Research required for Necros?
 

Just wondering if research is required at all for necros(or any spellcasters)? Are there any no-drop spells that I can only get through research? Would you guys suggest raising it?

You will need to do research for necro spells.
Or collect all the words needed and suck up to a high research necro.

Why will I "need" to? I can't just buy them? Would it be ridiculously expensive?

Just some questions you need to answer yourself.

Are you rich and have lots of plat?
Do you want to wait for the rare odd time when it is auctioned in the EC tunnel?

A half answer for you.
You will gather most of the pages you require when you are leveling normally.

Choose the path of your quest.

I understand what you're saying. I'm simply just trying to clarify if it's simply a money issue or if there's a reason I must go research, such as a no-drop spell coming out in Velious or something.

Research only required for wizards (Ice Comet nodrop).

That said, necro spells are not too commonly for sale except the low-end ones. Not impossible, but may prove to be a painful wait unless you have the money/patience.

I basically bought all the necessary research spells for around 1k, didn't really keep track. They are cheap and a couple people in EC often sell them all, if not then most of them.

1. Hungry Earth (16) - Undead Root spell, we don't get root until 34 so this is useful
2. Harmshield (20) - Necro DA. Having DA up is extremely useful even with FD in your arsenal, I personally always have it up on my necro and use it quite frequently.
3. Intensify Death (24) - Pet Haste. First pet haste, not really that useful beyond fear kiting or grouping, it gets replaced in the 50s with a bought spell.
4. Renew Bones (29) - Pet Heal. This is the last pet heal you get and it has some use for mid levels, but beyond 50+ you won't really use it.
5. Call of Bones (34) - Lich spell with illusion, this is gamechanging when you get it
6. Dead Man Floating (44) - Levitate/PR/EB buff, this buff is incredible, 70min levitate and EB is very convenient. Plus no reagent required for your EB.
7. Bonds of Death (49) - Leach upgrade. This is a HUGE upgrade for your lifedrain DoT line, you go from a 29 spell to a 49 spell. Gaining back HP becomes a lot easier.
8. Lich (49) - Call of Bones upgrade. Again a sizeable upgrade to your mana regen
9. Invoke Death (49) - Pet spell. Your 44 pet doesn't hold a candle up to the 49. It gains literally 1000 HP (over a 40% increase), plus some more max DMG/level. This pet allows your pet to actually tank semi-effectively on low 40s content.

Those are the research only spells that I would suggest acquiring. There are a few others (random level pets and some miscellaneous crap) that I don't mention.

The first 2 spells shouldn't be too tough to find for about 50 plat each.

Pet Haste/Heal may be tough to find but honestly you could live without them

Call of Bones will run you 300-400pp most likely, it is tough to find this one but it is definitely a must have.

Dead Man Floating you can probably grab for around 100-200pp, shouldn't be too bad to find.

3 level 49 spells run around 150-300pp each, all 3 are must haves.


So - Expect to throw down 1000-1500pp~ to get your spells. Also you will have to spend a fair amount of time waiting in EC because it isn't convenient like the bazaar.

However to get your research up to high skill on your own takes a ton of combines or you can pay with skill points at a Guild Master, but it takes a solid 2000-3000 plat to get to 180~ skill (stopping around 160 saves a decent chunk of change and still has a decent success rate on 49 spells). Plus as you are leveling up, you can't get your skill to the point where your spells are trivial (IE level 24 spells are trivial at 64 skill. However at level 24 you're capped at 45 Research)

Its probably more practical to buy them as a starting toon unless you come across a vast number of words and you are combining as you go when leveling. Personally on my Enchanter as I leveled I would combine the spells and sell them in OOC in Unrest, made all of his spell money that way basically up through the 30s, and got a decent number of skillups.

It's not even required for Wizards - droppable version of Ice Comet comes off Vox.