((Out of Character (OOC):
Chronicle: Mage 2: The Dethroned Queen
Venue: Chronicles of Darkness (nWoD 2e) - Mage: The Awakening (Fallen World Chronicle)
Chronicle Storyteller: Jerad Sayler
Original Source: As seen in The Summoners Sourcebook for Mage: The Awakening
Thanks to Hannah Nyland (The Irreverent Revenant) for putting this guide together))
A Guide to Spirit Pacts
A pact serves as a mechanical benefit granted to the
character in exchange for a disadvantage he willingly undertakes. Pacts balance
against themselves; they cost no experience. While a pact may grant temporary
traits, experience is never paid to create a pact or to gain the benefits the
pact grant.
To create a pact with a spirit, you must be able to summon
the entity and communicate with it (and possibly bind it). This will most
likely involve use of the Spirit Arcanum
A pact has four aspects:
1. Request:
What the character gains from the pact
2. Cost: What
the spirit gains from the pact
3. Term: How
long the request and cost must be paid by both parties
4. Forfeiture:
What the character sacrifices if they don’t uphold their side of the bargain.
Maximum Number of pacts at a time:
Gnosis 1: 3
Gnosis 2: 3
Gnosis 4: 4
Gnosis 5: 4
Gnosis 6: 5
Gnosis 7: 5
Gnosis 8: 5
Gnosis 9: 6
Gnosis 10: 6
Step One: Determine
the request. What does the summoner want from the entity? Establish a positive
value for it.
Step Two: Determine
the cost. Choose a cost appropriate to the entity that counterbalances the
value of the request. When the sum of the two values equals zero, they are balanced.
Both parties must agree to both the pact’s request and its cost.
Step Three: Determine
the term and forfeiture. This is the time the pact lasts and what the summoner
risks if he doesn’t pay the cost. Because the length of the pact is directly related
to the forfeiture, these should be chosen at the same time. Their value should
sum to zero.
Step Four: Determine
the necessary Willpower and Essence that must be expended to seal the pact. Unless
the pact is extraordinary, the cost is one point of Willpower from the summoner
and one point of Essence per request granted by the entity.
Step Five: The terms
of the pact are agreed to by both parties. Once the necessary Willpower and
Essence is spent the pact has been forged and sealed.
Possible
Requests:
Minor Task:
A minor task includes anything that the character can easily do herself but
would rather not, whether it is because it is unpleasant, she doesn’t want to
get into trouble, or any other minor reason. The task would not pose significant
danger to the summoner. The summoner’s supernatural capabilities are taken into
account when determining the value of the task. Powerful entities may feel insulted
to be asked to provide a task of this insignificance and may attempt to trick the
summoner into a less-than-equitable deal.
Medial
Task: A medial task includes anything that the character could do
herself, but would require significant effort or could pose a significant
danger to her.
Major Task:
A major task includes anything that falls outside of the character’s
capabilities. It may include the use of a power that the mage cannot duplicate
or the discovery of some piece of knowledge that could not be uncovered
otherwise. Additionally, any task that poses a significant threat to the
summoned entity is automatically a major task.
Minor Mana:
The mage produces within herself one Mana per day (at a set time).
Medial
Mana: The mage produces within herself two Mana per day (at a set
time).
Major Mana: The mage
produces within herself four Mana per day (at a set time).
Minor
Investment: The entity grants the character a single additional dot to
any single Skill. Medial Investment: The entity grants the character two
additional dots to any single Skill.
Major
Investment: The entity grants the character a large portion of its own
power, granting her three additional dots to any single Skill or one additional
dot to a single Attribute or Arcanum. Only Supernal entities can grant an
investment to an Arcanum, and only in one of the two Arcana appropriate to the Supernal
Realm from which it hails. Furthermore, a mage can only benefit from a single
pact that involves the increase of an Arcanum at any time, and no entity can
unlock the secrets of Archmastery for a mage, even temporarily (limiting dots
available through a pact to 5).
Minor
Artifact: The character gains the temporary possession of an Artifact
rated at four dots. Does not have Legendary quality, may only have powers of
the two Arcana of the realm it hails. Created by the ST without player input.
Medial
Artifact: The character gains the temporary possession of an Artifact
rated at six dots. Does not have Legendary quality, may only have powers of the
two Arcana of the realm it hails. Created by the ST without player input.
Major
Artifact: The character gains the temporary possession of an Artifact
rated at eight dots. Does not have Legendary quality, may only have powers of
the two Arcana of the realm it hails. Created by the ST without player input.
Minor
Blessings: A minor blessing provides a single one-dot Merit or adds a
single dot to a Merit measured in individual dots (such as most Social Merits).
