Necromancer - Revision history

Ziusudra: removed fixed NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN bug, made those sentences another bullet point, re-ordered token to match end of sentence

2026-01-01T20:34:51Z

removed fixed NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN bug, made those sentences another bullet point, re-ordered token to match end of sentence

Ziusudra: /* Summon nightmares/bogeymen */ fixed NOFEAR token

2025-09-26T00:07:47Z

Summon nightmares/bogeymen: fixed NOFEAR token

Democat: /* The Origin of Necromancers */

2025-08-23T14:33:20Z

The Origin of Necromancers

Ziusudra: /* Residents/citizens */ added writing your own secret containing book in adventure

2025-08-14T01:48:12Z

Residents/citizens: added writing your own secret containing book in adventure

Takov: /* Adventurer Mode */

2025-07-21T21:46:02Z

Adventurer Mode

Ziusudra: /* Playing as a necromancer */ minor verbosity trim

2025-05-18T23:58:38Z

Playing as a necromancer: minor verbosity trim

Ziusudra: /* Playing as a necromancer */ added alcohol, fortress tired bug, raising other necros, learning multiple secrets, summons, NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN bug

2025-05-18T23:56:25Z

Playing as a necromancer: added alcohol, fortress tired bug, raising other necros, learning multiple secrets, summons, NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN bug

Silverwing235: /* In world generation */

2025-02-23T18:19:45Z

In world generation

Silverwing235: /* In world generation */

2025-02-12T15:44:47Z

In world generation

66.119.200.126: /* Reanimating dead creatures */ Adventure mode has released

2025-02-07T21:39:26Z

Reanimating dead creatures: Adventure mode has released

@@ Line 132: / Line 132: @@
 *Can learn other necromancy secrets, collecting them and their powers.
 *Can rarely summon other creatures like [[nightmare]]s and [[bogeymen]] if the deity that created the slab had the nightmare [[sphere]].
+*Gain {{token|NO_PHYS_ATT_RUST|c}} and {{token|NO_PHYS_ATT_GAIN|c}} which freeze your physical [[attribute]]s so that they cannot rust or be increased. Therefore, it might be wise to raise them to a high level before becoming a necromancer.
 ==== Reanimating dead creatures ====

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 === Summon [[nightmare]]s/[[bogeymen]] ===
-Secrets aligned with the nightmare sphere will grant the ability to summon nightmares or bogeymen at a random location near the target to haunt it. In-game, necromancers with this ability will "call upon the night" to do so. These summons are large and freakish, but last a short amount of time. Nightmares are neutral toward creatures with {{token|NO_FEAR}}.
+Secrets aligned with the nightmare sphere will grant the ability to summon nightmares or bogeymen at a random location near the target to haunt it. In-game, necromancers with this ability will "call upon the night" to do so. These summons are large and freakish, but last a short amount of time. Nightmares are neutral toward creatures with {{token|NOFEAR}}.
 === Ghoulification ===

