Skyrim Character Build: Necromancer

A necromancer build is hard to pull off in vanilla Skyrim but doable. It can be an interesting change of playstyle as it relies on your thralls to do the work for you. The most difficult part of the build is staying true a 'necromancer' and not deviating too far into 'summoner' territory.

Race
Any race will work, but Altmer and Bretons start out with a boost to their conjuration skills. Altmer also get +50 Magicka and the "Highborn" (Regenerate 25% magicka per second for 60 seconds) race perk, while Bretons get 25% Magic Resistance and the "Dragonskin" (Absorb 50% of magicka from spells for 60 seconds) race perk.

 

Skill Trees

Restoration:
Restoration will be needed to heal oneself, regenerate magicka and stamina.

-Regeneration(20): Healing spells cure 50% more.
-Recovery (30): Magicka regenerates 25% faster (50% for second rank).
-Respite (40): Healing spells also restore stamina.
-Necromage (level 70): This increases the maximum level of deceased targets that can be raised and the power of stones, enchantments, spells, and player vampire abilities.
-Avoid Death (90): Once a day, heals 250 points automatically if the caster falls below 10% health.

Conjuration:
Conjuration is at the heart of any necromancer build. It enables longer undead summons, decreases conjuration cost, increases raised undead health, and allows two undead creatures to be raised at once.

-Mystic Binding (20): Bound weapons do more damage
-Summoner (30): Can summon Atronachs, raise undead or Dremora Lords twice as far away.
-Soul Stealer (30): Bound weapons cast Soul Trap on targets.
-Necromancy (40): Greater duration for reanimated undead
-Atromancy (40): Double duration for conjured Atronachs and Dremora Lords.
-Dark Souls (70): Reanimated undead have 100 points more health.
-Elemental Potency (80): Conjured Atronachs are 50% more powerful.
-Twin Souls (100): The player can have two conjured creatures.

Items:

Aetherial Crown: Retains the last Standing Stone ability you held, granting its effects in addition to those of your current stone. Attach the The Ritual Stone and then remove and re-equip.

Necromancer Amulet: +50 magicka, Conjuration spells cost 25% less to cast, Health and Stamina regen 75% slower.

Stone:

The Ritual Stone: Reanimate corpses in a 75-foot radius from the player for 200 seconds.

Mount:

Arvak: A skeletal horse summoned from the soul cairn.

Follower:

Serana: An ancient pure-blood vampire and the daughter of Lord Harkon, leader of the Volkihar vampires.

Shouts:

Durnehviir: A necromancer dragon ally summoned from the soul cairn.

Drain Vitality: Causes damage (does not sap) to stamina, mana, and health.

Marked for Death: Target receives an armor penalty every second, and health is sapped second for 60 seconds.

Soul Tear: Deals 300 damage. Enemies killed with the full shout (and are below level 100) are soul trapped and then reanimated for 60 seconds.