For example, a character might garner Barfly as a minor blessing, or she might
choose to gain a dot of Allies, Contacts, Fame, Mentor, Resources, or Status
(or any other Merit not specific to Mage: The Awakening that is measured in dots,
such as a Fighting Style or Fleet of Foot). Note that an increase in Status may
come with an increase in obligation to the group involved. Characters can gain
the first dot in a Merit in which they have no dots with the exception of
Status. No blessing of any level can grant a character Status in a supernatural
society (such as a mage Order). A minor blessing cannot provide Merits that
exist outside the specific scope of the core World of Darkness game. In other
words, a minor blessing cannot provide Merits from Mage: The Awakening, Vampire:
The Masquerade, Changeling: The Lost or any other setting (including
supplements that provide supernatural options to mortals, such as Second Sight and
Skinchangers). In other words, minor blessings cannot provide supernatural
boons.
Medial
Blessings: A medial blessing grants a single Merit rated at two dots or
adds two dots to a Merit measured in individual dots. For example, a character might
garner Danger Sense or add two dots to any of the Merits listed above. Alternatively,
she may purchase Merits appropriate to her specific game setting; an Awakened
mage, for example, might purchase two dots in Dream, Enhanced Item, Hallow,
Imbued Item, Library, Occultation, Sanctum, or Sleepwalker Retainer. Blessings
do have their limits, and a mage cannot gain the Destiny, Familiar, High
Speech, Status or Thrall Merits from a summoned creature. Additionally, the
Artifact background is handled above. As above, these dots can improve a Merit
in which the character currently has no dots.
Major
Blessings: A major blessing grants the character a single Merit rated at
three dots (such as Stunt Driver) or adds three dots to a Merit measured in
individual dots. The same limitations as above apply. Roll the rote dice Gnosis
+ Skill, but gain no benefit of Arcanum to dice pool.
Minor
Contract: A minor contract provides a power that mimics a spell of the
first or second dot of an Arcanum. Functions as a spirit numen and does not
cause paradox or disbelief. Always causes 1 mana to use. Roll the rote dice
Gnosis + Skill, but gain no benefit of Arcanum to dice pool.
Medial
Contract: A medial contract provides a power that mimics a spell of the
third dot of an Arcanum. Functions as a spirit numen and does not cause paradox
or disbelief. Always causes 1 mana to use. Roll the rote dice Gnosis + Skill,
but gain no benefit of Arcanum to dice pool.
Major
Contract: A major contract provides a power that mimics a spell of the
fourth dot of an Arcanum. Functions as a spirit numen and does not cause paradox
or disbelief. Always causes 1 mana to use. Roll the rote dice Gnosis + Skill,
but gain no benefit of Arcanum to dice pool.
Fortification
(Examples): Break an
Addiction: The character automatically and permanently breaks a
previous addiction, whether physical or psychological. It can even break a
supernatural addiction (such as that to the blood of vampires). She remains
immune to addiction to the substance for the term of the pact.
Cure a
Derangement: The character automatically and permanently recovers from a
Derangement, whether it was gained from morality loss or not. Similarly, minor
flaws can be removed through the use of this request, but the character ceases
to gain bonus experience points for the flaw.
Permanently
Regenerate a Limb: Some spirits can perform miracles outside the
abilities of even a Master of the Life Arcanum. Regenerating a single limb counts
as a fortification request.
Regeneration: The
character gains the ability to quickly regenerate wounds inflicted upon her.
For the duration of the pact, she can heal bashing and lethal damage at the rate
of one per turn as an Instant action. By spending one point of Mana, she can do
so reflexively for one turn.
Respite
from Aging: The character ceases to age for the duration of the pact.
Possible
Costs:
Minor
Access: The character grants the entity a conduit into the world. It
might take over a character’s embodied familiar (which likely infuriates it) or
experience the world through the character’s senses (though it is unable to
force the character to act in any way). Conversely, the character may allow the
entity access to her dreams, allowing it to sculpt those dreams in whatever
foul manner it desires.
Medial
Access: The character grants the entity access to the physical world.
The entity gains limited control over the character’s actions for a short time (no
longer than 14 total hours over the course of each week of the term). The
character completely loses control over her body during those periods, but is
aware of everything that the entity does. The entity does not, however, have
access to any of the character’s supernatural abilities.
Major
Access: The character grants the entity access to her soul. The
entity can utilize the character’s body and Awakened magic without interference
from the character during a single period of one hour during the pact.
Unfortunately, the timing of that hour is at the whim of the entity.
Furthermore, the character does not automatically regain control of her being
at the end of the hour. She must succeed at a Resolve + Composure roll to wrest
control from the entity (though the entity can willingly give it up). She may make
this roll once per hour after the passage of at least one hour of unfettered
access.
Minor
Endeavor: The character performs a simple undertaking for the entity.
