Dark Aura

Description
For 30 seconds, whenever target ally sacrifices Health, Dark Aura deals 5...41 shadow damage to adjacent foes, and you lose 5...17 Health.

Acquisition
Skill Quests: Skill Trainers:
 * Graven Images (North Kryta Province)
 * Sorim (Quarrel Falls)
 * Master Scout Kiera (Henge of Denravi)
 * Dakk (Ember Light Camp)

Usage
This can be a very effective Necromancer or Necromancer/Warrior spell when combined with other spells that take advantage of sacrifice effects. Combining this skill with Signet of Agony and/or Touch of Agony and/or Dark Pact as your sacrifice spells, you can inflict significant damage to foes adjacent to you as well as your target foe. All of these skills have fast casting speeds, reducing the chance of being interrupted while using them. You can use Plague Touch to remove the bleeding caused by Signet of Agony. When combined with Aura of the Lich, your character can become more durable: regeneration effects you have on yourself will be effectively twice as powerful and so will life stealing abilities, allowing you to sacrifice four times more often. Unholy Feast, and Vampiric Touch are a few great ways to heal yourself since you will often want to be in melee range, while Blood Renewal can be used to trigger the sacrifice effect while healing yourself at the same time. Awaken the Blood, if used, should be used with great care as it will make your sacrifices more costly. Other things to watch for include the Monk spell Scourge Sacrifice as that will also increase the costs of your sacrifice skills. Vampiric Spirit(Elite) can also be used. It has the same effect as dark aura, except it steals 50 health at 15 blood and you lose 3 energy, which negates the sacrifice costs. However, this is an awful drain on energy, it could total about 1,200 damage if used with Touch of Agony and Dark Pact between 4 touchers and 1 slow-down mesmer in 8v8. Not even an infuse would save it, for only 16 energy.