The Necromancer in Diablo 4 brings with them their skeletal minions. The Necromancer’s 19 active skills are on the lower end of the count, but are bolstered by their summoning specializations.
Necromancers wield bone, blood, and shadow magic to raise the dead and shape creatures to serve them.
While not the strongest melee fighter, the Necromancer does have several ranged skills to fall back upon if they need to get their hands dirty, such as Bone Spear and Blood Lance. As for area of effect attacks, there is Blood Wave and Bone Storm, but nothing tops the classic Corpse Explosion.
The Necromancer’s complete skill tree is listed below, with recommendations marked with an asterisk:
Basic Node
Bone Splinters (5)
Active | Bone | Physical Damage
Generate Essence: 6
Lucky Hit: 17%
Fire 3 bone splinters, dealing [12%] damage each. Each subsequent time an enemy is hit by the same cast of Bone Splinters, you gain 1 Essence.
Enhanced (1)
Bone Splinters has a 25% chance to fire 2 additional projectiles if cast while you have 50 or more Essence.
Acolyte’s (1)
Bone Splinters has a 20% chance per hit to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Initiate’s (1)
Hitting the same enemy at least 3 times with the same cast of Bone Splinters grants 8% Critical Strike Chance for 4 seconds.
Decompose (5)
Active | Darkness | Channeled | Shadow Damage
Generate Essence: 7 per second
Lucky Hit: 40%
Tear the flesh from an enemy, dealing [42%] damage per second and forming a usable Corpse with the flesh every 2.5 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
If an enemy dies while being Decomposed, you gain 10 Essence.
Acolyte’s (1)
You and your Minions deal x10% increased damage to enemies who are being Decomposed.
Initiate’s (1)
Decompose Slows enemies by 30%.
Hemorrhage (5)
Active | Blood | Physical Damage
Generate Essence: 8
Lucky Hit: 35%
Burst an enemy’s blood, dealing [35%] damage. Hemorrhage has a 20% chance to form a Blood Orb.
Enhanced (1)
After picking up a Blood Orb, your next Hemorrhage also deals damage to enemies around your target and grants 2 additional Essence per enemy hit.
Acolyte’s (1)
Hemorrhage gains an additional +20% Attack Speed while Healthy.
Initiate’s (1)
Hemorrhage grants 1.6% Base Life as Fortify each time it hits an enemy, and has a 1.5% chance per enemy hit to Fortify you for 100% Base Life.
Reap (5)
Active | Darkness | Shadow Damage
Generate Essence: 4 per enemy hit
Lucky Hit: 17%
Sweep an ethereal scythe in front of you, dealing [17%] damage. Hitting an enemy with Reap increases your Damage Reduction by 15% for 2 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
If an enemy hit by Reap dies within 2 seconds, you gain +30% Attack Speed for 3 seconds.
Acolyte’s (1)
Reap forms a Corpse under the first enemy hit. Can only occur every 5 seconds.
Initiate’s (1)
Reap instantly kills enemies below 5% Life. This does not work on Bosses or Players.
Core Node
Blight (5)
Active | Darkness | Shadow Damage
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit: 40%
Unleash concentrated blight that deals [42%] damage and leaves behind a defiled area, dealing [112%] damage over 6 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Blight Slows enemies by 25%.
Supernatural (1)
You and your Minions deal x15% increased damage to enemies within Blight.
Paranormal (1)
Blight has a 30% chance to Immobilize enemies for 1.5 seconds on impact.
Blood Lance (5)
Active | Blood | Physical Damage
Essence Cost: 15
Lucky Hit: 33%
Throw a blood lance that lingers in an enemy for 3 seconds, dealing [112%] damage to the enemy and all other lanced enemies.
Enhanced (1)
Blood Lance pierces through enemies who are currently lanced, dealing 15% reduced damage to subsequent enemies after the first.
Supernatural (1)
After casting Blood Lance 8 times, your next cast of Blood Lance is guaranteed to Overpower and spawns a Blood Orb under the first enemy hit.
