During the time of the First Rising, the undead god Baal plagues the world with undead hordes in an attempt to destroy all life. The great mage Kronus recruits a powerful human wizard named Dryer and together they invent a new form of magic, necromancy. Armed with necromancy the two great mages are able to take control of the undead from Baal and soon ending the plague of the First Rising.
But as Dryer grows older he began to fear death. And in secret creates a powerful evil ritual with necromancy. This ritual grants Dryer immortality and converts him into the world's first lich But this isn't the only thing it does to Dryer. Dryer's mind is slowly corrupted by the evil magic. He soon takes on a new name "The Dark Remnant." And in his paranoia begins his own undead rising against the living. It is his Second Rising that we now face today upon our world.
Necromancy is one of the more powerful skills in DarkDIRE. It has a damage type that not only damages your enemies but has a chance to leave them with disease status that will cripple them. It can animate dead into zombies (Not controlled by the necromancer once animated) including other player characters. It can build dead bodies from body parts and animate them (is controlled by necromancer once animated). It has access to an ability to read and use "Dead Scripts" that give the necromancer a wide range of abilities even a ritual to become a lich.
The first power that can be trained by necromancers is "Touch of the Dead". This allows the necromancer to drain health from his/her enemy thru a melee attack. This becomes useful later on if the necromancer decides to become an undead, who have trouble regaining health.
The second power that can be trained by necromancers is "Plague Fever". This casts a magic bolt that does disease damage. Anyone damaged with disease damage has a chance to be diseased if they are hurt (less then max health). Once someone is diseased they can easily spread the disease to others around them. Disease will slowly drain stamina to half and make it difficult to regain it. Remove disease potions are commonly sold by healers.
The third power trainable by necromancy is "Necromancer's Animation". This skill can be used in two different ways. The most simple way to use it is to raise fallen allies as zombies. This includes NPCs and other players. NPCs raised with this skill don't become pets but continue on their own AI.
Another way to use this skill is to animated skeletons that you have equipped in your off-hand. These skeletons become pets that the necromancer can control.
Finding skeletons isn't too difficult but you will need a shovel. Once you have a shovel find graves that have a name. For example "Here lies Baanur". Dig. ("Use" the shovel while already holding a weapon. You cannot dig with an equipped shovel.) There is a good chance you will find a skeleton. Now equip the skeleton in your offhand and cast your animation spell.
Skeletons are not very powerful but there is a way to make the skeleton stronger before you animate it. Add body parts. This will take some work. You need a weapon with the "+Hacks" effect. (Spoiler: There is a sword with this effect the far northeast corner of Swampstone.)
Start killing enemies with this sword. When you kill with it there will be a random chance that part of the enemy will be hacked off. Find it by "Looting" the dead character. This part can be added to your skeleton. Parts will need to be added in order. Starting with a torso, then a head, etc... One issue you may run into when collecting body parts is a necromancer is an intelligence-based skill and melee skills require strength (or maybe dexterity depending on the weapon.) Also, the skeleton will take the name of the last body part added to it. A body part from "Bob the Hero" will name your skeleton "Bob the Hero".
The fourth skill that can be trained by necromancers is "Plague Chills". This skill is simply a resistance debuff against disease damage. Once this is cast on an enemy, your "Plague Fever" bolts will do much more damage.
The fifth skill "Read Dead Scripts" requires not only to be trained like the other skills but needs action points to use it. Have the skillfully trained and a total of five action points to use the skill at full power. Gain action points by defeating enemies.
There are many dead texts that the player can find:
- Dead Text of Plague Cough: Casts an area of effect of expose to disease and disease damage.
- Dead Text of Plague Fever: Casts an area of effect with pure disease damage.
- Dead Text of Plague Endue: Casts a disease resistance buff on the caster.
- Dead Text of Plague Spreads: Casts a flying buff on the caster.
- Dead Text of Plague Creeps: Casts an invisibility buff on the caster.
- Dead Text of Summon Demon: Summons a demon to serve the caster.
- Dead Text of Summon Ghost: Summons a ghost to serve the caster.
- Dead Text of Summon Vampire: Summons a vampire to serve the caster.
- Book of Soul Trapping (Rare): A ritual to become a lich. Requires an empty bottle to hold the caster's soul. The lich has two forms living and dead. If a living lich falls in battle then they will regain all their health and become undead. Liches make powerful wizards and sorcerers. They will regain magic, unlike normal mages that much cast spells to do so. Breaking the bottle will free the caster from this curse. If you lose the bottle, the caster will forever be a lich.
- Book of Vampire Charm (Rare): Allows the caster to create a necklace that will allow a vampire to appear as a living being to move among them unnoticed.
A WARNING TO YOU NECROMANCER: As with all powerful skills in DarkDIRE there is a counter. Beware Necromancer of the Exorcist. For they can slay turned undead with a single blow.