Uteunayr's Necromancer Soloing and Strategy Guide

Introduction

Greetings fellow Necromancers.

It is my intention to offer here some notes on what I have learned leveling up two separate necromancers. In this guide, I will break down the class into four major segments, with each of these defining a different, primary play style. However, each of these play styles and strategies can be utilized throughout your time as a necromancer. I simply break down these four eras because the strategy described is the most commonly used in that leveling range.

This is not a quick glance guide. This guide is made to offer as much detail as possible so that you, as a necromancer, are totally prepared for the challenges ahead.

The guide will go as followed:

First, I will list a few notes. These are heavily based on mechanics that necromancers must constantly deal with, either in their favor or against them. I will refer back to these notes throughout the guide.

From there, I will present four separate level ranges: 1-12, 12-49, 49-55, 55-60. Under each level range, I will describe the basic strategy, any new tools and how they work, list the spots that I recommend, and lastly offer an intensive guide into how each of the camping spots work.

I offer full credit to the 6-Minute Bard Diet for the bard segments of my leveling path offered here. In addition, I offer thanks to all the players who helped me level, including, but not limited to, the great people in Bregan D'Aerth for helping me at every turn.

Necromancer Notes

1- If your pet deals over half (>50%) of the damage, they will absorb half of the experience.

2- A mob that is in motion at the moment of the tick will take only 66% of DoT damage. If your pet stuns the target, so that the target is stunned at the moment of the tick, the target is still and will take a full 100% damage.

3- If a target is Feared, Rule 2 is invalid.

4- Paralyzing Roots has an approximate chance to break of 20-25% when taking damage.

5- Life drain dots will heal you even after the target is dead.

1-12: Lifetap Tanking and Pet Swapping

Many of the creatures at this level are not sufficiently strong to destroy you that fast, nor do they have multiple attacks. For this reason, it is possible to lifetap tank. By this, I mean that you can simply take melee attacks while spamming Lifetap abilities. By lifetap, I refer to the spell line that deals damage and heals you for the damage done.

The other style is close, but you basically will let your pet fight the mob until the pet is low health, and then you step in and tank the mob until your pet is healed. Be wary, you risk losing XP to Necro Note 1's rule.

These levels are slow and grueling, and there is really no perfect spot. I suggest finding whatever way through this you can. If you have access to power leveling, these are the levels to push through.

12-49: Fear Kiting All The Things

Mechanics

Fear Kiting works as follows: You place down the spell Darkness, which snares the target and is a DoT. You then add one more DoT (as the mob runs to you), and then Fear (You may fear before the DoT if you wish).

Fear will last for 3 ticks, and then drop on the fourth. So cast Fear on the target, and it will run. Your DoTs act as a counter for you, you just need to count the ticks. After the third tick of Darkness, you have a choice: Either you can Fear the target before the 4th tick, or after the 4th tick.

If you fear Before the 4th tick, the 4th tick becomes the first tick of the new Fear. This is slightly more mana intensive. If you fear after the 4th tick, then the Fear will drop for the fourth tick. This means that for the moment of the 4th tick, your DOTs will deal less damage, as per Necro Note 2. Please note, if you let it drop on the 4th tick before reapplying, some of the 4th tick dots will remain at full strength, depending on if Fear drops before or after it in the order of events. For instance:

Darkness -> Leech -> Fear Tick -> Blood

If those are your Four ticks, and they are applied in that order, that means on the 4th tick, Darkness and Leech will do full damage (as the target will still be feared, see Necro Note 3), but the Blood, which was applied after Fear, will tick after Fear has dropped, and will deal 33% less damage.

If you feel mana starved, let the 4th tick. If you are not, reapply Fear between the 3rd and 4th Tick.

If you feel you are getting resisted, reapply Fear between the 3rd and 4th tick (or perhaps even 2nd and 3rd) so that you have recovery time to recast after the 4th if resisted (or 3rd if you did even earlier).

Think about these things as you level so that you can effectively maximize your potential.

Dark Pact/Allure of Death/Call of Bones should always be used when you're sub 99% mana. These do not drain your HP much, and there is very little strategy that needs to go into it. If you need mana, use these. Call of Bones is approximately equal to the top clarity you can get. This does not necessarily apply to Lich and Demi-Lich, where the game becomes a bit more complicated.

Remember that because of Necro Note 2, you will lose XP if you don't do over half the DPS on the target. For this reason, buffing your pet is not incredibly vital at this stage, the pet is simply another dot. You need to make sure you pile on enough dots to do half. The best way to test is when you first get to a camp, pull an add, dot it up, fear it, and let it go. See how low your dots take it. This, or you can do research. Starting with Spectres, I will offer DOT recommendations.