Paranormal (1)
While at least 2 enemies or a Boss are affected by Blood Lance, you gain +15% Attack Speed and Blood Lance’s Essence cost is reduced by 3.
Blood Surge (5)
Active | Blood | Physical Damage
Essence Cost: 30
Lucky Hit: 12%
Draw blood from enemies, dealing [28%] damage, and expel a blood nova, dealing [70%] damage. Blood Surge’s nova damage is increased by 10% per enemy drained, up to 50%.
Enhanced (1)
Blood Surge Heals you for 2.5% of your Maximum Life when drawing blood from enemies. If 4 or more enemies are drawn from, then Heal for an additional 2.5% of your Maximum Life.
Supernatural (1)
Each time an enemy is hit by Blood Surge’s nova, you are Fortified for 1% Base Life. While you have Fortify for over 50% of your Maximum Life, Blood Surge deals x20% increased damage.
Paranormal (1)
If an enemy is damaged by Blood Surge’s nova while you are Healthy, gain 1 stack of Overwhelming Blood. When you have 5 stacks of Overwhelming Blood, your next Blood Surge Overpowers.
Bone Spear (5)
Active | Bone | Physical Damage
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing [119%] damage and piercing through enemies.
Enhanced (1)
Bone Spear breaks into 3 shards when it is destroyed, dealing 25% damage each.
Supernatural (1)
Bone Spear makes the first enemy hit Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
Paranormal (1)
Bone Spear has a 5% increased Critical Strike Chance. If Bone Spear’s primary projectile Critically Strikes, it fires 2 additional bone shards upon being destroyed.
Sever (5)
Active | Darkness | Shadow Damage
Essence Cost: 20
Lucky Hit: 20%
A specter of you charges forward and attacks with its scythe for [88%] damage then returns to you and attacks again for [29%] damage.
Enhanced (1)
Sever damages enemies along its path for 25% of its initial damage.
Supernatural (1)
Sever deals x2% increased damage for each Minion you have upon cast.
Paranormal (1)
Every 4th cast of Sever makes enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Unliving Energy (3)
Passive
Your maximum Essence is increased by 3.
Imperfectly Balanced (3)
Passive
Your Core Skills cost 5% more Essence, but deal 10% increased damage.
Hewed Flesh (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Your damage has up to a 4% chance to create a Corpse at the target’s location. This chance is doubled against Bosses.
Corpse And Macabre Node I
Blood Mist (5)
Active | Blood | Physical Damage
Cooldown: [20.8] seconds
Lucky Hit: 9%
Disperse into a bloody mist, becoming Immune for 3 seconds. Your Movement Speed is reduced by 20% and you periodically deal 2% damage to enemies and Heal for [0.7%] of your Maximum Life.
Enhanced (1)
Casting a Skill that Overpowers reduces the cooldown of Blood Mist by 2 seconds.
Ghastly (1)
Blood Mist leaves behind a Corpse every 1 second.
Dreadful (1)
Blood Mist Fortifies you for 0.5% Base Life each time it hits an enemy.
Bone Prison (5)
Active | Bone
Cooldown: [16] seconds
Unearth a prison of bone with [X] Life that surrounds the target area for 6 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
If an enemy is trapped by Bone Prison, gain 15 Essence, plus an additional 5 per enemy trapped.
Ghastly (1)
Enemies inside of Bone Prison are Vulnerable.
Dreadful (1)
Fortify for 5% Base Life for each enemy trapped by Bone Prison.
Corpse Explosion (5)
Active | Corruption | Physical Damage
Lucky Hit: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing [70%] damage to surrounding enemies.
Enhanced (1)
Corpse Explosion’s radius is increased by 15%.
Blighted (1)
Corpse Explosion becomes a Darkness Skill and, instead of exploding, releases a vile miasma dealing 110% Shadow Damage over 6 seconds.
Plagued (1)
Corpse Explosion deals x8% increased damage to enemies that are Slowed, Stunned or Vulnerable. These damage bonuses can stack.
Grim Harvest (3)
Passive
Consuming a corpse generates 3 Essence.