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 ==The Origin of Necromancers==
-[[File:necromancer_revive_anim.gif|thumb|305px|right|Two fighting necromancers revive nearby corpses.]]Necromancers initially begin as normal [[historical figure]]s who are [[Creature_token#MAXAGE|mortal]], [[Creature_token#CAN_SPEAK|can speak]], [[Creature_token#CAN_LEARN| learn]] and are also part of an [[civilization|entity]]; in unmodded games these are [[dwarf|dwarves]], [[human]]s and civilized animal people. At some point in its life, one of these creatures may suddenly become [[Personality goal#IMMORTALITY|"obsessed with his/her/its own mortality"]] and seek to become immortal. Shortly afterwards, it will begin (if it does not do so already) worshiping a [[deity]] (or a creature with the  {{token|SUPERNATURAL|c}} tag) who has a [[sphere|DEATH sphere]]. Once the deity/supernatural creature becomes an object of ardent worship to the figure, it will reward the worshipper with an artifact [[slab]] containing the secrets of life and death, which is then swiftly claimed by the recipient for diligent learning, thus becoming a necromancer. This original necromancer may then take as apprentice(s) one or more fellow immortality-seekers, who will obtain the knowledge of their master.
+[[File:necromancer_revive_anim.gif|thumb|305px|right|Two fighting necromancers revive nearby corpses.]]Necromancers initially begin as normal [[historical figure]]s who are [[Creature_token#MAXAGE|mortal]], [[Creature_token#CAN_SPEAK|can speak]], [[Creature_token#CAN_LEARN| learn]] and are also part of an [[civilization|entity]]; in unmodded games these are [[dwarf|dwarves]], [[human]]s and civilized animal people. At some point in its life, one of these creatures may suddenly become [[Personality goal#IMMORTALITY|"obsessed with his/her/its own mortality"]] and seek to become immortal. Shortly afterwards, it will begin (if it does not do so already) worshiping a [[deity]] (or a creature with the  {{token|SUPERNATURAL|c}} tag) who has a [[sphere|DEATH sphere]]. Once the deity/supernatural creature becomes an object of ardent worship to the figure, it will reward the worshipper with an artifact [[slab]] containing the secrets of life and death, which is then swiftly claimed by the recipient for diligent learning, thus becoming a necromancer. This original necromancer may then take as apprentice(s) one or more fellow immortality-seekers, who will obtain the knowledge of their master. Sometimes, these slabs can be stored in [[structure|structures]] such as taverns or markets during world generation, leading to many random people learning the secrets of life and death.
 ==Description==

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 Necromancers may occasionally arrive with their slab in hand. It is possible to add necromantic texts as part of your library, allowing you to turn your dwarves into necromancers once they read them. It is also possible to use the world map to send military squads to raid necromancer towers for the reading material contained in them. Dwarven necromancers no longer age, need to eat, or sleep, but they will also no longer need to drink, which can slow them down so much, the conversion may not be worth it.  They ''may'' also raise the occasional corpse, which will often attack non-necromancers, while this might not sound like a big deal if you already have a fort full of necromancer dwarves, the real [[fun]] comes when diplomats, trade caravans, and outpost liaisons show up and if you have the dead walking among your populace. Also, be wary of sending necromancers out in melee, as intelligent undead invaders may remain hostile to your necromancers, who are [https://www.reddit.com/r/dwarffortress/comments/znmm0u/this_necrodwarf_has_killed_the_same_elf_121_times/ ceaseless in bashing their heads in before killing them again in an endless, FPS-killing cycle.]
-Another way of getting necromantic reading material into your library is to "liberate" it in adventure mode, then drop the book off at a retired fortress. This will then be able to be picked up by your dwarves to read at their leisure.
+Another way of getting necromantic reading material into your library is to "liberate" it in adventure mode, or become a necromancer and [[Book#Writing|write]] it yourself, then drop the book off at a retired fortress. This can then be picked up by your dwarves to read at their leisure.
 A necromancer may raise the dead when threatened, which is fun when your battlefield is full of previously hostile sentients. This is why you should almost always manually control the necromancer in fortress mode.

