What Game Has the Best Necromancer?
The search for the definitive “best” necromancer experience in gaming is a quest fraught with subjective preferences and varying interpretations of what makes a necromancer compelling. However, one title consistently rises to the top of conversations for its rich portrayal, mechanical depth, and sheer fun of wielding the powers of life and death: Divinity: Original Sin II. While many games allow you to dabble in necromancy, Divinity: Original Sin II offers a level of freedom and tactical nuance unmatched by its peers, making it a standout choice for those seeking a truly immersive necromancer experience.
Why Divinity: Original Sin II?
Divinity: Original Sin II distinguishes itself by not merely offering necromancy as a tacked-on class or ability tree. Instead, it integrates the necromantic arts into the very fabric of its game mechanics and world. Here’s why it excels:
Unparalleled Customization
Unlike many games that restrict necromancers to a predefined set of skills, Divinity: Original Sin II allows players to craft a highly personalized necromancer build. The game’s robust system allows for mixing and matching skills from different schools of magic. You can create a necromancer who focuses on direct damage, a support-oriented character who buffs their undead minions, or a hybrid that excels in both. The possibilities feel endless, encouraging experimentation and offering incredible replayability. The ability to respecialize at any point in the game removes the pressure of permanently flawed character build, fostering an environment where experimentation can continue at any stage of the game.
Tactical Depth and Synergy
The combat system in Divinity: Original Sin II is already widely praised for its depth and tactical possibilities. When combined with necromancy, it becomes truly exceptional. Raising the dead isn’t a simple click-and-summon mechanic; it requires a deep understanding of the battlefield and enemy composition. Utilizing environmental effects, such as combining blood puddles with necromantic spells, can drastically amplify your power and lead to devastating combos. Furthermore, properly strategizing your attacks and positioning undead minions to maximize damage and provide cover is essential for success. The game’s physics engine also plays a key role, making battles very engaging.
A Rich Narrative Integration
The game’s lore also allows the necromancy abilities to feel deeply rooted in the world. Necromancy isn’t just a skill tree; it’s a path with its own consequences and challenges. NPCs will react to your choices, including your use of necromantic powers, shaping the story and your character’s arc. This level of narrative integration means that playing as a necromancer feels meaningful and impactful, not just mechanically beneficial. It provides context and meaning to the choices you make, making the game more engrossing and unique.
Undead Minion Management
The core of any satisfying necromancer build lies in its ability to command undead minions. Divinity: Original Sin II excels in this regard by offering various summons, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Unlike games where undead allies feel like disposable pawns, the game enables you to equip your minions with basic equipment, thus making them more customizable. This forces you to manage your minions strategically, and encourages players to find the right balance in their necromantic army, adding layers of complexity to the necromancer build.
Freedom of Choice and Role-Playing
Beyond its mechanical depth, Divinity: Original Sin II allows you to play a necromancer as you see fit. You can be a ruthless tyrant raising hordes of undead to crush your enemies or a more nuanced, calculating manipulator who uses the dead for their own ends. This high level of freedom makes playing as a necromancer in this game a truly unique role-playing experience. You are the master of death, and your choices have serious impact on your story.
Honorable Mentions
While Divinity: Original Sin II takes the crown, several other games provide noteworthy necromancer experiences. Diablo series, Path of Exile, and The Elder Scrolls Online all offer their own unique take on necromancy, and each has its dedicated fanbase. The Unliving is also a recent release that is worth considering. However, none have quite captured the complex interplay of customization, tactical combat, and narrative impact as skillfully as Divinity: Original Sin II.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is necromancy?
Necromancy is a branch of magic that involves the manipulation of the dead, often including raising corpses as undead minions. It’s typically associated with dark magic and can involve various powers such as summoning, reanimation, and communication with spirits.
2. Who is the most famous necromancer in fiction?
While there are many popular necromancers, Count Dracula often stands out. While many of his powers do not directly tie into necromancy in the classic definition, he has often been interpreted to have some form of control over the dead, and has certainly inspired countless other fictional necromancers.
3. What are some common weaknesses of a necromancer?
Necromancers are often vulnerable to life-based magic, healing, and purification spells. Additionally, they are sometimes weak against poison, which can disrupt their reanimated minions or directly harm their own bodies which are already in states of decay.
4. Are there “good” necromancers?
While commonly portrayed as evil, necromancers can have a variety of motivations. They can use their powers to defend the weak or to preserve knowledge, making their alignment dependent on their actions and motivations, not just their powers.
5. Can a necromancer control a vampire?
The ability to control a vampire varies across different lore. In some settings, a necromancer might be able to control a vampire’s corpse, especially during the day when it is weakened. In others, vampires are too powerful to be dominated, sometimes being even older than necromancers themselves.
6. Why is necromancy often banned or seen as immoral?
Necromancy is considered immoral in many settings because it contravenes the natural order of life and death. It often involves disturbing the dead and can be seen as a violation of the sanctity of spirits.
7. What are some other games with a good Necromancer class?
Besides Divinity: Original Sin II, other notable games include:
- Diablo II and III: Both feature necromancer classes with unique playstyles.
- Path of Exile: Offers extensive customization options for necromancer builds.
- The Elder Scrolls Online: A class that can be played solo or as a group.
8. What is the best race for necromancy in role-playing games?
Races with high intelligence and wisdom are often favored for necromancers. Examples include Gnomes, Vedalken, Firbolgs, and Kalashtar, depending on the system.
9. What is the most powerful necromancer of all time in fictional media?
Many would argue that Nagash from Warhammer Fantasy is one of the most powerful necromancers in fiction, sometimes even being regarded as a god in that universe.
10. What is the difference between necromancy and black magic?
Necromancy specifically focuses on death and the manipulation of the dead, while black magic is a broader term encompassing dark magic and other malicious practices.
11. How do necromancers replenish their energy?
Necromancers often rely on meditation or rituals instead of relying on sleep, especially in fantasy settings. The act of manipulating death often has some form of toll on the user, with some lore stating it can drain the life force of the necromancer.
12. Can necromancers be killed?
Despite their control over death, necromancers are not invincible. They are often vulnerable when they’re cut off from their minions. They can be defeated through direct combat, magic, or by destroying their summoned minions. They are also often reliant on certain items, so targeting those can be an effective tactic.
13. What is the first skill of a necromancer build in most games?
Often, a necromancer’s basic abilities involve dealing damage and summoning their minions. For example, in the game Diablo IV, Bone Splinters is used for basic attack generation.
14. Can a necromancer be a healer?
Yes, in many games, necromancers can be designed to heal or provide support, particularly by using their control over life force to mend wounds. However, more often than not, they are intended to cause direct damage to enemies, or to amplify the damage of their undead minions.
15. What anime has a necromancer as a main character?
Dead Mount Death Play features a powerful necromancer who reincarnates into a Japanese high school student, presenting a unique take on the trope of the dark mage, and exploring what might happen if a necromancer becomes the main character in a contemporary world.