He might look like a complex spellcaster or summoner class but the Necromancer in Diablo 2 and Resurrected is actually pretty straightforward. Those who don't want an army of emaciated minions fighting for them can opt to poke holes in their enemies with bones or poison them. The fact of the matter is, the Necromancer has always been an easier class to play compared to something as seemingly blunt as the Barbarian.
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That doesn't mean players can slack off in their Necromancer builds in Diablo 2. Diablo and his brothers will still lay waste to anyone foolhardy enough to come at them unprepared. So in order to prepare one's Necromancer for the worst, some fitting Runewords are in order. Thankfully, the Necromancer's not too picky with his equipment.
Updated June 14, 2022, by Sid Natividad: Now that Diablo 2: Resurrected has an ongoing league (at least it does at the time of writing), there's more content to be had. Along with the league, the game's recent updates have added additional Runewords for players to explore. The best part is that some of these Runewords fit well for the Necromancer. As such, Diablo 2 Necromancer Runewords just received more variety. This means better gameplay opportunities for one of Diablo 2's most accessible classes. While these new Necromancer Runewords likely won't shake up the meta too much, they should still provide some alternatives for some rather expensive mandatory items for certain Necromancer builds. So, for those who aren't yet tired of spitting poison, resummoning their enemies, and throwing bones, these Necromancer Runewords will make things more exciting.
Plague - Swords & Katars (Cham + Shael + Um)
- 20% Chance to cast level 12 Lower Resist when struck
- 25% Chance to cast level 15 Poison Nova on striking
- Level 13-17 Cleansing Aura When Equipped (varies)
- +1-2 All Skills
- +20% Increased Attack Speed
- +220-320% Enhanced Damage (varies)
- -23% To Enemy Poison Resistance
- 0.3% (0-29.7) Deadly Strike (Based on Character Level)
- +25% Chance of Open Wounds
- Freezes Target +3
At the moment, the Plague Runeword is only available for the 2.4 League. After that though, it will be exported over to non-league Runeword pools. At first glance, it might look better suited to something like the Assassin but even Necromancers can make it work.
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It's can be a good piece of one-handed weapon for Poison Necros or Venomancers. It's essentially a free Poison Nova buff and the Lower Resist proc is very handy for a lot of mobs. Players just need to make sure to put it on a good weapon base.
Obsession - Staves (Zod + Ist + Lem + Lum + Io + Nef)
- Indestructible
- 24% Chance to cast level 10 Weaken when struck
- +4 To All Skills
- +65% Faster Cast Rate
- +60% Faster Hit Recovery
- Knockback
- +10 To Vitality
- +10 To Energy
- Increase Maximum Life 15-25% (varies)
- Regenerate Mana 15-30% (varies)
- All Resistances +60-70 (varies)
- 75% Extra Gold from Monsters
- 30% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
The Obsession Runeword might look expensive initially but the only expensive Rune there is Zod. Everything else is manageable, making Obsession quite accessible.
It can work well for either the Sorceress or some Necromancer builds, especially those that still rely on Spirit Runeword shields. Plus, it's a decent weapon for Magic Find builds.
Pride - Polearms (Cham + Sur + Io + Lo)
- 25% Chance To Cast Level 17 Fire Wall When Struck
- Level 16-20 Concentration Aura When Equipped
- 260-300% Bonus To Attack Rating
- +1-99% Damage To Demons (Based on Character Level)
- Adds 50-280 Lightning Damage
- +20% Deadly Strike
- Hit Blinds Target
- Freezes Target +3
- +10 To Vitality
- Replenish Life +8
- 1.875-185.625% Extra Gold From Monsters (Based on Character Level)
The Pride Runeword might be for Polearms but it can be a great tool for Summon Necromancers. It's all thanks to the Concentration Aura. Such a boon will turn the Summon Necro's minions into boss killers.
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Players don't even have to put it on their Necromancers. Any Act 2 Mercenary can have it. It's by far one of the best boosts for any Summon Necromancer.
Beast - Axes, Scepters, & Hammers (Ber + Tir + Um + Mal + Lum)
- Level 9 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped
- +40% Increased Attack Speed
- +240-270% Enhanced Damage
- +20% Chance of Crushing Blow
- +25% Chance of Open Wounds
- +3 To Werebear
- +3 To Lycanthropy
- Prevent Monster Heal
- +25-40 To Strength
- +10 To Energy
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- Level 13 Summon Grizzly (5 Charges)
So what goes well with a Pride Polearm on an Act 2 Mercenary? A Beast Runeword— preferably on an axe and equipped to the Necromancer's main hand.
