The playstyle of Necromancer is played as a ranged caster, melee fighter, or a tank. But all roles are supported by the Necromancer’s summon, buffs, and debuffs. The role doesn’t succeed just through sheer damage output and stats, but controlling what the enemy can and cannot do while supporting allies around them (Minion/Players).
Necromancer in NRFTW
NRFTW is an ARPG, but plays methodically and tactically, less like PoE or Diablo. Having an army of 20 skeletons isn’t going to work as it would be clunky, and they’d either be too weak that they wouldn’t be worth using, or too strong that you could just afk. This would be due to the balance of unit:space ratio to balance out the damage, as most fights are just 1-4 enemies.
Likewise, the Souls system is unrewarding for Necromancerss in that genre - having 1 summonable just for 1 fight is not truly built into your normal combat. And summonables in the form of temporary spells are just being a normal caster with extra steps.
Summons
Necromancer in NRFTW would fit more with a small amount and permanent minions (unless they die, again). But to compensate for adding a summonable units taking up combat space and additional damage without scaling enemy stats up (like in coop) means summonables need to come with an additional cost on top of the upfront focus/health/stamina.
Summons can cost Focus, Stamina, or Health, similar to other currently work Runes. But it also comes with a minor downside, for example:
-Reduce max Hunger by 1
-Drain HP/s while summon is active in combat
-Drain Focus/s while summon is active in combat
Auras
The Necromancy is also played as a pseudo support role. This can come in the form of area control and buff/debuffing. Buffing in NRFTW currently are temporary buffs, but for this role to be effective need to introduce permanent buffs in the form of auras. For this to work, only one aura can be active at a time, and comes with a minor plague effect and the buff/plague effects all nearby allies. This could look something like (this is more about the concept than the numbers,
-Increase Stamina regen by 15, reduce healing by 10%.
-Increase Focus regen by 10, Poise reduced by 1.
-Increase Status Buildup by 20%, deal 10% less stagger damage.
-increase overall speed by 15% if no enemies are nearby.
-Reduce enemy physical resistance by 15% if at least 2 enemies are under the effect of the aura.
Area Control and Debuffs
Area control for the Necromancer typically comes in the form of a physical wall, area slowing spell, debuffs, and summons having their own effects.
The physical barriers are the Necromancer’s primary survival. This would work similarly to Blink - low cost, quick cast, but does no damage. Instead of moving away from the target, you prevent the target from moving toward you.
Bone Wall- High defensive wall of bones, and can be rotated to cast.
Bone Prison- Create a circle bone wall around target unit
Grasping Tendrils- Plague tendrils immobilize all enemies in an area for a duration
Opposite of auras, Necromancers debuff enemies, like disabling abilities, enemies moving slower, lowering enemy defenses, or enemy attacks are weaker. Because they don’t deal any damage, they are also low cost and quick to cast.
Decrepify- Enemies in the area move and attack slower
Fear- Target runs away in a random direction, debuff removed on damage taken.
Haunt- Reduce target’s Element Resistance.
Sickness- Increase status buildup, reduce buildup recovery speed.