A Necromancer in Diablo 4 decides whether to fight with an army of skeletons and a Golem at his side, or to sacrifice them and go in alone, but stronger. That choice is what the Book of the Dead is all about. In this guide you’ll learn how Essence works, what exactly the Book of the Dead does, which kinds of magic the Necromancer uses and how to get started. It reflects the game as of 19 October 2026 (Lord of Hatred, Season 15, patch 3.2.3) and applies on every platform. We don’t write builds for the current season; they go stale with the next one.
Role and class fantasy
The Necromancer is a summoner. He works with the dead: raising minions, casting curses and making use of corpses. His magic comes in three forms: Bone, Blood and Shadow, which is also called Darkness.
He’s part of the base game, so you don’t need an expansion. His main attribute is Intelligence, just like the Sorcerer’s. The Sorcerer casts elemental spells, though, while the Necromancer builds on the dead and his servants.
| Feature | Necromancer |
|---|---|
| Availability | base game |
| Resource | Essence (from Basic skills) |
| Class mechanic | Book of the Dead |
| Main attribute | Intelligence |
| Magic | Bone, Blood, Shadow (Darkness) |
| Style | summoning, curses, corpses |
Essence: a resource from Basic skills
The Necromancer runs on Essence. He gains it through Basic skills, the basic attacks from the first group of the skill tree. Stronger skills then spend that Essence.
That makes his rhythm different from the Rogue’s, whose Energy regenerates on its own. The Necromancer has to actively charge his Essence. A Basic skill on your bar isn’t just a backup attack; it’s the source the rest of your setup lives on.
Book of the Dead: army or sacrifice
The Necromancer’s unique mechanic is the Book of the Dead. As with the other classes, it unlocks through a class quest while you level.
The Book of the Dead covers three kinds of minions: Skeletal Warriors, Skeletal Mages and the Golem. For each you have two paths:
- Customise them. You adjust your minions and they fight at your side.
- Sacrifice them. You give the minion up and get a bonus for yourself instead.
This is how the Book of the Dead decides whether your Necromancer is more of an army commander or a lone caster wielding bone, blood and shadow.
Skill tree after Lord of Hatred
The Necromancer also got a new skill tree with Lord of Hatred. Six groups open up gradually with your character level: Basic at level 1, Core at 3, three class groups at 4, 8 and 13, and Ultimate at 19. You pick just one Ultimate.
Each active skill holds up to 15 points. It also has two pairs of Modifier upgrades (you take one from each) and Variant upgrades that change how it works. The base game has two Variants, Lord of Hatred adds a third, and you always pick one.
Points arrive with every level from 2 to 70 and from Season Ranks. Levelling doesn’t end at 70; Paragon takes over. You’ll find the details in our levelling and Paragon guide, and what to do after the campaign in our overview of endgame activities.
Who the Necromancer is for
- Summoner fans. Skeletons and a Golem keep you company and fight for you.
- Anyone who wants a choice between an army and a solo style. The Book of the Dead lets you sacrifice minions and be stronger on your own.
- Players who like dark magic. Bone, blood, shadow, curses and corpses instead of elements.
A summoner with demons instead of skeletons is the Warlock from Lord of Hatred. His Legion archetype leads hordes of lesser demons, and he’s the only class with two resources. If Intelligence appeals but you don’t want minions, try the Sorcerer.
How to get started with the Necromancer
- Pick a difficulty and mode. Newcomers start on Normal, experienced players on Hard. In Hardcore, character death is permanent; don’t play it on an unstable connection.
- Learn to charge Essence. Your Basic skill is your resource source, so don’t skip it.
- Open the Book of the Dead after the class quest. Decide for Skeletal Warriors, Mages and the Golem whether to customise or sacrifice them.
- Collect Intelligence. It’s the main attribute you compare gear by.
- Use the campaign skip. If you’ve already finished the campaign once, a new character can skip it.
What to keep in mind before your first character is summed up in our beginner’s guide.
Join our Discord to meet players who run the Necromancer with and without an army, and to find party members: Discord GamersTogether.
FAQ
No. The Book of the Dead lets you customise Skeletal Warriors, Mages and the Golem, or sacrifice them and get a bonus for yourself.
From Basic skills. They generate Essence, and stronger skills spend it.
Bone, Blood and Shadow, which Diablo 4 also calls Darkness. On top of that come summoning, curses and corpses.
Both can lead an army, but the Necromancer summons skeletons and a Golem and has one resource, Essence. The Warlock from Lord of Hatred works with demons and has two resources, Wrath and Dominance.
Information verified on 19 October 2026. You’ll find the other classes and guides in our Diablo IV guides.