Death Shroud

This article is about the necromancer profession mechanic. For the effect, see Death Shroud (effect). For the NPC skill, see Death Shroud (NPC skill).

— In-game description

“

Assume a spectral form and gain new skills, turning your life force into health.

— In-game description ^[?]

Death Shroud is the necromancer's unique mechanic providing some passive benefits and replacing the necromancer's normal weapon skills with a fixed set of Death Shroud skills. It is fueled by life force and can be entered even while under control effects. The necromancer's elite specializations replace this mechanic - Reapers enter a Reaper's Shroud instead, while Scourges enter Desert Shroud (Desert Shroud does not grant new weapon skills, although it can trigger traits with "enter shroud" and "exit shroud" conditions e.g. Spiteful Spirit).

Mechanics[edit]

Death Shroud has a base 10-second recharge upon deactivation. It ends either when the life force pool is completely depleted, or when manually deactivated. A minimum of 10% life force is required to enter Death Shroud.

While in Death Shroud, the necromancer's health is temporarily replaced by their life force pool, and all damage dealt will be inflicted to the life force pool instead of the necromancer's normal health pool. This includes falling damage, allowing Necromancers in Death Shroud to survive falls from greater height than usually possible. Direct and condition damage done to the life force pool is reduced by 50%, but this damage reduction isn't reflected in the combat log or the damage floaters. Additionally, the necromancer naturally loses 3% of its total life force pool every second (4% per second in PvP).

Necromancers cannot be healed while in Death Shroud (except for Unholy Sanctuary and Vampiric Presence). Effects that normally restore health will have no effect on either the life force pool or the necromancer's regular health pool. Skills and traits that refill life force will continue to function while in Death Shroud. However, the necromancer will not get life force from nearby deaths.

While in Death Shroud, upgrades, such as sigils, on the necromancer's currently equipped weapon continue to function. While you cannot swap weapons in Death Shroud, entering Death Shroud will activate sigils that trigger on weapon swap. The weapon strength of the equipped weapon is applied to the Death Shroud skills, including any traits that affect the equipped weapon, such as Spiteful Talisman. Traits and rune bonuses that trigger at health thresholds (such as Superior Rune of the Scholar) rely on the necromancer's regular health pool, rather than their life force pool.

Skills[edit]

When under the effect of Death Shroud, these skills replace the normal weapon skill bar. They can't be changed but can be upgraded through the use of traits.

Terrestrial[edit]

#	Skill			Description
1	Life Blast	1		Shroud. Blast your foe with life force.
2	Dark Path	0.75¾	8	Shroud. Send out a claw. If it hits a foe, it inflicts bleeding and chill on nearby foes and you may cast Dark Pursuit to shadowstep to the initial target.
2	Dark Pursuit			Shadowstep to the foe marked by Dark Path. Using this skill increases the recharge of Dark Path.
3	Doom	0.75¾	20	Shroud. Inflict fear on your foe.
4	Life Transfer	30.5½	25	Shroud. Damage nearby foes and steal their life force.
5	Tainted Shackles	0.25¼	30	Shroud. Begin binding nearby enemies with your life force, pulsing out conditions; they can break this binding if they get far enough away from you. Bound foes are immobilized if the binding finishes.

Aquatic[edit]

#	Skill			Description
1	Plague Blast	0.5½		Blast a foe with a plague that transfers one condition to them.
2	Dark Water	0.5½	8	Blind and poison foes near your target with a dark cloud.
3	Wave of Fear	0.5½	20	Terrify all foes in front of you with a wave of fear.
4	Gathering Plague	10.25¼	25	Draw conditions from nearby allies to yourself, and inflict weakness on yourself.
5	Tainted Shackles	0.25¼	30	Shroud. Begin binding nearby enemies with your life force, pulsing out conditions; they can break this binding if they get far enough away from you. Bound foes are immobilized if the binding finishes.

Related traits[edit]

Traits that improve Death Shroud[edit]

Spite[edit]

Awaken the Pain — Might grants you more power and less condition damage. Gain might when entering shroud.
Signets of Suffering — Gain enhanced versions of your equipped signet passive effects while in shroud. Signets recharge every second you are in shroud.
Spiteful Spirit — Strike around you when entering shroud.

Curses[edit]

Furious Demise — Gain fury when entering shroud. Gain additional precision.
Plague Sending — Your first attack after entering shroud transfers conditions. Only activates if you have conditions.
Weakening Shroud — Cast Lesser Enfeeble when entering shroud. Critical hits inflict weakness.

Death Magic[edit]

Armored Shroud — Gain carapace when entering shroud.
Shrouded Removal — Lose a condition when you enter shroud and every few seconds while you remain in shroud. Gain carapace when removing conditions from yourself.
Unholy Sanctuary — Regenerate health while in shroud. If your life force is above the threshold, your shroud will activate if you would take a lethal blow.

Blood Magic[edit]

Life from Death — Heal and partially revive allies in an area when you exit shroud.
Unholy Martyr — Entering shroud transfers conditions from allies to you. Exiting shroud consumes conditions currently on you and converts them to life force.
Vampiric Presence — You and your nearby allies siphon health with attacks. This effect increases while in Shroud.

Soul Reaping[edit]

Speed of Shadows — Entering shroud grants swiftness and removes movement-impairing conditions.
Death Perception — Gain increased critical-strike chance and ferocity when in a shroud.