## **Overview** [[Pact Magic]] is the art of **binding oneself and a spirit to a mutual agreement**. Unlike [[Blood Sorcery]] or [[Spirit Binding]], it cannot summon, compel, or consume. A pactmaker’s power comes from **reciprocal exchange**: - The pactmaker asks a spirit for a **favor, blessing, or power**, - In return, the spirit receives a **concession, service, or sacrifice**. The bigger the act the pactmaker offers, the greater the spirit’s support. [[Pact Magic]] requires skillful negotiation, knowing how much to offer without destroying oneself, and surviving the consequences of a bad deal. - **Codified Pactwrights** treat it as law: contracts are airtight, true names are leveraged, and [[Spirits]] are cornered with clauses. - **Wild Pactmakers** form kin-like bonds through visions, offerings, or ancestral ties. ## **Mechanics** ### **1. Negotiating a Pact** [[Pact Magic]] is used only when a spirit is **already present and listening**. - Roll **Cunning + Attune** as a contested roll against the spirit’s **Spirit Tier + Dominion Influence**. - Each side states what they want and what they offer. - The pactmaker must put forward **something of value** or the spirit will refuse. - You get -1 die on this role for every simultaneous pact you currently maintain. **Reciprocity is the engine:** The pact feeds the [[Magic]]. The more costly the offering, the more the spirit is willing to give. ### **2. Outcomes** - **Success:** - The pactmaker secures favorable terms. - The spirit delivers what was promised for the determined Volume. - Calculate the Pact Volume as described below. - **Failure:** - The spirit secures terms **more in its favor** or refuses outright. It may offer a **twisted pact**, claiming a Favor one level higher for a Service one level lower. - If you accept, the pact is binding; if you refuse, the spirit is free to act as it wishes (usually leaving or seeking revenge). ### **3. Reputation Among Spirits** Your **Reputation** is a persistent measure of how [[Spirits]] view you, tracked on a slider: - **Slider Range:** –5 to +5 - Reputation modifies **all bargaining rolls** and affects the **Volume** granted by the spirit: - **+Rep:** [[Spirits]] are more generous and trusting. - **–Rep:** [[Spirits]] are suspicious, extracting higher prices. | **Reputation Level** | **Dice Modifier** | **Volume Modifier** | **Spirit Attitude** | | ------------------------- | ----------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **+5** (Legendary) | +5 dice | +2 Volume | Spirits approach you with offers; even Greater Spirits respect you. | | **+3–4** (Trusted) | +3–4 dice | +1 Volume | Spirits are generous and open to concessions. | | **+1–2** (Respected) | +1–2 dice | +0 Volume | Spirits trust your word but expect balance. | | **0** (Neutral) | ±0 | ±0 | Spirits treat you like any other mortal. | | **–1 to –2** (Distrusted) | –1–2 dice | –1 Volume | Spirits are cautious, offering less or demanding more. | | **–3 to –4** (Notorious) | –3–4 dice | –1 Volume | Spirits may refuse pacts unless heavily compensated. | | **–5** (Hunted) | –5 dice | –2 Volume | Most spirits refuse to deal; some actively seek to sabotage you. | ### **4. Shifting Reputation** - **Broken pacts:** Immediately shift the slider **–1 level** (or further for egregious betrayals). - **Fulfilled pacts:** At the conclusion of the spirit’s service, roll **Cunning + Attune** (difficulty = Spirit Tier). - **Success:** Reputation shifts up one level. - **Failure:** Reputation stays the same. - This roll only occurs if the pact was fulfilled **honorably**; tricking or abusing the spirit removes the chance. > Reputation does **not** shift on every pact, only when a spirit’s service ends. This keeps the system meaningful and prevents whiplash. ### **5. Determining Volume** > **Volume = Favor Level + Margin of Success (+/- Reputation Volume Modifier)** - **Favor Level:** The scale of the offering (see table). - **Margin of Success:** Net successes from the bargaining roll (0–5 typically). - **Reputation Adjustment:** Apply the **Volume Modifier** from your Reputation level. ### **Pact Volume Table** >[!aside|right show-title] Ongoing Benefits and Volume> Some pacts grant **continuous effects**—flight, invisibility, protective auras, or other benefits that persist instead of triggering once. These ongoing effects slowly drain the spirit’s