After about level 20, I find that it's no longer possible to avoid taking damage simply by killing things before they have a chance to hurt you. There are too many ranged enemies that can't be one-shotted.
I don't understand how to use the tools at a necromancer's disposal to survive this without using pets for distraction. It's too early to be able to use Vampiric Gift to heal, not to mention that going down that road forces you into cold damage or renders Forgery of Haze useless. That leaves you with just Blurred Mortality (great for burst damage protection, but otherwise unreliable and dispellable) and Displacement Shield (great - if it works).
And it gets so much worse with lichdom, because now you can no longer use infusions for healing. None of my necromancers have survived long enough to reap the benefits of being a lich for this reason alone.
What am I missing?
How to deal with unavoidable damage as a no-pet necromancer?
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Re: How to deal with unavoidable damage as a no-pet necroman
What's giving you trouble, in particular?
1. At that level, you should be able to 2 or 3-shot most things. Invoke Darkness, Fear the Night, and Rigor Mortis should be regularly hitting for at least 200 or 300 each at that point, which is generally more than enough to take down the normal foes.
2. I typically get MAG high enough to max those talents, then I mainly pump CON. Between that, blurred mortality, and shield runes, you should be able to tank a couple hits in order to pull off that 2 or 3-shot. I also like highers for caster necros--the regen talent scales well with WIL to keep your hp up, you get a boost to the arcane damage on impending doom, and the increased sight range helps you play more cautiously.
3. The rest is just tactics. I max phase door and teleport ASAP, and then play like a coward. Don't tank hits from things that stun a lot, like skeleton warriors. For most of the game, you can out-range archers with invoke darkness. So use phase door and teleport liberally to keep away from things.
4. Impending Doom should take down most rares and elites in 1 or 2 casts. I see one of those, I hit impending doom and then phase or teleport away and watch the screen for treasure to drop. If that doesn't do it, then they usually go down with another cast or just an invoke darkness.
5. Necros are good at inlicting aoe status effects--star fall stuns, rigor mortis slows by 40%, and circle of death inflicts blind or confuse. Open with one of those if it looks like it'll be a protracted fight. Or once you get forgery going, open with that if you get into a tough situation, then double blast alongside it or teleport away.
1. At that level, you should be able to 2 or 3-shot most things. Invoke Darkness, Fear the Night, and Rigor Mortis should be regularly hitting for at least 200 or 300 each at that point, which is generally more than enough to take down the normal foes.
2. I typically get MAG high enough to max those talents, then I mainly pump CON. Between that, blurred mortality, and shield runes, you should be able to tank a couple hits in order to pull off that 2 or 3-shot. I also like highers for caster necros--the regen talent scales well with WIL to keep your hp up, you get a boost to the arcane damage on impending doom, and the increased sight range helps you play more cautiously.
3. The rest is just tactics. I max phase door and teleport ASAP, and then play like a coward. Don't tank hits from things that stun a lot, like skeleton warriors. For most of the game, you can out-range archers with invoke darkness. So use phase door and teleport liberally to keep away from things.
4. Impending Doom should take down most rares and elites in 1 or 2 casts. I see one of those, I hit impending doom and then phase or teleport away and watch the screen for treasure to drop. If that doesn't do it, then they usually go down with another cast or just an invoke darkness.
5. Necros are good at inlicting aoe status effects--star fall stuns, rigor mortis slows by 40%, and circle of death inflicts blind or confuse. Open with one of those if it looks like it'll be a protracted fight. Or once you get forgery going, open with that if you get into a tough situation, then double blast alongside it or teleport away.
Re: How to deal with unavoidable damage as a no-pet necroman
had the same problem, kazak is on spot
you cant single kill everything (unless u go for all darkness lich 6 both lvl 1 beams maxed and tons of+dark dmg) so being coward, using shields is the way to go.
I was so upset when i found this out.. wanted to be an all mighty one hit kill everything lich and turns out i was just another regular lich looking to save my ass
you cant single kill everything (unless u go for all darkness lich 6 both lvl 1 beams maxed and tons of+dark dmg) so being coward, using shields is the way to go.
I was so upset when i found this out.. wanted to be an all mighty one hit kill everything lich and turns out i was just another regular lich looking to save my ass
Re: How to deal with unavoidable damage as a no-pet necroman
I realize I'm late to the party, but I'd just like to note that in TOME spells can critically hit. So if you want to blast things, don't neglect Cunning.