Forums » Elder Scrolls

• Morthevin

  

  • 23 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 6:10 AM EDT

  Well, in Skyrim, I'm guessing we've all been to those forts and caves filled to the brim with wizards. Of all those casters, the ones that interested, and disappointed, me the most were the necromancers. As far as we're concerned as players, the necromancers are nothing more than frost mages that raise the dead, and while it's completely valid to say that they utilize cold magic because death is, well... cold, wouldn't it be more interesting for them to have their own branch of curses and debuffs? Maybe some Damage Over Time could be thrown in there to make them something a little bit more to be feared.

  On top of this, the lack of these types of spells in the vanilla game makes it difficult to create a "pure" necromancer that curses and binds his foes while the undead do the muscle work? It would be a lot more sinister and fitting than a simple, run-of-the-mill Destruction spell.

  What do you think? Does the necromancer system in Skyrim need a bit of improvement with darker spells and hexes? Is it fine the way it is? Or do you just not give a care?

• AJ

  

  • 47 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 7:00 AM EDT

  Some 'dark' destruction spells would be cool. I just finished a Necromancer playtrough, the frost spells didn't really suit the character, mostly in RP, I did use them though. So I hope Bethesda adds some in the next game. 

• Jake Johnson

  

  • 83 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 8:25 AM EDT

  I think it would be interesting if raised zombies could use their abilities (albeit under the necromancer's command.)

  For example, zombies who were fighters could pick up weapons and fight for you; zombies who were stealth characters could still use those type of abilities (sneaking, backstabbing, etc.), and zombies who were mages would have the spells and magic skills that they had when they were still living.

• Henrique

  

  • 3 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 10:06 AM EDT

  You are right, now that I think about it.  Something like Blood Magic I would say, even if it does not deal with death, it deals with blood. Spells that directly affect the body of the target, like curses maybe, make a foe's legs heavier would act like the slow effect. Also manipulating life force would be cool, spilling your own blood for damage  curing off of your allies' blood. Boiling enemie's blood. I guess I'm inspired by Dragon age, but I think it would be more related to necromancy than your normal destruction spells with their elemental effects.

• Hurka

  

  • 7 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 11:38 AM EDT

  Negative buffs,sand curses would work good,like the Marked for Death shout.

• Daniel Cabral

  

  • 1 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 11:40 AM EDT

  even something as simple as drain health spells would make being a Cojurure more interesting. I think Silence would also be great to bring back. Stoping spell caster from hurting you Thralls while they kill them.

• Soneca the Exiled

  

  • 360 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 4:52 PM EDT

  I believe necromancy is just fine in Skyrim, it raises the corpses of the dead since that is what it's supposed to do. What I would add to the necromancy spells would possibly be some spells that either buff or kill undead, since this is the school that governs death, it should only work with the dead.
  But follow my line of thought here, since necromancy is all about spells that affect the dead, restoration is all about spells that affect life. Poison rune is one example of the destructive power that school possesses, but with a little creative thinking it could do all sorts of stuff. Think about it, since it's the school that governs all life, it makes sense that one would be able to end it with it as well. A master necromancer should know all about death, and the life that comes before it.
• Spectre

  

  • 285 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 5:12 PM EDT

  That is one of my disappointments of Skyrim is how few spells there are, even without Spell Creation, the variety of Spells in Oblivion was great, their were damage over time, non-vampire absorbs, direct(non-element) damage spells, armor degradation...
  
  But yeah, Necromancers and "evil" mages period could have some darker spells.
• Vazgen

  

  • 1483 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 5:24 PM EDT

  I would've liked more rituals and wickedness. Like collecting flesh to make a flesh atronach, raising dead not only from fresh bodies but from the graveyards like in Falkreath

• Drakon

  

  • 159 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 5:28 PM EDT

  I would have liked if they included better necro robes or perhaps a lichform?

• Morthevin

  

  • 23 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 5:43 PM EDT

  Well, all of you have interesting opinions and ideas on the subject. I myself would like to see blood magic or dark magic utilized by the necromancers of Skyrim. Perhaps revive the Entropy and Withering spells from Oblivion. Rituals would be fun to carry out. Things like the summoning of greater Daedra or the forming of pacts with the Ideal Masters.
• Henrique

  

  • 3 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 5:49 PM EDT

  Then it couldn't be called restoration I guess... Restoration should be about giving life (no idea why poison rune). Necromancy could more easily be about giving death than restoration. In my opinion

• Alastor

  

  • 249 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 6:06 PM EDT

  Great discussion! Necromancy is my all-time favorite type of magic. I've thought of quite a few simple Necromantic spells that could easily be implemented into Skyrim that could get a player into a sinister role:
  
  Raise Skeleton
  -Rip the skeletal frame of your foe from it's lifeless skin to aid you in battle for 60 secs.
  This could be a low level/cheap spell and all skeletons could be the exact same, weak skeleton. It would make for some sick visuals!
  