The Fanaticism Aura will turn any undead army into a frenzied piranha swarm. Coupled with the Concentration from a Pride Polearm, this could potentially turn the Summon Necro into an all-around build.
Lore - Helm (Ort + Sol)
- +1 to All Skills
- +10 to Energy
- +2 to Mana after each kill
- Lightning Resist +30%
- Damage reduced by 7
- +2 to Light Radius
Lore or OrtSol is a relatively easy and affordable Runeword that players in the early game can farm. The +1 to all skills is surely welcome for any Necromancer build. The mana for every kill helps him sustain his attacks, assuming he's a Bonemancer build.
Ancient's Pledge - Shield (Ral + Ort + Tal)
- +50% Enhanced Defense
- Cold Resist +43%
- Fire Resist +48%
- Poison Resist +48%
- Lightning Resist +48%
As far as Necromancer Runewords go, Ancient's Pledge is a little too universal. In fact, some players might even trade it in for other Runeword items in the off-hand slot.
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However, it helps immensely once players get to Nightmare or Hell difficulty where every elemental attack can spell doom. Otherwise, a rare shield or a Shrunken Head might be better if the resistances don't need improvement.
Stealth - Body Armor (Tal + Eth)
- Magic Damage Reduced by 3
- +6 to Dexterity
- +15 to Maximum Stamina
- +30% Poison Resist
- 15% Regenerate Mana
- 25% Faster run/walk
- 25% Faster Cast Rate
- 25% Faster Hit Recovery
Because of its universal benefits for low-level or early-game players, the Stealth Runeword is always a good choice. In fact, some players in Normal difficulty probably already have the Runes ready without any effort on their part. Fast Cast Rate plays a good role here, especially for Bonemancers. Everything else helps a bit.
Spirit - Sword/Shield (Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn)
For Sword:
- +2 To All Skills
- +25-35% Faster Cast Rate
- +55% Faster Hit Recovery
- Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
- Adds 3-14 Cold Damage 3 Second Duration (Normal)
- +75 Poison Damage Over 5 Seconds
- 7% Life Stolen Per Hit
- +250 Defense Vs. Missile
- +22 To Vitality
- +89-112 To Mana
- +3-8 Magic Absorb
For Shield:
- +2 To All Skills
- +25-35% Faster Cast Rate
- +55% Faster Hit Recovery
- +250 Defense Vs. Missile
- +22 To Vitality
- +89-112 To Mana
- Cold Resist +35%
- Lightning Resist +35%
- Poison Resist +35%
- +3-8 Magic Absorb
- Attacker Takes Damage of 14
For weapons, obviously, wands are off the table here since those can only have two slots max. If players are using wands for their Necromancers, then they might want to get the shield variant of the Runeword instead.
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In any case, both variants are beneficial mostly for their Mana increase, Skill level increase, and impressive Faster Cast Rate. For anyone still having a dilemma, the Shield version is more practical.
White - Wand (Dol + Io)
- Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
- +10 To Vitality
- +3 To Poison And Bone Skills (Necromancer Only)
- +3 To Bone Armor (Necromancer Only)
- +2 To Bone Spear (Necromancer Only)
- +4 To Skeleton Mastery (Necromancer Only)
- Magic Damage Reduced By 4
- 20% Faster Cast Rate
- +13 To Mana
One good reason why players might want to get the Shield version of the Spirit Runeword is that the White Runeword for Wands is just too impressive.
It's a highly desirable combination for Bonemancers and not too bad for Hybrid Summoners. If anything though, it was tailor-made for Bonemancer builds so make sure to maximize it.
Bone - Body Armor (Sol + Um + Um)
- 15% Chance To Cast level 10 Bone Armor When Struck
- 15% Chance To Cast level 10 Bone Spear On Striking
- +2 To Necromancer Skill Levels
- +100-150 To Mana
- All Resistances +30
- Damage Reduced By 7
Once players have graduated past the early stages of enduring the good but sub-optimal Stealth Body Armor, then they'll want to switch over to Bone. As the name implies, Bone is made with Necromancers in mind.
The Bone Armor skill is one of the most reliable survival abilities of the Necromancer so it's handy here. Meanwhile, Bone Spear is also a welcome trigger. Again, it's mostly Bonemancers who will benefit from this armor but it's still viable for Summoners or Poisonmancers.
Radiance - Helm (Nef + Sol + Ith)
- +75% Enhanced Defense
- +30 Defense Vs. Missile
- +10 To Energy
- +10 To Vitality
- 15% Damage Goes To Mana
- Magic Damage Reduced By 3
- +33 To Mana
- Damage Reduced By 7
- +5 To Light Radius
Radiance is a welcome embrace for players who deem the Lore Helm too basic for Necromancers or Bonemancer or Poisonmancer builds. Those two builds, in particular, tend to be Mana-hungry.
