Necromancers need to make a comeback

[Aurabolt]

A lot of questions and issues would be solved if Necromancers got an expansion focused on them or similar development. I'm speculating it could happen two or three expansions after Dragonflight personally. Post-Northrend Campaign, we know the Cult of the Damned broke away from the Scourge and tried to take over Western Plaguelands. They were forced to retreat to Scholomance after getting double-teamed by Koltira and Thaurissian. We later go deal with them ourselves in the revamped Scholomance.


It could be explained after Scholomance was besieged by agents of the Argent Crusade, most of the Necromancers who survived were rounded up and locked away in the rebuilt Hearthglen south of Light's Hope Chapel. Some who managed to escape went into hiding within the Alliance or the Horde depending on their race, some meeting people interested in learning Necromancy from them. Several years later, the veil between the Mortal Realm and the Shadowlands is shattered. The Necromancers in hiding as well as those who trained under them find themselves empowered as a result.

After the Jailer is dealt with, the Knights of the Ebon Blade sense the surge in familiar Necromantic power. Bolvar is about to send knights to seek them out when they are approached by emissaries of the reformed Cult of the Damned long believed to be wiped out. In exchange for the Ebon Blade's protection and their comrades being released, they offer their skills to both the Ebon Blade and anyone interested in learning their craft. The Argent Crusade objects at first with good reason until Bolvar reminds them technically, every Death Knight is a Necromancer. The Kirin Tor and The Black Harvest both come forward expressing interest as well as offering to help keep tabs on the Cult of the Damned.

Necromancers will have three specs: Bonewalker (Tank), Deathweaver (Caster DPS) and Grave Warden (Melee/Caster DPS).

• Bonewalker (Tank): The Necromancer trades commanding the Undead for the power to empower themselves, becoming capable of absorbing heavy punishment for allies. Instead of raising Undead, Bonewalkers harvest the bones of the fallen to reinforce its defenses as well as refine its attack power.
• Deathweaver (Caster DPS): Your typical Necromancer who can raise, dominate and control Undead. Powerful enemies can be raised after slaying them to fight under you. Deathweavers can control up to 10 different Undead at the same time.
• Grave Warden (Melee/Caster DPS): The Necromancer infuses themselves with the powers of a dead warrior you've encountered with devastating efficiency. Unlike Deathwavers, the Grave Warden can't have more than two Undeads with them at a time.

The main thing for the DPS Specs is mitigating damage to the Necromancer via the Undeads they control. The Tank Spec is about absorbing enemies and restricting their movement. It's a Hero Class as well. Necromancers use Leather armor on that note. Most races and all allied races can get the Necromancer class. Necromancers get a unique land and flying mount. For Legion Timewalking, Necromancers do get artifact weapons and a unique class hall just for them with the help of the Bronze Dragonflight. They acknowledge they are looking at past events they were not present for at the time.

Grave Wardens have a Signature skill called Echo of the Departed which allows them to infuse themselves with strength and fighting abilities of a dead warrior from the past. Varian Wrynn, Garrosh Hellscream, Varok Saurfang, Vindicator Maraad and even Arthas Menethil are a few such characters whose powers you can make use of. Each subject involves a quest chain to use and some are faction exclusive. You may not be as powerful as the originals but your foes won't know the difference. The more you harness a particular person, the better at using the powers you get. You even learn some never before info about them as well.

That's where I'm at personally. I now think it's possible to pull a whole class out of it without altering DKs. DKs are basically plate-wearing Necromancers but their using Necromancy is what makes them extra special. A separate Necromancer class that is all about using death and corpses as their plaything needs to have unique skills and abilities to really stand out from DKs. That's why I came up with those specs. Necromancers can use Regents that drop from enemies to use some of their abilities when corpses aren't available in some areas as well.

[Thralls Balls]

some neat ideas you have here man, but i think they are too similar to classes we already have

[McNeil]

Feels like we've passed the point of getting a necromancer and dark ranger after Shadowlands which was the most fitting expansion for these classes. I do like the concept but I doubt that we will ever get them.

[Fantazma]

The best Necromancer concept out there is from the Korean manga Solo Leveling. The protagonist after killing a villain, enslaves this villain. He actually summons the villain's shadow (which is an even more dangerous version of the villain).

Passing this concept to WoW... I think it would be really cool to be able to play with a necromancer that (like Hunter tames animals) this necromancer could "revive" humanoids he killed and control them. In order not to get super overpowered... the necromancer could summon a maximum of two at the same time.

Now imagine in PVP... the necromancer kills a DK and a DH, does a ritual on top of the body... and now you can control "versions" of these toons with the same xmog and everything. These "copies" of DK and DH could only activate 2 or 3 skills of the respective classes against the other players.
Totally possible if it is well balanced like the two BM pets or a Lock Demo.

An image of solo leveling:


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Feels like we've passed the point of getting a necromancer and dark ranger after Shadowlands which was the most fitting expansion for these classes. I do like the concept but I doubt that we will ever get them.

The best time for BlIzzard to introduce new classes was at BFA.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Necromancers, and necromancy as a flavor of magic using, came back in Shadowlands. You got your wish.

[Ielenia]

Warlocks are fundamentally necromancers gameplay-wise, they just use demons instead of undead.
And Death knights are fundamentally necromancers aesthetically, they just use plate and a sword instead of robes and a staff/scythe.

