The Necromancer continues to dominate the meta in Season 5 of Diablo 4, with the Bone Spirit build being one of the most effective setups. Learn how to construct this build for both leveling and endgame content, and discover if it is a viable option for PvP battles.
The Bone Spirit Necro build centers around the use of this long-standing move as the primary offensive skill, combined with other spells and gear that enhance its effectiveness. This build is considered top-tier in the current meta, making it an excellent option for Priests of Rathma who desire more than simply commanding minions.
We will then proceed to explain the best ways to enhance your endgame build, including recommended skills, items, Aspects, and Glyphs to strive for during your journey. Additionally, for PvP enthusiasts, we will provide our thoughts on the effectiveness of the Bone Spirit Necro in this season.
The Necromancer is a master of bone magic and death.
Best Bone Spirit Leveling Build in Diablo 4 Season 5
As you progress through the campaign or the new Season 5 content, it is important to prioritize your skill selection in the following order:
| Level | Skill |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bone Splinters |
| 2 | Bone Splinters |
| 3 | Unliving Energy |
| 4 | Unliving Energy |
| 5 | Unliving Energy |
| 6 | Imperfectly Balanced |
| 7 | Imperfectly Balanced |
| 8 | Imperfectly Balanced |
| 9 | Hewed Flesh |
| 10 | Hewed Flesh |
| 11 | Hewed Flesh |
| 12 | Blood Mist |
| 13 | Enhanced Blood Mist |
| 14 | Ghastly Blood Mist |
| 15 | Bone Prison |
| 16 | Enhanced Bone Prison |
| 17 | Ghastly Bone Prison |
| 18 | Spiked Armor |
| 19 | Grim Harvest |
| 20 | Fueled by Death |
| 21 | Fueled by Death |
| 22 | Fueled by Death |
| 23 | Decreptify |
| 24 | Enhanced Decreptify |
| 25 | Abhorrent Decreptify |
| 26 | Death’s Embrace |
| 27 | Death’s Embrace |
| 28 | Death’s Embrace |
| 29 | Amplify Damage |
| 30 | Amplify Damage |
| 31 | Amplify Damage |
| 32 | Corpse Tendrils |
| 33 | Enhanced Corpse Tendrils |
| 34 | Plagued Corpse Tendrils |
| 35 | Bone Spirit |
| 36 | Enhanced Bone Spirit |
| 37 | Dreadful Bone Spirit |
| 38 | Bone Spirit |
| 39 | Bone Spirit |
| 40 | Bone Spirit |
| 41 | Bone Spirit |
| 42 | Compound Fracture |
| 43 | Compound Fracture |
| 44 | Compound Fracture |
| 45 | Evulsion |
| 46 | Evulsion |
| 47 | Evulsion |
| 48 | Rapid Ossification |
| 49 | Rapid Ossification |
| Renown 1 | Rapid Ossification |
| Renown 2 | Ossified Essence |
| Renown 3 | Inspiring Leader |
| Renown 4 | Inspiring Leader |
| Renown 5 | Inspiring Leader |
| Renown 6 | Serration |
| Renown 7 | Necrotic Carapace |
| Renown 8 | Necrotic Carapace |
| Renown 9 | Necrotic Carapace |
| Renown 10 | Hellbent Commander |
Having these skills will assist you in creating the perfect Bone Spirit build. However, it is important to have unlocked the Renown points. If you have not, simply proceed without the last ten upgrades until you have obtained them.
By selecting the skills mentioned above, you can enhance your proficiency with Bone Spirit and decrease its cooldown time. In case you deplete your Essence, you can still rely on Bone Splinters, but as you progress in levels, this will become less and less necessary.
The Bone Spirit can home in on its victim.
