Definition
Necromancy is a type of magic centered on death and the dead. In fiction, it typically covers raising corpses, communicating with spirits, manipulating souls, or harnessing the energy of death itself. Historically the term meant divination by consulting the dead, but fantasy fiction has expanded it into a full magical discipline with its own rules, aesthetics, and moral questions.
Why It Matters
Necromancy forces your story to take a position on death, souls, and what (if anything) happens after. That's not just a magic system question; it's a philosophical one that shapes your entire world. A story where the dead can be called back is fundamentally different from one where death is final, and your characters will feel that difference in every choice they make.
Types of Necromancy
Famous Examples
The Abhorsen is a necromancer who puts the dead to rest rather than raising them, flipping the trope into something heroic and deeply structured.
Necromancy is one of the Laws of Magic that wizards are forbidden to practice, making it a mark of villainy and desperation.
An entire civilization built on necromantic power, where bone magic and spirit manipulation are the foundation of society, not its taboo.
Common Mistakes
Ask yourself: is it the magic that's evil, or how people use it? A necromancer who helps grieving families say goodbye is morally different from one raising an undead army.
Even magical zombies need some kind of cost or limit. Do they decay? Does controlling them drain the caster? Can they be destroyed easily? An infinite army is boring; a costly one is dramatic.
If you can just ask dead people questions, murder mysteries get solved instantly, inheritance disputes disappear, and religion changes completely. Think through the ripple effects.
Try It Yourself
Write a scene where a character uses necromancy for a sympathetic reason (saying goodbye, solving a crime, protecting the living). Make the reader root for them even though the magic is traditionally villainous. Pay attention to the physical details of the magic and what it costs the caster.
Death has rules. Track them.
Novelium's worldbuilding tools let you map out your necromantic system's costs, limits, and consequences so your dead stay consistent from chapter one to the final page.