There is no room for Necromancers in WOW, sorry

... Your argument fails because it can be used against certain existing classes. For example:

"Warriors are fundamentally paladins, gameplay-wise, just using physical attacks isntead of holy-powered weapon strikes."
"And priests are fundamentally paladins aesthetically, they just use robes and staves instead of plate and a sword"

"There is no room for paladins in WoW, sorry."

[Rendark]

The last thing wow needs is more classes.

[Echocho]

Comeback from what? WoW never had them

[Lochton]

I would've loved to see them give Necromancer as the fourth spec to Death Knights. Make the spec have the ability of Ranged DPS / Healing by siphoning HP from friends and foes to heal allies, or yourself, or build minions.

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Comeback from what? WoW never had them

WoW has always had Necromancers? Playable, no, but in the world and story, yes.

[Greyvax]

Too similar to warlock i'm thinking. it would be redundant. they would gut abilities from DK and warlock, kinda how they took demon form from warlock for DH.

Realistically, the only 2 classes i can see implemented after this point would be Bard or Tinker/Artificer

[Teriz]

The last thing this game needs is another undead/death expansion.

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Realistically, the only 2 classes i can see implemented after this point would be Bard or Tinker/Artificer

Pretty much.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Comeback from what? WoW never had them

Not only does WoW, specifically, have necromancers... but previous games in the Warcraft franchise have also had necromancers! Matter of fact-- necromancers have been in Warcraft's lore for quite some time!

[Garymorilix]

Let's pretend we didn't just have an expansion with a zone dedicated to necromancy and fleshcrafting.
Not even the diluted walmart level necromancy that Azerothians do, but the actual rawest form of necromancy that even the scourge tried to copy but couldn't.

Right?

[Ielenia]

No, not really lol

Yes. Yes, really. Paladins are literally a hybrid of priests and warriors. Their mechanics and gameplay can be divided among those two classes. Your exact argument against necromancers can be used against paladins and other classes.

[Amnaught]

Warlocks are fundamentally necromancers gameplay-wise, they just use demons instead of undead.
And Death knights are fundamentally necromancers aesthetically, they just use plate and a sword instead of robes and a staff/scythe.

There is no room for Necromancers in WOW, sorry

Rogues are just Demon Hunters mechanically, and warlocks are just Demon Hunters aesthetically. There is no room for Demon Hunters in WoW, sorry

On topic: Seriously, i dont even need a full class or expansion. A mechagon-level of dedication and single-spec class, or skin over warlock mechanics, would be perfectly acceptable.

[loras]

Warlocks are fundamentally necromancers gameplay-wise, they just use demons instead of undead.
And Death knights are fundamentally necromancers aesthetically, they just use plate and a sword instead of robes and a staff/scythe.

There is no room for Necromancers in WOW, sorry

This, basically.
Best you could hope for is for some nice transmogs not looking too plate-y on a dk.

[Saltysquidoon]

Ghostcrawler is literally on the record saying unholy was what resulted from their necromancer mock-ups in wrath. Just play an unholy DK.

Also, why do you want a new class, blizzard can't even be dicked making three specs for them anymore.

[Varodoc]

It should be reminded (because clearly 9.2.5 wasn't enough) that Necromancy is not performed exclusively by Death Magic.

We associate "Necromancy" with Kel'thuzad and his followers, but other beings can perform acts that would resemble "necromancy". "Necromancy" is not "exclusive" to the "Forces of Death" (Scourge/Forsaken/Cult of the Damned).

In BfA, Magister Umbric and his Ren'dorei followers used Void magic to animate and puppeteer the skeletons of dead dinosaurs, for instance. And obviously, as we know, Calia Menethil is an Undead raised by the powers of the Naaru.

A class themed around the idea of puppeteering armies of minions would involve several Cosmic powers. Not just the powers of Death.

[arkanon]

Warlocks are fundamentally necromancers gameplay-wise, they just use demons instead of undead.
And Death knights are fundamentally necromancers aesthetically, they just use plate and a sword instead of robes and a staff/scythe.

There is no room for Necromancers in WOW, sorry

The problem with this logic is when you apply it to other classes, you suddenly only have 4 classes - tanks, healers, melee, and range.

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some neat ideas you have here man, but i think they are too similar to classes we already have

Again, apply that same logic to existing classes, and you get the above result.

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Well dark ranger is 100% confirmed never happening due to the skin that was released for it.

Necromancy might as well join that club as well of 100% never happening imho.

You mean like how demon hunter was 100% confirmed not happening when glaives and helm dropped back in the day?

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This, basically.
Best you could hope for is for some nice transmogs not looking too plate-y on a dk.

No, the best a Necro fan could hope for is a fully fleshed out (lol) Necro class being added to the game.

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Ghostcrawler is literally on the record saying unholy was what resulted from their necromancer mock-ups in wrath. Just play an unholy DK.

Also, why do you want a new class, blizzard can't even be dicked making three specs for them anymore.

Yeah, cos unholy plays exactly the same now as in wrath......by that logic demon hunters cannot be in the game because warlocks already have meta. Wait a second......

[Polybius]

Your best bet is to get Unholy to become a ranged spec. But Blizz doesn’t really like when players are given options. It’s taken them over a decade to implement ideas players have been requesting since Vanilla.