By this time, the aspiring necromancer should have a reasonable acquaintance with both solo and group tactics, pet control, and the specific effects of spells. These abilities are now augmented with more spells of protection and destruction.

This is also the time when the necromancer is first confronted with the necessity of magical research, the details of which are discussed elsewhere.

Level 16 Spells

Offense and Defense are the recurring themes at this level.

A new spell line is introduced with Heart Flutter, combining damage over time with debilitating effects for an excellent addition to combat. We also receive our first damage over time with an area of effect, which calls for careful usage.

The bulk of the new spells, though, are enhancements to bring us back into melee, precisely at the time when most other dedicated spellcasters are leaving melee for good. With three new shielding spells to protect us, a damage shield to further harm our attacks, the debuffing Heart Flutter, and a beastly new minion at our side, we should be well prepared for that personal bloodspilling which is the hallmark of our profession.

And when things go wrong... Feign Death, at last.

The School of the spell reflects which magical skill is called upon. Mana is drained from your mana pool immediately upon casting the spell. Cast Time is in seconds. Reagents must be in your inventory to complete the spellcasting.

Tactics

Aside from the increased ability to survive melee, only one new tactic presents itself, and it's rather limited in application. You won't be able to utilize it to its full potential for another 18 levels.

We do technically acquire a new pulling style here, but again, it won't be useful until a much higher degree of spellcasting success can be relied upon.

Root Rot

Find a suitable target (at this point, an undead one) alone. Root it (at this point, with Hungry Earth). Drop three or four damage over time spells on it – Darkness, Heat Blood, Heart Flutter or Infectious Cloud, and Leach if you're using a health-to-mana spell (and you should be). Sit and meditate while your victim dies. Reapply Root and damage spells as necessary.

Since our damage over time spells offer the most damage for mana, this is a very efficient way to kill things, especially since you can meditate during the "battle" if there's room. You can keep your pet around for extra insurance if things go poorly, or you can do without.

The disadvantages are small but important. The biggest disadvantage at this level is the limitation to undead targets. If you can't get keep your victim rooted (hungry earthed?), you're really Kiting, and you lose a lot of the advantages – although if you've got your pet, you can quickly switch to Fear Kiting if the area supports it. Also, since these sorts of battles tend to last a bit longer than most, there's an increased potential for wanderers to join the fight.

Experiment with it now, but know that it won't become truly powerful until the standard Root spell is acquired at level 34.

Feign Pulling

Feign Death can be used to split up groups of enemies, allowing you to bring fewer of those enemies to your own group (or your pet) for destruction. It's something that's really best done by a monk, but don't let that stop you from giving it a try.

For the best results, approach the group of nasties that you'd like to split up, staying a decent distance away. Target one of them, and hit it with a fast-casting spell at maximum range – something like Siphon Strength is good, Screaming Terror is better, but any spell that does not do damage over time is fine. The group of monsters should now be chasing you. Start running back towards your group, but before you reach them, stop to cast Feign Death. (Knowing how long you have to stop in order to successfully cast the spell without interrupting yourself is something that comes with practice.) When you successfully Feign Death, the monsters should stop chasing you. They'll stand around for a bit, and then head back to their camp one at a time. When the last remaining enemy starts to leave, stand up, tag it again with a spell, and bring it back for the slaughter.

Note that a lot of things can keep this from working. If Feign Death fails, that's obviously a problem. It can be difficult to pull casters this way, since spells landing on you will break the feign. Some monsters won't forget you after you stand up, and might not be successfully split with this tactic. Things that run fast can be troublesome unless you've magically boosted your own running speed. Finally, if it does fail, you've got a lot of things pounding on you, which is usually bad.

When it works, though, it's impressive. If you're planning on spending some time in a single place, it might only be necessary to break the camp once, and you might not always have a monk around.

Hunting Grounds

There's good hunting not far away from wherever you are now. The Karanas, the Oasis, Rathe Mountains, and Highpass are all popular choices. The dungeons of Befallen, the Estate of Unrest, and the Warrens can be visited by the cautious or the foolhardy. Many areas of Kunark, particularly in the near vicinity of Cabilis, offer excellent hunting grounds if you can make your way to them.

If you want to hunt where you won't be bothered, make your way to the Swamp of No Hope.

Gnomes should consider spending enough time in Highpass to impress the guards, at least to the point where they aren't aggressive. This is the perfect time for gnoll and orc killing. If the pass itself is too busy, visit the Mucktail gnolls in East Karana or the Shra'lok orcs in Kithicor with a friend or three.

Morty's Bloody Trail

The mountains were fairly deserted while I was there, and the giant-hunting parties that currently populate the area were unknown.

Level 16

I spent a bit more time in the Oasis of Marr, and then took a grand tour. I chose to learn the elements of Research from my home guild in Ak'Anon, but the Book of Dark Bindings was mysteriously unavailable there. I consoled myself by purchasing a couple of books on tinkering and a few of my new spells. I knew that the Shrine of Bertoxxulous would have my research tome available, and so off I went again, taking a short detour through the Beholder Maze along the way. From the Shrine I headed for the Mountains of Rathe, where I stayed for a while.

Level 17

Having grown fond of the mountains, I stayed in the area, occasionally heading to South Karana or Southern Ro for a change of scenery. If I had a recipe for basilisk tongue, I'd be rich.

Level 18

Why was I still in the Mountains of Rathe? I hadn't been to a bank in... in... I couldn't even remember. I hustled through the Desert of Ro, pausing only to bury a few drybones, and made my way back to Freeport and the long-forgotten bank. Then, with my newly found wealth, I headed back to Steamfont and finally acquired some tinkering supplies and set about making myself a fishing pole. With my new fishing pole in hand, I then headed halfway across the world to meet some friends in the Beholder Maze for some wholesale destruction. And then, back to the Oasis of Marr for some massive orc carnage.

Level 19

Enjoying the warm desert clime, I remained in the Oasis of Marr for a while. Rumors of an undead army then took me to the Qeynos Hills, where I helped put the unrestful back in their place – I wanted to march them all to Surefall, but they just wouldn't listen. That being done, I headed over to East Karana to deal with reavers and stalkers, but I soon found myself at the undead ruins in West Karana, where a short bit of hunting was very profitable.