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Hence, they'll be wanting the 15% Damage Goes To Mana here as that's the most crucial part of the Runeword. The Defense can also save any Necromancer's life in a pinch but not necessary thanks to Bone Armor or Bone Wall.
Heart Of The Oak - Mace/Staff (Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul)
- +3 To All Skills
- +40% Faster Cast Rate
- +75% Damage To Demons
- +100 To Attack Rating Against Demons
- Adds 3-14 Cold Damage, 3 sec. Duration (Normal)
- 7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
- +10 To Dexterity
- Replenish Life +20
- Increase Maximum Mana 15%
- All Resistances +30-40
- Level 4 Oak Sage (25 Charges)
- Level 14 Raven (60 Charges)
It would seem more favorable for Druids than Necromancers but really, Heart of the Oak is just stellar for any spellcaster class. One really can't go wrong with the hefty +3 To All Skills.
The damage increase against Demons can be quite a game-changer during Hell or Baal farming runs. All in all, it's also a great weapon or Runeword for a high-level Necromancer of any build.
Enigma - Body Armor (Jah + Ith + Ber)
- +2 To All Skills
- +45% Faster Run/Walk
- +1 To Teleport
- +750-775 Defense
- + (0.75 Per Character Level) +0-74 To Strength (Based On Character Level)
- Increase Maximum Life 5%
- Damage Reduced By 8%
- +14 Life After Each Kill
- 15% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
- + (1 Per Character Level) +1-99% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based On Character Level)
Is it any wonder anymore what the best Body Armor is in Diablo 2 for any class? The Enigma Runeword just trumps everything else. Mostly everything else.
It's all thanks to the Teleportation skill— this will turn any Summoner Necromancer invincible. Bonemancers and Poisonmancers also turn formidable with such a Runeword. The only problem is acquiring the Runes.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows.
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FAQs
What is the best helm runeword for Necromancer? ›
Radiance - Helm (Nef + Sol + Ith)
The Defense can also save any Necromancer's life in a pinch but not necessary thanks to Bone Armor or Bone Wall.
Lore is a great ladder starter / low level runeword for Necromancers due to its +1 to all skills. You can quickly find the required runes by farming in Act4 or Act5 on Normal difficulty. Edge is the only item besides Gheed's Fortune that grants vendor price reduction.
What stats are most important for Necromancer Diablo 2 Resurrected? ›Key stats for your Necromancer in Diablo 2: Resurrected
Those are Energy, Strength, Vitality, Faster Cast Rate, and Faster Hit Recovery.
- Bonemancer: It's one of the most famous Necromancer builds in Diablo 2. ...
- Daggermancer: It's an alternative build to the Novamancer. ...
- Explosionmancer: Also known as Explomancer, the build relies on Corpse Explosion spell.
Death is a very powerful endgame Runeword that competes with Grief in a few select builds. It provides a huge boost to both Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike which makes it a good option for Unique-Hunting, Act Bosses and Ubers. Unlike Grief, Death is dependent on enhanced damage so it must be made in a high-damage base.
What is fortitude runeword good for? ›Overview of the Fortitude Runeword
Fortitude is not only a nearly-ubiquitous recommendation for Mercenary armor, it's also found in many Best in Slot (BiS) armor recommendations for several melee DPS builds.
The best gear set for this Diablo Immortal Necromancer build is the Shepherd's Call to Wolves set. Shepherd's Call to Wolves offers the following benefits: 2 set items equipped: Your summons deal 15% more damage. 4 set items equipped: Critical Hit Chance increased by 3% for each of your summons, up to a maximum of 18%.
What are Necromancers weak against? ›Necromancers, like all human enemies, are weak to poison damage. They resist fire and frost damage. Necromancers use an enchanted dagger that deals slashing and frost damage.
What stat is most important for Necromancer? ›The order of importance for the necromancer's stats is intelligence, vitality, fortitude, willpower, and power.
What does Necromancer scale with? ›Surprisingly, Necromancy damage counts as physical damage, like a melee sword attack, and scales with a high Warfare combat ability. This makes it the best combat ability to put points in, even over the Necromancer combat ability, for its sheer damage increase.
What is the best merc for Necro in Diablo 2 Resurrected? ›
Best Mercenary for Summonmancer Necromancer in Diablo II: Resurrected Patch 2.6 & Ladder Season 3. One would think that a character built around using tons and tons of minions wouldn't need one more of them - but that's wrong! The best mercenary for Summonmancers by far is the Act 2 Nightmare Offense Mercenary.
