Back at Blizzcon, Blizzard Entertainment pulled the curtain back on the new playable character class in Diablo III: Reaper of Souls and revealed the Necromancer. However, the company disclosed even more specifics on the new bone-and-blood class, with a new female character model and more blood-themed abilities for the Necromancer.
The Necromancer is the epitome of death, using the remains of fallen enemies to draw Essence (a magic resource) and fuel their dark magic, replenish health, summon Golems (constructs that do your bidding), and inflict even greater damage to those who oppose them. The class was inspired by the DiabloII hero, and the Priests of Rathma preserve the balance of life and death using a combination of bone and blood-themed abilities.
A Bloody Good Time
Blizzard let us loose on some demons with the freshly minted female Necromancer character model and the class' newest blood abilities, including Grim Scythe, Blood Nova, Blood Rush, Devour, Leech, and the Blood Golem. Grim Scythe swings at multiple enemies in a wide arc in front of you, dealing damage and restoring Essence. Blood Nova deals massive damage to surrounding enemies, and the current animation is as if the character explodes into a crashing wave of blood (it’s quite gratuitous).
Devour and Leech both provide regeneration, with Leech cursing enemies in the targeted area of effect, which causes attacks to transfers health to you and your allies. Devour is a rune ability that consumes nearby corpses to restore Essence. If you need a burst of speed, Blood Rush will cause your Necromancer to shed its mortal flesh to move (almost instantly) to a new location. It even lets you pass through solid objects.
The Blood Golem rune summons an ally made of bloody meat, which will attack your enemies and can be sacrificed to gain a large burst of health. It will reform from nearby corpses when it expires. It’s not the most attractive pet, but ditching the meatbag when you're in need of health will come in handy (it did for me) if you bite off more than you can chew with the horde of demons in your path.
In addition to the sweet new moves, Necromancers will have new Legendary and Set items, giving them a unique aesthetic identity in the world of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls.
Death Can’t Come Soon Enough
Although the exact launch date of the Rise of the Necromancer Pack is unknown, we do know that it will include the Necromancer character, an in-game pet, cosmetic wings, two character slots, two stash tabs, and a portrait frame, in addition to a pennant, banner, and banner sigil.
With the Rise of the Necromancer Pack seemingly far away, it makes our trickle of in-development gameplay seem bittersweet, and we’re left feeling like death can’t come soon enough. (Er...you know what we mean.)
