Grave (Necrokinesis)

**Necrokinesis** is the use of spiritual energy and death itself. Grave controllers usually specialize in either holy or unholy power. Both types of necrokinetics in combat will specialize in outnumbering enemies. Holy specialists will win with the help of spirits, while the unholy have a flair for creating undead minions.

Sometimes referred to in slang as corpsehuggers.

### **Common Strengths**

* In both styles, Grave controllers can have powerful allies. Holy spirits, unholy apparitions, angelic allies or demons with whom a pact has been signed. Some of the most powerful Grave controllers will have mastered both.
* Both styles have powerful healing abilities, which function both on themselves and their comrades. Combined with their ability to summon those comrades and all the different ways they can do it, Grave is one of the highest-utility kineses.
* Both deal with the manipulation of life forces. Both magical and physical power can be drained from someone by manipulating their essence.
* While souls cannot be directly stolen by a Grave controller, their physical attacks can deal some damage to the spirit of a being itself. Even discounting their summoned allies, Grave controllers have above average damage output compared to other kineses.

### **Common Weaknesses**

* While highly spiritual and intellectual, grave controllers tend not to have powerful physical bodies, being one of the slowest kineses - what can you expect from a corpse? Their HP is below average due to their constant nearness to death, though their healing can make up for this.
* Grave users rely on their ability to connect with the forces of Above or Below. Their conjured allies are numerous but beatable, especially with AoE abilities which can deal with multiple at once, just like Network.
* Alternatively, one can try to focus the Grave controller itself to prevent them from properly directing or controlling their holy/unholy comrades.
* Characters with their own dealings in the holy/unholy may have extra ways to deal with a Grave controller's unorthodox abilities.

### **Sample Abilities**

* With the manipulation of souls comes the ability to weaponize them. Those who specialize in the holy may make use of holy spirits who can defend them. Those who specialize in the unholy may enslave souls and use them to animate corpses into undead. One who dabbles in both may do something in the middle.
* Most enemies have souls. Screw with them; it can have tremendous effects on the body.
* Consider your specific relationships with the otherworldly. Do you have enemies? Allies? Pacts? Ancestral agreements? What do you gain from any of it?
* Consider the use of relics, rituals and potions for your own aid. If you can have allies defend you as you complete a mid-combat ritual, the tides may be turned for good.
* If an attack requires a ritual, then see if you can prepare a ritual before you need it.
* Any unique abilities you want to give your character!

#### **Sample Archetypes**

Feel free to take inspiration from these archetypes when making your necrokinetic. Emulate one of their styles, combine their features, or go another direction entirely!

**The Necromancer** is a master of unholy energy, who uses it to drain their enemy's life force before resurrecting the corpse as a spooky minion. The undying hordes made from previous victims can withstand powerful attacks while ripping the flesh from their foes—but their master has sacrificed so much life force for this profane power that foes who can bypass the undead soldiers will send the necrokinetic to an early grave.

**The Messiah** is a gifted student of holy magic, who uses it to strike down the wicked before finishing them off by confiscating their souls. They employ sacred power to heal wounds, disrupt modern instruments and invoke ancestor-spirits to empower themselves, all in ways that mundane enemies can do little to answer—but magically-inclined foes may be less impressed, and have ways to sunder the necrokinetic's ghostly friends.

**The Heretic** is an opportunistic socialite who forges contacts, friends and business partners from both Above and Below. By calling on their mystic contracts during a fight, they receive demonic artifacts, angelic blessings and even direct assistance from their supernatural friends; yet these ancient forces have complicated and fickle relationships with each other, so each time the necrokinetic calls on an ally for assistance, others will refuse to contribute out of hatred for the involvement of their nemesis.