What is a mage? What is a person’s potential with the arcane? These are the questions Sidony asks herself in her pursuit of knowledge. The Necromancer was raised in secret in Nevarra by a Mortalitasi Mage. She cares nothing for other mages or circles, just what could be. When the breach appeared, she had to discover such raw magical power for herself.
With Dragon Age Inquisition’s Necromancer, you’re going to have to ask yourself if you’d rather go classic necromancer or more of an ice mage? Both are completely viable and some hybrid synergy exists for those who like to get down and technical with it. The Necromancer has a powerful blend of damage, AoE, and crowd control prowess.
Let’s look at these frigid abilities:
Gravelord:
Tier 1:
Horror – Panic for 6 secs, 3 meters, 24 cooldown, 50 mana
- -Despair – 50% weap damage per sec, 20% armor reduction
Tier 2:
Flashfire – 300% weapon damage, 8 secs fire, 20 cooldown, 65 mana
- -Blistering Pain – 8 sec fear duration bonus
Blinding Terror – 15% bonus damage vs. panicked foes, +3 Magic
Mind blast – enemies struck less likely to attack you in 5 meters, 8 secs cooldown, 20 mana
- -Fortifying Blast – 10% barrier raised
Tier 3:
Virulence – elemental status jump to nearby targets in 10 meters upon death, +3 Cun
Conductive Current – 5% more damage per 10% missing mana
Pyromancer – 25% burning and fear duration, +3 Unlocks
Tier 4:
Overwhelming Force – 10% more damage to foes with less HP than you, +3 Cun
Hastened Demise – 2% damage per 10% missing HP, +3 magic
Unsullied Victim – 25% more damage to foes over 50% HP, +3 Magic
Tier 5:
Death Siphon – get 20 mana and 10% HP for foe death’s around you, +3 Con
Simulacrum – If KOed, a spirit flies out of you fight for 10 secs, +3 Willpower
Power of the Dead – 20% bonus damage after killing foes for 10 secs, +3 Willpower
Tier 5:
Walking Bomb – 200% damage per sec, 10 secs, 600% damage at end, 5 meters explosion, 20 secs cooldown, 65 mana
- -Virulent – When dies, effect spreads to other targets
Spirit Mark – 12 secs, 75% damage per sec, charm duration 15 secs if kill while mark is on, 20 secs cooldown, 50 mana
- -Lingering Mark – 75% bonus damage, 45 secs charm duration
Permafrost:
Tier 1:
Winter’s Grasp – 200% damage, 4 sec freeze, 8 sec chill, 16 sec cooldown, 65 mana
- -Winter’s Chill – 3 meter AoE
Tier 2:
Fade Step – forward teleport for 2 seconds, 12 secs cooldown
- -Frost Step – adds 300% damage, 8 secs of chill
Gathering Storm – every basic attack reduces cooldowns by 0.5 secs, +3 Willpower
Fade Cloak – become untargetable and pass through foes for 2 secs, 12 secs cooldown, 20 mana
- -Decloaking Blast – rematerialize inside enemy for 1000% weapon damage as spirit damage
Tier 3:
Ice Armor – 50% damage reduction, +3 Willpower
Clear Burn – every spell cast reduces cooldowns by 1 sec, +3 Willpower
Calculation – +3 Magic, +3 Cun, +3 Willpower
Tier 4:
Ice Mine – put mark on ground, 6 sec freeze, 3 sec delay, 18 sec cooldown, 35 mana
- -100% Armor Reduction
Tricks of the Trade – party wide 10% damage and 105 ability duration, +3 Willpower
Winter Stillness – stand idle for 3 seconds to gain 50% more mana regen, +3 Willpower
Tier 5:
Blizzard – toggled AoE, 75% damage per sec, 8 sec chill, 8 meters, 24 secs cooldown, 5 mana per sec
- -Ice Storm – 75% damage bonus, +4 freeze duration
Frost Mastery – Freeze and Chill durations 25% increase, +3 Magic
Energy Barrage – 12 projectiles, 66% weapon damage, 16 secs cooldown, 50 mana
- -Energy Bombardment – each hit reduces magic resistance by 2% of the type of your staff
First question you’ll want to ask yourself, what do you want from your Necromancer? Do you want to make spectral minions under your control? Have multiple damage over times spells? Have CC up the arse? Or do you just want to do as much ice damage and humanly possible? ‘Cause guess what, Sidony the Necromancer can do all this.
I’m going to assume this is the less popular of the Necromancer builds, but I use mine as an AoE disabling machine. Though abilities like Horror w/ Despair, Flash Fire, Winter’s Grasp, and then one ability of your choice – you can shut down foes on a major scale. With those abilities, I like Spirit Mark just to feel Necromancer like. I’m weird like that though. Take passives that do more damage to panicked foes or make panicked effects last longer. These skills include: Blinding Terror, Pyromancer, Tricks of the Trade, and Frost Mastery. Again, this is the most glorious of roles but it’s quite effective. It’s like being a barrier b@#$% as a Warden.
I've seen some Necros do some sick stuff in my parties. Taking lots of effect powers with Virulence is pretty fun. If you like seeing text all over the place on your foes as you play, this is the route for you. The first time you have a friendly Pride Demon on your team is also a pretty awesome feeling. Get unholy with your bad self and take control over the dead. Best of luck!