Best Book of the Dead Setup for Leveling
For a Bone Spirit build utilizing the Necromancer’s Book of the Dead skills, we suggest choosing the following:
- Skeletal Warriors – Skirmishers
- Skeletal Mages – Bone
- Golems – Iron
The ideal setup for this build is the Book of the Dead, as it allows your Skirmisher Skeletal Warriors to excel in melee combat while your Mages utilize Bone Magic from a distance. This strategic positioning allows for increased damage output from bone skills.
The Iron Golem has been chosen for this Book of the Dead setup because it will enable your Golem to shield your Mages and yourself from mobs and elites while you unleash a barrage of attacks.
Best leveling rotation
- Summon Minions – If not already active
- Decreptify
- Corpse Tendrils
- Bone Prison
- Bone Storm
- Bone Spirit – Main Skill
After that, use Corpse Tendrils to incapacitate your foes and improve the chances of generating additional corpses to replenish your minion horde.
Now you have the ability to utilize your top two skills, Bone Prison and Bone Spirit. After casting Bone Storm, unleash a barrage of Bone Spirit into the battle. If necessary, you can also rely on Bone Splinters.
Bone Spirit can be enhanced by 5 points and two upgrades.
Best Bone Spirit Build for Endgame in Diablo 4 Season 5
Upon reaching endgame in Season 5 by completing the story, reaching level 50, and unlocking the Paragon Board, you will have the option to respec your character into the endgame version of the Bone Spirit Necro build. The endgame build is similar to the leveling build, but there are additional elements to take into account.
There is no need to reallocate your skills, however, the following will still be required:
| Active Skill | Upgrades | Points allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Bone Splinters | – | 2 |
| Bone Spirit | Enhanced, Dreadful | 5 |
| Blood Mist | Enhanced, Ghastly | 1 |
| Decrepify | Enhanced, Abhorent | 1 |
| Corpse Tendrils | Enhanced, Plagued | 1 |
| Bone Prison | Enhanced, Ghastly | 1 |
Here are the recommended Passive Skills that you should choose:
| Passive Skill | Points |
|---|---|
| Unliving Energy | 3 |
| Hewed Flesh | 3 |
| Spiked Armor | 1 |
| Fueled by Death | 3 |
| Imperfectly Balanced | 3 |
| Amplify Damage | 3 |
| Death’s Embrace | 3 |
| Grim Harvest | 1 |
| Serration | 1 |
| Compound Fracture | 3 |
| Necrotic Carapace | 3 |
| Evulsion | 3 |
| Inspiring Leader | 3 |
| Rapid Ossification | 3 |
| Ossified Essence | 1 |
Best endgame Book of the Dead setup
The setup for the Book of the Dead in endgame remains unchanged from the leveling build.
- Skeletal Warriors – Skirmishers
- Skeletal Mages – Bone
- Golems – Iron
Naturally, if you are not interested in utilizing minions, you have the option to Sacrifice them and gain strength for yourself.
Best Endgame Rotation
When engaging in endgame battles, utilize this skill rotation when approaching mobs:
- Summon Minions – If not already active
- Decreptify
- Corpse Tendrils
- Blood Prison
- Bone Storm
- Bone Spirit – Main Skill
The rotation of attacks during the endgame continues to be identical to that used for leveling with this build.
Best Legendary Aspects
As you progress to endgame, you will gain access to a wider variety of Legendary Aspects that can enhance your build and provide special abilities to strengthen your main skills. While some may be familiar from your leveling build, there are now even more to discover. Below, you can find out where and how to obtain them.