Who is the strongest Necromancer? ›1 Sauron (The Lord Of The Rings)
How many skeletons can a Necromancer have in Diablo 2 resurrected? ›The number of raised skeleton mages begins at one and increases by 1 with each skill level until you can summon a total of 20 at level 20.
Why is infinity Rune Word good? ›The Conviction aura provided by Infinity maximizes the effects of the high-level Chain Lightning that the weapon produces. For nearly every character that deals elemental damage, this is the best mercenary weapon since it actively reduces resistances, vastly increasing the damage output of the character.
Why is monarch best spirit runeword? ›For many end-game builds, Spirit is often made in a Monarch and is rolled many times to get 35% Faster Cast Rate, which is designed to allow most characters to reach a new breakpoint when using standard caster items.
Is Grief the best Rune Word? ›Grief's description may not make it appear to be one of the very highest-damage weapon Runewords in game, but it absolutely is a hidden powerhouses. Some players may discount it due to its glaring lack of %damage bonuses, but that's actually the hidden beauty of Grief.
What is prudence runeword good for? ›Prudence is effective if you need some defense, resistances, and Faster Hit Recovery. Try to put it into ethereal armor, as the rune word has a self-repair modifier.
What do you use beast Runeword for? ›Beast is a rune word typical for characters who use their basic attack as their damage output. With bear form, increased health and defense is always a bonus, on top of the Fanaticism aura. It is commonly also used for Necromancers who depend on their minions.
What Runeword is Gul used in? ›Gul runes are used in these rune words: Brand 'JahLoMalGul' missile weapon. Death 'HelElVexOrtGul' sword or axe. Fury 'JahGulEth' melee weapon.
What gem is best for Necromancer? ›| Starter Legendary Gems | Best Legendary Gems |
|---|---|
| Berserker's Eye | Blood-Soaked Jade |
| Ca'arsen's Invigoration | Chip of Stone Flesh |
| Chained Death | Echoing Shade |
| Everlasting Torment | Frozen Heart |
What is the best item to imbue Necromancer? ›
Best thing to imbue for a necy is probably boots, belt or gloves depending on what you have found/not found. As for offhand your best option is to make a rhyme out of a shrunken head that has good mods. If you can find a +3 skelly. +3 mastery head and put rhyme in it, your set for a while.
What specialization is best for Necromancer EQ? ›Alteration is traditionally considered the best because you have Alteration DoTs AND most of your other spells are alteration -- like root, charm and fear. But with things changing with DoT damage -- I could see Conj being better. The truth is it might depend on the particular raid boss your fighting.
What are Necromancer best passives? ›Best Necromancer Passive Skills
Increase the attack speed of Bone Spikes, Siphon Blood, and Grim Scythe by 15%. When you take lethal damage, you are sustained preventing all damage for 4 seconds. In addition, you heal for 10% of your Life per minion. This effect cannot occur more than once every 60 seconds.
I'd say that it is definitely possible to remain neutral, but hard to do it so that it is good. It really depends on the DM's take on alignment. I've played a Lawful Neutral True Necromancer in a campaign, and remained there based on the characters philosophy on necromancy.
How much strength does a Necromancer need? ›How much Strength Does a Summon Necromancer Need? Enough for gear — For a Summoner using a Spirit Monarch, this will be 156 Strength as that is usually the highest Strength requirement for commonly used gear.
Does Necromancer need potency? ›If you are going for a necromancer build, you can check out our guide here to see how Potency would fit into that. Potency is most important for players opting for the monk class as they rely on AOE attacks. This will allow them to deal with any foes swiftly.
What should I put my Paragon points on Necromancer? ›In Defense, prioritize Armor, then Life %, then All Resistance, and finish off with Life Regeneration. In Utility, build up Area Damage and Life on Hit first, then finish off with Resource Cost Reduction and Globe Radius.
What class should a Necromancer be? ›While there are several classes that provide the tools a player needs to practice necromancy, one class does it best: the Wizard. Choosing the School of Necromancy for one's Arcane Tradition grants access to some of the most powerful necromantic spells in the game.
Does Necro scale with intelligence? ›Yes, necro scales with warfare (and intelligence). Increasing necro level will increase your lifesteal.
What is Merc best Runeword? ›Runewords for a mercenary are usually picked to improve survivability or to provide a supporting function to the player. The best runewords that improve survivability are Treachery, Fortitude, and Chains of Honor. The most popular runewords that support the player passively are Insight, Infinity, and Faith.
