Last updated June 5 @ 4:24 p.m. PDT.
Please note that participation in the Necromancer beta test will be by invitation to ensure focused feedback and a smooth testing experience. For details on how to participate, please see this blog.
Table of Contents:
Installation and Play Instructions:
To install and play the Necromancer beta test, please follow the instructions below:
Step 1: If you were invited to the beta test, verify that your account has been granted a beta license in Blizzard Account Management.
Step 2: Download and install the Blizzard launcher.
Step 3: Once you have installed the Blizzard launcher, log in with your credentials and select Diablo III from the menu on the left-hand side.
Step 4: On the Diablo III screen, there is a drop-down menu above the "Play" button (note that this may say "Install" if you do not have Diablo III currently installed). Select " Necromancer Beta Test" from this drop-down menu before proceeding.
Step 5: You should now have the option to install and play the beta.
Beta Character Copy:
The option to copy your existing Diablo III characters from your live account to the beta will be available and can be done directly through the beta client.
Step 1: Log into the beta client and create a level 1 character. After you're done, return to the main character screen.
Step 2: Note the “PTR Copy” button at the top right of the Home Screen. (This button will not appear in-game until you have created a new level 1 character.)
Step 3: Select your region.
Step 4: Click "Copy." This will copy all characters on your account from the selected region.
Step 5: You may be disconnected from the beta client.
Step 6: Log back in. Your copied characters will be available for play.
Please note that you can only copy characters from one gameplay region at a time. If you choose to copy characters from a different region, any previously copied beta characters will be lost.
In addition, you can only copy characters over to your beta account once every 24 hours. Attempting to copy characters before this cooldown is up will result in an error.
PTR PATCH 2.6.0 - v2.6.0.45897
Below you'll find the preliminary notes for Patch 2.6.0, including the Necromancer beta. Please note that this isn't the final version and that some changes may not be documented or described in full detail.
Please note that content availability during the beta will vary depending on testing needs.
Table of Contents:
GENERAL
- New Feature: Challenge Rifts
- Explore new builds created by fellow players in a weekly static dungeon. You can access these through the main screen, similar to Adventure Mode and Campaign Mode.
- Note: New Challenge Rifts may be available more frequently during the beta.
- Explore new builds created by fellow players in a weekly static dungeon. You can access these through the main screen, similar to Adventure Mode and Campaign Mode.
CLASSES
- New Class: Necromancer
- As a master of the dark arts, you wield the powers of life and death necessary to restore the Balance! Necromancers are powerful spell casters who lay waste to their enemies using curses and reanimation—along with an obedient cadre of pets. This new class employs a controlled gameplay style using the raw materials of life: blood and bone.
- Necromancer Skills
- Army of the Dead
- Base Rune
- Raise a massive skeletal army to pummel the targeted location dealing
3,000%12,000% weapon damage in a 15 yard radius
- Raise a massive skeletal army to pummel the targeted location dealing
- Frozen Army
- Weapon damage increased to
3,600%12,000% and they attack all enemies in a line
- Weapon damage increased to
- Dead Storm
- Raise a storm of the dead that surround you damaging enemies for
2,000%15,500% weapon damage over 5 seconds
- Raise a storm of the dead that surround you damaging enemies for
- Unconventional Warfare
- Damage increased to 50,000% total weapon damage
- Catatonic Grasp
- Has been renamed to Blighted Grasp
- Has been redesigned
- Skeletal hands raise from the ground damaging enemies within 15 yards for 14,000% total weapon damage as Poison over 5 seconds
- Base Rune
- Bone Armor
- Harvest of Anguish
- Now deals Cold damage instead of Physical
- Dislocation
- Now deals Poison damage instead of Physical
- Limited Immunity
- Now begins its cooldown once the immunity effect ends
- Harvest of Anguish
- Bone Prison
- Bone Spear, Bone Spikes and Bone Spirit have a
10%30% chance to trap enemies in a Bone Prison for 3 seconds
- Bone Spear, Bone Spikes and Bone Spirit have a
- Bone Spear
- Base Rune
- Summon a piercing bone projectile that causes
450%500% weapon damage to all enemies it passes through
- Summon a piercing bone projectile that causes
- Blood Spear
- Bone Spear turns into Blood Spear. Damage is increased to
518%650% weapon damage at the cost of 10% health.
