Necromancer Rework Idea (Consumable Minions)

Silvains_Demon · October 2025

This is just my take on a direction for the Necromancer. One thing that can be noticed about classes (pre-subclassing) is that classes are either having no pet, temporary pets, or permanent pets. For the Necromancer, it should not be fitted into this framework. I have an idea to give the minions. (And sorry. I accidentally posted the discussion. Details in a few hours) (10/25/2025)

Edit: Took a lot longer than I thought but got the idea done and down below. Enjoy!!! (1/18/2026)

Silvains_Demon · January 19

This is just my idea of how to rework the Necromancer. I will introduce a newer system for pets/minions as well with this idea, which will break the mold of the current temp/perm pet system we currently have. First, I will start with explaining that system concept and then go into the skill line changes.

Concept:
- Pet change: Temp Pet -> Consumable Pet

This concept breaks the mold by combining a perm pet design with the ability to sacrifice the skill-related minion to achieve an effect. For example, if I was using Grave Lord's Skeletal Mage skill, the first press of the button would summon the minion. Then, they stay around like a perm pet and function similarly as well as can be targeted. The difference is that pressing the button again activates an effect based on the skill/morph and uses the minion to achieve that effect, sacrificing the unit. This concept can be used to give the Necromancer a unique feel and since minions are actively being used in effects (unless they are used in an "army" build) then it should help in some way in managing the minion cap used. A sacrificed minion drops a corpse where it was when it was sacrificed.

Class Rework:

- Grave Lord:

Frozen Colossus: It could stay the same, but I do think it becoming either a perm pet or consumable pet would be neat with the Magicka version being a Cold Flame Bone Colossus and the Stamina version being a Diseased Flesh Colossus. Both work in a way similar to the Warden's Animal Companion ult Feral Guardian where you can summon the creature, build ult, and then trigger the effect. Triggering the effect sacrifices the pet. Using the skill again summons the creature, but needs to build ult before being sacrificed to activate the effect (can hold the buttons to dismiss it for town travel).
Flame Skull: It does need some work done to a degree. I do believe the Sorcerer's Dark Magic skill Crystal Shard should be taken as an inspiration in some of the animation choices. In that animation, you put your weapons somewhere on your person instead of them just disappearing. I do think that being done would be nice in this case. As for the ability itself, I do not see a reason for too much change.
Sacrificial Bones: This skill needs some severe rework at times. Instead of it being as it is now, I advise turning it into a Bone Flayer instead (give it "Bone Flayer" or something as the non-morph name, or something). Having it summoned, the Bone Flayer does go off and attack, dealing Physical damage. Sacrificing it makes it explode, dealing Frost damage (think like it is Cold Flame). The morphs at that can be "Blighted Flayer" which allows the flayer to attack and potentially give the Diseased status effect, as well as when sacrificed, causes the Flayer to explode, dealing Disease damage and afflicting those hit with Diseased for 4 seconds as well as Major Defile. The other morph is Cold Fire Flayer. While the non-morph version is a regular skeleton, this one is actually on fire with Cold Flame. This one deals Frost damage with it's attacks, and when sacrificed, it applies Chilled to those hit, dealing Frost damage, and creating a zone of 10 seconds that deals Frost damage over time.
Boneyard: For this skill, I would change the animation for the player that casted the skill as well as lengthen the time it is on the field. Ten seconds is just too short. Potentially 15 - 20 seconds. As for the animation, I would remove the tombstones and instead use something more ghostly.
Skeletal Mage: Swap from a Temp Pet design to the new consumable design. Make it so that when it is sacrificed, it creates an arcing shot that creates an AoE explosion on a targeted area, dealing Shock damage. It still causes damage on it's own when it is active but not sacrificed. As for morphs, Skeletal Arcanist applies a DoT to those hit. Skeletal Archer is still a thing, but it instead sacrifices itself to achieve a focused shot at a target, afflicting them with 20 seconds of the Disease status effect as well as the target takes a small instance of Disease damage as initial damage with Disease damage over time within those 20 seconds. While any of these morphs or base versions are up, grants the player Major Brutality and Sorcery.
Shocking Siphon: Scrap it. Instead, make it a use a few ghosts in the animation, giving the player an aura skill. Lasts for an extended time from 20-30 seconds. While the skill is active, it gives the player Major Savagery and Prophecy. It also causes Frost damage ever to those inside the aura. Now, Mystic Syphon keeps what the base version had plus, when a corpse is in that aura range at activation, it consumes the corpse to give the player a bonus in Health, Magicka, and Stamina Recovery. For the other Morph, any corpse in the aura at 1 per either 10 or 15 seconds explodes (so either the skill detonates 2 corpses in range or 3). As you can tell, I am not including that 3% buff in damage. I think that should be removed for an actual buff that is class-specific, made to be included on both bars by being on just one bar, or just fully removed.
Pet count: 2 Consumable pets with a potential 3rd.
Passives: Tbh, I will leave this up for grabs. Could stay the same or be altered (and this will be the only time I mention passives.)