Locations

• 12-16 - Misty Storyswapper

• 16-24 - Kurns Tower

• 24-29 - Cordelia Minster

• 29-31 - Travis Two-Tone/Dark Deathsinger/Drizda Tunesinger

• 31-34 - Halfling Guards in Misty

• 34-37 - Toll Booth

• 37-46 - Specres

• 46-49 - Bloodgills

Locations Explanations

12-16

Misty Storyswapper is a bard near Qeynos Zone Line in West Karana (zone code: qey2hh1 for your /who camp check convenience). She spawns around level 13-15. There is a guard who patrols up toward Misty from time to time that is Red. There is a green one that passes by... Do not be deceived. I am talking of a different guard.

I suggest sitting on the stone hill to the north of the little village. Between Misty and you is a guard, level 12. He is a good bit of extra experience per 6 minute respawn. Pull him in with a Darkness, send pet, apply Blood, Fear, and meditate. Once he is dead, do the same to Misty.

Make sure you have more mana, the higher a con Misty is. She can resist you.

This north side is a solid spot to camp because you can always see the red con guard when he approaches. She respawns every 6 minutes, and it is not difficult to kill her and the guard in a minute or two. So, find something else to do. Read a book... Do school work... I did a semester of graduate school leveling on stuff like this, lol.

She drops a mandolin that sells for 1pp. At night time, behind her house, a merchant pops that will sell and buy your shit.

16-24

Kurn's Tower is simply a playground. Use your Undead focused spells to their best potential. Make sure you have researched "Hungry Earth" for rooting the target to get it off you. Allow your pet to tank.

When you have hit 16, you also have Shieldskin. Many people overlook these spells at low levels because they have a material component... DONT! Use it. It will save your life and help you get off the spells you need at times.

Spook the Dead is a cheap Fear spell. While feared, you have little control of where the target goes. Use Hungry Earth to stop them from going too far. Remember that Hungry Earth roots the target, and will cause him to fight your pet. So, if you can, instead use Numb the Dead to prevent aggroing onto your add.

24-29

Cordelia Minster spawns near the North Karana Wizard Spires. She spawns and then after some time, patrols north to the Gypsy Camp. When first breaking, you must find her, kill her, and then camp the Spires. There are guards nearby. So you must pull her away from the Spires and into the fields to the west of the spires before fear kiting her, as a guard does patrol from the bridge up toward the north end of the spires. Do not let this guard see you.

Again, once she is dead, afk and come back later. Slow, steady, safe XP. If stuff goes awry, hit your Circlet of Shadow, and run past the guards toward the zone line to SK. The cap can cause them to delay aggro until Cordelia catches up.

29-31

Three possible dudes: Travis Two Tone, Drizda Tunesinger, Dark Deathsinger. Travis is found in Nektulos Forest (near EC ZL, to the west), Dark Deathsinger is in Innothule (Outside Grobb and to the west along wall), and Drizda is in Feerrott, who is south of the ZL into Feerrott from Innothule.

Travis Two Tone in Nektulos Forest is somewhat near a DE Guard that pats toward the EC Zone line. Pull him West and over the hill next to him, and then fear, and he will path in the ditch.

Dark Deathsinger is near Grobb, so be careful of Troll Guards if you are KOS.

Drizda Tunesinger is well out of the way. Fear kite with ease of mind.

31-34

Halfling Guards in Misty Thicket... Basically, in Misty Thicket, there is a Wall. When facing it (from Rivervale), go left along the wall. You will see a ramp up to the top of thewall, and a guard house along the wall just before hitting the edge of the zone.

DANGER: There is Ella Foodcrafter, who runs from Rivervale up to the entrance of the gate along the wall. She is level 50, and will obliterate your skull. DO NOT MESS WITH HER.

To avoid Ella, in the guardhouse near the wall is a guard. Pull him to the zone wall, and fear as close to the wall as you can. Let fear break, him to get close, and re-fear. NEVER LET HIM WANDER. If he wanders, you're going to get Ella'd in the skull.

Once this add is dead, move down the wall to the ramp. The wall will curve outward, and there is another guardhouse. On top of this house, you can see another guard. Send your pet to the guard, and then back it off. Pull this guard all the way up the wall and to the zone wall, and fear kite him just like the first guard. I suggest killing this guard first, and the guardhouse guard second, so this way you can meditate/recover on the wall overlooking the 2nd guard pop. You can't easily see the 1st guard pop without walking up and inside his spot.