- Bone Spear turns into Blood Spear. Damage is increased to
- This skill should now more reliably hit targets, especially moving targets
- Base Rune
- Bone Spirit
- Possession
- Bone Spirit will now charm the target for 10 seconds at the cost of
10%5% health
- Bone Spirit will now charm the target for 10 seconds at the cost of
- Possession
- Command Golem
- Ice Golem
Command the Golem to the targeted location where it freezes enemies for 3 seconds and increases their chance to be critically struck by 10% for 10 seconds- Command the Golem to launch an icy blast at the target location, freezing enemies for 3 seconds and increasing their chance to be critically struck by 10% for 10 seconds
- The cooldown has been reduced from 60 to 45 seconds
- Ice Golem
- Command Skeletons
- Kill Command
- Now commands your skeletons to explode, dealing
80%215% weapon damage to enemies within 15 yards
- Now commands your skeletons to explode, dealing
- The active ability for this skill now lasts until the target dies or you change the target of your command
- Skeletons summoned after issuing the command will also attack the target
- Kill Command
- Corpse Explosion
- Base Rune
- Target an area exploding all corpses within 11 yards dealing
150%250%350% weapon damage to enemies within 20 yards
- Target an area exploding all corpses within 11 yards dealing
- Close Quarters
- Explodes corpses close to you, dealing
200%325% weapon damage to enemies within 20 yards
- Explodes corpses close to you, dealing
- Final Embrace
- Corpses pull themselves towards the nearest enemy before exploding, but Corpse Explosion now costs
3%2% life per corpse
- Corpses pull themselves towards the nearest enemy before exploding, but Corpse Explosion now costs
- Base Rune
- Corpse Lance
- Base Rune
- Target an enemy to summon projectiles from nearby corpses that cause
750%900%1750% weapon damage to the target
- Target an enemy to summon projectiles from nearby corpses that cause
- Blood Lance
- Spend
5%2% of your total health to launch an additional lance from yourself towards the target that deals 250% weapon damage
- Spend
- The attack rate for all runes has been increased
- Base Rune
- Decrepify
- Base Rune
- A crippling curse that reduces the enemy units’ movement speed by 75% and reduces damage done by
20%30% for 30 seconds
- A crippling curse that reduces the enemy units’ movement speed by 75% and reduces damage done by
- Wither
- Damage reduction increased to
30%40%, but no longer reduces movement speed
- Damage reduction increased to
- Base Rune
- Land of the Dead
- Base Rune
- All corpse skills can be used at will for
510 seconds
- All corpse skills can be used at will for
- Base Rune
- Leech
- Base Rune
- Curse the target area. Cursed enemies have a chance to heal the attacker when they are struck for
1%2% of their total health. Lasts 30 seconds.
- Curse the target area. Cursed enemies have a chance to heal the attacker when they are struck for
- Cursed Ground
- Now curses the ground, healing you for
0.5%1% of your maximum life every second for each enemy in the cursed area
- Now curses the ground, healing you for
- Base Rune
- Simulacrum
- The health cost per use has been reduced from 50% to 25%
- Skeletal Mage
- Contamination
- Raise a contaminated mage that channels an aura of decay for
175%100% weapon damage for its duration.
- Raise a contaminated mage that channels an aura of decay for
- Contamination
- Army of the Dead
- Necromancer Passives
- Blood for Blood
- Picking up a health globe removes the health cost of the next Blood spell. This effect can stack up to
310 times.
- Picking up a health globe removes the health cost of the next Blood spell. This effect can stack up to
- Blood Is Power
- Has been redesigned
- After cumulatively losing 100% of your maximum Life, all ability cooldowns are reduced by 20%. This effect cannot reduce an ability’s cooldown more than once for each time that ability is used.
