The Necromancer | |
Species | Human |
Homeworld | Thyrion |
Weapons Used | Sickle Magic Missiles Bone Shards Raven Staff |
Appears in | Hexen II |
[Source] |
“ | The Necromancer is a self-styled lord of the dead. Though physically weak, his potent magic and dark talents make him a formidable combatant. He likes to fight from a distance, where his powerful ranged weapons can decimate even the most formidable of enemies. | ” |
—Chronicle of Deeds |
The Necromancer is one of the four playable classes in Hexen II.
He was once an ordinary boy who spent his dull and uneventful childhood in his home village on the continent of Thysis. He wished that he were popular and liked among his peers, yet it never happened. The young man soon became filled with bitterness and hate, and started to wish he had the power to subjugate and punish other people.
His despair pushed him towards exploring the great pyramid near the village, which was feared by the locals. There he discovered the secrets of the dark art of necromancy and began practicing it — terrorizing the villagers and ruling over them through fear.
The coming of Eidolon, however, changed all that. The people were no longer afraid of the Necromancer, as he paled in comparison with the dreaded Serpent Rider. Therefore, the Necromancer decided to remove the competition — destroy Eidolon and take back his position of power.
Possessing great magical powers and being physically weak, the Necromancer prefers to do his fighting from a distance with his ranged attacks.
Biography[]
“ | The Necromancer spent his early years in a small village of Thysis, huddled in the shadow of a monolithic pyramid. His people were lean and wiry, but the Necromancer was thinner and weaker than most. He lived in a great, cavernous house with only his aunt to mind him, his parents having died in a plague not long after his birth. An unattractive appearance and the lack of a family conspired against the Necromancer, robbing him of confidence and making him morbidly self-conscious. His days and nights were spent inside his aunt’s decaying mansion, and very rarely did he emerge. He longed for a power — any power — that would increase his stature in village society. He wished to be handsome, or strong, or wealthy, or clever in conversation. But as time wore on, and he grew from a lad to a young man, it became clear that he possessed none of these skills. Bitter and alone, the Necromancer’s desire for acceptance slowly withered into hatred. He no longer wished to impress the villagers, but rather, to frighten and punish them. His thoughts turned to the ancient pyramid that overshadowed the village. For the villagers, this monument was an object of superstitious dread. Seeking to partake of that power and dread, the young Necromancer entered the pyramid. Within, he found what he sought: a set of ten crumbling papyrus scrolls, each inked with runes of great power. Through study and diligence he learned the magic scribed therein, and soon began to terrorize the village with legions of undead servitors. But the coming of Eidolon quickly ended his reign of terror. No longer was the Necromancer dreaded by the villagers; Eidolon and his minions were now the focus of their dread. The Necromancer, it seemed, was no longer all-powerful. Bitter and enraged by the helplessness welling up from within, the Necromancer came to a desperate conclusion. Eidolon must not be allowed to steal his precious power. Eidolon must be destroyed! |
” |
—Chronicle of Deeds |
Difficulty Levels[]
Reflecting his twisted and dark nature, the Necromancer's difficulty level names are the ranks of evil wizards.
- Sorcerer Easy
- Dark Servant Normal
- Warlock Hard
- Lich King Very Hard
Attributes and Special Abilities[]
- Attributes and Experience
- Soul Gathering (Level 3) - Sometimes, when the Necromancer slays an enemy, an eerie red orb will appear. This Soul Sphere represents the life force and vitality of the defeated foe, and the Necromancer can gain a little health (and sometimes Mana) by picking up these orbs, replenishing himself after combat. Soul Spheres lose their potency and expire after a while, so they should be picked up quickly.
- Vampiric Drain (Level 6) - While hitting enemies with his Sickle, the Necromancer will occasionally steal a little of their life force, adding it to his own health. A specific sound is heard when this happens. This ability helps the Necromancer survive while using his melee weapon.
Glyph of the Ancients[]
When the Necromancer uses the Glyph of the Ancients, it will slowly float towards the nearest enemy and detonate on contact. If there are no enemies in sight, the glyph will float in the air and wait until a suitable target appears.
Weapons[]
The Necromancer uses an array of spells, though he first needs to find and equip a few tokens of sorcerous power.
- Sickle
- Magic Missiles
- Bone Shards
- Raven Staff (2 pieces)
Armor[]
As a true spellcaster, the Necromancer relies primarily on magical protection, such as the Amulet of Protection. Being very thin and physically weak, he is not at all comfortable with a Breastplate and thus receives minimal benefit from wearing one.
Trivia[]
During development, the Necromancer was planned to have the ability to make zombies from the corpses of his enemies to fight alongside him, but this feature went unimplemented.[1] [2]