Even though we mock those who follow other professions, we must keep in mind that very few of them would make decent necromancers. They simply lack the personal qualities necessary for success in such a challenging task.

Evil Geniuses

The mere desire to walk the dark path does not make one a necromancer. Certain qualifications must be met, and the apprentice is heartily encouraged to focus on those elements which result in greater proficieny.

Strength

The obvious effect of Strength is that it determines how much equipment can be comfortably carried. Exceeding this limit will result in a loss of agility and, in extreme cases, slower movement. Strength is also a determining factor in learning many offensive skills, as well as influencing how much damage can be done in a single blow. Additionally, strong blacksmiths have an advantage in learning their craft over their weaker competition.

Strength is all well and good, but it is of little concern. The typical necromancer, unencumbered by heavy armor, has no problem carrying whatever trinkets and coins are found in travel. Physical damage is never our forté no matter how satisfying it is, and we have no use for most of the blacksmith's wares. Consequently, most necromancers are comparatively weak, stealing a bit of strength from passing victims as the need arises.

Exceptionally strong individuals do make fine bodyguards, however, and the necromancer is well advised to obtain a few.

Stamina

Strenuous activities such as swimming, jumping, and swinging heavy weapons lead to fatigue. How quickly they lead to fatigue, and the severity of the effects of fatigue, are heavily influenced by Stamina. Maximum health at any given level is also determined by Stamina. High Stamina is also important for those underwater breath-holding contests.

While more health is always nice, most necromancers spend quite a lot of time draining the health out of others. This more than makes up for any deficiency in Stamina. Strenuous activities should be performed by those exceptionally strong bodyguards that you've acquired.

Agility

The primary benefit of Agility is defensive, in that it influences how often and how hard that crazed elf with the axe hits you. Along those lines, Agility is a determining factor in learning many defensive skills.

In general, not getting whacked is good. Avoiding that blunt object aimed at your head is handy when first starting out, tactically useful later on, and vital when your exceptionally strong bodyguards are falling down drunk.

Dexterity

It comes as no surprise that Dexterity plays a major role in learning weapon skills, picking up the finer points of the rogue's abilities, and crafting and using the bow. Arcane power involves Dexterity as well, though, since it influences both improvements in Channeling and the ability to invoke a weapon's special powers (either those inherent to the weapon or granted by spells such as Vampiric Embrace).

Since personal combat is a much more viable option for the necromancer than it is for other robe-wearing spellcasters, Dexterity plays a larger role. No one will mistake the necromancer for a weapon master, of course – leave that role to your exceptionally strong bodyguards – but the combination of battle spells and empowered weapons should not be ignored.

Wisdom

Those who draw their power from a particular god (clerics and soon-to-be-pickled paladins) or from nature (shaman, druids, and rangers) somehow derive mana and spellcasting abilities from their Wisdom. Wisdom also determines advancement in many skills when it exceeds Intelligence, making it more of a muddling than a proper logical progression.

Wisdom is highly overrated. The necromancer, being possessed of a far superior intellect, has no need for such superstitious nonsense. Neither do your exceptionally strong bodyguards.

Intelligence

The true masters of the mystic arts – necromancers, as well as those magician, wizard, and enchanter pretenders – rely on Intelligence as the cornerstone of their power. It determines how quickly the magical arts can be learned, chance of advancement in many other skills when it exceeds Wisdom, how often a spell casting results in an embarrassing fizzle, how much mana can be contained at one time, and the ability to advance in spell specialization. Our shadow knight cousins and those curious bards also rely on Intelligence for many of the same ends.

Extremely high Intelligence is the hallmark of the necromancer. It should not be overly encouraged in your exceptionally strong bodyguards.

Charisma

Merchants are hopeless pushovers, offering better prices in response to high Charisma and a smile, while covering their losses by overcharging those people with low Charisma. Pathetic. A few enchanter spells and bard songs are influenced a bit by Charisma; however, testing has never demonstrated an effect on any necromantic spells, specifically regarding the Fear line and the Dominate Undead line.

Charisma is for high elf wimps who couldn't strike terror into the heart of a Rivervale child even if they ripped out their own brains and set them on fire.

Life and Death in the Balance

The well-balanced necromancer, then, has a fiendishly clever mind and cares little about the lesser nicities of personality. A quick hand with a sacrificial dagger and the ability to dodge a victim's flailing blows are useful as well.

Gnomes may want to investigate the gory details, but others may wish to avoid traumatizing themselves with excessive exposure to numeric data.