage taken by 3% per enemy hit up to a maximum of 10 enemies. Bone Armor lasts 60 seconds.
  • [Placeholder] Increased Damage (Physical)
    • Damage dealt to enemies is increased by 200%.
  • [Placeholder] Immunity (Physical)
    • Your armor absorbs all incoming damage for 5 seconds and grants immunity to all control impairing effects.
  • Dislocation (Physical)
    • Enemies hit are also stunned for 2 seconds.
  • Thy Flesh Sustained (Physical)
    • Cost: 20% Health
    • Increases your Life per Second by 10% per target hit.
  • Reap of Anguish (Physical)
    • Bone Armor also increases your movement speed by 1% for each enemy hit.

Bone Spirit

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Launch a Bone Spirit that will seek enemies. Deals 4000% damage on impact.
    • You gain a charge every 15 seconds and can store up to 3 charges.  Recharge time is reduced by 1 second for each corpse you consume.
  • Possession (Physical)
    • Bone Spirit will now charm the target for 10 seconds at the cost of 10% health.
  • Panic Attack (Poison)
    • Enemies within 10 yards are feared for 2 seconds when Bone Spirit detonates.
  • Poltergeist (Cold)
    • Increases the maximum number of charges to 4.
  • Unfinished Business (Cold)
    • Bone Spirit explodes dealing 1250% weapon damage to all enemies within 10 yards on detonation.
  • Astral Projection (Cold)
    • Damage is increased by 15% for each enemy that Bone Spirit passes through while seeking its target.

Blood Rush

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cooldown: 5 seconds
    • Cost: 5% Health
    • Shed your mortal flesh and reappear up to 50 yards away.
  • Transfusion (Physical)
    • Heals for 2% of your maximum health for every enemy passed through.
  • Hemostasis (Physical)
    • Removes the health cost.
  • Metabolism (Physical)
    • Blood Rush now has 2 charges, but its health cost is doubled.
  • Potency (Physical)
    • Increases your armor by 100% for 2 seconds after casting.
  • Molting (Physical)
    • Leaves a corpse at your original location when used.

Simulacrum

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 50% Health
    • Cooldown: 120 seconds
    • Create a Simulacrum made of blood that will duplicate your Essence Spenders for 15 seconds.
  • Reservoir (Physical)
    • Your maximum Essence is increased by 100% while your Simulacrum is active.
  • Cursed Form (Physical)
    • While active, your curse skills now apply all three curses.
  • [Placeholder] Blood Debt (Physical)
    • Life costs for skills are reduced by 75% while Simulacrum is active.
  • Blood and Bone (Physical)
    • Now also creates a Simulacrum of Bone, but the duration is reduced to 10 seconds.
  • Self Sacrifice (Physical)
    • If you would die with a Simulacrum active, instead the Simulacrum is destroyed and you are fully healed.

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Reanimation


Land of the Dead

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cooldown: 120 seconds
    • All corpse skills can be used at will for 10 seconds.
  • Invigoration (Physical)
    • Your skills do not cost Essence while Land of the Dead is active.
  • Frozen Lands (Cold)
    • Enemies in the Land of the Dead are periodically frozen.
  • Plaguelands (Poison)
    • Land of the Dead deals up to 5,000% weapon damage to enemies over its duration.
  • Land of Plenty (Physical)
    • You are healed for 2% of your maximum life whenever you kill an enemy while Land of the Dead is active.
  • Shallow Graves (Physical)
    • Every 10 enemies killed extends the duration by 1 second up to a maximum of 2 seconds.

Command Skeletons

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 50 Essence
    • Active: Command your skeletal minions to attack the target and increase their damage by 50% for 5 seconds.
    • Passive: Raise skeletons from the ground every 2 seconds to a max of 7 skeletons. Skeletal minions deal 50% weapon damage per attack.
  • Enforcer (Physical)
    • Reduces the active Essence cost to 25.
  • Dark Mending (Physical)
    • Skeletal minions will heal you for 0.5% of your total health per hit while being commanded.
  • Freezing Grasp (Cold)
    • The target of your command is frozen for 3 seconds.
  • Kill Command (Poison)
    • Now commands your skeletons to explode, dealing 80% weapon damage to enemies within 15 yards.
  • Frenzy (Physical)
    • Commanded skeletons go into a frenzy, gaining 25% increased attack speed for the duration.

