Guides
Necromancer AA Priorities
Necro AA spend at The Last Camp PoP cap — DoT-focused, pet-focused, or solo-maxxer.
Necromancer AA priorities at The Last Camp PoP cap (level 65). AAs are the primary specialization path beyond the level cap — there is no expansion content past PoP, so AA xp is the long-term progression.
For Necromancers, AAs decide your DPS ceiling and how independent you become. The Necro tree is uniquely self-sufficient — the same investments that increase damage (Critical Affliction, Quick Damage) also increase lifetap sustain, which means a fully AA'd Necro is the closest thing in EQ to a permanent solo machine.
At a glance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Total AA pool (PoP era) | ~240-290 across all categories |
| Priority categories | Class DoT/lifetap > Archetype caster > General mana |
| Hard prerequisites | Spell Casting Mastery 1 before Reinforcement |
| Soft prerequisites | Mnemonic Retention 2 before full DoT rotation |
Build priorities (in order)
Tier 1 — Foundation (first 30-50 AAs)
- Mnemonic Retention 1-2 — fit the full DoT stack
- Spell Casting Mastery 1 — lower mana cost on every DoT
- Run 3 — universal
- Innate Intelligence — soft cap raise
- Pet Affinity — pet receives group buffs (HP/AC)
Tier 2 — Core spec (50-150 AAs)
- Critical Affliction — DoT crit chance, the Necro damage multiplier
- Quick Damage — faster DoT and lifetap casts
- Spell Casting Reinforcement — DoT/nuke crit chance booster
- Improved Pet — Necro pet-stat enhancement
- Mass Group Buff — distribute Necro group buffs (rare but useful)
Tier 3 — Endgame polish (150+ AAs)
- Mnemonic Retention 3 — complete DoT + tap + pet + utility kit
- Spell Casting Subtlety — lower aggro per cast
- Spell Casting Fury — boost crit damage
- Death's Fury equivalent class-tier DoT enhancement at later tiers
- Gather Corpse / Coffin — corpse-recovery utility AA
General AAs to prioritize
- Run 3 (always)
- Mnemonic Retention 3 (DoT rotation depth)
- Spell Casting Mastery 3 (DoT mana cost)
- Spell Casting Subtlety (DoT aggro management)
- Innate Intelligence
Archetype AAs (shared with related classes)
- Pet Affinity — Mag, Nec, SK, Bst
- Spell Casting Mastery / Reinforcement / Fury / Subtlety — every caster
- Quick Damage — Dru, Wiz, Mag, Nec
- Critical Affliction — Dru, Shm, Nec DoT crit line
- Pet Discipline — Mag/Nec pet skill upgrade
Class-defining AAs
- Critical Affliction — Necro DoT crit (shared archetype but Necro benefits most)
- Improved Pet (Necro variant) — necro-specific pet stat line
- Mnemonic Retention scales uniquely well — Necro has more concurrent spells than any other caster
- Death's Fury — Necro DoT-damage line at later tiers
- Soul Consumption / Lich-line scales with class AA tiers
Common pitfalls
- Chasing pet AAs over DoT AAs — Necro pet is a tank, not the damage source. DoTs are 70%+ of your parse.
- Skipping Spell Casting Subtlety — Necro DoTs hit hard and pull aggro fast without it.
- Ignoring Mnemonic Retention past 2 — Necro rotation is the deepest in the game; you need every gem.
- Buying Quick Damage before Critical Affliction — DoTs benefit more from crits than from cast time.
- Forgetting Pet Affinity — even if you don't lean on the pet, the buffed pet eats hits you'd otherwise take.
The Last Camp any-race-class note
Necromancer AA priority does not change with race. Iksar Necro (canonical) has Innate Regen which compounds with lifetaps for a near-immortal solo loop. Dark Elf and Gnome Necro (canonical) have higher base INT, hitting Innate Intelligence cap a few AAs earlier. Non-canonical races (Wood Elf, Halfling Necro via any-race-class) have lower base HP/INT — Innate Intelligence and Stamina are more urgent.