I've never played a necro. I think I've only played sorc, rogue, barb, priest, and shaman, actually. But a casual glance at the necromancer spellset puts them near the top of the PvP pack even if you ignore animate dead and control undead. Here is a log of Aldric fighting a 3v5 in which he has put four of his opponents to sleep and has begun picking them off one by one:
Quote:
An aura of darkness fills the room.
( 2) A scrumptious looking steak is here.
A small cutting blade lies here on the ground, discarded.
A life like statuette of a deep-elf soldier has been left here.
A small fountain is here.
An elegant gold-trimmed community forum is here, posting local news.
Vyndigo (an esoteric male human) is lying here prone.
Brock (a towering male giant) is sleeping here.
Zellidon (a cunning male deep-elf) is sleeping here.
An Uxmaln pack mule is sleeping here.
Fintan (a green-eyed male human) is sleeping here.
A large, black horse is sleeping here.
Orius (a lanky male human) is sleeping here.
A golden-furred male lion is here, confidence in his step.
Mirardo (a bald male gnome) is here.
Mirardo (a bald male gnome) is here.
Mirardo (a bald male gnome) is here.
Mirardo (a bald male gnome) is here.
Pertinax (a square-jawed male human) is here, fighting Vyndigo.
(Charmed) Losquaty is here, fighting Vyndigo.
(Charmed) A black bay destrier stands here, restlessly pawing at the ground.
You are sitting here.
You are sitting here.
You are sitting here.
You are sitting here.
A rosy-cheeked female gnome is sleeping here.
A curvaceous female human is sleeping here.
A bulky male giant is sleeping here.
The NPCs are asleep because a sleep stave was brandished (accounting for one of the sleeping PCs as well). When was the last time anyone ever saw a necromancer cast sleep in a fight? It's easily one of the best spells in the game but they're too busy doing o all bash to even bother.