Necromancer

Diablo 4 Necromancer

Command the dead. Raise skeletal minions, wield bone and blood magic, and harvest corpses for power.

⚡ Essence Corpses ⚙ Book of the Dead
119 Skills
24 Uniques
10 Boards
58 Aspects
23 Glyphs
37 Temper

Overview

The Necromancer commands the forces of death in Diablo 4, raising undead minions, wielding bone and shadow magic, and exploiting corpses to devastating effect. As a master of life and death, the Necromancer offers both summoner and direct-damage playstyles.

Resource: Essence & Corpses

Essence serves as the primary resource for casting skills, while Corpses — left behind by slain enemies — fuel powerful secondary abilities like Corpse Explosion and Corpse Tendrils. Managing both resources simultaneously is key to mastering the class.

Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead allows Necromancers to customize their undead army. Choose between three types of Skeletal Warriors (Skirmishers, Defenders, Reapers), three types of Skeletal Mages (Shadow, Cold, Bone), and three Golem variants (Bone, Blood, Iron). Each type has upgrade paths, or can be sacrificed entirely for personal power bonuses.

Playstyle

Necromancers can build around massive minion armies, Bone Spear burst damage, Shadow DOT builds, Blood sustain builds, or Corpse Explosion chain reactions. The class excels at both solo and group content with strong survivability through Blood skills.

Necromancer — Pros & Cons

Strengths

  • Powerful summoner and minion playstyles via Book of the Dead
  • Great AoE clear with Bone and Blood skills
  • Flexible — minions, casters or melee hybrids
  • Good survivability with Blood builds and barriers

Weaknesses

  • Minions can die to heavy AoE
  • Corpse and Essence economy needs management
  • Some builds are positioning-sensitive
  • Single-target can lag behind on certain setups

Unique Mechanic — Book of the Dead

Configure your minions or sacrifice them for personal bonuses

Skeletal Warriors

Skirmishers

Skirmishers variant

Defenders

Defenders variant

Reapers

Reapers variant

Skeletal Mages

Shadow

Shadow variant

Cold

Cold variant

Bone

Bone variant

Golems

Bone

Bone variant

Blood

Blood variant

Iron

Iron variant

Skill Overview

View all ›

Corpse & Macabre 16

Black River

Unique Main Hand

Corpse Explosion consumes up to 4 additional Corpses around the initial Corpse, gaining [120 - 160]%...

Blood Artisan's Cuirass

Unique Chest Armor

When you pick up [10 - 3] Blood Orbs, a free Bone Spirit is spawned, dealing bonus damage based on y...

Blood Moon Breeches

Unique Pants

Your Summons have a [3.0 - 7.0]% chance to randomly inflict Decrepify or Iron Maiden when they deal ...

Bloodless Scream

Unique Two-Handed Slashing

Your Darkness Skills Chill enemies for up to 100% and deal [100 - 200]%[x] increased damage to Froze...

Cruor's Embrace

Unique Gloves

Casting Blood Surge consumes nearby Corpses to cause mini novas, dealing [90 - 180] damage. This dam...

Deathless Visage

Unique Helm

Bone Spear deals [40 - 60]%[x] more Critical Strike Damage. Casting it forms echoes that deal [20 - ...

Deathspeaker's Pendant

Unique Amulet

Blood Surge casts a mini nova on your Minions, dealing [41 - 85] damage. Damage is increased by 10% ...

Ebonpiercer

Unique Amulet

Blight also shoots 4 smaller projectiles that pierce enemies and deal [300 - 1,500] Corrupting damag...

Eggcecutioner

Unique Two-Handed Slashing

Slain enemies have a chance to lay an egg.

Gospel of the Devotee

Unique Off-Hand

Your Basic Skills are empowered. Damaging an enemy with a Basic Skill causes them to take [20 - 40]%...

Gravebloom

Unique Main Hand

You raise 3 smaller Golems that each deal [40 - 60]% of normal damage and gain 30%[+] Attack Speed. ...

Greaves of the Empty Tomb

Unique Boots

Sever leaves behind Desecrated Ground that deals [300 - 1,200] Corrupting damage over 2 seconds.

Howl from Below

Unique Gloves

Instead of detonating immediately, Corpse Explosion now Summons a Volatile Skeleton that charges at ...