- Bone Tyrant:

Bone Goliath: I would leave the base skill be as well as the Ravenous Goliath, but I would rework Pummeling Goliath. Make it a DPS-based transformation instead, turning the player into a Lich (use a different design than the lichs we see but keep the floating aspect to some degree). No time limit. Skills: 1 burst heal, 1 spamable DPS, 1 AoE, 2 pet-based skills, and then the Ult itself is an area AoE. While in this form, give the player access to buffs and debuffs to give the form something unique. The form has no limit and can be exited by holding the Ult down instead of pressing.
Death Scythe: I don't see an exact way to do anything with this skill. Someone who mains a Necromancer Tank would have a better way to improve on this skill.
Bone Armor: My only gripe is that the animation could altered to a degree between the two and maybe give the Summoner's Armor something unique and fits the image better for the skill itself.
Bitter Harvest: I would increase the duration of the heal per corpse consumed while keeping the Ult gen the same as it is. I would also advise giving that random 3% damage reduction a look and give it the same treatment I notioned to at the end of Shocking Siphon.
Bone Totem: Increase the duration all around and then give the morph Agony Totem something more unique.
Grave Grasp: I would advise removing this skill completely. While the concept is interesting, this skill is almost never actually used (in my experience from playing the game from the PvE angle as well as PvP). I think the just replacing this for an armored skeleton would be better. The skeleton would be a sword and shield and when it hits an enemy, it causes damage and a debuff. It would also interact in a special way if the target it is attacking is taunted. The skeleton would have a higher damage reduction or health pool than the normal summons. It would also be able to be sacrificed, creating a circular AoE of clawing hands for 5 seconds that give those in the AoE a debuff of Minor Main for 10 seconds as well as a either one of the 3 effects it had before this change (not a random thing, but one of the debuffs from the 3 become whatever this effect is. Whichever is most balanced). As for morphs, one of them turns the skeleton into a more viable tank, allowing it to taunt with an attack with a cooldown, while the other makes it so the tank receives a buff for having it up (could be damage reduction, resource recovery buff, etc), and when it explodes, it now causes Major Maim.
Pet count: 1 Consumable pet with Grave Grasp rework, multiple for Bone Goliath morph where you turn into a lich (not sure how many there could be. Depends on the skills made).

- Living Death:

Reanimate: I think keeping this the same should be fine. Though, the morph Animate Blastbones could potentially be different.
Render Flesh: Just be sure that the player is rewarded for using a skill that debuffs them. Minor Defile doesn't seem like much, but for a heal?
Expunge: I do get the point of this skill. Maybe add a feature that the player can also cleanse a certain number of allies's negative effects as well? Doesn't need to be a massive number. Also, redo the feature with the 3% ability cost reduction.
Life Amid Death: I am not completely sure what would work here as a change. Seems fine for the most part. Might need the opinion of a dedicated healer for input.
Spirit Mendor: I would change this up to a point. Make it so that the base version and Spirit Guardian morph become a Consumable pet instead of a temp. Still follows you around and heals you (not others. The heals could stay the same or be adjusted). Sacrificing it gives the player a healing buff as well as resource buff (so they heal others for more and get a boost in resource recovery). The Spirit Guardian still takes 10% of the damage you take as a morph change. As for Intensive Mender, give it either a boost in duration or increase the number of people it heals at a time by an additional 1 or 2 (for a total of 4 or 5).
Restoring Tether: I would like to scrap this skill and reduce the need for corpses to something useful as a buff and not a need for the skill to even work. Using a pet would be too much I think, but I think using a Bloodfiend here would be interesting. It would act in a way that applies Life Steal to a target by getting in melee range. Sacrificing it creates a cone of healing that is always aimed towards where the player (the one who owns the minion) is at. One morph increases the Healing done to those hit and increases the distance of the cone by a fair amount, while the other makes it so that the sacrifice applies a unique debuff to the last target it hit called "Bloodfiend's Curse". It effectively gives the target a mix of Overcharged and Hemorrhaging over a period of 10 to 15 seconds.
Pet count: 2 (one temp and one consumable or 2 consumable).