Once you hit 34, you will get a very welcomed set of new spells: Call of Bones, and Invoke Fear. Invoke Fear is a 7 tick fear, that drops on the 8th. Same principles apply as lined out with Fear earlier. Call of Bones is your first skeleton form, and will make your mana jump fast. With this greater mana regeneration, you're going to be able to handle:

34-37

Toll Booth Guards! This is perhaps the most relaxing camp for the XP payout. Basically, you have two guards side by side. Now begins more advanced necro pulling tactics.

Toll Booth ----------------

Guard A -------- Guard B.

On guard A, you're going to cast "Screaming Terror". This spell stuns and mezes a target for 2 ticks. STing Guard A will cause Guard B to charge you. Run away. Let the guard get after you (out of range of Guard A), and send your pet in. Once your pet has hit Guard B, Feign Death. This will wipe your threat on Guard A, and leave you with Guard B.

Fear kite him, and kill him. Wait about 2 minutes, and do the same to guard A. From this point on, whenever one pops, kill it immediately and you need fear nothing of fear pathing.

Afk 2-3 minutes, kill. Kill. Afk 2-3 minutes, etc. This is good for watching TV shows, and reading. I don't suggest trying to write or do any school work for this camp. Too active.

37-46

Spectres... These guys are your bitch. I exclusively camp Oasis specs due to the convenience of the spot. These dudes are very easy to kill, and there are plenty of them.

When you begin on spectres, you want to do this in the following way:

1) Send your pet at the spectre.

2) Cast Darkness. Spectre has LOS on you, so before it completes:

3) Click "Back" on your pet window, so he drags the Spec into range.

4) Darkness hits, you have threat.

5) Run to the bottom of the hill on Spectre Island. Once the Spectre is on the bottom part of the ramp, Panic the Dead him, which is a cheap Fear for a long duration.

6) Load him up with Blood, Vampiric Curse. Use Expel Undead style spells (Undead only DD) as needed, make sure your Evocation skill is going up. You want 150+ before level 39.

7) Once you are 39, instead of Blood, apply Venom of the Snake, and use 1 Expel Undead (the level 39 version). In addition, once you are 39, keep up Augment Death.

DoT Overview

• Spectres have approximately 1.5k health. This is where knowing your dots comes in handy.

• Dooming Darkness: Ticks for 20, 15 times, 300 damage.

• Venom of the Snake: 40 DD + Ticks for 59, 7 ticks, 453 damage.

• Boil Blood: Ticks for 24, 18+ times (depending on level), 432 damage.

• Vampiric Curse: Ticks for 20, 9 times. 180 damage.

• Using these DoTs, you must do half of 1.5k. Remember that dots have different durations. For example, Boil Blood takes a long time to run its course, but can do a plentiful amount of damage over that time, but in small amounts.

I describe in the following space what dots I tend to use, but just remember the damage numbers above is what you are dealing with until you hit 44 and get Asystole.

Spectres are on a 16 minute respawn timer. This means if you can kill 1 spectre every 4 minutes, and meditate back the mana and sustain health, you can take all 4. You can manage all 4 in 16 minutes until 39, at which point you can also pull the tower. To pull tower, move up the tower to the door, look inside (dont move inside or move infront of the door, be next to it and turn camera) and target the spec by the firepot. Send in your pet and have your pet pull for you. Back it off, and do the steps outlined above.

At 44, you may be able to sustain upstairs Spectres. This is a three pull. Spectres' scythes stick out of the upstairs. You can target them, and Rest the Dead (Lull) them. Do this to 2, and send your pet in for the 3rd without going up the ladder. Pull him out.

Note, while a spectre is going from High to Low elevation, they will clip up, and drop. During this time, you cannot land a fear. Apply dots, wait for it to end. You will need to drag him around the platform to make it so he lands fully to fear kite him.

46-49

Bloodgills are located in Lake of Ill Omen. You now have Dead Man Floating, which allows you to breath underwater, levitate, and have massive poison resistance. Use this to swim under the lake and fight Bloodgills.

There is really no trick here. These guys have the exact same health as Spectres, except now you need to use Invoke Fear rather than Panic the Dead, and you cannot DD them. However, with Asystole and Venom of the Snake, you should have no issue beating out the pet for XP (Necro Note 2).

Simply grab one with Darkness, dot it up, fear it, and sit back and laugh.

Root Rot: 49-55

Mechanics

Root Rotting works as follows: You grab your target, position them as you need (generally right where they spawn), and use Paralyzing Earth. This will root them to the ground for 3 minutes (30 ticks) or until broken (see Necro Note 4). Luckily, with root rotting, you will never run into issue with XP (Necro Note 2).