Indira's Memory

Unique Pants

Bone Spear deals [20 - 40]%[x] additional damage and is a Blood Skill. Casting Bone Spear will launc...

Kessime's Legacy

Unique Pants

Blood Wave now forms a wave on each side of you. Both waves converge at your feet, Pulling In all su...

Lidless Wall

Unique Off-Hand

Lucky Hit: While you have an active Bone Storm, hitting an enemy has up to a [15 - 45]% chance to sp...

Mutilator Plate

Unique Chest Armor

You are Blood Lanced, and when Blood Lance would deal damage to you, it instead Fortifies you for 1%...

Path of Trag'Oul

Unique Boots

Bone Prison traps a larger area and fires [10 - 30] Bone Splinters at enemies trapped within. Incr...

Ring of Mendeln

Unique Ring 1

Every 6th attack from each Minion is empowered, exploding for [975 - 1,650] Physical damage.

Ring of the Sacrilegious Soul

Unique Ring 1

You automatically activate the following equipped Skills on Corpses around you: Raise Skeleton every...

Sanguivor, Blade of Zir

Unique Two-Handed Slashing

Your Summons' damage afflict enemies with Vampiric Curse. Consuming a Corpse also contributes 3 soul...

The Hand of Naz

Unique Gloves

Sacrificing both Skeletal Warriors and Golems grants an additional Skeletal Mage for each Minion sac...

The Mortacrux

Unique Main Hand

When consuming a Corpse, there is a [20 - 40]% chance to also create a decaying Skeletal Simulacrum ...

The Unmaker

Unique Helm

Soulrift's duration is increased by 0.5 seconds for every 30 Essence you spend while it's active, up...

Aspects

View all ›

Offensive 32

Aspect of Bursting Bones

When a segment of Bone Prison is destroyed or expires, it deals [113 - 203] damage in an area around...

Aspect of Decay

Each time the Shadowblight Key Passive deals damage to enemies, it increases the next Shadowblight's...

Aspect of Decaying Humerus

Your Bone Skills now deal Shadow damage instead of Physical. Enemies take [15 - 25]%[x] increased Sh...

Aspect of Empowering Reaper

Damaging enemies with Sever has a [15 - 35]% chance to spawn a pool of Blight under the target that ...

Aspect of Fel Gluttony

Your Golem Active also causes your Golem to erupt, dealing [300 - 600] Physical damage to surroundin...

Aspect of Frenzied Dead

Each time one of your Minions damages an enemy, they gain [10.0 - 18.0]%[+] Attack Speed for 3 secon...

Aspect of Gore Quills

Casting Blood Lance will consume Blood Orbs to also conjure lances from them. Each additional Blood ...

Aspect of Grasping Veins

Gain [5 - 25]%[+] increased Critical Strike Chance for 6 seconds when you cast Corpse Tendrils. You ...

Aspect of Hungry Blood

Each Cast of Blood Lance will launch an additional Blood Lance at a Nearby enemy when it first hits ...

Aspect of Plunging Darkness

Bone Prison is now a Darkness Skill and spawns Blight for 6 seconds. Your Blights deal [40 - 60]%[x]...

Aspect of Rathma's Chosen

Whenever your Blood Skills Overpower you gain [35 - 55]%[+] Attack Speed for 4 seconds.

Aspect of Reanimation

Your Minions gain increased damage while alive, up to [40 - 60]%[x] after 10 seconds.

Aspect of Serration

The Ossified Essence Key Passive also increases the Critical Strike Damage of your Bone Skills by 1%...

Aspect of Service and Sacrifice

Skeleton Warriors explode on death, dealing [300 - 450] Physical damage to surrounding enemies. They...

Aspect of the Damned

You deal [35 - 55]%[x] increased Shadow damage to enemies afflicted by any Curse.

Aspect of the Great Feast

While you have active Minions, your Summons deal [35 - 55]%[x] increased damage, but each Minion Dra...

Aspect of Ultimate Shadow

Bone Storm and Blood Wave are also Darkness Skills, deal Shadow damage, and gain additional effects:...

Aspect of Untimely Death

Each percent of your Maximum Life you Heal beyond 100% grants you 0.5%[x] bonus Critical Strike Dama...

Blighted Aspect

Consecutive hits with the Shadowblight Key Passive deal [25.0 - 35.0]%[x] increased damage for each ...

