Perhaps it’s time to introduce a whole new approach to boons that is necro-specific/necro-themed. The vision here is a necro feeds off of the aggression surrounding him or her. The greater the violence, the more power the necro can draw from it.
In game-mechanics terms, this translates into the necro applying party-wide buffs as certain conditions are met; the amount of damage they suffer, the amount of damage they deal, the number of enemies within a certain radius, etc. Furthermore, this would scale. The following is just a brainstorming example to illustrate the concept; don’t take it as a literal suggestion written in stone:
Necro surrounded by 1 opponent = every W seconds, grants X stacks of Might for Y seconds to the necro and up to 4 other allies in range.
Necro surrounded by 2 – 3 opponents = every W seconds, grants X stacks of Might for Y seconds and Fury for Z seconds to the necro and up to 4 other allies in range.
Necro surrounded by 4 or more opponents = every W seconds, grants X stacks of Might for Y seconds, Fury for Z seconds, and a few seconds of Retaliation to the necro and up to 4 other allies in range.
Note the boons being applied fit the necro theme of benefiting from aggression; they’re the offensive buffs of Might, Fury, and Retaliation. No defensive boons such as Aegis, Protection, Vigor, etc. for the necro.
If this new mechanic is triggered via traits, it could even be made to fit the theme of each of the trait lines. The example given above would be appropriate for our power line, Spite.
Maybe the Curses line sees condition manipulation as the form of party support. For each condition on the necro’s allies but limited by the number of opponents (1 opponent, 1 condition counter; 2 – 3 opponents, 2 condition counters; 4 or more opponents, 3 condition counters; etc.), the party gains some buff to counter-act the condition, gives them a temporary bonus to precision, or something appropriate to the Curses line.
Death Magic could see short-lived bonuses to toughness on a party-wide basis. This may even be an appropriate place to slip in the Protection buff.
The Blood Magic line support would include things such as mass regen of short duration and party-wide life siphoning for a hit or two.
Soul Reaping is a little tricky. Perhaps the necro’s life force pool is used to save party members from death. For example, the next time a party member takes damage that would send them to defeat, that damage is instead deducted from the necro’s life force pool, saving their ally.
The critical point, though, is none of the above is done in a vacuum. These aren’t traits or skills the necro can voluntarily activate to apply these advantages and boons. Instead, they are triggered only when certain criteria are met. Those criteria being tied to aggression thresholds of some form or another. Some of these were mentioned at the beginning of the suggestion; I’m sure there’s more the contributors to this forum could come up with.
Think of it like entering an alternate, mirror, or negative universe where the necro is the anti-guardian. How would such a class go about buffing their party if forced to draw on the aggression of their enemies and/or allies to fuel their powers?
)