Necromancy and Multiclassing

[RealVanillaSmooth]

So I was wondering what you guys feel is the best necromancer build (necromancer forward, I should say), and whether or not you find multiclassing or going pure is better.

I vaguely have an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the pure classes but want to know how these vary from the current viable mutliclass necromancer builds and how viable it is to solo tactician with druid of the spore, cleric, wizard, and oathbreaker paladin.

What are some builds you guys have and what are your impressions of what sucks and what doesn't?

[Anima Mundi]

Spores is probably the best imo to go monoclass.
Spores gets really strong early on. lvl 6 you're already with a pretty decent Squad, plus you can add summons to that. Spores can also be built with melee dmg due to the symbiotic trait, and since you don't need to focus on spells so much you can optimize that.
You could then multiclass into Wizard necro and get a lot more versatility, plus the wizard bonus to necromancy.

Have to admit i have not tried to multiclass into cleric before, it could either add more versatility or be a waste of levels.
Although if you go with War domain, that would increase your DPS a lot for melee symbiosis, AND gives you all the equipment proficiencies you could want

[Anima Mundi]

I had made this post a while ago when someone asked about Spores, if you wanna check it out.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1086940/discussions/0/5513030395222583270/#c5513030395222779371

Just keep in mind, spores gets good amounts of temp HP, and you can still go with full WIS stat, by using shillelagh.
If you pair that with War cleric, hmmm, very insteresting. a Martial necromancer. Though at that point you could also just multiclass into fighter all the way to 5 and get extra attacks, but the utility cleric brings might be more interesting, while also not needing to spend 5 levels in it.

Im now considering doing another spores run with cleric dip lol

[AzureTheGamerKobold]

Spore Druid gets more Minions but i always felt like necromancer's were more useful. Saddly the Spore Zombies do not get any better then when you get them. They only have 9 hp, and while not useless... i found animate dead to be alot more useful. That said spore druid is amazing all around even if you never use spore zombies.

I combo'd my spore druid with a necro wizard, death cleric (mod) and an oath breaker paladin and walked all over tactician. You just get so many summons most fights will end in a round---course those turns do take awhile. But was alot of fun feeling like an actual necromancer.

Just remember to keep corpses in a chest for later use!

[Anima Mundi]

Originally posted by AzureTheGamerKobold:

i found animate dead to be alot more useful.

Just a caveat, spores still gets Animate dead. They simply wont get the extra bonus at high level

[RealVanillaSmooth]

Originally posted by Anima Mundi:

Spores is probably the best imo to go monoclass.
Spores gets really strong early on.... Spores can also be built with melee dmg due to the symbiotic trait...

I know that the symbiotic trait is something people often use with monk builds but I am trying to stay away from any monk multiclasses (since this last playthrough was me experimenting with all kinds of monk stuff pre and post nerf). What melee multiclass do you suggest to take advantage of that trait?

Originally posted by Anima Mundi:

Have to admit i have not tried to multiclass into cleric before, it could either add more versatility or be a waste of levels.
Although if you go with War domain, that would increase your DPS a lot for melee symbiosis, AND gives you all the equipment proficiencies you could want

In general I feel like there's not a ton of reason to go war domain in BG3 since it MOSTLY feels like a worse paladin. Even tempest domain, IMO, felt like a worse paladin with the exception of the AoE, which DOES make it a top tier subclass but cleric has A LOT of concentration spells.

I think the best way to do cleric as a multiclass necromancer (the monoclass builds are strong without having to really discuss much) would be to focus on the health buffs, get the amulet that allows for a replenishment of the level 6 spell slot for Planar Ally after using Heroes' Feast. Basically just have a BUNCH of tanky zombies, your maintain concentration on any number of the busted concentration spells cleric has.

Paladin is kind of the same, ultra tanky but your zombies just hit super hard because of all the stuff oathbreaker provides.

Wizard necro seems like it would be the hardest to level solo early in tactician but is PROBABLY the safest for spellcasting since you essentially create a wall of threats between you and your enemies. Do dumb stuff like multi-target Hold Person and watch your zombies do tons of damage.

Spores druid, from what I've seen, can have upwards of 13 summons which I think is the most of any class for necromancy at the cost of quality.

As far as how these would mutliclass, paladin/ warlock is super popular including in the tabletop, cleric might work well with wizard if you get the intelligence circlet from act 1 (I don't know what level wizard gets their passive trait bonus to necromancy or at what spell upcast cleric gets more zombies so the comparability might not be there -- I'd have to look at the level info for both classes), spores druid seems to go very well with monk but I'd like to stay away from monk builds so maybe war cleric since they both use wisdom as their spell modifier and cleric is really efficient to invest little levels into?

I'm sure there's a ton of builds people have tried. Necromancers seem like THE sophisticated class in BG3 in terms of build diversity. Part of this thread is meant to help myself get informed, part of it is also wanting to hear what people have tried and enjoyed as well. I actually think people have some really cool and off the wall builds and there are people who have memorized WAY MORE about the game than I have.

[Mander]

I too think that druid of the spores is the best necromancer atm, which is shame, because Spore Druid is so much stronger when you focus on AoE / area denial than going pet builds.

In any case, I would not recommend a pet build for tactician or above, be it necromancer/ spore druid or summoner. Primary reason is that zombies, fungal zombies and skeletons are not resource efficient: the soldiers of the army of the dead are on the fragile side of thing on higher difficulties, easily dispatched by the enemies at almost all levels. Sheer numbers can be used at most, as a meat wall while you provide damage from the rear… but the enemies are only stupid up to a certain point, and you can believe they will target you whenever they can.
There are ofc ways to offset this disadvantage, but one is a high-risk method (abyss beckoners), while the other is a palliative accessible only at the end of ACT II (Circle of Bones). Neither are particularly… enthusing, imo.
My recommendation? Use Druid of the Spores as an AoE caster that goes in melee like a rogue. Control the battlefield. Build chokepoints with fire, make it rain ice, bloat their carcasses with bugs… and stay on the frontline with the rest of your team, using blades dripping necrotic and acid damage.

[Stiven]

Originally posted by RealVanillaSmooth:

So I was wondering what you guys feel is the best necromancer build (necromancer forward, I should say), and whether or not you find multiclassing or going pure is better.

I vaguely have an idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the pure classes but want to know how these vary from the current viable mutliclass necromancer builds and how viable it is to solo tactician with druid of the spore, cleric, wizard, and oathbreaker paladin.

What are some builds you guys have and what are your impressions of what sucks and what doesn't?

Best necromancer is sorc2/evoker 10. Spore druid might be OK, because at least you get free cantrip-like ability which deal necrotic damage. But the wizard necro is a meme tier. You play as spec-less wizard until like level 7-8, when finally, you can upcast animate dead to have 3 scuff 30 hp undeads. Also as Wizard Necro, i hope you enjoy stacking dead bodies in your camp, because if npc killed by fire/lighting, the corpse becomes unusable. And it is ignoring the fact that necro wizard skills like grim harvest or negative energy resistance is worst than useless. But if you want play it just for fun, go for it.

Aslo, trust me, it really "fun" to wait for 20 enemies to make their turn in act 3 where you finally can play as somehow a necro wizard , only then to wait for your Dance Macabre/Animate Dead to do theirs 20 turns.