  Bone Needles
  -Magically shape the bones of fallen enemies into sharp needles and fling them at nearby targets.
  A Necromancer used this trick often in a book I read. Loved it!
  
  Shade's Curse
  -A touch spell similar to Soul Trap but when enemies die, their soul is twisted into a shade that fights by your side for 60 secs.
  I thought this would make a great late-game ability. You could turn an enemy's soul into a shade and follow up by reanimating their body, essentially double tapping an enemy. The shades could have looked like the shades from Meridia's quest.
  
  I would even be happy with a black Firebolt at this point though :p
• Lozhar

  

  • 185 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 6:12 PM EDT

  Lich Form, Rituals, Bodies not turning to ash and Corpse Preparation are all I want
• Master Dread

  

  • 409 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 7:42 PM EDT

  Lich form would be pretty damn cool. I don`t know how it would be implemented since becoming a lich is kind of a......... permanent thing. Perhaps it could be for the hardcore player who progresses far enough into necromancy that they can forego living amongst other people and dedicate their now infinite existence to necromancy.
• Drakon

  

  • 159 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 8:50 PM EDT

  I also think necromancers in skyrim should have been able to revive undead dragons that would have been awesome!

• ProbsCoolerThanYou

  

  • 133 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 8:52 PM EDT

  I would love a seperate poison branch.

• Zach

  

  • 253 posts
   

  June 17, 2014 9:00 PM EDT

  How about the various re-animation spells causing damage over time to the living or something, or at least like drain vitality? It seems to me like a living person being struck with that kind of energy would get pretty messed up, the stronger the necromancy spell, the faster/strong it affects the living. 

• Shannon

  

  • 668 posts
   

  June 18, 2014 12:37 AM EDT

  Necromancers should have some sort of power over Vampires and Draugr. They are dead after all.  

• Mushasheck200

  

  • 41 posts
   

  June 20, 2014 4:08 PM EDT

  I think that Necromancer Destruction spells would be really cool. If anyone's read Skulduggery Pleasant, then they have an idea of what I'd like to see. It would be limited compared to what's in the book series, but still awesome!
• Morthevin

  

  • 23 posts
   

  June 20, 2014 4:58 PM EDT

  I've read most of Skulduggery Pleasant, and I agree with you. It would be pretty cool to have " shadow" magic.
• Pelinal Whitestrake

  

  • 59 posts
   

  June 20, 2014 6:08 PM EDT

  I think necromancy could use some more indirect spells that don't necessarily deal loads of damage. Something like ropes to bind your enemy, Silence spells or Drain Health would be fitting for a Necromancer who lets his creatures do the musclework. Which brings me to the next point: Instead of having just one resurrected draugr, you should have the possibility to get more minions (they would have to be weaker obviously). Maybe doing some rituals to strengthen your minions during a battle would be great too (Sacrificing human hearts to give them health absorb abilities for example).

• SpookyBorn2021

  

  • 1467 posts
   

  January 7, 2015 7:48 AM EST

  Makes me want to play an older style Necromancers now, it's pretty sad that most these days are associated with eother Cold or more Spirit-Binding the actually raising physical dead (you know classics) I'm a fan of spirits but to me nothing screams Necromancer then a black-robed person raising the dead and blasting his enemies with dark power (literally of course.)
• Balazs Krekacs

  

  • 95 posts
   

  January 9, 2015 7:08 AM EST

  You have reason. But, why do everybody forget that in Skyrim not only the Conjuration is a sort of Necromancy, but Enchanting also is... Encasing the soul of your enemies to offer them later to the Ideal Masters to gain power... This is the biggest Necromancy.

• Morthevin

  

  • 23 posts
   

  January 9, 2015 10:58 PM EST

  With all due respect, I do not forget that Soul Trapping can be considered a form of necromancy. But I do believe (correct me if I am wrong), that Soul Trapping creatures has been widely accepted, and only Soul Trapping a man, mer or beast race is generally considered necromancy.