Necromancer

Master the Necromancer class in Dragon Age: Inquisition with our comprehensive guide. Learn the best abilities, passives, and weapon choices for devastating crowd control and damage.

The Necromancer is a powerful specialization in Dragon Age: Inquisition, excelling at crowd control and dealing damage over time. This guide covers the optimal ability unlock order, strategy for both groups and single targets, and recommended gear.

Unlock Order

Prioritize unlocking Fade Step and Ice Armor by level 4. At level 10, focus on Walking Bomb and Death Siphon. By level 13, aim to have Blizzard. Upgrade Walking Bomb, Fade Step, Winters Grasp, and then Blizzard. The remaining two points can be allocated as you see fit.

Strategy

For Groups:

1. Lead with Blizzard to create an area of effect (AoE) chill.
2. Immediately follow up with Walking Bomb while you have sufficient mana.
3. Use Fade Step or move into the Blizzard's radius to activate Ice Armor.
4. Detonate Walking Bomb and continue using Winters Grasp and Walking Bomb until the group is eliminated.
5. Death Siphon is crucial for sustaining mana and health, allowing you to maintain Blizzard.

For Single Targets:

• Alternate between Walking Bomb and Winters Grasp based on the situation.
• Remember to incapacitate ranged enemies, as they pose a significant threat on higher difficulties.
• Utilize Blizzard for damage reduction (DR) when possible.

Recommended Abilities

• Winters Grasp: Freezes a single target, dealing 200% weapon damage with a 4s duration and 8s chill. The upgrade adds a 3m AoE chill effect. Costs 65 Mana.
• Fade Step: An evade ability with a 2s duration and 12s cooldown. The upgrade grants 300% weapon damage and an 8s chill when passing through enemies.
• Blizzard: A toggleable AoE spell dealing 150% weapon damage per second within an 8m radius, with an 8s chill. Cooldown is 24s, and it costs 5 mana per second. The upgrade increases damage by 75% and progressively chills enemies until frozen.
• Walking Bomb: Deals 200% weapon damage per second for 10s. Detonating it (remotely or after expiry) causes an explosion dealing 600% weapon damage in a 5m radius. Cooldown is 20s, costing 65 mana. The upgrade allows the bomb to spread to nearby targets if it kills the initial enemy.

Mandatory Passives

• Blinding Terror: +3 Magic, 15% damage vs panicked enemies.
• Conductive Current: +3 Magic, 5% damage for every 10% mana missing.
• Hastened Demise: +3 Magic, 2% damage for each 10% missing enemy health.
• Simulacrum: +3 Willpower. When downed, become a spirit for 10s, casting costs no mana. Needs reviving when spirit disappears.
• Death Siphon: +3 Constitution. Restores 20 mana and 10% health when an enemy is killed nearby.
• Gathering Storm: +3 Willpower. 0.5s cooldown reduction per attack.
• Clean Burn: +3 Willpower. 1s cooldown reduction per spell cast.
• Ice Armor: +3 Willpower. 50% damage reduction when near a frozen enemy or in Blizzard radius.
• Tricks of the Trade: +3 Willpower. 10% damage and duration to all team status effects.
• Frost Mastery: +3 Magic. 25% freeze and chill duration.

Best Weapons

• Pyre of the Forgotten: Staff, Unique, Item Level 21, 112 DPS, 69 Fire Damage.
• Fury of the Veil: Staff, Rare, Item Level 23, 110 DPS, 68 Electricity Damage.
• Mindchill Staff: Staff, Rare, Item Level 22, 107 DPS, 66 Cold Damage.
• Staff of the Void: Staff, Unique, Item Level 20, 105 DPS, 35 Electricity Damage.
• Sorcerer’s Staff: Staff, Rare, Item Level 21, 100 DPS, 62 Fire Damage.