Necromancer (Rift Class)  

Class Description

Necromancers are damage dealers who synergize with their pets. The majority of a Necromancer’s damage comes from a fully supported and buffed pet. In an emergency, Necromancers can also serve as secondary healers by sacrificing their own health to their allies.

Strengths

Together with their undead servitors, a Necromancer can inflict serious sustained damage and survive adversity better than most Mages. Using different minions, the Necromancer can handle various combat situations, and is as comfortable ending one life as he is covering a whole area with necrotic energy.

Weaknesses

Since much of a Necromancer’s damage comes from their pet, they become vulnerable when caught on their own. These minions also require help from the Necromancer to reach peak performance, or they will do only a fraction of their potential damage.

Necromancer History

Corthana Wyvernjack helped her brother off the crypt floor, making concerned clucking noises as she brushed off his dented armor. William’s eyes narrowed at her.

“It was your plan to draw the high priest’s attention,” Corthana reminded him. “If you want to protect me, you have to accept the consequences.” Her brother seemed about to say something, but she shushed him, and fished for her needle to stitch his wounds closed.

William’s situation dated back to when he and Corthana had joined the crusade against the Endless, working on their own because Corthana’s magic made others suspicious.

They had great success until Corthana was taken prisoner by the Endless. Perhaps they sensed darkness in her, or simply recognized her cleverness, so they showed her their ritual of reanimation. It was needlessly complex, laden with invocations to Regulos that seemed integral to the magic, yet served no purpose besides turning the caster to evil. Corthana made a show of joining in, but dispensed with all mention of the Destroyer when practicing the art on her own.

Then one day, William, her headstrong Paladin of a brother, burst into the camp of the Endless to free her. Corthana did not hesitate. While he had the enemy’s attention, she cast a grave rot on the ground where the cultists stood, giving those who sought to corrupt her a taste of their own necromancy.

The subtle, pernicious Death-magics alone weren’t enough to overcome her enemies. But the zombies she raised from the ground fed upon the necrotic energies to empower their attacks.

She didn’t forget her brother. It was his foolhardy charge that had given her the distraction she needed to unleash death upon those who sought to cheat it. She knew that Mathosian courage often was the result of a good priest at your backside, and without healing, William would perish by a thousand cuts.

So she gave of herself, her blood, her very life, and sent it to her brother. When the burden became too much for her to bear, she drained essence from those cultists who bore her mark.

Fleeing for their lives, they met the high priest of Regulos, whose evil had earned him everlasting unlife. With a sneer, he aged William unto death with a bolt of dark magic. At first, Corthana felt only a chill calm. She gathered her power and took on the guise of a lich. In her avatar form, she summoned the ghosts of noble warriors who struck the high priest down and avenged her brother. She fell to the ground, human once more, and wept by William’s side.

Her brother never did learn to accept necromancy, but what Paladin could? And every time she stitched him back together, he gave her that cold look with his hollow eyes. It is said he guards her to this day, eternally vigilant lest any minions of Regulos attempt to corrupt her peaceful sleep.

Soul Abilities

These are the "roots" for the Necromancer soul tree. Once a certain amount of points have been put into the soul branches, abilities are activated in the soul roots. Below are descriptions for each ability.

References

• Official Rift Game Necromancer Page

RIFT Wikibase™