RS3 Necromancy Leveling Guide: 1–120
Necromancy is RS3’s 29th skill, released August 7, 2023. It reaches level 120 (with 104,273,167 XP required for max level) and raises the maximum combat level from 138 to 152. Free-to-play players can train Necromancy up to level 20.
As of April 2026, over 161,000 players have reached level 99, more than 66,000 have reached level 120, and over 18,000 have reached 200 million XP — making it one of the fastest-adopted skills in the game.
Necromancy can be trained through rituals (non-combat skilling), combat, or a mixture of both. Most players combine both methods and switch between them based on what resources they need at any given level.
Quests First: The Necromancy Quest Chain
Before training, complete the Necromancy! tutorial quest. It’s free-to-play, starts in Falador, and grants access to the City of Um, unlocks the skill entirely, and gives you your first Conjure Skeleton Warrior ability.
As you level, continue progressing the Necromancy quest chain. Many quests are required to unlock ritual sites, higher incantations, and the final talent tiers:
| Quest | Level Req | Key Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Necromancy! | — | Tutorial, Um access, level 1 start |
| Kili Row | 20 | Ensoul rituals, gear upgrade knowledge |
| Rune Mythos | 24 | Essence rituals, necrotic runes |
| That Old Black Magic | 32 | Expands ritual/skilling options |
| Vessel of the Harbinger | 46 | Story progression |
| Ancient Awakening | 50 | Story progression |
| Battle of Forinthry | 60 | Boss access |
| Tomes of the Warlock | 75 | Darkness, Greater Bone Shield, Life Transfer |
| Requiem for a Dragon | 75 | Ungael ritual site |
Levels 1–20: Tutorial Phase
Method: Necromancy! quest content, then ritual training at Um
After completing Necromancy!, do the following immediately:
- Train to level 5 via Lesser Communion rituals — use bones obtained from killing ghosts or goblins near the City of Um.
- At level 5, begin Necroplasm rituals to start stockpiling Lesser Necroplasm for higher-tier ink.
XP per Lesser Communion ritual at level 5 is modest, but rituals are the main source of early non-combat levels. Supplement by killing undead enemies in the City of Um, which grants full Necromancy combat experience.
F2P cap: Free players can reach level 20 before requiring a membership.
Levels 20–40: Communion and Basic Combat
Method: Ritual training with Big Bones / Greater Communion prep; combat kills
At level 20 you unlock Tier 2 talents and access to Higher Quality bone options for communion. Key milestones:
- Level 20: Unlock Regular Ghostly Ink crafting (20 Lesser Necroplasm + Vial of Water + Ashes)
- Level 24: Unlock Lesser Essence rituals (200 Pure essence → 40 Impure essence)
- Level 25: Unlock Lesser Bone Shield incantation (useful for combat)
For combat training, Chaos Druids and Lesser Demons are accessible and give solid early XP. Make sure you’re completing the relevant early quest chain quests.
Levels 40–60: Rituals Scaling Up
Method: Lesser/Greater Communion as available; combat against mid-level undead
At level 40, you unlock:
- Conjure Putrid Zombie talent (in Tier 3)
- Level 40 basic Necromancy abilities
Ritual improvements:
- Continue running Lesser Communion rituals with Dragon Bones once you hit level 60 (you’ll unlock Greater Communion automatically)
- Always fill all available glyph spots to maximise XP output per ritual
Combat XP per hour scales well at levels 45–60 by training on Corporeal Beast pre-kills for low-level Necromancy, or Cockroach soldiers/Flesh crawlers in the Stronghold of Security.
Levels 60–80: Greater Rituals
Method: Greater Communion rituals with Dragon Bones; level 60 Tier 2 glyph spots
At level 60, you unlock the Tier 2 ritual site tier:
- 7 glyph spots instead of 5 (adds 2 alteration glyph spaces)
- 6 light source spots
- Greater Necroplasm rituals (levels 60 Lesser → 100 Greater Necroplasm per 200 input)
You also unlock Greater Communion rituals. Dragon Bones at Greater Communion give 10 souls per ritual. Dagannoth Bones give 12, Airut 14, and Ourg 16. For cost-effective leveling, Dragon Bones are by far the most accessible.
Combat training at this range is most efficient at: Armoured Zombies (level 84), Edimmu (level 90 Slayer required), or Barrows Brothers.
Key milestones in this range:
- Level 62: Spectral Scythe combat ability
- Level 66: Volley of Souls (powerful burst ability)
- Level 75: Ungael ritual site access (requires Requiem for a Dragon)
- Level 76: Living Death ultimate ability
Levels 80–99: Powering to the Max
Method: Greater Communion rituals with Ourg/Dragonkin bones; combat slayer
At level 80:
- Level 80 Powerful Necromancy potions become available (12% boost, helps but doesn’t unlock restricted tiers)
- Invoke Death incantation (level 80) for execute windows against bosses
- Tier 6 talent tree (requires 8,500 souls in the Well of Souls)
Slayer training with Necromancy from level 80 onward is extremely efficient. Undead Slayer mask bonuses apply, and many Slayer creatures are undead or classified as targets for Necromancy’s strongest abilities.
At level 90:
- Tier 3 ritual site unlocks (11 glyph spots, 10 light sources)
- Powerful Communion rituals (dinosaur bones → 30 souls per ritual)
- Powerful Necroplasm rituals
- Tier 7 talent tree requirements begin
The jump from 8,500 to 35,000 souls for Tier 7 is the largest bottleneck. Start running Powerful Communion rituals using cheap Frost Dragon Bones (40 souls per ritual) as soon as level 90 is reached.
At level 99:
- Conjure Undead Army
- Necromancy cape (multiple perks including free alteration glyph effect)
Level 99–120: Mastery
Method: Slayer tasks; Rasial boss; Powerful Communion rituals
Level 99 to 120 requires ~79 million XP beyond the standard 99 cap. The fastest XP methods:
- Combat (Necromancy) at Rasial’s boss fight — Very high combat XP per hour for experienced players
- Necromancy Slayer — Undead Slayer tasks give bonus XP with undead mask
- Ritual training (Powerful Communion, Powerful Essence) — AFK method with consistent XP
At level 99, Rasial (The First Necromancer) drops T95 weapons and armour, which are among the best-in-slot gear for Necromancy combat.
Boosts Worth Using
| Boost | Level Req | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Necromancy potion | 66 | +1+8% Necromancy |
| Super Necromancy potion | 76 | +2+12% Necromancy |
| Extreme Necromancy potion | 81 | +3+15% Necromancy |
| Overload (Elder Overload) | Any | Covers all combat stats including Necromancy |
Critical note: Potions boost your level for most purposes, but they do not allow you to unlock ritual site tiers (levels 60 and 90) or access abilities that require a specific base level.
XP Rates at a Glance
| Level Range | Method | XP/Hour (approximate) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–20 | Lesser Communion rituals | 10–20k |
| 20–60 | Greater Communion prep + combat | 30–80k |
| 60–90 | Greater Communion rituals | 80–150k |
| 90–99 | Powerful Communion | 200–400k |
| 90–99 | Necromancy combat (slayer) | 300–700k |
| 99–120 | Rasial boss | 600–1,000k+ |
These are conservative estimates that improve with better gear, familiars, and experience.