energy over time. > **Rule:** > > - An ongoing effect consumes **1 act for every scene in which it is relevantly used**. > - If the effect does not play a role in the scene (no challenge, risk, or narrative weight), it costs nothing for that scene. > **Example:** You bargain with an air spirit (Volume 5) for the ability to fly. > > - You fly during a chase (**1 act**), bypass a canyon (**1 act**), and later use flight to infiltrate a fortress (**1 act**). > > - Three scenes where flight mattered = **3 acts spent**, leaving 2 acts for other requests. > **Why:** > - This makes ongoing effects scale naturally with play: the more you actively benefit, the more of the spirit’s “Volume” is drained. >- It also discourages abuse without punishing downtime or scenes where the benefit doesn’t matter. | **Favor Level** | **Examples of Offering** | **Base Volume** | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------- | | **1 – Small** | Minor service, small gift, token blood sacrifice, brief labor | 1 | | **2 – Significant** | Valuable item, painful concession, week-long service, small magical debt | 2 | | **3 – Major** | Limb, vow of servitude, powerful relic, year-long debt, risking life | 3 | | **4 – Monumental** | Permanent loss: a soul, entire community’s wellbeing, mortal future | 4 | ### **Volume Outcome (Favor + Margin)** | **Volume Total** | **Spirit Service Granted** | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **1** | The spirit performs exactly **1 act** (one dominion ability at _lesser tier_) **or** serves you for **1 scene** (approx. 10–30 minutes). | | **2** | The spirit performs exactly **2 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **12 hours**. | | **3** | The spirit performs exactly **3 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **24 hours** (1 day). | | **4** | The spirit performs exactly **4 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **3 consecutive days**. | | **5** | The spirit performs exactly **5 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **7 consecutive days**. [[Spirits]] of **Greater tier** may use their dominion abilities at full strength. | | **6** | The spirit performs exactly **6 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **14 consecutive days**. | | **7** | The spirit performs exactly **7 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **30 consecutive days**. While serving, the spirit may fully **manifest in the mortal world**. | | **8** | The spirit performs exactly **8 acts** at its full tier **or** serves you for **60 consecutive days**. While serving, it may manifest and act independently on your behalf. | | **9+** | The spirit is bound to **ongoing service**: it performs exactly **10 acts** at its full tier **or** remains until the pactmaker fulfills their side of the bargain. While serving, it may **escalate its powers by +1 tier** when performing its dominion abilities. | ### **6. Breaking a Pact** - The spirit may take what the pact requires immediately and violently. - All effects granted by the pact end immediately. - Broken pacts **always shift Reputation –1 level** and permanently stain your name in the spirit world. ## Abilities ![[[[Pact Magic]] – The Oathbound Path]] ## **Ongoing Costs** The greatest ongoing cost of [[Pact Magic]] is **what you must do to keep pacts going**: - Time, resources, and sacrifices to fulfill your promises can strip away relationships, wealth, and security. - As obligations stack, pactmakers are often forced into increasingly **drastic trades** to maintain their web of promises. There is no separate [[Corruption]] track or injuries; the **Reputation Slider** replaces this. Your word is your currency. ## **Roleplaying Pact Magic** - Every pact has **weight**. Each favor must feel real, and each spirit service is earned. - Your **Reputation** among [[Spirits]] is everything. Honoring pacts builds respect and generous terms; betrayal makes every deal harder. - Mortals often seek pactmakers as intercessors, but few fully trust them. >[!hint] **GM Guidance** > - Track the **Reputation Slider** as a central mechanic. [[Spirits]] will treat the pactmaker according to their standing. > - [[Spirits]] should never give something for nothing; ensure offerings and favors are meaningful. > - Failure and broken promises should ripple outward; word travels fast among the spirit courts.