Back in December, Grim Dawn developer Crate Entertainment announced that two new classes would be coming to the game in an expansion scheduled for release later this year. The first, the Inquisitor, was revealed as part of the initial announcement, while the second was unveiled today as the dreaded Necromancer.
"Following a period of steep decline, the rulers of Arkovia needed a scapegoat to distract the disgruntled populace from the corruption threatening to topple the once great empire. Necromancers proved to be a perfect target," Crate explained in the Necro-nouncement. "Already detested by most citizens, the Arkovian Oligarchs banned the practice of necromancy outright and condemned its practitioners to the prison known as the Steps of Torment. One of the last necromancers to be captured was the mysterious Uroboruuk. But he was unlike any other, for he could not be killed by any means employed by the Arkovian executioners."
That bit of fiction was previously established as part of Grim Dawn's somewhat complicated backstory, in which the Uroboruuk-worshipping Order of Death's Vigil is generally regarded as bad news but also handy in a fight, and is therefore tolerated as a possible ally. (And a better choice that those Kymon's Chosen fanatics, if you ask me.) The Steps of Torment is also present as one of the game's "Challenge Dungeons." But with the release of the expansion, the Necromancer will become a fully playable class.
The details are still being nailed down, but Crate said the class will excel at the use of Aether and Vitality magic. "Drain Essence" will allow necromancers to siphon the life force of enemies to restore their own, and of course they'll also be able to raise skeletons—and possibly more powerful minions at higher levels—to do their bidding. Despite their focus on magic, Necromancers will also be capable in physical confrontations, particularly when taking advantage of powers like Necrotic Edge, which makes every wound just a little bit more disgusting.
Necromancers seem to be all the rage these days: Blizzard recently offered a closer look at the revamped Diablo 2 Necro that it's working to bring to Diablo 3. A release date for Grim Dawn's take on the class hasn't been announced, but Crate said more will be revealed (about the expansion, not necessarily the Necromancer) in the next developer update on April 3.