Fueled by Death (3)
Passive
You deal 4% increased damage for 4 seconds after consuming a Corpse.
Spiked Armor (3)
Passive
Gain 3 Thorns.
Skeletal Warrior Mastery (3)
Passive
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Warriors by 15%.
Curse Node
Decrepify (5)
Active | Corruption | Physical Damage
Essence Cost: 10
Curse the target area. Enemies afflicted by Decrepify are Slowed by [51%] and deal [24%] less damage for 10 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Lucky Hit: Enemies hit while afflicted with Decrepify have up to a 10% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds.
Abhorrent (1)
Lucky Hit: Enemies hit while afflicted with Decrepify have up to a 15% chance to reduce your active Cooldowns by 1 second.
Horrid (1)
When you or your Minions hit an enemy afflicted with Decrepify below 10% Life, they are instantly killed. Does not work on Bosses.
Iron Maiden (5)
Active | Corruption | Physical Damage
Essence Cost: 10
Curse the target area. Enemies afflicted by Iron Maiden take [14%] damage each time they deal direct damage. Lasts 10 seconds.
Enhanced (1)
Iron Maiden no longer costs Essence. Instead, gain 5 Essence for each enemy Cursed. Does not work with enemies who are already Cursed with Iron Maiden.
Abhorrent (1)
Heal for 5% of your Maximum Life when an enemy dies while afflicted with Iron Maiden.
Horrid (1)
When at least 3 enemies are afflicted by Iron Maiden, its damage is increased by 15%.
Death’s Embrace (3)
Passive
Close enemies take 2% more damage from you and deal 3% less damage to you.
Death’s Reach (3)
Passive
You deal 4% increased damage to Distant enemies.
Amplify Damage (3)
Passive
You deal 3% increased damage to Cursed enemies.
Skeletal Mage Mastery (3)
Passive
Increase the damage and life of your Skeletal Mages by 15%
Corpse And Macabre Node II
Bone Spirit (5)
Active | Bone | Physical Damage
Essence Cost: All Remaining Essence
Cooldown: 12 seconds
Lucky Hit: 33%
Consume all of your Essence to conjure a spirit of bone that seeks enemies. Upon reaching an enemy, the spirit explodes, dealing [112%] damage to the target and all surrounding enemies. Damage is increased by 3% for each point of Essence spent casting Bone spirit.
Enhanced (1)
If Bone spirit Critically Strikes, its Cooldown is reduced by 6 seconds. This effect can only happen once per cast.
Ghastly (1)
Bone spirit has an additional 10% Critical Strike Chance.
Dreadful (1)
After Bone spirit hits an enemy, you generate 30 Essence over the next 4 seconds.
Corpse Tendrils (5)
Active | Corruption | Physical Damage
Cooldown: [8.8] seconds
Lucky Hit: 20%
Veins burst out of a Corpse, Pulling in enemies, Stunning them for 3 seconds, and dealing [28%] damage to them. Does not consume the Corpse.
Enhanced (1)
Enemies who are in range of Corpse Tendrils are Slowed by 50% before being Pulled.
Blighted (1)
Corpse Tendrils has a 30% chance to drop a Blood Orb when damaging enemies.
Plagued (1)
Enemies damaged by Corpse Tendrils are made Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
Gruesome Mending (3)
Passive
While below 50% Life, you receive 10% more Healing from all sources.
Transfusion (3)
Passive
Blood Orbs also Heal your Minions for 15% of the amount.
Coalesced Blood (3)
Passive
While Healthy your Blood Skills deal 6% increased damage.
Tides of Blood (3)
Passive
Your Blood Skills deal 5% increased Overpower damage. This bonus is doubled while you are Healthy.
Drain Vitality (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Hitting enemies with Blood Skills has up to a 25% chance to Fortify you for 2% Base Life.
Necrotic Carapace (3)
Passive
When a Corpse is formed from your Skills or your Minions, Fortify for 2% Base Life.
Serration (3)
Passive
Your Bone skills have a 0.5% increased Critical Strike Chance for each 10 Essence you have upon cast.
