Can a Necromancer be good?

[Zuzu]

Perhaps it is the only sign of intellect, but it's there, at least.

Does Soul Trap work on summoned Undead? That might be something to consider, if we're taking in-game mechanics into account.

[Travalanche]

Not that I know of but that would kind of imbalance the game because you could loop it with dead thrall for infinite high level filled soul gems if you wanted.

Then again we're talking about a game where you can potentially craft an unenchanted dagger that can 1 shot Alduin on master difficulty.

[Zuzu]

True, I was just wondering where the line should be drawn.

It is strange, though, how we never see Necromancers directly use soul gems for anything. I know we see some Hagravens using them in their Briarheart ritual. And there's an NPC in some dungeon who uses one to summon ghosts or something?

[Travalanche]

True, I was just wondering where the line should be drawn.

It is strange, though, how we never see Necromancers directly use soul gems for anything. I know we see some Hagravens using them in their Briarheart ritual. And there's an NPC in some dungeon who uses one to summon ghosts or something?

The Briarheart ritual is actually pretty interesting, I'm guessing the Hagravens save the persons soul inside the soul gem to store it while they implant the briar heart where the regular heart normally was before they spring back to life? Another interesting thing is that the undead forsworn itself is actually "alive" and acts like a regular person which makes me think that hagravens are potentially the most skilled necromancers in TES universe now that I think about it.

[Baloth-Kul]

Absolutely, a necromancer can be good. I, myself, have always played a good necromancer. I don't raise the innocent dead. I don't raise civilians. I don't raise animals. I don't raise soldiers, not even if my life depends on it. I will raise monsters. Vampires. Bandits. Draugr. And so on.

My own belief that as long as the deceased or their kin gives consent or wouldn't mind, you can use their corpse to help others or to protect yourself.

But bandits and vampires and daedra and other evil jerks are fair game. I'd raise them just for training or fun. And I do!

[Br3admax]

True, I was just wondering where the line should be drawn.

It is strange, though, how we never see Necromancers directly use soul gems for anything. I know we see some Hagravens using them in their Briarheart ritual. And there's an NPC in some dungeon who uses one to summon ghosts or something?

The Briarheart ritual is actually pretty interesting, I'm guessing the Hagravens save the persons soul inside the soul gem to store it while they implant the briar heart where the regular heart normally was before they spring back to life? Another interesting thing is that the undead forsworn itself is actually "alive" and acts like a regular person which makes me think that hagravens are potentially the most skilled necromancers in TES universe now that I think about it.

I think that they are marked as undead. Also they will die as soon as the Briarheart is taken out.

[Hissien]

Well they are detected by detect life but are weak to undead effecting spells so they are a little of both.

[MrDeeds34]

I agree with what Zuzu said about why raised dead talk. But wouldnt that mean that raised dead wouldn't attack loved ones from memories? As to what Travalanche said about the souls being pulled from Atherius (or any other plane where souls would go), i find that would be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to do without Arkay (or respective ruler/manager of that plane) noticing and stoping you from taking the soul. I guess that would make ghosts souls that had no other plane to go to, or were rejected from every plane and forced to walk mundus.