What is the best summoner necro helm? ›
Delirium is the best helm in the game for summon necros PERIOD.
What is the best armor Runeword for Merc? ›Forget about Fortitude, Treachery is the best Mercenary armor in the game.
What is the immortal Necromancer weapon in Diablo? ›The Diablo Immortal Necromancer is exactly what you would expect - a summoner of skeletons soldiers and a user of dark magic. They are a fighter who slices their enemies with a scythe while using death as their weapon in the form of corpses that can explode or bones that shield them.
Is A Lich stronger than a Necromancer? ›A Lich is a powerful necromancer who used their powers to become immortal. They are classified as creatures of the night.
What race is best solo Necromancer? ›Race: Dark Elf, High Elf, Khajiit, Breton
Khajiit, Dark Elf or High Elf are great for burst damage, Breton can be great for solo and for sustain when low level.
Velsharoon (pronounced: /ˈvɛlʃɑːruːn/ VEL-shah-roon), also known as Mellifleur, [note 1] was the Faerunian demigod of necromancy, the patron of liches and those that explored undeath.
How many drones can a Necromancer have? ›Without any upgrade points, the Necromancer can control a maximum of 22 Square Drones at any time with an additional 2 drones for every point in reloading invested, making for a maximum of 36 controllable Drones.
How many golems can a Necromancer have in Diablo 2 resurrected? ›| Necromancer Lord Helmet | 2,000,000 coins |
|---|---|
| Necromancer Lord Chestplate | 10,000,000 coins |
| Necromancer Lord Leggings | 4,000,000 coins |
| Necromancer Lord Boots | 1,500,000 coins |
Necromancers are a pretty versatile class, able to make best use out of a number of weapons. The best in particular are the crossbow, dagger, wand, and polearm weapons.
What is the best necromancer helmet Poe? ›
Bone Helmet is our go to choice. Prioritize affixes as follows: [Uncapped] Elemental Resistances. +# to Maximum Life.
What is a good helm for lore runeword? ›The Grim Helm is arguably the best choice for a regular helm, between its highest defense (60-125), moderate Strength requirement (58), and the fact that it has a maximum of 2 sockets.
What is the best helm for bonemancer? ›Bonemancer Necromancer BiS Helm
The BiS helm for Bonemancer is a Rare circlet/diadem/tiara with +2 Necromancer skills, +20% Faster Cast Rate and other bonuses including 2 open sockets, +life, +resistances, +strength. For nearly every character, the helmet runeword Lore provides excellent leveling utility.
- Nadir.
- Radiance.
- Lore.
- Delirium.
- Dream.
Chaos is a rune word used by experienced players. The Whirlwind skill that it provides makes an excellent PvP character.
What is the most popular Runeword in Diablo 2? ›- 1 Jah + Ith + Ber - Enigma.
- 2 Amn + Ral + Mal + Ist + Ohm - Call to Arms. ...
- 3 Ber + Mal + Ber + Ist - Infinity. ...
- 4 Io + Jah + Pul - Dream. ...
- 5 Dol + Um + Ber + Ist - Chains Of Honor. ...
- 6 Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul - Heart Of The Oak. ...
- 7 Eth + Tir + Lo + Mal + Ral - Grief. ...
Due to the indestructibility mod, Oath works well with ethereal weapons, and with a high roll its damage output can rival the best weapons in the game while having a fraction of the cost involved.
What is the best merc runeword armor? ›Forget about Fortitude, Treachery is the best Mercenary armor in the game.
Is Bone Necro good? ›Bone Necromancer. The Bone Necromancer tackles a large variety of monsters by mixing the Magic damage of Bone Spear and the Fire and Physical Damage of Corpse Explosion. Additionally, with his Bone Armor for Damage Absorb and Bone Prison for crowd control, he is extremely safe and great for a beginner.
What is the most sockets in a helm? ›You can add sockets to a Great Helm by giving the item to Larzuk as a quest reward. Larzuk will always add 3 sockets (if the iLevel is high enough), the maximum.
What is the rarest Rune Word in Diablo 2? ›
Zod is the rarest rune in Diablo II.
Why is stealth Rune Word good? ›Strengths of the Stealth Runeword: Regenerate Mana and Faster Cast Rate make it attractive to casters. Good Poison Resist makes this handy for the Andariel fight. Faster Run/Walk good for mobility.
What class is best for beast Runeword? ›Best Classes and Specs for the Beast Runeword
Beast is a Best in Slot (BiS) weapon for Frenzy Barb, built as a 2-handed weapon. It's also a top pick for Summoner Druid and Summonmancer, since the Fanaticism aura does wonders for their summoned minions.