Command Golem

  • Base Skill (Poison)
    • Cooldown: 60 seconds
    • Active: Command the Golem to the targeted location where it collapses into a pile of 5 corpses.
    • Passive: Raise a Flesh Golem to fight for you. Flesh Golem deals 450% weapon damage per attack.
  • Bone Golem (Physical)
    • Active: The Golem becomes a tornado of bone carrying all nearby enemies to the targeted location and rooting them in place for 2 seconds.
  • Blood Golem (Physical)
    • Active: The Golem sacrifices itself healing you for 25% of your health and reconstructs at the targeted location. As the Golem reconstructs, veiny tendrils damage nearby enemies for 450% weapon damage.
  • Flesh Consuming Golem (Poison)
    • Active: The Golem consumes corpses at the targeted location increasing its damage by 30% per corpse.
  • Decay Golem (Poison)
    • Active: Command the Golem to the targeted location where it collapses into a pile of 8 corpses.
  • Ice Golem (Cold)
    • Active: Command the Golem to the targeted location where it freezes enemies for 3 seconds and increases their chance to be critically struck by 10% for 10 seconds.

Army of the Dead

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cooldown: 120 seconds
    • Raise a massive skeletal army to pummel the targeted location dealing 12000% weapon damage in a 15 yard radius.
  • Blighted Grasp (Poison)
    • Skeletal hands raise from the ground damaging enemies within 15 yards for 14000% total weapon damage as Poison over 5 seconds.
  • Frozen Army (Cold)
    • Weapon damage increased to 12000% and they attack all enemies in a line.
  • Unconventional Warfare (Physical)
    • Skeletons will rise from the ground and attack random targets for 50000% total weapon damage over 4 seconds.
  • Dead Storm (Physical)
    • Raise a storm of the dead that surround you damaging enemies for 15500% weapon damage over 5 seconds.
  • Dead Storm (Physical)
    • Raise a storm of the dead that surround you damaging enemies for 2000% weapon damage over 5 seconds.

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Curses


Decrepify

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 10 Essence
    • A crippling curse that reduces the enemy units’ movement speed by 75% and reduces damage done by 20% for 30 seconds.
  • Opportunist (Physical)
    • Gain a 3% movement speed increase for every enemy cursed.
  • Borrowed Time (Physical)
    • Gain 1% cooldown reduction for every enemy cursed.
  • Wither (Physical)
    • Damage reduction increased to 30%, but no longer reduces movement speed.
  • Dizzying Curse (Physical)
    • Cursed enemies have a 10% chance to be stunned for 2 seconds when hit.
  • Enfeeblement (Physical)
    • Increase the potency of the movement speed reduction for the first 5 seconds.

Frailty

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 10 Essence
    • A crippling curse that kills enemies with less than 15% health.  Lasts 30 seconds.
  • [Placeholder] Essence Return (Physical)
    • Gain 2 essence when a cursed enemy dies.
  • Volatile Death (Physical)
    • Cursed enemies explode for 100% weapon damage on death.
  • Scent of Blood (Physical)
    • Cursed enemies take 15% increased damage from your minions.
  • Aura of Frailty (Physical)
    • Becomes an aura that curses all enemies within 15 yards.
    • The range of this effect is increased by 50% of your gold pickup radius.
  • Early Grave (Physical)
    • Triggers at 18% life but costs 10% of your life.

Leech

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Cost: 10 Essence
    • Curse the target area. Cursed enemies have a chance to heal the attacker when they are struck for 1% of their total health. Lasts 30 seconds.
  • Transmittable (Physical)
    • Enemies that die while cursed will spread the curse to a nearby unaffected target.
  • Sanguine End (Physical)
    • Whenever a cursed enemy dies, you are healed for 200% of your Life per Kill.
  • Cursed Ground (Physical)
    • Now curses the ground, healing you for 0.5% of your maximum life every second for each enemy in the cursed area.
  • Blood Flask (Physical)
    • Whenever a cursed enemy dies your potion cooldown is reduced by 1 second.
  • Osmosis (Physical)
    • Each cursed enemy increases your life regeneration by 751 per second.

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Corpses


Corpse Explosion

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Target an area exploding all corpses within 11 yards dealing 250% weapon damage to enemies within 20 yards.
  • Final Embrace (Physical)
    • Corpses pull themselves towards the nearest enemy before exploding, but Corpse Explosion now costs 3% life per corpse.
  • Close Quarters (Poison)
    • Now explodes corpses close to you, dealing 325% weapon damage to enemies within 20 yards.
  • Bloody Mess (Physical)
    • Explosion radius is increased to 25 yards.
  • Dead Cold (Cold)
    • Freeze all enemies caught in the explosion for 2 seconds.
  • Shrapnel (Poison)
    • Corpses now explode away from you, hitting all targets in a cone.

