I have little experience
with Necromancers. My first, Quincy, used skeletons: an Overlord
or Skeleton Master or whatever you call that build. Trouble was,
once I had enough skellies to be effective, the game became boring.
I never had to do anything. I'd enter a new area, watch them all
fight, maybe cast a curse or a Corpse Explosion (if I felt like
it), then raise up replacement minions, grab the treasure, and move
on. Others may like that kind of play, but I found it genuinely
dull, and quit before I even reached Andarial. The second, Yorick,
used Bone Spear and Bone Spirit from behind an Iron Golem. He was
a lot more fun, but playing him was about the same as playing a
junior-grade Sorceress.
My meager explorations
of the class leave plenty of room for other viable approaches. Let's
avoid the "piles of minions" strategies, though I may
find room for a golem. The ranged spells are also out. He'll do
his own killing, by hand; the only melee skill is Poison Dagger.
Hmm... I haven't used poison much, with any character. The Necromancer
is supposed to be a great poisoner; this looks like a good opportunity
to give poison a shot.
For skills, Poison Dagger
is a must, for the attack rating bonus if nothing else. The damage
looks pretty low, but poison charms should help. The Necro is a
fragile thing to be in melee range, so Bone Armor is called for.
My curse of choice will be Lower Resistance -- another level 30
skill, but I'll limp along until then. If I use a golem at all,
it will be a Fire Golem, and my merc will be an Act III Sorcerer.
Since Poison Immune monsters are fairly common, some back-up damage
source is called for: either Corpse Explosion or the Decrepify curse
and a big whacking implement. No reason not to try both.
What are Necromancers?
Priests of Rathma (whoever Rathma is) come from an underground city
hidden in the most distant swamps. The order seems more philosophical
than religious, striving for understanding of what is, not an ideal
that might be. The consummate Necro is pragmatic, content with the
power provided by the dead and unconcerned with infernal or celestial
power. Beyond good and evil, the Necromancer stays in balance and
is immune to the Hellish temptations that plague lesser mortals
(at least in theory). The Prime Evils are now loose, and Necromancers
are trying to rid the mortal realms of all outside interference
once and for all. Heaven is willing to keep out of the mortal world,
but Hell was never so principled and must be ejected by force.
Personally, what might
my Necro be like? His main weapon is poison, possibly backed up
with explosions. From what I've learned watching forensic detective
shows on A&E, poisoners and bombers share some elements of their
"typical" psychological profiles: a high intelligence
and education, meticulous habits, a great deal of patience, above-average
ability with lying and deception, and a passive-aggressive personality
with just a hint of cowardice. In a nutshell, everything a Necromancer
would aspire to. For a name: Varnae, after the third most famous
undead monster in history... or is he fourth by now?
