So basically this is a summoner with a strong ranged attack (Marrow Shards).
Reminds me a lot of “hybrid necro” from Diablo II, a build specialized in Summon Skeleton and Bone Spear.
It takes advantage of the unique body armor Exsanguinous
It allows to circumvent “current health” degen completlely, and is mandatory for the build.
Arena 171-175:
Arena 181-185:
Acolyte (20):
Forbidden Knowledge 5/8: INT
Mania of Mortality 10/10: ward generation
Dark Rituals 5/5: attack/cast speed for minions and you (You’ll definitely be summoning every 10 seconds)
Necromancer (5):
Risen Army 5/8: need to unlock Summon Wraith
Lich (65):
Dance with Death 8/8: 15% increased damage per point
Crippling Insight 8/8: 2 intelligence per point
Serrated Bones 8/8: +7% bleed on hit chance per point - benefits Skeletons and Marrow Shards
Mental Cacophony 5/5: 5% (multiplicative) ward retention and +4 mana per point
(ascend to Lich) 1/1
Deathbringer 5/5: +10% critical chance and +3% attack/cast speed per point.
Necrotic Energy 10/10: +2 necrotic damage per point on hit for us and minions.
Mind over Body 20/20: 2 intelligence per point
… (take these nodes after you’ve finished with the core build):
Unclosing Wounds 8/8: 14% increased damage per point
Wraith Bringer 3/3
Darkguard 3/3: Grants 7 ward per point on crit (seems to be bugged and doesn’t give ward, as of 0.7.1b)
… more Intelligence nodes (Apocrypha, then Acolyte’s Forbidden Knowledge)
(Alternatively, if you intend to go to level 100, you could invest in Necro tree, and eventually get Putrid Retribution)
Summon Wraith:
7 points to summon 7 wraiths at once;
10 points to max necrotic damage (since we already get extra 20 from Lich passives);
Wraith Bringer 2/3
Spirit Link 1/1 - buffs our crit chance (as long as Darkguard node doesn’t work, maxing Dark Scythe should be better)
Marrow Shards:
Ossumancy 7/7 - 98% chance to doublecast; basically doubles cast speed
Bone Knives 1/1
Splintering Impact 1/1
Carving 1/5
Bone Splinters 1/1
Marrow Caster 1/1 - you control the point of splintering, aim between youself and the enemy, close to the enemy
Gouging Splinters 4/4 - +100% bleed chance;
Crimson Ivory 3/3 - splinters (bot not the initial shot) do 75% MORE damage to bleeding enemies
1 remaining point - whatever (carving?)
(Crit nodes like “Dark Precision” just don’t seem to add as much DPS per point as doublecasting or bleeding)
Bone Golem
I like spectral, twins, aggro, movement speed aura
I have a feeling that speccing in marrow splinters makes golem’s novas shatter as well; need to test this.
Skeletons
3/3 points into 3+ skellies;
2/4 points down from root, to get to Death Slash and Leech nodes.
1/1 down to Death Slash for melee AoE;
5/5 health leech
4/6 +20% more damage per point
4/4 bleed chance
1/1 nescience (rush here first, then flesh out other nodes)
Mark for Death
chill, fear, more damage taken, whatever
Gear
weapon: Prophecy Wand (up to +250% base spell damage), crit chance, cast speed
body: Exsanguinous
other gear: INT, Glancing Blow (up to 100%), minion health/dodge/damage, health added/increased
I think it should also work well with Sacrifice, basically any damage spell that hits.