Corpse Lance

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Target an enemy to summon projectiles from nearby corpses that cause 900% weapon damage to the target.
  • Brittle Touch (Cold)
    • Enemies become brittle increasing their chance to be crit by 5% for 5 seconds each time they are hit with Corpse Lance.
  • Blood Lance (Physical)
    • Spend 5% of your total health to launch an additional lance from yourself towards the target that deals 250% weapon damage.
  • Visceral Impact (Physical)
    • Stuns the target for 3 seconds.
  • Shredding Splinters (Poison)
    • Each lance slows the target by 10% and reduces its damage by 6% for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 5 times.
  • Ricochet (Physical)
    • Corpse Lance has a 20% chance to ricochet to one additional target.

Devour

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Consume corpses within 60 yards to restore 10 Essence per corpse.
  • Ruthless (Physical)
    • Additionally consumes your minions for 10 Essence per minion killed.
  • Voracious (Physical)
    • Reduces all Essence costs by 2% for each corpse consumed for 5 seconds.
  • Devouring Aura (Physical)
    • Becomes an aura that consumes all corpses within 15 yards to restore 11 Essence per corpse.
    • The range of this effect is increased by 50% of your gold pickup radius.
  • Satiated (Physical)
    • Increases maximum life by 2% for 2 seconds for each corpse devoured.
  • Cannibalize (Physical)
    • Each corpse consumed also restores 3% health.

Revive

  • Base Skill (Physical)
    • Target an area reviving up to 10 corpses within 20 yards for 15 seconds.
  • Oblation (Physical)
    • Increases the damage of revived creatures by 20% but each Revive now costs 3% health.
  • Personal Army (Physical)
    • Damage taken is reduced by 1% for each revived minion active.
  • Recklessness (Cold)
    • Revived minions deal an additional 150% damage but last 6 seconds. Damage dealt is turned into Cold.
  • [Placeholder] Horrific Return (Poison)
    • When you revive a corpse, enemies within 20 yards run in fear for 3 seconds.
  • Purgatory (Physical)
    • Revived minions degenerate back into a usable corpse at the end of their duration.

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Passives


Fueled by Death

  • Consuming a corpse increases your run speed by 3% for 5 seconds.

Life from Death

  • Consuming a corpse has a 20% chance to spawn a Health Globe.

Stand Alone

  • Increase Armor by 100%, reduced by 10% for each active minion.

Bone Prison

  • Bone Spear, Bone Spikes and Bone Spirit have a 10% chance to trap enemies in a Bone Prison for 3 seconds.

Commander of the Dead

  • The Essence cost of Command Skeletons and the cooldown of Command Golem are reduced by 30%.

Swift Harvesting

  • Increase the attack speed of Bone Spikes, Siphon Blood and Grim Scythe by 15%.

Aberrant Animator

  • Your minions gain 200% of your Thorns.

Eternal Torment

  • Your curses cost 50% less Essence and last forever.

Blood for Blood

  • Picking up a health globe removes the health cost of the next Blood spell. This effect can stack up to 3 times.

Blood is Power

  • Every 5% health lost will reduce all remaining cooldowns by 1%.

Draw Life

  • Increases your Health Regen by 10% for each enemy within 20 yards.

Extended Servitude

  • Increase the duration of your Skeletal Mage and Revive minions by 25%.

Final Service

  • If you would take lethal damage instead all minions are consumed and heal you for 10% of your health. When this passive successfully prevents death, the Necromancer is immune to incoming damage for 4 seconds. This effect cannot occur more than once every 60 seconds.

Grisly Tribute

  • You are healed for 10% of your Life on Hit when one of your minions hits an enemy.

Overwhelming Essence

  • Increase your maximum Essence by 40.

Rathma’s Shield

  • You cannot lose life for 4 seconds after using Land of the Dead, Army of the Dead and Simulacrum.

Reaping

  • While using a scythe gain 1% Essence and Life per kill.

Rigor Mortis

  • Blight abilities also slow enemies by 30% and reduce their attack speed by 15% for 5 seconds.

Serration

  • Bone Spikes, Bone Spear and Bone Spirit deal 1% increased damage for every 2 yards between you, up to a maximum of 15%.

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Curses and Summons and Blood

The Necromancer packs a huge variety of skills across long range, short range, and pet-oriented skills. What kind of Necromancer are you looking forward to playing? Do you want to sacrifice your health for additional power using Blood skills? Or do you prefer being the master of minions and want to surround yourself with an undead army?

Stay tuned for more Necromancer information in the coming weeks as the Closed Beta begins and don’t forget to opt in for the chance to join if you haven’t already!