Necromancer Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead is a mechanic unique to Necromancers in Diablo 4. It allows them to summon Minions to fight with them, as well as customize the minions.

Unlike the other Classes, Necromancers can start taking advantage of this mechanic at level 1 — they will have the Raise Skeleton Skill, allowing them to use Corpses to raise Skeletons to fight alongside them. At level 5, the Book of the Dead will be fully unlocked, and you will be able to start customizing your minions.

There are 3 tiers of Minions you can summon: Skeletal Warriors, Skeletal Mages, and Golems. Once the tier is unlocked, there will be three versions of the specific minion to summon, which unlocks gradually while leveling — you can only choose one of these options to summon per tier. Within each option, you can either choose one of two Upgrades to enhance them, or choose the Sacrifice option, which disables your ability to summon that minion type in exchange for a passive buff.

Skeletal Warriors are available at level 1, while Skeletal Mages are unlocked at level 15. At level 25, you will get the quest Necromancer: Call of the Underworld. Once this quest is completed you will gain a Golem Skill, which will allow you to summon the Golem Minion.

List of Book of the Dead Options

Minion TypeLevel UnlockedDescriptionUpgrade 1Upgrade 2Sacrifice
Skirmishers1Sword-wielding skeletal minions that deal 30% increased damage but have 15% reduced Life.You can raise one additional Skirmisher Warrior.Each time you Critically Strike, your Skeletal Warriors’ next attack Critically Strikes and deals 50% bonus Critical Strike damage.Your Critical Strike Chance is increased by 5%, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Defenders8Durable shield-bearers with 15% increased Life.Every 6 seconds your Skeletal Defenders Taunt all enemies around them.Defender Warriors reduce damage taken by 99%.You gain 15% Non-Physical Resistance, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Reapers12Wields a powerful scythe that has a special wind-up attack, dealing heavy damage every 10 seconds.Wind-up attacks now reduce one of your active Cooldowns by 3 seconds.Reapers have a 15% chance to carve the flesh off enemies, forming a Corpse.You deal 10% increased Shadow Damage, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Minion TypeLevel UnlockedDescriptionUpgrade 1Upgrade 2Sacrifice
Shadow15Shadow Mages wield power from the beyond dealing moderate Shadow damage.You deal 3% increased damage for each active Shadow Mage.Shadow Mages fire an additional shadow bolt every 3rd attackYour Maximum Essence is increased by 15, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Cold18Cold Mages attacks will chill enemies, eventually freezing them in their tracks.Each time your Cold Mages damage enemies with their primary attack, you gain 3 Essence. Attacks additionally apply Vulnerable.Enemies who are Frozen by or damaged while Frozen by your Cold Mages’ primary attack are made Vulnerable for 3 seconds.You deal 15% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Bone22Bone Mages use their own bodies as projectiles, dealing heavy damage at the cost of their own Life.Bone Mages now cast Bone Splinters or Bone Spear every 6th attack if it is on your Action bar.Bone Mages drop a corpse when they die. Bone Mage attacks will grant 3% of Maximum Life Fortify.Your Overpower damage is increased by 30%, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Minion TypeLevel UnlockedDescriptionUpgrade 1Upgrade 2Sacrifice
Bone25A horrid protector that taunts enemies, forcing them to attack the Golem.Spawn 5 corpses around the Golem where its ability is used.Your Bone Golem unleashes Bone Spikes when taking damage.You gain 10% increased Attack Speed, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
Blood28Drains Life from nearby enemies to heal and bolster itself.Your Blood Golem absorbs 30% of damage you would take.While Healthy, your Blood Golem gains 25% Damage Reduction and 50% increased damage.Your Maximum Life is increased by 10%, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
Iron32An amalgamation of steel that slams the ground and Stuns enemies.Every 2nd Iron Golem attack causes a shockwave, dealing 154% damage to the primary enemy and to enemies behind them.Your Iron Golem’s slam attack also pulls enemies in.You deal 30% increased Critical Strike Damage, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
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