- Has been redesigned
- Dark Reaping
- While using a scythe gain
1%2% Essence and Life per kill
- While using a scythe gain
- Final Service
- When this passive successfully prevents death, the Necromancer is immune to incoming damage for 4 seconds
- This passive does not require active pets to prevent death and grant immunity
- Instead of immediately consuming all pets, this passive will grant 10% health per pet until the Necromancer is at 100% health
- When this passive successfully prevents death, the Necromancer is immune to incoming damage for 4 seconds
- Rigor Mortis
- Blight abilities also slow enemies by 30% and reduce their attack speed by
15%30% for 5 seconds
- Blight abilities also slow enemies by 30% and reduce their attack speed by
- Serration
- Bone Spikes, Bone Spear and Bone Spirit deal 1% increased damage for every 2 yards between you, up to a maximum of
15%20%
- Bone Spikes, Bone Spear and Bone Spirit deal 1% increased damage for every 2 yards between you, up to a maximum of
- Blood for Blood
- Wizard Skills
- Mirror Image
- Simulacrum
- This rune has been renamed to "Hard Light"
- Simulacrum
- Mirror Image
- Bug Fixes
- Decay Golem
- Fixed an issue where Decay golem was not benefiting from the unlimited corpses granted by Land of the Dead
- Fixed a bug where the visuals for Army of the Dead: Unconventional Warfare were not being played
- Fixed an issue where damage bonuses from the player’s attack speed were not being applied to the Skeletal Archer and Contamination runes on Skeletal Mage
- Fixed an issue that caused Siphon Blood to continue to deal damage to enemies when they were invisible or untargetable
- Fixed a bug where Devour – Ruthless did not correctly restore 10 Essence per pet consumed
- Fixed an issue which prevented Bone Spirit from properly detonating when cast directly in melee range of a target enemy
- Decay Golem
ITEMS
- General
- Scythes and Phylacteries are now sold by some of the vendors throughout the world
- Legendary Items
- Funeral Pick
- Siphon Blood drains blood from 2 additional targets
- Trag’oul’s Corroded Fang
- The Cursed Scythe rune for Grim Scythe now has a 100% chance to apply a curse and increases your damage against cursed enemies by 175-200%
- Scythe of the Cycle
- Your Secondary skills deal 250-300% additional damage while Bone Armor is active but reduce the remaining duration of Bone Armor by 3 seconds
Dreadgolem SpikeMaltorius’ Petrified Spike- Bone Spear now costs 40 Essence and deals
125-150%375-450% additional damage
- Bone Spear now costs 40 Essence and deals
- Bloodtide Blade
- Death Nova deals
15-20%20-30% increased damage for every enemy within1015 yards- Note: The previous damage range listed (125-150%) was incorrect
- Death Nova deals
- Reilena’s Shadowhook
- Bone Spikes generates an additional
2-42-5 Essence for each enemy hit and grants 0.5% increased damage for every point of maximum Essence you have
- Bone Spikes generates an additional
Death’s ScytheNayr’s Black Death- Each different Poison skill you use increases the damage of your Poison skills by
75-100%50-65% for 15 seconds
- Each different Poison skill you use increases the damage of your Poison skills by
- Spear of
JessethJairo- Your Thorns is increased by 10-15% for every enemy afflicted by one of your curses
- Lost Time
- Your Cold skills reduce the movement speed of enemies by 30%. In addition, your movement speed is increased by 4-5% for 5 seconds. Maximum 5 stacks.
- Bone Ringer
- The damage bonus of Command Skeletons is increased by 25-30% each second while active
- Leger’s Disdain
- Grim Scythe deals an additional 7-10% damage for each point of essence it restores
- Iron Rose
- Attacking with Siphon Blood
while at full lifehas a15-25%40-50% chance to cast a free Blood Nova
- Attacking with Siphon Blood
- The Johnstone
Each corpse consumed in Land of the Dead increases your damage by 10% for 8-10 seconds after it ends- Each corpse consumed in Land of the Dead grants a stack of Macabre Knowledge. Macabre Knowledge increases the damage of Corpse Lance and Corpse Explosion by 150-200% while outside Land of the Dead.
