Scholomance



The Scholomance (SKOH-loh-mance), a vile academy for prospective necromancers of the Scourge, is located in the ruins of the palatial House of Barov, on a rise overlooking the abandoned city of Caer Darrow. The enemy level range is 40-43 and requires that you be at least 38 to enter through the Dungeon Finder.

This instance is at least partially soloable at level 70, although not without considerable risk. It is a good test of a player's gear and skill, offering lessons in the importance of execution order, suitable levels of patience, and situational awareness. It becomes completely soloable at probably around tier 5 or equivalent gear.

Scholomance was also probably the single most efficient pre-TBC instance for farming, with trash runs up to the Great Ossuary taking about 45 minutes for a fast player, and potentially yielding 100-200 gold, depending on which blue items drop. The instance had a very rich loot table for the level range, and individual mobs tended to drop good amounts of both coins and Runecloth as well, which would sell well on the Auction House. In addition, necromancers and dark summoners (as well as a few of the bosses) dropped the prized Dark Runes, which were useful for raiders and could command prices of 15-20 gold each on the Auction House. It was not uncommon for 3-4 to drop during a single run, adding potentially another 80 gold to the instance's yield.

History
The Scholomance was founded by the rogue wizard nearly ten years ago. His Cult of the Damned renovated the ancient crypts beneath Caer Darrow (an old Arathorian fortress) and turned them into a school for necromancy. The Cult used this place to train its mortal agents and prepare to unleash the Plague of Undeath upon Lordaeron. It has been brewing with young talented wizards and adepts all this time. No one in Lordaeron knew. Originally, the Barov family (of Alterac) owned the land and gave it to the Cult in exchange for the Lich King's blessing of immortality. Now the Barovs remain as undead monsters. One of Kel'Thuzad's mightiest agents, the Ravenian, also lives within the recesses of the school &mdash; ever ready to devour those students who show any sign of weakness. The lich rules over the site and guards it for the Scourge, but the mortal necromancer,, serves as headmaster of the school, succeeding  who was headmaster after Kel'thuzad.


 * ''The Scholomance is housed within a series of crypts that lie beneath the ruined keep of Caer Darrow. Once owned by the noble Barov family, Caer Darrow fell into ruin following the Second War. As the wizard Kel'thuzad enlisted followers for his Cult of the Damned, he would often promise immortality in exchange for serving the Lich King. The Barov family fell to Kel'thuzad's charismatic influence and donated the keep and its crypts to the Scourge. The cultists then killed the Barovs and turned the ancient crypts into a school for necromancy known as the Scholomance. Though Kel'thuzad no longer resides in the crypts, devoted cultists and instructors still remain. The powerful lich, Ras Frostwhisper, rules over the site and guards it in the Scourge's name &mdash; while the mortal necromancer, Darkmaster Gandling, serves as the school's insidious headmaster.

Dungeon Denizens

 * Bone golems
 * Crypt fiends
 * Gargoyles (one, Kirtonos the Herald)
 * Ghouls
 * s
 * High elves
 * s
 * Liches (one, Ras Frostwhisper)
 * Plagued dragon whelps
 * Rats (critters)
 * Shades
 * Skeletal mages
 * Skeletal warriors
 * Skeletons
 * Succubi (one, Blood Steward of Kirtonos)
 * Wights (one, the Ravenian)
 * Wraiths
 * Zombies

Mobs

 * The Students
 * Scholomance Acolytes cast: Mind Flay, Dark Mending (healing spell), Shadowform, Cripple
 * Scholomance Adepts cast: Frostbolt, Frost Shock, Cone of Cold
 * Scholomance Dark Summoners cast: Summon Skeletal Lackey (Summoning spell, 1.5 sec cast), Drain Life, Curse of Blood (Increases physical damage taken)
 * Scholomance Handlers cast: Cone of Cold, Blast Wave, Arcane Blast (Arcane damage plus knockback)
 * Scholomance Necrolytes cast: Shadow Barrier (reduces shadow damage taken by 50), Shadowbolt
 * Scholomance Necromancers cast: Call to the Grave, Shadowbolt Volley (AoE Shadowbolt spell), Explode Corpse (Blows up a nearby corpse, dealing shadow damage to all enemies within a 5 yard radius)
 * Scholomance Neophytes cast: Shadowbolt, Dark Mending (healing spell), Shadow Word: Pain, Mind Flay, Fear
 * Scholomance Occultists cast: Counterspell, turns into a Dark Shade
 * Dark Shade: casts Shadowbolt Volley (AoE Shadowbolt), immune to physical damage
 * Scholomance Students


