Necromancer

Wands and the dead. His arts cost life, not mana.

Attributes #

Attribute	Start	Maximum
Strength	15	50
Magic	25	130
Dexterity	15	60
Vitality	30	220
Total	85	460

Life: 10 + 1 per level + 2 per point of Vitality. Vitality from items gives 2 life per point.
Mana: 0 + 1.5 per level + 1.5 per point of Magic. Magic from items gives 1.5 mana per point.
At level 1: 71 life, 39 mana, 72 stamina
Each level: +1 life, +1.5 mana and 5 attribute points
Stamina: 40 + Vitality + 2 per level (see running)

Fractions count, but the game shows whole points.

Combat #

Damage bonus: level × Strength / 100
Melee to hit: level + Dexterity / 2 + 50 + item bonuses − the monster's armor
Ranged to hit: level + Dexterity + 50 + item bonuses − the monster's armor − (the arrow's flight time in ticks)² / 2
Spell to hit: Magic + 70 − 2 × the monster's level
Block: Dexterity + 15 + 2 × level − 2 × the monster's level, with a shield
Mana costs: Normal
Potions: healing × 2, mana × 1.5
Healing spell: × 1.5
Blood price: His arts cost life. An art that would leave him with less than 1 life is refused.

Attack and cast speed

Action	Frames	Lands after	Whole action
Bare hands	20	0.55 s	1 s
Bare hands with a shield	16	0.4 s	0.8 s
Sword	16	0.55 s	0.8 s
Sword and shield	16	0.55 s	0.8 s
Axe	24	0.75 s	1.2 s
Mace	16	0.55 s	0.8 s
Mace and shield	16	0.55 s	0.8 s
Bow	20	0.75 s	1 s
Staff	16	0.55 s	0.8 s
Casting a spell	14	0.45 s	0.7 s
Hit recovery	8		0.4 s
Block	6		0.9 s

20 frames per second; block frames last 3 ticks each. Items with faster attack, faster hit recovery or faster block skip frames. All to-hit chances stay between 5% and 95%; see combat.

Class skill and arts #

The Necromancer learns these without books, at the levels below. An art's level is 1 + (character level − the level it unlocks at) / 3, rounded down, at most 15. "+spell levels" items and the class items' bonuses add to it. Costs grow with character level. Minion numbers are for Normal difficulty.

Level	Art	Cost
1	Raise Zombie	5.5 + 0.167 per level past 3 life
6	Raise Skeleton	9.4 + 0.2 per level past 6 life
12	Corpse Explosion	14 + 0.5 per level past 15 life
18	Bone Spear	6 + 0.4 per level past 18 life
24	Blood Ritual	10% of your current life

Raise Zombie #

Class skill, level 1

Raises the corpse of a slain monster within 8 tiles as a zombie (a Drowned Thrall) that guards the spot: it fights monsters near it, then returns. Undead corpses will not rise.

You can keep 1 zombie, plus 1 at level 6 and every 3 levels after; each of those steps also makes them stronger and last 2 seconds longer. Zombies stay on their level and fade when their time runs out. Raising one past the limit replaces the oldest. The corpse is used up.

Learned at: level 1
Use: A cast at a corpse, up to 8 tiles away
Cost: 5.5 + 0.167 per level past 3 life
Cooldown: None
In town: No

Character level	Art level	Cost	Zombies	Life	Armor	Damage	To hit	Lasts
1	1	5.5 life	1	25	10	1–4	32%	16 s
6	2	6 life	2	30	18	2–6	40%	18 s
12	4	7 life	4	40	34	4–10	56%	22 s
18	6	8 life	6	50	50	6–14	72%	26 s
24	8	9 life	8	60	66	8–18	88%	30 s
30	10	10.0 life	10	70	82	10–22	104%	34 s
40	14	11.7 life	13	85	106	13–28	128%	40 s
50	15	13.3 life	16	100	130	16–34	152%	46 s

Each point of the Necromancer's Vitality adds 1 life to every zombie (2 on Nightmare, 4 on Hell). A minion's chance to hit is this number minus the monster's armor, between 5% and 95%.

Raise Skeleton #

Art, level 6

A skeleton warrior (a Grave Soldier) climbs out of the ground beside you and follows you, also to other levels, until it is destroyed. No corpse is needed.