- Haunted Visions
- Simulacrum drains
105-15%of your maximum life every second and lasts twice as long
- Simulacrum drains
- Wisdom of Kalan
- Increases the maximum number of Bone Armor stacks by 5
- Bloodsong Mail
- While in Land of the Dead, Command Skeletons gains the effect of all runes and deals 100-125% increased damage
- Requiem Cereplate
- Devour restores an additional 75-100% Essence and Life. In addition, when Devour restores Essence or Life above your maximum, the excess is granted over 3 seconds
- Mask of Scarlet Death
- Revive consumes all corpses to raise a single minion that does an additional 125 – 150% damage per corpse
- Fate’s Vow
After consuming 15-20 corpses you unleash a free Death Nova- Army of the Dead gains the effect of the Unconventional Warfare rune
- Moribund Gauntlets
Your Golem has a 10-15% chance to shed a corpse when it is hit by an enemy- Your Golem sheds a corpse every second
- Grasps of Essence
- When an exploded corpse damages at least one enemy, your Corpse Explosion deals 75-100% increased damage for 6 seconds, stacking up to 5 times
- Golemskin Breaches
- Your Golem’s damage is increased by 100-125% and you take
25%30% less damage whileyou are within 18 yards of itit is alive
- Your Golem’s damage is increased by 100-125% and you take
- Defiler Cuisses
- Your Bone Spirit’s damage is increased by 75-100% for every second it is active
- Steuart’s Greaves
- You gain 40-50% increased movement speed for 2 seconds after using Blood Rush
- Bryner’s Journey
- Bone Spikes has a
10-15%20-30% chance to cast a Bone Nova at the target location
- Bone Spikes has a
- Dayntee’s Binding
Decrepify gains an additional 20-30% damage reduction for attacks against you- You gain an additional 40-50% damage reduction when there is an enemy afflicted by your Decrepify
- Razeth’s Volition
- Skeletal Mage gains the effect of the Gift of Death rune
- Circle of Nailuj's Evol
- You now raise an additional Skeletal Mage with each cast and they last an additional 2-4 seconds
- Prayer of Briggs
- Uncursed enemies are pulled to the target location when a curse is applied to them
- Krysbin’s Sentence
Bone Spikes, Bone Spear and Bone Spirit deal 125-150% increased damage against enemies that are stunned, frozen, charmed, feared or blinded- You deal 75-100% increased damage against slowed enemies or triple this bonus against enemies afflicted by any other type of control-impairing effect
- Lornelle’s Sunstone
- Your damage reduction is increased by 0.75-0.95% for every 1% Life you are missing
- Corpsewhisper Pauldrons
- Corpse Lance damage is increased by
15-20%25-30% for 3 seconds each time you consume a corpse. Max158020 stacks
- Corpse Lance damage is increased by
- Hellfire Amulet
- Necromancer passives have been added for this item
- Halcyon’s Ascent
- Added skills to this item for the Necromancer
- Funeral Pick
- Class Sets
- Bones of Rathma
- (2) Set Bonus
- Your pets have a chance to reduce the cooldown of Army of the Dead by 1 second each time they deal damage
- (4) Set Bonus
- You gain 1% damage reduction for
515 seconds each time your pets deal damage. Max 50 stacks.
- You gain 1% damage reduction for
- (6) Set Bonus
- Each active Skeleton Mage increases the damage of your minions and Army of the Dead by
200%250%
- Each active Skeleton Mage increases the damage of your minions and Army of the Dead by
- (2) Set Bonus
- Trag’Oul’s Avatar
- (2) Set Bonus
- Blood Rush gains the effect of every rune
- (4) Set Bonus
- While at full life, your healing from skills is added to your maximum life for 45 seconds. Up to 100% more.
- (6) Set Bonus
Spending 10% life grants you a stack of Blood Cascade up to 50 times. Each stack of Blood Cascade increases the damage of life-spending attacks by 200% and also increases the life you lose by 10%. Using a skill to heal will consume a stack and heal for an additional 300%.Healing from skills consumes one stack regardless of how many targets are hitCommand Skeletons: Dark Mending and Land of the Dead: Land of Plenty no longer consume stacks or receive increased healing
- Your Life-spending attacks deal 3300% increased damage but cost twice as much Life. Your healing from skills is increased by 100%.
- (2) Set Bonus
- Grace of Inarius
- (2) Set Bonus
- Bone Armor’s damage is increased by 1000%
- (4) Set Bonus
- Bone Armor stacks are now refreshed. In addition, Bone Armor grants an additional 2% damage reduction per enemy hit
- (6) Set Bonus
- Bone Armor also activates a Bone Tornado damaging nearby enemies by
375%750% weapon damage per secondas Physical. Enemies hit by the tornado take850%2750% additional damage from the Necromancer’s abilities and minions
- Bone Armor also activates a Bone Tornado damaging nearby enemies by
- (2) Set Bonus
- Pestilence Master’s Shroud
- (2) Set Bonus
- Each corpse you consume fires a Corpse Lance
corpse fragmentat a nearby enemy, dealing 800% weapon damage
- Each corpse you consume fires a Corpse Lance
- (4) Set Bonus
- Each enemy hit by Bone Spear reduces your damage taken by 2% up to a maximum of 50%. Lasts 15 seconds.