@@ Line 97: / Line 97: @@
 In [[adventurer mode]], necromancers are most commonly found in towers {{Tile|I|5:0}}, but can, very rarely, be found in towns and camps, due to reasons explained earlier in this article. Towers will contain all the necromancers that are part of the necromancer group to whom the tower belongs, as well as a horde of undead. Towers require abundant human populations (low savagery, large tracts of neutral land) and a high number of secrets to be generated in world generation. Elves or goblins cannot become necromancers through normal means (bestowed by a death god) as their immortality means they cannot become obsessed with their own mortality. They can still learn the secrets of life and death by reading them, however.
-Combat-wise, a necromancer is quite dangerous due to their powers, and in their towers they frequently will have at least a small group of undead with them, more than likely a large one and potentially even a small army, and once they're in battle will animate anything capable of being animated within their line of sight, resulting in one of their more annoying habits of reanimating severed/detached parts of their zombies (including parts of the just-killed ones) while you're trying to carve or smash your way through their minions to get at them. Aside from their dark powers, however, necromancers themselves are always poor direct combatants that wear no armor or protection past their clothes, only have a dagger or knife for self-defense (sometimes they're even unarmed!), and have either non-existent or inconsequential combat skills. Provided you can reach them, they themselves can be slain with ease.
+Combat-wise, a necromancer is potentially quite dangerous due to their powers, and in their towers they frequently will have at least a small group of undead with them, more than likely a large one and potentially even a small army, and once they're in battle will animate anything capable of being animated within their line of sight, resulting in one of their more annoying habits of reanimating severed/detached parts of their zombies (including parts of the just-killed ones) while you're trying to carve or smash your way through their minions to get at them. Aside from their dark powers, however, necromancers themselves are always poor direct combatants that wear no armor or protection past their clothes, only have a dagger or knife for self-defense (sometimes they're even unarmed!), and have either non-existent or inconsequential combat skills. Provided you can reach them, they themselves can be slain with ease.
 It is possible to become a necromancer yourself in adventurer mode by [[reader|reading]] the slab, or one of the books containing the secrets of life and death. Both will be found on the tables scattered around the tower, often amongst a pile of other, less-useful books.
@@ Line 106: / Line 106: @@
 * '''1. Storm the tower'''
-This is probably the most obvious solution, and is also the most likely to get inexperienced adventurers killed. Once you have become powerful enough, attack the tower head-on, preferably bringing with you an army of <s>meatshields</s> soldiers (who will likely get themselves killed, but will provide a distraction for you). It is advisable for you to lure the undead out of the tower first, away from the necromancers' gaze. This will make dealing with them far easier, and will give you a lot more space to dodge (or run if things get bad). If a necromancer is in the midst of the horde, try to move around so that the necromancer is exposed, then go in for the kill. Proceed until everyone (excluding yourself) is dead. Alternatively, just run into the tower and begin hitting everything like a madman. Eventually, either you or all of the tower's occupants will be dead. Then just take the slab/book and do what you will with it.
+This is probably the most obvious solution, and is also the most likely to get inexperienced adventurers killed. Once you have become powerful enough, attack the tower head-on, preferably bringing with you an army of <s>meatshields</s> soldiers (who will likely get themselves killed, but will provide a distraction for you). It is advisable for you to lure the undead out of the tower first, away from the necromancers' gaze. This will make dealing with them far easier, and will give you a lot more space to dodge (or run if things get bad). If a necromancer is in the midst of the horde, try to move around so that the necromancer is exposed, then go in for the kill. Proceed until everyone (excluding yourself) is dead. Alternatively, just run into the tower and begin hitting everything like a madman, or cutting a swath to the necromancer(s) and killing them before dealing with the undread. Eventually, either you or all of the tower's occupants will be dead. Then just take the slab/book and do what you will with it.
 * '''2. Sneaking'''

@@ Line 126: / Line 126: @@
 As a necromancer, you:
-*Don't need to eat or drink, so you don't need to worry about running out of food or water and can get rid of the extra weight such objects produce. (Dwarves may still want to drink alcohol occasionally since the syndrome does not remove {{token|ALCOHOL_DEPENDENT|c}}.)
+*Don't need to eat or drink, so you don't need to worry about running out of food or water and can get rid of the extra weight. (Dwarves may still want to drink alcohol occasionally since the syndrome does not remove {{token|ALCOHOL_DEPENDENT|c}}.)
 *Don't need to sleep, and can't get tired or exhausted, so you'll never again feel the negative effects of these statuses. Although there is a bug with this when retired at a player fortress that can leave them permanently tired.{{bug|8389}}
 *Are immortal, as necromancers do not age. Your adventurer will not die of old age if your world reaches their natural {{token|MAXAGE|c}} (such as if you retire an adventurer and play fortress mode for a while).