You can keep 3 skeletons, plus 1 every 6 levels past 6, and they grow stronger every 2.5 levels past 6. Raising one past the limit replaces the oldest.

Learned at: level 6
Use: A cast at a spot
Cost: 9.4 + 0.2 per level past 6 life
Cooldown: 1 s
In town: No

Character level	Art level	Cost	Skeletons	Life	Armor	Damage	To hit
6	1	9.4 life	3	25	26	8–16	56%
12	3	10.6 life	4	35	42	12–24	76%
18	5	11.8 life	5	45	58	16–32	96%
24	7	13 life	6	60	82	22–44	126%
30	9	14.2 life	7	70	98	26–52	146%
40	12	16.2 life	8	90	130	34–68	186%
50	15	18.2 life	10	110	162	42–84	226%

Each point of the Necromancer's Vitality adds 1 life to every skeleton (2 on Nightmare, 4 on Hell). A minion's chance to hit is this number minus the monster's armor, between 5% and 95%.

Corpse Explosion #

Art, level 12

A corpse within 8 tiles bursts. Every monster in the 3 × 3 tiles around it takes 40–60% (+2.5% per level past 15) of the dead monster's maximum life as physical damage, one roll for all of them.

Any corpse works, undead ones too. The corpse is used up.

Learned at: level 12
Use: A cast at a corpse, up to 8 tiles away
Cost: 14 + 0.5 per level past 15 life
Cooldown: None
In town: No

Character level	Art level	Cost	Burst
12	1	14 life	40–60% of its life
18	3	15.5 life	47.5–67.5% of its life
24	5	18.5 life	62.5–82.5% of its life
30	7	21.5 life	77.5–97.5% of its life
40	10	26.5 life	102.5–122.5% of its life
50	13	31.5 life	127.5–147.5% of its life

Bone Spear #

Art, level 18

A spear of bone flies until it hits a wall, piercing every monster in its line once for (6–12) + (4–6) × art level + Vitality / 5 damage.

Its damage is physical, so no monster is immune to it.

Learned at: level 18
Use: A cast at a spot
Cost: 6 + 0.4 per level past 18 life
Cooldown: None
In town: No

Character level	Art level	Cost	Damage
18	1	6 life	10–18
24	3	8.4 life	18–30
30	5	10.8 life	26–42
40	8	14.8 life	38–60
50	11	18.8 life	50–78

Add 1 damage per 5 points of Vitality.

Blood Ritual #

Art, level 24

For 30 minutes your maximum life rises by 25% (+2.5% per level past 26), book spells cost life instead of mana, and your arts cost half.

You cannot cast Healing from the book while it lasts (staves and scrolls still work). It costs a tenth of your current life and ends when you die. Casting it again renews it.

Learned at: level 24
Use: A cast on yourself
Cost: 10% of your current life
Cooldown: None
In town: No

Character level	Art level	Cost	Maximum life
24	1	10% of life	+25%
30	3	10% of life	+35%
40	6	10% of life	+60%
50	9	10% of life	+85%

The Necromancer can also learn spells from books, like every hero: see Spells.

Gear #

Wand
equipped

Potion of Healing
on the belt

Every Necromancer also starts with 100 gold in the purse.

Class items

Only the Necromancer can use these; other heroes see them in red. For a Necromancer, about 1 in 8 weapon drops becomes one of a fitting level (a magic drop stays magic), and Tostig keeps one or two in stock.

Item	Stats	Requires	Item level	Bonus
Wand	Damage 1–3	—	1
Yew Wand	Damage 2–4	20 Mag	6
Bone Wand	Damage 2–6	35 Mag	12	+1 to Necromancer arts
Grim Wand	Damage 3–7	55 Mag	18	+1 to Necromancer arts

On depth 9 lies the Fallen Champion. Searching the body gives a Necromancer a magic Bone Wand.

Tips #

Vitality is his power: 2 life per point pays for his arts, and every point adds 1 life to each zombie and skeleton.
Healing potions are his fuel: they restore 2 times as much for him.
Wands are maces: +50% damage against undead, half against animals.
Bone Spear and Corpse Explosion deal physical damage, which no monster is immune to.
Skeletons follow you down the stairs; zombies stay where they were raised.