| Aspect | Power | Dungeon | Region | Gamble Obols |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swelling Curse | Increased critical strike chance for Bone Spirit | Hive | Scosglen | – |
| Grasping Veins | Increased critical strike chance for Corpse Tendrils | Corrupted Grotto | I develop | – |
| Might | 20% basic damage | Dark Ravine | Dry Steppes | – |
| Disobedience | Boosts defense based on your minion damage output | Halls of the Damned | I develop | – |
| Torment | Critical Strikes with Bone Skills increases your Essence regeneration | Black Asylum | Fractured Peaks | – |
| Edgemaster’s | Skills deal 5-20% damage | Oldstones | Scosglen | – |
| Requiem | Boost to Essence | Vault of the Forsaken | Scosglen | – |
| Wind Striker | Critical Strikes improve movement speed | Shiva Ruins | I develop | – |
| Occult Dominion | Increased Skeleton Warriors by 2 | – | – | Helm |
| Serration | Ossified Essence increases critical strikes | – | – | Focus |
| Concussive Strikes | Attacks have 20% chance to Daze enemies | – | – | Focus |
| Shielding Storm | Bone Storm generates Barrier | – | – | Pants |
| Hardened Bones | You and your minions get damage reduction | – | – | Pants |
| Shattered Spirit’s | Casting Bone Spirit also casts Bone Splinters | – | – | Ring |
| Imprisoned Spirit’s | Casting Bone Spirit also casts Bone Prison | – | – | Focus |
| Blood Getter’s | Skeeltoal Priests now empower you 55-70 | – | – | Helm |
| Metamorphosis | Evade triggers Unstoppable for 2.5 seconds | – | – | Boots |
Don’t forget, you also have the option to remove these Aspects from their original item and transfer them to a different item of your choice.
The Necromancer can field a small army of minions to fight for him.
Paragon Board Game
After reaching level 50, you will no longer earn skill points and will instead earn Paragon points. This leveling method operates in a unique manner, requiring you to choose upgrades from a variety of boards containing various themes and enhancements.
Each path is unique, but the positive aspect is that as you progress through the Paragon Board and focus on different Glyphs, you will enhance your Bone Spirit Necro in the most important aspects for the build.
Refer below to determine the first Glyphs you should focus on.
Best Glyphs
Fifteenth level
- Grave keeper
- Corporeal
- Control
- Essence
- Deadraiser
- Amplify
- Control
Level 21 remains unchanged.
- Essence
- Grave keeper
- Corporeal
- Amplify
- Deadraiser
After reaching Paragon Level 15, focus on acquiring the aforementioned Glyphs. As you continue to earn points, you will unlock even more options on the Paragon Board. However, prioritizing these specific Glyphs in the given sequence will ensure the most optimal path for the Necro Bone Spirit build.
Recommended Bone Spirit Endgame Item Build
| Item | Socket | Item type | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runic Skullcap of Might | Ruby for extra life | Helm | Bone Spear leaves behind exploring echoes |
| Runic Mail of Disobedience | Ruby for extra life | Chest Armor | Bone Storm has chance to trigger Barrier |
| Edgemaster’s Runic Gloves | Ruby for extra life | Gloves | Bone Spear makes enemies vulnerable |
| Runic Leggings of the Protector | Ruby for extra life | Pants | Increased Minion damage |
| Wind Striker Runic Cleats | Ruby for extra life | Boots | Increased Skeleton Priest damage |
| Sparr of Swelling Curse | 2x Emeralds for poison damage | Main Hand | Chance to cast Bone Spear twice |
| – | – | Offhand | – |
| Amulet of Torment | Diamond for extra attack power | Amulet | Boosts Evulsion and Compound Fracture |
| Requiem Band | Diamond for extra attack power | Ring 1 | Boosts Torment |
| Band of Grasping Veins | Diamond for extra attack power | Ring 2 | Boosts Grasping Veins |
Tracking down this specific set may require some time, but once you acquire it, this will serve as your ultimate endgame gear. While you have the freedom to choose and mix your gear, this setup will undoubtedly give you an advantage.
Alternative Build for Necromancer PvP: Bone Spirit Variation
What’s great about utilizing the Necromancer Bone Spirit build for PvP is that it remains unchanged from the build we’ve already discussed in our endgame and leveling sections. This build has been given an A-tier rating for PvP this season, which means it may not be the top choice, but it is still highly effective and a solid option for defeating other players.
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