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 Since the secrets of life and death are generated with a {{token|MUNDANE_RECORDING_POSSIBLE|int}} tag, necromancers will often write numerous [[book]]s during world generation, some concern the secrets of life and death (''blessed, or mayhap, cursed'') so that anyone who reads them will become a necromancer. Like the slab, all (''first-edition, not copies'') books, even those that do not contain secrets, are considered [[artifact]]s, and as such can be viewed in the "Codices and scrolls" list in [[legends|legends mode]].
-Books containing the secrets of life and death will include any of the following words in their title: (Note: "the End" can also turn up in mundane titles as well, typically as part of the phrase "after the end")
+'''Books containing the secrets of life and death will include any of the following words in their title:''' (Note: "the End" can also turn up in mundane titles as well, typically as part of the phrase "after the end")
 {{gamedata
 |title=[[Speech file|Names]]
@@ Line 54: / Line 54: @@
 Necromancer towers spread death-[[sphere|aligned]] [[evil]] regions around them. Destroying the tower and killing the necromancers in it (e.g. through a [[raid]] to raze the site) will reverse the evil-spreading.
-Necromancer towers seem to be treated as a type of criminal government{{verify}} and as such function similarly to a regular civilization. Necromancers from opposing entities will attack each other, but amusingly, their undead armies will be neutral to everyone. Due to their ability to amass large armies quickly, necromancers are currently one of the most powerful geopolitical forces in the game, often declaring war on and destroying even powerful goblin civilizations in older worlds.
+Necromancer towers seem to be treated as a type of criminal government{{verify}} and as such, function similarly to a regular civilization. Necromancers from opposing entities will attack each other, but amusingly, their undead armies will be neutral to everyone. Due to their ability to amass large armies quickly, necromancers are currently one of the most powerful geopolitical forces in the game, often declaring war on and destroying even powerful goblin civilizations in older worlds.
 ==Fortress mode==

@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 == In world generation ==
-{{imagefix|[[File:df_necromancer_portrait.png|right]]|8|6}}[[File:Secrets.png|thumb|Secrets of life and death.]]In world generation, necromancers may raise suspicions from their fellow citizens due to not aging, which can lead them to be expelled. This does not apply to necromancers living in goblin and elven civilizations since both goblins and elves are already immortal. Upon being expelled, the necromancer may form a grudge against the civilization and turn to [[villain]]y, and they will generally take refuge in a site of their own.
+{{imagefix|[[File:df_necromancer_portrait.png|right]]|8|6}}[[File:Secrets.png|thumb|Secrets of life and death.]]In world generation, necromancers may raise suspicions from their fellow citizens due to not aging, which can lead them to be expelled. This does not apply to necromancers living in goblin and elven civilizations, since both goblins and elves are already immortal. Upon being expelled, the necromancer may form a grudge against the civilization and turn to [[villain]]y, and they will generally take refuge in a site of their own.
 Necromancers who have a sufficient following may use their undead minions to build dark [[Tower (necromancy)|tower]]s, a task that requires at least 50 followers; younger necromancers may take over [[town]]s or camps instead. Necromancers will also raise a few [[intelligent undead]] as lieutenants. The building of a tower is carried out by the original necromancer of a group (the one who was given the slab) as apprentices join the group after the tower is built. Therefore, each necromancy group has one tower.
-Necromancers can make zombies build their tower up a bit to increase the site's zombie cap. If the necromancer is at their zombie cap, they can still raise more zombies, but they are added to a wilderness population instead. The wilderness population can still be used for invasions, but they are also able to roam on to player forts in the region and also encounter adventurers.
+Necromancers can make zombies build their tower up a bit to increase the site's zombie cap. If the necromancer is at their zombie cap, they can still raise more zombies, but they are added to a 'wilderness population' instead. The wilderness population can still be used for invasions, but they are also able to roam on to player forts in the region and also encounter adventurers.
 Necromancers may conduct horrible [[experiment]]s on civilians and their [[domestic animal|livestock]], turning them into night creatures known as experiments. Eventually, these experiments may leave the necromancer that made them and join other civilizations. In older worlds, many civilizations will likely have significant populations of escaped experiments. In adventure mode, it is not currently possible to create necromancer experiments.

@@ Line 135: / Line 135: @@
 ==== Reanimating dead creatures ====
 .Open the actions menu by pressing {{k|X}}.<br />
 .Select "Animate corpse".<br />