Blood Seeker's Aspect

Blood Lance deals [5.0 - 15.0]%[x] increased damage to its primary target per lanced enemy. While ...

Blood-bathed Aspect

Blood Surge's nova echoes again after a short delay, dealing [30 - 10]%[x] less damage.

Bone Duster's Aspect

Bone Spear deals [30 - 50]%[x] increased damage to enemies within Bone Prison and the first Bone Spe...

Cadaverous Aspect

Consuming a Corpse increases your damage [3.5 - 7]%[x] for 5 seconds, up to [18 - 35]%[x].

Imprisoned Spirit's Aspect

When Bone Spirit explodes inside a Bone Prison, it explodes an additional time, dealing [40.0 - 80.0...

Osseous Gale Aspect

Bone Storm consumes up to 8 Corpses to increase its duration by up to [5.0 - 15.0] seconds.

Phasing Poltergeist's Aspect

When Bone Spirit explodes, it spawns 3 spirits that seek nearby enemies and deal [20 - 40]% of its d...

Reaping Lotus' Aspect

Sever no longer returns and instead splits into 3 specters that expand out from its apex. Sever deal...

Rotting Aspect

Decompose can chain and burst up to 4 additional targets. Explosions from Decompose deal [15 - 35]%[...

Sacrificial Aspect

Your Sacrifice bonuses are increased by [35 - 55]%.

Shademist Aspect

Your Minions deal 38 Corrupting damage per second to enemies around them. The damage over time lasts...

Splintering Aspect

Bone Spear's primary attack makes enemies hit beyond the first Vulnerable for 3 seconds. Bone Shards...

Unyielding Commander's Aspect

While Army of the Dead is active, your Minions take 90% reduced damage and you deal [70 - 110]%[x] i...

Paragon Boards & Glyphs

Paragon Boards

View all ›

Glyphs

View all ›

Abyssal

Grants +25.0% bonus to all Rare nodes within range.

Dexterity 25

Amplify

Grants +30.0% bonus to all Magic nodes within range.

Intelligence 40

Blood-drinker

Grants +30.0% bonus to all Magic nodes within range.

Intelligence 40

Control

For every 5 Intelligence purchased within range, you deal +2.0% increased damage to Crowd Controlled...

Intelligence 40

Corporeal

Grants +30.0% bonus to all Magic nodes within range.

Intelligence 40

Darkness

For every 5 Intelligence purchased within range, you deal +1.32% increased Shadow damage.

Intelligence 40

Deadraiser

Paragon nodes within range gain +20.0% bonus to their Minion damage and damage reduction modifiers.

Intelligence 40

Desecration

For every 5 Willpower purchased within range, your Desecrated Ground deals 19.8%[+] increased damage...

Willpower 25

Dominate

For every 5 Willpower purchased within range, you deal +3.0% increased Overpower damage.

Willpower 25

Eliminator

Grants +20.0% bonus to all Normal nodes within range.

Intelligence 40

Essence

For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal 4.0%[+] increased Critical Strike Damage.

Dexterity 25

Exhumation

For every 5 Intelligence purchased within range, your Corpse Skills deal 3.3%[+] increased damage.

Intelligence 40

Exploit

For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal +2.0% increased damage to Vulnerable targets.

Dexterity 25

Golem

For every 5 Willpower purchased within range, Golems gain +4.0% increased damage.

Willpower 25

Gravekeeper

Grants +25.0% bonus to all Rare nodes within range.

Dexterity 25

Imbiber

For every 5 Willpower purchased within range, you deal +2.6% increased damage while Healthy.

Willpower 25

Mage

For every 5 Intelligence purchased within range, Skeleton Mages deal +2.6% increased damage.

Intelligence 40

Revenge

Grants +25.0% bonus to all Rare nodes within range.

Willpower 25

Sacrificial

Grants +30.0% bonus to all Magic nodes within range.

Intelligence 40

Scourge

For every 5 Intelligence purchased within range, you deal +1.3% increased Corrupting damage.

Intelligence 40

Territorial

For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal +2.0% increased damage to Close targets.

Dexterity 25

Undaunted

For every 5 Willpower purchased within range, you deal +2.0% increased damage while Fortified.

Willpower 25

Warrior

For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, Skeletal Warriors deal +4.0% increased damage.

Dexterity 25

Temper Manuals

View all ›

Database Quick Links

Create your own Necromancer Build

« Back to list