Black heart of the void quest, help i seem to be stuck with this witch quest. There is a place in a lava floor where shutter doors close behind with two giant bosses pummeling on me. Also skelet keys are limited to one per game so i need to clear all the path again every time. Black Heart of the Void is an Act 4 Faction side quest offered by Anasteria in the Fort Ikon Prison, after completing the Secrets of the Lost quest and gaining Respected Faction Status. The crafting of a Skeleton Key is required to complete this quest. 1 Objectives 2 Guide.
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Necromancers have always been epic in any RPG games. Since Crate Entertainment announced this class, it has been the most awaited mastery in Grim Dawn, just like the necromancer class in Diablo 3.
Most builds that you will encounter in this article focus on pets since necromancers have always been known to summon allies. As a general rule in playing a pet build. The pets will take care of dealing damage to enemies. Your primary job is to keep yourself alive and to re-summon any pets that have fallen in battle.
By the way, in case you don’t prefer pet builds, this article also contains references for non-pet types of build.
Here are the builds that will be discussed in this article:
- Pet Cabalist Variant 1
- Pet Cabalist Variant 2
- Dark Mage Cabalist
- Grim Reaper
- Range Blade Reaper
- Pet Death Night
- Grim Death Night
- Pet Ritualist
- Life Drainer Ritualist
Note: Recommended Devotions are not in order, meaning, it is up to you what constellation you should learn first. Just in case you don’t know, devotion points can also be re-assigned in order to meet certain requirements.
When it comes to gear components, resistance to different damage types should be the priority for your character to survive on higher difficulties.
1. Pet Cabalist Variant 1 (Necromancer + Occultist)
Our first pet build focuses on full power of necromancer’s pets, plus buffing it with Blood of Dreeg.
Attributes
Defense is your main priority here. Since your pets will deal damage for you, 90% or 95% of your attributes should be placed on physique.
You should still put points on spirit to be able to equip high-level enchanted items.
Don’t bother putting attributes on cunning, unless you are planning to equip something that requires cunning.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Raise Skeletons (16 points) – Undead Legion (12 points) – Will of the Crypt (12 points)
- Summon Blight Fiend (16 points) – Rotting Fumes (12 points) – Blight Burst (12 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Master of Death (12 points)
- Call of the Grave (10 points)
- Mark of Torment (3 points)
- Bone Harvest (1 point) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
Occultist Skills
- Mastery Bar (32 points)
- Blood of Dreeg (16 points) – Aspect of Guardian (12 points)
Devotion
- Jackal
- Eel
- Panther
- Lion
- Raven
- Shepherd’s Crook
- Empty Throne
- Bysmiel’s Bonds
- Staff of Rattosh
- Typhos, the Jailor of Souls
- Behemoth
- Rattosh, the Veilwarden
Equipment Priorities
Use equipment that grant bonuses to your pets, especially the one with add to a pet’s All Damage. Equipping items that let you summon more pets is also a good idea.
It all comes down to personal preference whether you want to equip caster’s off-hand for cooldown reduction or shield for better defense.
How to Play?
Follow the general rule in playing a pet build.
Also, never forget that you have Blood of Dreeg to buff and heal the whole group.
2. Pet Cabalist Variant 2 (Necromancer + Occultist)
This build variant lets you summon pets from both necromancer and occultist mastery and buff them with multiple toggled skills that increase their damage.
Attributes
Same as Pet Cabalist Variant 1.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Raise Skeletons (16 points) – Undead Legion (12 points) – Will of the Crypt (4 points)
- Summon Blight Fiend (16 points)
- Bone Harvest (1 point) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Master of Death (12 points)
- Call of the Grave (10 points)
Occultist Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Summon Familiar (16 points)
- Summon Hellhound (16 points)
- Bonds of Bysmiel (1 point) – Manipulation (12 points)
Devotion
- Jackal
- Lion
- Raven
- Shepherd’s Crook
- Sailor’s Guide
- Eel
- Panther
- Empty Throne
- Bysmiel’s Bond
- Staff of Ratosh
- Behemoth
- Dying God
Equipment Priorities
Same as Pet Cabalist Variant 1.