Personal Notes: While it is not the best idea, it is just a concept. I do think it is an interesting one to go down. I will also be fair, while I have done all 3 roles as a Tank, Healer, and DPS, I have only really DPS'd with the Necromancer in content as well as just messed around for fun. I do enjoy the class in a few other games as well, and just would love to see the Necromancer become something more in ESO. The only thing I can think of that would be a problem is minion health. I think adding a 3 to 5 second invincibility window would help from when the minion is summoned to allow the player to use the sacrifice-based effect.

Edit: Not changing much except some typos or clarifying a skill.

ZhuJiuyin · January 19

Silvains_Demon wrote: »

Personal Notes: While it is not the best idea, it is just a concept. I do think it is an interesting one to go down. I will also be fair, while I have done all 3 roles as a Tank, Healer, and DPS, I have only really DPS'd with the Necromancer in content as well as just messed around for fun. I do enjoy the class in a few other games as well, and just would love to see the Necromancer become something more in ESO. The only thing I can think of that would be a problem is minion health. I think adding a 3 to 5 second invincibility window would help from when the minion is summoned to allow the player to use the sacrifice-based effect.

This is a great concept. I think sacrifice not only fits NecrC's style (a disposable army) but also prevents too many pets from affecting server performance. Even better, since pets gain additional effects after being sacrificed, they can be sacrificed when needed to avoid obstructing the tank's line of sight, making pets more controllable and not impacting DPS.

nightbringer1993 · January 19

I like most of these skills in this rework as it would make Necro more pet focused. Criminal act should be removed too. But there only one thing missing. A proper stun skill, the totem is not reliable enough as other players have time to dodge the skill before the fear effect happens so PvP wise there is this stun missing. If you played vengeance you might have seen that other players could be considered as corpse and I like this idea as the siphon would remain on the player.

Silvains_Demon · January 19

nightbringer1993 wrote: »

I like most of these skills in this rework as it would make Necro more pet focused. Criminal act should be removed too. But there only one thing missing. A proper stun skill, the totem is not reliable enough as other players have time to dodge the skill before the fear effect happens so PvP wise there is this stun missing. If you played vengeance you might have seen that other players could be considered as corpse and I like this idea as the siphon would remain on the player.

Huh? I guess Death Scythe could fill that role. If it had a morph that made it where it stunned an enemy, it would potentially work. I haven't played Vengeance yet.

As for the Totem, during my PvP experience in content like Battleground's Capture the Relic, it really helped with area denial... but the short duration was a bit of an annoyance. Pretty much the idea of this concept had a PvE focus to it. So for PvE, it'd need some balancing done, but PvP is a monster to handle.

Oh! And thank you for the reply!

Silvains_Demon · January 19

ZhuJiuyin wrote: »

This is a great concept. I think sacrifice not only fits NecrC's style (a disposable army) but also prevents too many pets from affecting server performance. Even better, since pets gain additional effects after being sacrificed, they can be sacrificed when needed to avoid obstructing the tank's line of sight, making pets more controllable and not impacting DPS.

Thank you! I mainly came up with the Consumable concept in regards to wanting the raised minions to become a form of permanent pet but something that would ensure that a player could easily get rid of the minion before entering town at a press (or hold) of a button(s). Then went from there.