Necromancer Leveling Guide

Last Updated: September 26th 2023

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The Necromancer Leveling Guide provides you with all the necessary information to get your favorite Character started!
Not every Skill is suitable to be used during early leveling for three reasons:

  • Only a number of Skills work well without any previously farmed gear.
  • A lot of builds lack damage during the leveling phase. It can become a big struggle or even straight up impossible to progress, starting with an end game build.
  • Some builds have a hard time transitioning into hell due to Immunities.

We provide you with step by step Skill trees and easily accessible items that help you in your play through. Additionally, you get tips and insights on how to deal with Immunities and the more difficult fights.

Gear used in this guide
Gear used in this guide

Bone Spear

Corpse Explosion

Bone Armor

Teeth

At the end of this guide you'll have a Level 75 Necromancer that used 1 out of the 3 respecs the game provides. You can use these to transition into your build of choice.
If you like the build at the end of this guide, check out the Bone Spear Necromancer Guide, which continues it to the end game.

Progression

The Necromancer Leveling Guide utilizes Teeth and Bone Spear in Normal. Corpse Explosion is added to the mix later on.

Act 1 N
(Up to Level 13)
Act 2 - 5 N
(Up to Level 26)
Act 1 NM - Act 5 H
(Respec + Level 75)
Use the Slider for visual Skill Progression
Use the Slider for visual Skill Progression

Skill Point Allocation

Level 2-5: Teeth
Den of Evil: Teeth
Level 6: Clay Golem
Level 7-10: Teeth
Level 11: Amplify Damage*
Level 12: Iron Maiden*
Level 13: Teeth

*Put these Skill Points into Teeth if you get a Wand.

Attribute Allocation

Level 2-3: All into Energy
Level 4-11 All into Vitality
Level 12-13: All into Strength

Playstyle & Progression

  • Clear out the Den of Evil and pick up items to sell, like Rings, Amulets, Charms, etc. Use Raise Skeleton from your starter Wand. Start casting Teeth at Level 2. This Skill will stick with you for a while. Teeth doesn't shotgun, so it only hits a single target with one of its projectiles!
  • Important: Pick up every Chipped Gem you come across and put them into your Stash. You need them to re-roll Magic Wands later.
  • Get to Akara and sell everything you got from the Den of Evil. If you have 3.500+ Gold, check her for a +x to Teeth Wand. +2 is about 3.500 Gold, +3 costs 5.500+ Gold. Buy some Life, lots of Mana and Stamina Potions from Akara. Add both the Tome of Town Portal, and the Tome of Identify if possible. Get them later if not.
  • From this point onwards, Elite Groups are your primary focus when it comes to killing monsters. Don't waste your time with individual monsters. They grant far less Experience!
  • Start using strangling gas potion at level 6 to add AoE Poison Damage to Elite Groups. Summon Clay Golems close to dangerous enemies to act as a meat shield.
  • Fight your way to the Black Marsh. Find the Waypoint and start farming The Countess inside the Forgotten Tower for the below listed Runes. Put the Runes into your Stash for storage.
    Check Charsi for the 2 Socketed Body Armor, and 2x 2 Socketed Helmets at the start of each run.
  • Equip a Gemmed Helmet to improve your Mana management.
  • After acquiring all Runes, make your way to the Catacombs Level 4, where you face the first Act boss, Andariel - Maiden of Anguish.
  • To fight Act bosses in Normal difficulty, curse them with Iron Maiden. Then continuously summon a clay golem next to them, whenever they get hit. This will return massive amounts of Physical Damage via the Thorns effect.

Gear Checklist

ItemWhereNote
WandShop at Akara
or drop from monsters
Shop for a +2 or +3 to Teeth as soon as possible. +2 costs about 3.400 Gold, +3 is around 5.500 Gold.
Optional:
Wand
Shop at Akara
Requires Level 7 to shop
Shop for a +1 to Iron Maiden Wand. This saves you 2 Skill Points throughout Normal difficulty.
Preserved HeadDrop from monstersPick up all Necromancer Shields you come across and check them for useful Skills:
+x to Teeth
+x to Iron Maiden
+x to Corpse Explosion
+x to Bone Spear
(later)
Ring of the Apprentice
Amulet of the Apprentice
Drop from monstersPick up every Ring and Amulet and check them for +10% Faster Cast Rate.
You can reach the 75% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint with all 3 item slots filled up.
2x 2 Socketed HelmetsShop at Charsi
or drop from monsters
The first Helmet is used to put Ral Runes. The second one is used for the Runeword Lore later on.
Make sure that one of them is NOT a Magic Item for the latter.
2 Socketed Body ArmorShop at Charsi
or drop from monsters
This Body Armor is used for the Runeword Stealth later on.
Make sure that it is NOT a Magic Item.
Chipped GemsDrop from monsters
Pick all of them up!
They are used to re-roll Wands in Act 2 for Gold.
Mandatory:
1 Tal Rune
1 Eth Rune
Farm at The CountessThese Runes are used later for:
- Stealth
Optional:
1-2 Ral Rune
1-2 Tir Rune
Farm at The CountessIf acquired, these Runes are used for:
- Gemmed Cap
and/or
- Gemmed Cap

Essentials

Hardcore

Gear Options

Farming Spots at Level 75+

Video

Summary

  • Use Teeth and Strangling Gas Potions against large monster groups until Level 18.
  • After respecing use Bone Spear to kill off 1-2 monsters and then blow up their friends with Corpse Explosion.
  • Farm The Countess in Normal and Nightmare for the key Runewords. Be careful with the item bases you buy from the vendors. Runewords do NOT work in Magic Items!
  • Shop for a Bone Wand with +x to Bone Spear and 0 or 2 Sockets before Level 18.
  • Buy a Gnarled Staff of Teleportation before Level 24.
  • Magic Immunes monsters can be killed by Corpse Explosion as long as there are other monsters around to kill with Bone Spear. The corpses of the Skeleton Mages on Baal wave 2 can be used to kill the Unravelers.

We hope the Necromancer Leveling Guide helps you to get to your endgame build of choice. The combination of Bone Spear and Corpse Explosion can be very satisfying to play with!

Good luck!

Credits

Written by Teo1904
Reviewed by MacroBioBoi

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