How to Play?
Follow the general rule in playing a pet build.
3. Dark Mage Cabalist (Necromancer + Occultist)
A non-pet cabalist build that deals major vitality damage with some chaos damage. This build also has great survival capabilities because it converts a lot of attack damage to health.
Attributes
Spend 60% or 75% of your points on spirit and the rest on physique. You may also put some points on cunning if you want more offensive ability.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Bone Harvest (16 points) – Dread (12 points) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
- Siphon Souls (12 points) – Blood Boil (12 points)
- Harbinger of Souls (12 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Reaping Strike (10 points)
- Mark of Torment (1 point)
Occultist Skills
- Mastery Bar (40 points)
- Solael’s Witchfire (12 points) – Consecrated Blade (3 points) – Second Rite (12 points)
- Sigil of Consumption (12 points)
- Doom Bolt (12 points)
Devotion
- Gallows
- Sailor’s Guide
- Eel
- Jackal
- Bat
- Empty Throne
- Toad
- Wendigo
- Affliction
- Typhos, Jailor of Souls
- Dying God
Equipment Priorities
Get gear with bonuses affixed to Vitality damage and Chaos damage.
How to Play?
Use Sigil of Consumption and Doom Bolt on long-range enemies.
Use Siphon of Souls when surrounded by melee to midrange.
Use Bone Harvest for dealing damage to multiple enemies in a straight line.
4. Grim Reaper (Necromancer + Nightblade)
For those who want to play like a Grim Reaper, I believe this is one of the closest builds that you can get. Grim Reaper is a melee type build that can deal heavy amounts of damage while converting a percentage of it to health.
Tip: To look exactly like a Grim Reaper, refer to an illusionist to transform your two-hand weapon into a scythe of your choice, your head armor into a hoodie of your choice, and finally, your chest armor into a robe of your choice.
Attributes
Since this build is a melee type, having high amounts of physique is your main priority. Spirit is your next priority because your main attacks are magical damage. Getting some cunning is also a good idea for better offensive ability.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Bone Harvest (16 points) – Harvester of Death (1 point) – Dread (12 points) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
- Siphon Souls (12 points) – Blood Boil (10 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Harbringer of Souls (12 points)
- Spectral Binding (12 points) – Spectral Wrath (10 points)
- Reaping Strike (10 points)
- Necrotic Edge (10 points)
- Mark of Torment (2 points)
Nightblade Skills
- Mastery Bar (20 points)
- Shadow Strike (1 point)
- Pneumatic Burst (12 points)
- Blade Barrier (10 points)
- Anatomy of Murder (12 points)
Devotion
- Lion
- Gallows
- Bat
- Toad
- Wendigo
- Behemoth
- Typhos, the Jailor of Souls
- Kraken
- Affliction
- Rattosh, the Veilwarden
Equipment Priorities
For damage types, vitality, vitality decay, and aether are your top priorities. Cold and physical are secondary choices.
How to Play?
To survive in melee, don’t stop attacking enemies so that you can continuously recover your lost health.
I put a single point on Shadow Strike so that I have the ability to dash quickly from one enemy to another.
5. Range Blade Reaper (Necromancer + Nightblade)
This range build’s damage balances physical and magical while converting a portion of it to health.
Attributes
For this hybrid build, spend 25 or 30 points on cunning, and another 25 or 30 points on spirit, and the remaining points on physique.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Bone Harvest (16 points) – Dread (12 points) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
- Harbinger of Souls (12 points)
Nightblade Skills
- Mastery Bar (40 points)
- Phantasmal Blade (16 points) – Frenetic Throw (1 point) – Heart Seeker (12 points)
- Blade Trap (12 points) – Devouring Blades (12 points)
- Pneumatic Burst (12 points) – Breath of Belgothian (1 point) – Shadow Dance (12 points)
- Blade Barrier (12 points)
- Anatomy of Murder (12 points)
Devotion
- Assassin’s Blade
- Gallows
- Bat
- Empty Throne
- Toad
- Crane
- Blades of Nadaan
- Wendigo
- Affliction
- Unknown Soldier
Equipment Priorities
Equip gear that increases damage to vitality, pierce, or bleeding. It is also advisable to equip a caster’s off-hand for energy regeneration and cooldown reduction.