- (6) Set Bonus
- Each corpse you consume grants you an Empowered Bone Spear charge that increases the damage of your next Bone Spear by
1000%3000% - This effect stacks up to
30100 times
- Each corpse you consume grants you an Empowered Bone Spear charge that increases the damage of your next Bone Spear by
- (2) Set Bonus
JairoanJesseth Arms- (2) Set Bonus
Army of the Dead gains the effect of the Unconventional Warfare rune- When the target of your Command Skeletons dies, your skeletons are automatically commanded to attack a nearby target
- While your skeletons are commanded to attack a target, all of your minions deal 400% increased damage
- (2) Set Bonus
- Bones of Rathma
- Legendary Gems
- Zei’s Stone of Vengeance
- When a pet deals damage with this gem equipped, bonuses are now always granted from the player to the enemy hit instead of from the pet to the enemy
- Note: This change went into effect in a previous beta patch
- When a pet deals damage with this gem equipped, bonuses are now always granted from the player to the enemy hit instead of from the pet to the enemy
- Zei’s Stone of Vengeance
- Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue causing phylacteries to roll only the lowest possible damage value
- Fixed an issue which allowed non-Necromancer characters to equip Necromancer gear
- Fixed an issue which prevented damage stacks on Bone Ringer from being preserved if Command Skeletons was used again on the same target
- Fixed an issue preventing Bloodsong Mail from correctly granting the Enforcer rune when Land of the Dead was active
- Fixed an issue preventing the damage bonus from Krysbin’s Sentence to apply to pets
- Fixed an issue where the Enforcer rune would always become selected when commanding your skeletons with Army of the Dead active with Bloodsong Mail equipped
- Fixed an issue that prevented new Skeletal Warriors that spawned while Land of the Dead was active from being properly granted the damage bonus from Bloodsong Mail
- Fixed an issue where the (2) Set Bonus on Bones of Rathma was resetting the cooldown of Army of the Dead faster than intended
ADVENTURE MODE
- New Zones: The Moors & The Temple of the Firstborn
- The fog-enshrouded Moors and the darkened Temple of the Firstborn can be explored in Adventure Mode through a new waypoint on the Act 2 map.
- General
- (Beta Only) Made changes to reduce the occurrence of dead ends when floors in Rifts and Greater Rifts use the Temple of the Firstborn map.
- Set Dungeons
- The user interface has been updated to better explain tier completion requirements.
- With this, the basic completion tier must be finished within the given time limit.
- The time limit to complete a Set Dungeon has been increased to 5 minutes
- Necromancer Set Dungeons have been added to Adventure Mode
- Set dungeon monsters are now tracked on the mini-map when the dungeon begins
- All Basic Tier monster kill requirements have been lowered
- The user interface has been updated to better explain tier completion requirements.
- Bounties
- Four new Waypoints have appeared in Act IV. Each one has bounties to complete. These Realms of Fate are the unintended consequences of the battle between the nephalem and Diablo in the High Heavens
- (PTR Only) Several bounties in the Realms of Fate have had changes to their objectives, along with changes to the order of objective completion and bounty text
- Greater Rifts
- Players who die in solo Greater Rifts can now choose to immediately resurrect. When choosing this option, the time remaining on your death timer will be removed from the remaining Greater Rift time and your cooldowns will be advanced by the same amount.
- Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue which sometimes prevented players from completing the “Clear the Forgotten Well” bounty
ACHIEVEMENTS
- Terror In The Blood
- Now requires the player’s health to be at 10% or below instead of 9% or below
- Bug Fixes
- Fixed a bug causing the Stay Classy, Upper Class and Classic Collection achievements to not be awarded correctly for the four Necromancer sets
- Fixed a bug preventing the Terror in the Blood achievement from triggering once the criteria were met and Diablo was defeated
- Fixed an issue that was preventing the use of Command Skeletons from properly giving credit to the Skeleton Crew achievement when elites and champion packs were killed
- Fixed an issue that allowed the Curse Your Enthusiasm achievement to be incorrectly awarded to non-Necromancer characters
MONSTERS
- Skeleton Mage
- Has had its fire damage reduced slightly
QUALITY OF LIFE
- Necromancer Golems and Witch Doctor Gargantuans will now destroy breakables they step on
PTR ONLY
- D'jank Miem
- Players can exchange Blood Shards with this vendor for bags containing gear
- The cost per bag has been set to
500200. - Players will now be able to purchase bags containing new Legendary items in addition to the previous bags containing Set items
- The cost per bag has been set to
- Players can exchange Blood Shards with this vendor for bags containing gear