Compound Fracture (3)
Passive
After Critically Striking 10 times with Bone Skills, your Bone Skills deal 5% increased damage per 5 seconds.
Rapid Ossification (3)
Passive
Every 100 Essence you spend reduces the cooldowns of your Bone skills by 0.5 seconds.
Evulsion (3)
Passive
Your Bone Skills deal 6% increased Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable enemies.
Crippling Darkness (3)
Passive
Lucky Hit: Darkness Skills have up to a 15% chance to Stun for 1 second.
Gloom (3)
Passive
When you damage enemies with Darkness Skills, they take 2% increased Shadow Damage from you and your Minions for 2 seconds, stacking up to 3 times.
Terror (3)
Passive
Darkness Skills deal 3% bonus damage to enemies who are slowed, and 3% bonus damage to enemies who are stunned or immobilized. These bonuses stack and apply to shadow damage dealt by your Minions.
Reaper’s Pursuit (3)
Passive
Damaging enemies with Darkness Skills increases your movement speed by 5% for 3 Seconds.
Ultimate Node
Army of the Dead (1)
Active | Physical Damage
Cooldown: 70 seconds
Lucky Hit: 63%
Call the deep buried dead. Volatile Skeletons emerge over the next 7 seconds that explode when around enemies, dealing 45% damage.
Prime (1)
When Army of the Dead‘s Volatile Skeletons explode, they have a 15% chance to leave behind a Corpse.
Supreme (1)
Army of the Dead also raises your Skeletal Warriors and Skeletal Mages.
Blood Wave (1)
Active | Blood | Physical Damage
Cooldown: 50 seconds
Lucky Hit: 20%
Conjure a tidal wave of blood that deals 120% damage and Knocks Back enemies.
Prime (1)
Blood Wave Slows enemies by 50% for 4 seconds.
Supreme (1)
Blood Wave leaves behind 3 Blood Orbs as it travels.
Bone Storm (1)
Active | Bone | Physical Damage
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Lucky Hit: 40%
A swirling storm of bones appears around you and your Golem, dealing 180% to surrounding enemies over 10 seconds.
Prime (1)
Your Damage Reduction is increased by 15% while Bone Storm is active.
Supreme (1)
Your Critical Strike Chance is increased by 20% while Bone Storm is active.
Golem Mastery (3)
Passive
Increase the damage and Life of your Golem by 15%.
Inspiring Leader (3)
Passive
After you have been Healthy for at least 4 second, you and your Minions gain 4% Attack Speed.
Hellbent Commander (3)
Passive
Your Minions deal 10% increased damage while you are Close to them.
Bonded in Essence (3)
Passive
Every 5 seconds, your Skeletal Healing will Heal your Skeletons for 20% of their Maximum Life.
Death’s Defense (3)
Passive
Your Minions cannot lose more than 75% of their Maximum Life from a single damage instance.
Stand Alone (3)
Passive
Increases Damage Reduction by 6% reduced by 2% for each active Minion.
Memento Mori (3)
Passive
Sacrificing both Skeletal Warriors and Skeletal Mages increases their Sacrifice bonuses by 20%.
Key Passives Node
Kalan’s Edict (1)
Passive
After you have not taken damage in the last 3 seconds, your Minions gain 15% Attack Speed. While you have at least 7 Minions, this bonus is doubled.
Ossified Essence (1)
Passive
Your Bone Skills deal 1% increased damage for each point of Essence you have above 50 upon cast.
Shadowblight (1)
Passive
Shadow Damage infects enemies with Shadowblight for 2 seconds. You and your minions deal 10% bonus damage to enemies with Shadowblight.
Every 10th time an enemy receives Shadow damage from you or your Minions while they are affected by Shadowblight, they take additional X Shadow Damage.
Rathma’s Vigor (1)
Passive
Increase your Maximum Life by 10%. After being Healthy for 15 seconds, your next Blood skill Overpowers.
Summoning Skills
Raise Skeleton
Active: Raise a Skeleton from a Corpse to fight for you. Once all of your Skeletons have been summoned, Raise Skeleton briefly summons a Skeletal to empower your Minions for 5 seconds, increasing their damage by 20% and healing them for 10% of their Maximum Life.