How to Play?
Your primary damage dealing skill is Phantasmal Blades. Use it like your normal attack. Then cast your blade trap whenever available, especially to hold off melee enemies.
6. Pet Death Knight (Necromancer + Soldier)
Having Soldier’s Field Command provides good damage and defense buff to both your pets and party.
Attributes
Refer to Pet Cabalist Build.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Raise Skeletons (16 points) – Undead Legion (12 points) – Will of the Crypt (12 points)
- Summon Blight Fiend (16 points) – Rotting Fumes (12 points) – Blight Burst (12 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Master of Death (12 points)
- Call of the Grave (10 points)
- Bone Harvest (1 point) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
Soldier Skills
- Mastery Bar (32 points)
- Field Command (12 points) – Squad Tactics (12 points)
- Menhir’s Will (4 points)
- Military Conditioning (3 points)
Devotion
Refer to Pet Cabalist Build.
Equipment Priorities
Refer to Pet Cabalist Build.
How to Play?
Grim Dawn Bastion Of Chaos Farming
Follow the general rule in playing a pet build.
7. Grim Death Knight (Necromancer + Soldier)
This is a variant of the Grim Reaper build. Grim Death Knight is a good choice for those who prefer better toughness.
Attributes
Refer to Grim Reaper build.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Bone Harvest (16 points) – Dread (12 points) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Harbinger of Souls (12 points)
- Spectral Binding (12 points) – Spectral Wrath (10 points)
- Reaping Strike (10 points)
Soldier Skills
- Mastery Bar (32 points)
- Blade Arc (16 points) – Clean Sweep (1 point) – Laceration (12 points)
- Field Command (12 points) – Squad Tactics (12 points)
- Menhir’s Will (9 points)
Devotion
Refer to Grim Reaper build.
Equipment Priorities
Your main damage type priority for this build are vitality, vitality decay, then aether.
Once you reach level 94, it is mandatory to equip Howl of the Wendigo. It converts your Blade Arc’s physical damage into vitality damage making it suitable for this build.
How to Play?
Refer to Grim Reaper build.
Regarding what skill to learn last, choose Blade Arc as last priority since it won’t deal that much damage for this build until you get How of the Wendigo.
8. Pet Ritualist (Necromancer + Shaman)
This build contains the full force and abilities of the necromancer’s pets in addition to having Summon Briarthorn with its Ground Slam. One thing I like about this build is that both Briarthorn’s and Blight Fiend’s area of effect skill can easily wipe out mobs.
Attributes
Same as Pet Cabalist Variant 1.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Raise Skeletons (16 points) – Undead Legion (12 points) – Will of the Crypt (12 points)
- Summon Blight Fiend (16 points) – Rotting Fumes (12 points) – Blight Burst (12 points)
- Reap Spirit (16 points)
- Master of Death (12 points)
- Call of the Grave (10 points)
- Bone Harvest (16 points) – Soul Harvest (12 points)
Shaman Skills
- Mastery Bar (20 points)
- Summon Briarthorn (16 points) – Ground Slam (12 points)
Devotion
Same as Pet Cabalist Variant 1.
Equipment Priorities
Same as Pet Cabalist Variant 1.
How to Play?
Follow the general rule in playing a pet build.
9. Life Drainer Ritualist (Necromancer + Shaman)
This is a midrange mage type build that wields multiple attack damage converted to health skills.
Attributes
Same as Dark Mage Cabalist.
