All of Tamriel’s races can practice Necromancy

However you choose to define it, necromancy has existed in Tamriel for a long time before the events of ESO, but despite its long history, the practice of necromancy is, broadly speaking, forbidden.

“The practice is frowned upon in most cultures, but some people such as the Redguards and Dark Elves see it as the ultimate blasphemy,” explains Tuttle. “To them, messing with their ancestors is a huge no-no, and organizations like the Mages Guild reject it on ethical grounds, since it involves messing with mortal souls.”

In The Elder Scrolls Online, the practice of necromancy allows you to master frightful new powers, but, given its reputation, it also brings new challenges, too.

Practiced in Secret

If you’re set on mastering the dark arts in ESO, you’ll discover that playing a Necromancer requires a certain level of subtlety not found in the game’s other classes. When designing the Necromancer class, the team wanted the choice to be meaningful for reasons other than its three new Skill Lines, and this meant tying the class into the game’s Justice system, bringing consequences for Tamriel’s would-be liches.

“We felt it was important to intertwine necromancy and Justice for much the same reason we put Justice in the game in the first place,” says Ed Stark, the team’s Lead Content Designer in charge of the Necromancer class and the Justice system. “Historically, necromancy has always been frowned-upon by Tamrielic society, and so, when some NPCs see an overtly necromantic act, they react with fear or aggression and report it for the crime it is.”

What does this mean for you if you want to play a Necromancer? In short: If you use some (note, not all) of the Necromancer’s abilities in view of the game’s NPCs, there might be repercussions.

“It’s only things that we consider to be very obvious necromantic actions,” explains Kyle Nowak, the combat designer behind the Necromancer class. “There are abilities that are borderline, like Render Flesh, but raising bodies out of the ground is glaringly obvious and will get you in trouble.”

The Render Flesh healing ability might appear gross, but the people of Tamriel seem to be mostly OK with it. Should you transform yourself into a giant bone colossus right in the middle of town, however, there’s a good chance the local guards are going to notice!