Lich

This becomes increasingly viable at this level due to Lich, which will give you an incredible amount of mana, but drain your health fast while you're not sitting. As you will learn, or have learned, fear kiting involves a plentiful amount of movement, less time to really sit back and enjoy the day. With root rotting, you will be applying dots, and then sitting for extended periods of time. This allows for Lich to generate mana to allow you to deal with high HP totals without losing mana, and without a pet.

It is at this point that HP becomes a truly major stat for the Necromancer. This is because everytime you Lifetap and hit 100% HP, you have wasted mana, not only in casting the spell, but the excess HP that was above 100% is mana for you now. HP = Mana. Remember that. It is rare you will pass 100% mana from something, and for this reason, Necromancers generally stack HP so that you have the freedom to burn your HP down and use lifetaps that do not cap you. HP = Mana. The only time mana is truly that necessary is if you are being required to cast a large number of spells in a short span of time. In other words, starting at 100m, you need to cast 20+ spells, and you just need a big pool saved up to get through that short burst. Other than that, when you're burning HP into Mana, HP is a better stat to have in the long run, because you waste less taps and maximize your mana conservation.

It is also at this time that maintaining the "Shielding" spell line on you (when lacking other buffs) is necessary. Greater Shielding, Shield of the Magi, all those... They increase your MR, AC, and most importantly, HP. This helps you handle Lich better.

Oh, and welcome to being a Necromancer. You're about to never be able to go back to playing a class other than Shaman. Once you've tasted 50+ mana a tick... It is really hard to go without.

At this point, you need to have a good understanding of what DoTs you have, and what you can do with them, so that you can get the most out of your root rotting skills.

DoT Rundown

Poison: These have a DD component, followed by short, but high damage ticks. Examples: Venom of the Snake, Envenomed Bolt. Disease: These have a DD component, followed by extended small ticks of damage. Examples: Scourge, Plague. Muscular Disease: These have no DD component, followed by high damage ticks. In addition, these debuff the target's strength and similar stats. Examples: Heart Flutter, Asystole. Fire (Blood): These do not have a DD component, and tick for an extended period of time. Examples: Heat Blood, Boil Blood. Magical (Splurt): This has no DD component, and ticks for an extended period of time. Example: Splurt. Magical Drain (Tap): This has no DD component, and ticks for a brief period of time while healing you for damage done. Example: Leech, Vexing Mordinia.

Note on Dots: Lifetap, Magical Drain have a -200 resist, meaning it has an easy time landing. Magical (Splurt) has a -100 resist. Fire (Blood) has a -100 resist. This means that Splurt, Ignite Blood, Bond of Death have the easiest time landing.

These dots are important to understand because of Necro Note 4... Paralyzing Earth will break on DD every so often. This is true of DoTs that have a DD component. This means that while root rotting, you can safely use: Magic based Life Drain, Magical, Fire, and Muscular Disease dots. Disease and Poison both have a DD part that will break the roots and cause an angry enemy to be on you. For this reason, Bond of Death (Life drain dot) is better than Lifetapping, not only because it is more efficient mana wise, but also because it will not break roots.

So to recap briefly: Root rotting allows you to safely use your Life Drain, Splurt, Blood spells safely, all of which have an easy time landing. In addition to these three, muscular diseases can land without breaking roots.

While root rotting, be certain you keep a close watch on DoT ticks, and make sure that you are killing them before roots break, or reapplying roots. At this point, abilities like Shieldskin/Leatherskin/Manaskin, etc... These spells are essential, in addition to the Shielding spell buff. As you hit Manaskin level, you'll notice you have spent a lot of money on Peridots to maintain Manaskin. Deal with it. It is better to pay 10pp for a Peridot than to die, find a rez, get the rez out there, get rezzed, wait for sickness, and hope to god your camp is still there. Manaskin absorbs around 700 damage. If it breaks, you were likely about to die if you didn't have it on. If it doesn't break, then you're safe for a couple hours. 10pp is worth it. USE MANASKIN.

Note that you now have access to Ignite Blood and Bond of Death. Each of these are a substantial increase to your dot damage, and will make root rotting far more effective. DOT Breakdown is as follows:

Ignite Blood: Ticks for 56 damage 21 times, to a total of 1176 damage. Bond of Death: Ticks for 80 damage 9 times, to a total of 720 damage, and 720 healing. Splurt: Ticks for 22 damage, increasing by 11 up to 176 in 16 ticks, for a total of 1485 damage. THIS IS THE MOST MANA EFFICIENT SPELL YOU WILL EVER GET THAT IS NOT A CLICKIE.