Dark Elementalist (Kineticist Archetype)
We’ve discussed this before, but the kineticist as a class has the unique distinction of having archetypes specifically for changing the core ability score that the class revolves around, with of course flavorful abilities to link up with it. There was the overwhelming soul for charisma, the psychokineticist for wisdom, and the blighted defiler for strength, and today we’re talking about the intelligence option: the dark elementalist! (Sorry, Dexterity, you’re the odd one out here).
Similar to the blighted defiler, these kineticists use their power to circumvent the strain on their bodies normally associated with kinetic elemental power, but rather than pull life energy out of local minor life forms, a dark elementalist instead grabs ahold of the souls and life energy of the recently slain and uses them as fuel to recover their own power.
Now, it should be made very clear that they cannot, as a rule, completely destroy a mortal soul, but they do damage them, making them especially vulnerable to the predations of evil forces that target the soul’s journey to the afterlife, and also requiring repair upon arrival for final judgement.
This is undoubtably an evil act, one that may condemn the channeler of these powers in the afterlife, but there can be no denying that such elementalists can be quite effective without sacrificing much at all, their first kill spiralling into greater and greater powers until the battle is done, and for some, that promise it too tempting to ignore.
As mystics more focused on occult lore than they are about channeling power through their bodies, dark elementalists, they have stronger wills than they have agile reflexes or strong fortitude. Consequently, they use their intellect and knowledge to empower their elemental control, rather than physicality.
As mentioned above, the use of their powers is inherently evil, so training away from them requires choosing to no longer use them and rise above selfish wickedness.
The exact process that makes these mystics so heinous is that while they do accept burn normally, they can only absorb so much. In order to negate this limitation, they gather the souls of the recently slain and transfer some of their burn to them, draining some vital essence into themselves, and sending the soul its way, damaged, while they recover some of their potential, though the strain on their bodies remains. This traumatizes the soul in question, causing them to come back diminished if they are resurrected, and should the kineticist be powerful enough, they can utterly destroy the identity of the soul with this draining process. Additionally, the psychic trauma of these acts is what fuel the overload they experience, though they do not grow in mass, their powers become much more potent while it lasts.
The power that this archetype holds can be quite useful for a kineticist that enjoys using burn in short, powerful bursts, but doesn’t want to get stuck with the nonlethal damage all day. With that in mind, you’ll definitely want to have a way to heal nonlethal damage, such as a ring of regeneration. The fact you have to offload the burn as a full-round action does mean you have to act quickly to get anything out of it, though. With that in mind, I’d recommend a long-range build that minimizes damage taken.
This archetype is quite useful thematically as a way to give a kineticist villain a “dark, forbidden power” vibe, such as being a student of a corrupted discipline. However, it can also be used for an antihero character that seeks power no matter the consequences. Either way though, they may struggle to find common ground with more goodly parties.
Like all divs, Messhika is a former genie corrupted by a dark pact and a hatred of mortal life. The pairaka has a favored method of corrupting mortality though, seducing prospective mystics with promises of elemental power akin to her elemental past, albeit a form that consumes soulstuff and corrupts the user’s soul in the meantime.
Bitter with the world for rejecting her, the ganzi Lia sought out whatever power she could to get by, settling on a foul elemental power over the earth itself, swallowing foes up in shallow graves. Redeeming her will require convincing her of the fundamental value of the soul and of life.
Bludkhurst Manor was always a place of ill reputation, but now it has cut off all contact with the outside world. If anyone were to investigate, they’d find the place overrun with strange plant life that at once grows fecund but sickly, as if cursed.
