The Elder Scrolls Onlineis home to six unique classes for players to choose between. Each of them comes with their own play style, succeeding in specific roles that other classes may not. While developer ZeniMax Online Studios does not release new classes often, the classes typically compliment the expansion they are released with; though the same can’t be said for the Elsweyr expansion’s necromancer.
The Elder Scrolls Online’s Necrom expansion is just around the corner, and with it comes the game’s next class: the arcanist. After taking a look at the expansion’s themes and location, it becomes apparent that the infamous necromancer class could have easily been released instead of the arcanist during this expansion, likely with more resonance for the narrative.
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Necromancer’s Place in The Necrom Expansion
The next big content release forThe Elder Scrolls Onlineis unique from previous expansions, for starters becauseNecrom will contain lovecraftian horror themes; most evident in Hermaeus Mora’s inclusion. With this theme comes an existential threat to all life, and an exploration of the cycle that souls go through in theElder Scrollsuniverse. This expansion also promises a secret that could “unravel reality,” digging at the very core of what it means to be dead or alive inThe Elder Scrolls. This would have made it a perfect setting to introduce an existentially threatening class like the necromancer.
Another thing that would have made Necrom perfect for the necromancer is the location where it takes place. Thedark elf city of Necrom has a long historyattached to it, most notably called the “city of the dead” as it is where dark elves bury their dead in the honeycomb-structured catacombs beneath the city. The city is also said to have been built upon the skeleton of a giant beast, though this is more treated as a legend than a fact. Regardless, it is a location that reeks of death.
A theme found throughout promotional material likeNecrom’s cinematic traileris exploring forbidden knowledge. Hermaeus Mora is known for hoarding all sorts of knowledge that drive mortals insane, and there is no more recognizable form of forbidden knowledge throughout theElder Scrollsuniverse than necromancy. It is largely looked down upon by many societies due to its disrespectful nature, typically seen as evil. It would make sense that knowledge about it would be sparse, but that would make Hermaeus Mora all the more likely to safeguard and hoard such precious information.
Compared to the Elsweyr expansion, Necrom fits the aesthetics and theme of the necromancer much better. Elsweyr’s main plot concerned itself with the return of dragons, with the necromancer added in at the request of players rather than in relation to the plot. The necromancer was a great addition, but never felt like it truly belonged in that expansion. All ofThe Elder Scrolls Onlinenecromancer’s best skillshave to do with the manipulation of life and death, which fits the location and existential themes of Necrom.
Necrom’s arcanist class will offer an entirely new experiencefor fans ofThe Elder Scrolls Online, giving players something to look forward to. Like the necromancer, it fits into many of the underlying themes that Necrom will be presenting, so it isn’t a total loss. Nonetheless, it’s interesting to think about how Necrom could just as easily have featured the necromancer as its new class.
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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