Necromancer Skills
- Mastery Bar (50 points)
- Drain Essence (16 points) – Hungering Reach (12 points) – Decomposition (12 points)
- Siphon Souls (12 points) – Blood Boil (12 points)
- Harbinger of Souls (12 points)
- Spectral Binding (12 points) – Spectral Wrath (10 points)
- Mark of Torment (4 points)
Handarroths Heart Grim Dawn
Shaman Skills
- Mastery Bar (40 points)
- Devouring Swarm (16 points)
- Wendigo Totem (12 points) – Blood Pact (12 points)
- Mogdrogen’s Pact (12 points)
Devotion
Same as Dark Mage Cabalist.
Equipment Priorities
Choose gear that increases vitality damage.
How to play?
Learn Devouring Swarm first. It’s the best skills to choose for leveling up on early game.
This build is generally a midrange build, but you don’t have to worry about taking some damage because all of this build’s offensive skills can convert attack damage to health.
© 2017 Arc Sosangyo
I plan to play your Grim Death Knight.
Is it viable to switch Blade Arc for Cadence as Long as there´s no Wendigo at Hand?
Hehe, thank you for responding. I probably never even gonna achieve this high level xD, so don't need to worry ^^
@:) Well there is 4 missing points. Put them on the Necrotic Edge that is 10/12 and the Blade Barrier 10/12. It was a mistake what he did there :) And stats are ok i guess
OwO. Playing multiplayer ? I ain't that good tho :p I always check the grim dawn wikia to see where is the nearest shrine to do haha. But yes why not.I might slow you down but i'm open to play multiplayer. The problem is our timezone difference. I guess you have like +8hours from my timezone so :B Hard to know when you play and when i play :D. But yeah why not. Message me in private if you can if you want to know my steam name :=)
Okay. Thanks again ! By far your guide are the most easy to understand. Others builds guide i saw on Grim dawn compendium had a lack of explaining. Thanks again ;) I'm trying the Pet Cabalist Variant 2 since i feel very squishy with my old Grim Reaper that i played. ( He was lvl 46 at act 5 keep dieying lol)
Yes i know we must put point in the bar to unlock the skills that is. But my question is. In which order we must pick our skills ? In the order you put in the guide or in the order that they come in the skill tree ? :=)
Hello,
I currently have 46 devotion points, and can't seem to get the two last constellations for my build, Grim Death Knight, Typhos and Rattosh. I am pretty new to Grim Dawn myself, so I don't quite understand how Devostion points work yet.
I have specced everything in crossroads currently.
I am missing two in Order, and one in Ascendant.
By the way ( Shiro is me). I started Grim dawn recently. That's why those informations of your guide well, they made my brain explode :D That's why i need to know how to put my points at. But if it's just to put 50 mastery point first then take skills.. I think there is a problem ? :) Explain me please.
Hey. I'm asking myself i don't understand the concept^^'. We need to put 50 points on the mastery first then put points on the skills or ? I'm a bit confused. It's like we should put 50 points on mastery only, then step 2 put all points on a skill. I'm so lost :'c. Can you help me :cI'm really interested for the Grim Reaper Necro-Nightblade
Hi again and sorry, I could write it in 1 comment X) but do you plan to add more builds for other classes ? I mean for example Arcanist-Shaman or Occultist-Nightblade ? I mean builds for other classes non Inquisitor or non Necromancer ? Thanx a lot and continue great job ! ;)
Hi, Arc Sosangyo, explain me how can I choose a Typhos - Jailor of Souls if I need 3 points of Order ... ? I am playing with your guide as Drain Essence build. I see that the devotion I need is same as the dark mage. How can I get 3 points of Order ? THX !!
Hiya! Small typo with Dark Mage Occultist; you need 50 points in the Necromancer Mastery Bar, not 15.
Hi.
Heart of the mountain is mean to be a permanent summon of a Chillmane Yetti. Instead you get one of those tiny shrimp looking void things that can not be controlled, it just follows you and attacks (can't set passive/aggressive etc). Have been waiting for one to drop as the prospect of another permanent summon was very exiting. To get just this is a bit disappointing.
Item description: https://gracefuldusk.appspot.com/items/7793-Heart-of-the-Mountain
Placeholder or?