 * Plagued dragonflight
 * Plagued Hatchlings cast: Diseased Spit (Nature damage and reduces stamina for 30 sec. Stacks)


 * Mindless Undead
 * Risen Aberrations cast: Fixate, immune to magic (except holy)
 * Risen Constructs
 * Risen Bonewarders cast: Drain Life, Bone Armor (absorbs a set amount of damage), Consuming Shadows (Channeled AoE spell that slows and damages enemies around the caster)
 * Risen Guards: cast Shield Slam, Sunder Armor
 * Risen Protectors cast: Shadow Word: Pain, Shadow Shock (Instant cast Shadow damage spell), Silence (AoE silence)
 * Risen Warriors cast Heroic Strike, Rend, Thunderclap, Knockdown (knocks the target down for 3 sec)
 * Splintered Skeletons
 * Reanimated Corpses cast: Dark Plague (38 Nature damage every 5 sec for 2 mins. Stacks)
 * Unstable Corpses
 * Diseased Ghouls cast: Wandering Plague (Physical damage taken increased by 5, Stamina reduced by 3), Disease Cloud (Deals Nature damage to all enemies near the caster)


 * Undead
 * Spectral Researchers cast: Mana Burn, Wail of Souls (AoE cone spell)
 * Spectral Teachers cast: Banish, Mana Burn, Arcane Focus (Increases casting speec by 66%)
 * Spectral Tutors cast: Mana Burn, Silence (AoE silence), Spectral Projection (Turns invulnerable, summons 5 Speltral Projections to attack, 6 sec duration)
 * Necrofiends cast: Web Explosion (Immobolizes all targets for 5 sec)

Bosses and Mini Bosses

 * Blood Steward of Kirtonos
 * Kirtonos the Herald (requires Blood of Innocents to summon)
 * Lord Blackwood (during of the Scourge Invasion in patch 1.11)
 * Jandice Barov
 * Rattlegore
 * Death Knight Darkreaver (requires Divination Scryer to summon)
 * Marduk Blackpool
 * Vectus
 * Ras Frostwhisper
 * Kormok (requires Brazier of Beckoning or Brazier of Invocation to summon)
 * Doctor Theolen Krastinov
 * Lorekeeper Polkelt
 * Instructor Malicia
 * Lady Illucia Barov
 * Lord Alexei Barov
 * The Ravenian
 * Darkmaster Gandling

Loot
See Scholomance loot.

Scholomance Faculty

 * Darkmaster Gandling &mdash; School Headmaster
 * Ras Frostwhisper &mdash; School Chairman, Alchemy
 * Doctor Theolen Krastinov &mdash; Torturer, Anatomy, Demonology
 * Lorekeeper Polkelt &mdash; Librarian, History
 * Instructor Malicia &mdash; Occultism, Shadow Magic
 * Vectus &mdash; Arcane Magic, Plagued Dragonflight
 * Ravenian &mdash; Janitor, Corporal Punishment
 * Jandice Barov &mdash; Zombification, Corpse Control, Plague Research

Difficulty
At release, Scholomance was an extremely challenging dungeon. Typically, the dungeon was raided in 10-man parties, with a difficulty similar to Upper Blackrock Spire. Subsequent patches in the summer of 2006 changed Scholomance drastically. Mobs were weakened slightly, and a great many were removed. However, Scholomance could no longer be run with more than 5 party members. At the time, this "Scholo Nerf" was a common topic for party chat among long-time players. Loot in Scholomance has changed gradually over time. Originally, each boss dropped some relatively weak loot. The dungeon waned in popularity as players saw little point in running it after they had completed their quests and acquired their Dungeon Set 1 hat. Blizzard again patched the dungeon. At this point, Scholomance drops a moderate amount of fairly useful items, including a very small chance at the epic and. The rewards available from the Argent Dawn have also broadened through patches. Scholomance is a staple source of Argent Dawn reputation and Scourgestones. Players seeking Argent Dawn tradeskill recipes, resistance enchantments or Armaments of the Dawn often spend a great deal of time in Scholomance or Stratholme.