v0.34:Necromancer

Necromancers Ñ hold the secrets of life and death. They are immortal magic users who raise legions of zombies and seclude themselves in towers.

Necromancers initially learn the arcane arts from engraved tablets received from the gods - they often write numerous books, occasionally describing the secrets therein. Necromancers may also take apprentices and teach them the secrets of life and death. Necromancers can use their zombie slaves to build a tower. This requires 50 zombies under the necromancer's control; if the necromancer does not have enough zombies, he may take over a town or a camp instead.

Powers

A necromancer can raise any remains which are capable of becoming an undead. These servitors join the necromancer in fights, and are the main cause of danger from these sorcerers. Necromancers also do not age, nor do they require food, drink, or sleep, enabling them to amass years of experience and become formidable opponents if they are so inclined.

Fortress Mode

Necromancers can attack fortresses at any stage, including before the first migration wave. Early butchering of animals and dwarves fighting undead with cutting weapons can vastly increase the danger and disruption of an undead attack as even hair and fingers can reanimate and attack dwarves and livestock. Necromancers may also besiege and ambush a fortress, raising dead in the area for a period before they are killed or leave on their own. The corpses of undead should be properly dealt with (buried or thrown into magma) to avoid raising repeatedly.

Necromancers that have nothing to do tend to start campfires and squat in one place.

Adventure Mode

In Adventure Mode, Necromancers are most commonly found in towers (I). The towers generally have a few Necromancers and a lot of zombies. Becoming a Necromancer yourself merely requires you to read about the secrets of life and death, which are either found on a slab or in a book. If you decide to attack the tower, it's suggested that you become a night creature by drinking a vampire's blood or being bitten by a werebeast, as zombies and other undead will not bother you if you are a night creature. Once you learn the secrets of necromancy, all remaining undead in the tower will no longer be hostile toward you, so simply making a mad dash for the slab may also be a viable tactic.

Tips and Tricks

When attacking a tower without being undead, killing the Necromancers before taking on the zombies is a good idea. Your best bet is to hit them with a ranged attack. If the Necromancers turn out to be peaceful, simply lure the zombies outside (and out of visual range of the front door) one by one (or in groups) and eliminate them until you can successfully reach the slab or an appropriate book.

Another strategy, which may not always be available but can work well, is that you may sometimes find Vampires in the form of Warriors due to being given a quest to kill them. Instead of proceeding to kill them you can get these Warriors to join you instead. The Undead won't bother with them since they are Vampires and they won't bother with the Undead, but if there is a hostile Necromancer in their view they will attempt to dispatch them like any other enemy, making it very safe for you.

You can reanimate corpses as many times as you want, making them useful training tools for weapons and wrestling.

If you attack one of your own reanimated corpses, all of your reanimated companions will become neutral and will no longer follow you. This can be useful if you want to interact with civilized society - while a Necromancer can still be friendly to mortals, its minions will attack everything in sight.