Golem
Passive: You are protected by a Golem with [X] Life that attacks for 21% damage. The Golem absorbs 15% of damage you would take, and recovers Life when attacking.
Active: Your Golem becomes Unstoppable and drains the blood of enemies in the area, dealing 40% damage and healing 4% of its Life for each enemy drained. Damage and healing received are tripled if only one enemy is drained. When your Golem dies, it respawns after 20 seconds.
Skeletal Warriors
Passive
Skeletal Skirmishers
Sword-wielding skeletal minions that deal 30% increased damage but have 15% reduced Life. Unlock at level: 5
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- You can raise one additional Skirmisher Warrior.
- Each time you Critically Strike, your Skirmishers Warriors’ next attack Critically Strikes and deals x50% bonus Critical Strike damage. Can only happen every 3 seconds.
- Your Critical Strike Chance is increased by +5%, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Skeletal Defenders
Durable shield-bearers with 15% increased Life.
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Every 6 seconds your Skeletal Defenders negate the next instance of Direct Damage they would take. Unlock at level: 8
- Increase the amount of Thorns that Defender Warriors inherit from you from 30% to 40%.
- You gain 15% Non-Physical Resistance, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Skeletal Reapers
Wields a powerful scythe that has a special wind-up attack, dealing heavy damage every 10 seconds. Unlock at level: 12
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Reaper attacks against enemies who are Immobilized, Slowed, Stunned, or Vulnerable reduce the cooldown of their powerful wind-up attack by 2 seconds.
- Reapers have a 15% chance to carve the flesh off enemies, forming a Corpse.
- You deal 10% increased Shadow Damage, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Skeletal Mages
Passive
Shadow Mages
Shadow Mages wield power from the beyond dealing moderate Shadow damage. Unlock at level: 15
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Shadow Mage attacks have a 10% chance to Stun for 2 seconds. This cannot happen on the same enemy more than once every 5 seconds.
- Shadow Mages fire an additional shadow bolt every 6th attack.
- Your maximum Essence is increased by 15, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Cold Mages
Cold Mages attacks will chill enemies eventually freezing them in their tracks. Unlock at level: 18
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Each time your Cold Mages damage enemies with their primary attack, you gain 2 Essence.
- Enemies who are Frozen by or damaged while Frozen by your Cold Mages’ primary attack are made Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
- You deal x15% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Bone Mages
Bone Mages use their own bodies as projectiles, dealing heavy damage at the cost of their own Life. Unlock at level: 22
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Reduce the Life cost of your Bone Mages’ attacks from 15% to 10%. After being alive for 5 seconds, Bone Mages deal x40% increased damage.
- Each time a Bone Mage dies from its own attack, they leave behind a Corpse and Fortify you for 11% of your Base Life.
- Your Overpower damage is increased by x40%, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Golems
Passive
Bone
A horrid protector that taunts enemies, forcing them to attack the Golem. Unlock at level: 25
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Each time your Bone Golem takes up to 20% of its Maximum Life as damage, it sheds a Corpse.
- Your Bone Golem gains x10% Maximum Life and the amount of Thorns they inherit from you is increased from 30% to 50%.
- You gain +10% increased Attack Speed, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
Blood
Drains Life from nearby enemies to heal and bolster itself. Unlock at level: 28
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Your Blood Golem absorbs 15% of damage you would take.
- While Healthy, your Blood Golem gains 25% Damage Reduction and x50% increased damage.
- Your Maximum Life is increased by x10%, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
Iron
An amalgamation of steel that slams the ground and Stuns enemies. Unlock at level: 32
Upgrades & Sacrifice
- Every 5th Iron Golem attack causes a shockwave, dealing 16% damage to the primary enemy and to enemies behind them.
- Your Iron Golem’s slam attack also makes enemies Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
- You deal x30% increased Critical Strike Damage, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
That is every active and passive skill in the Necromancer skill tree in Diablo 4.
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