Either it requires a repeated performance of a nigh-effortless task or a single
performance of something of only slight difficulty.
Medial
Endeavor: The character performs a moderately difficult undertaking
for the entity. Either the character performs a repeated task that requires the
sacrifice of some time and resources or a single task of moderate difficulty
(and possibly danger).
Major
Endeavor: The character performs a difficult undertaking for the entity.
Such endeavors require an activity that can only be accomplished through
dedication and concerted effort. It may pose a significant danger to the
summoner.
Major
Fealty: The character pledges himself to the efforts of his chosen
patron. This major cost essentially acts as a never-ending series of endeavors
(see above) on behalf of the entity, and may range from the simple to the
dangerous. This cost rarely accompanies any pact that does not include the
vassalage request.
Medial
Flaw: The character agrees to undertake some difficulty on the
behalf of the summoned entity. She gains a Flaw (p. 217 of the World of
Darkness Rulebook) for the duration of the pact but garners no experience when
it troubles her. Instead the experience points transfer to the entity, making
it stronger.
Minor
Forbiddance: The forbidden action is easily avoided, but might cause some
small inconveniences. Examples include avoiding specific buildings, specific modes
of transportation or even specific words.
Medial
Forbiddance: The forbidden action is somewhat more difficult to avoid,
possibly because chances to engage in the action are more common, and causes some
moderate inconvenience. Examples include avoiding interacting with a specific
type of person or utilizing a specific class of technology.
Major
Forbiddance: The forbidden action causes major difficulty and may change
the way the character lives her life. Examples include a forbiddance against entering
or leaving a region, indulging in Virtue or Vice, or sleeping under the same
roof two nights in a row or vows of vegetarianism, silence or chastity.
Minor Life: A sacrifice
of blood (necessitating the infliction of 3 lethal damage on either the
summoner or a chosen sacrifice) or harvest (a Resources 2 purchase of fruits, vegetables
and grains).
Medial
Life: A sacrifice of an animal, necessitating its death. The character
cannot garner Mana from the sacrifice.
Major Life: The sacrifice
of a human, necessitating its death. The character cannot garner Mana from the
sacrifice.
Minor
Merit: The character must sacrifice a one point Merit or one point
of a Merit.
Medial
Merit: The character must sacrifice a two point Merit or two points
of a Merit.
Major
Merit: The character must sacrifice a three point Merit or three
points of a Merit.
Terms:
Minor Term:
Between a day and a week.
Medial
Term: Between one week and one month.
Major Term:
Between one month and one year and one day.
Epic Term: A character
willing to stake his enlightened soul as a forfeiture may establish a term that
ranges from a decade in length to lifelong. Rumors persist within mage society
of the possibility of truly apocalyptic terms, such as those that affect a
family line for generations. Some magi believe that such pacts established some
of the major Proximi lines that flourish to this day.
Forfeiture:
Minor Boon
Companion: The character risks the life of a casual acquaintance or
beloved pet. Immediately lose an Integrity and make a derangement roll at a -2
when agreeing to this condition.
Medial Boon
Companion: The character risks the life of a good friend, an extended
family member or very young child. Immediately lose an Integrity and make a
derangement roll at a -2 when agreeing to this condition.
Major Boon
Companion: The character risks an older child, a romantic partner or
extremely close friend. Additionally, any mage set as forfeiture counts, though
the mage must be a friend or close ally to the summoner. She cannot forfeit her
enemies. Immediately lose an Integrity and make a derangement roll at a -2 when
agreeing to this condition.
Epic
Enlightened Soul: This epic forfeiture risks the character’s
enlightened soul. If the character fails to pay the cost of the pact, the
entity reaps the character’s soul. The character becomes soulless (see Soul
Loss, p 276 of Mage: The Awakening). Only a mage may forfeit his enlightened
soul.
Minor Flaw: The
character agrees to suffer a permanent Flaw if she fails to compensate the
summoned. The character gains a Flaw, but never gains experience for it. The
experience is instead reaped by the entity. The Flaw is permanent, but can be
removed by a pact including the fortification request from the same entity that
inflicted it.
Minor Life: The character
immediately loses one quarter of her Health and one quarter of her remaining lifespan
(as if it were taken by a mage using the Death 5 spell “Steal Lifespan,” save
that the character cannot defend against it in any way).
Medial
Life: The character immediately loses one half of her Health and
one half of her remaining lifespan.
Major Life: The character
immediately dies as if she had lost all of her Health to Lethal damage. Shecan
be resuscitated if she gains immediate medical attention (calling 911 isn’t
quick enough, but having a crash cart and a doctor present at the moment of death
may be), but if she is, her remaining lifespan is reduced by three quarters. If
the character dies, her soul continues to exist as a ghost (and thus she can be
the subject of a Death 4 “Revenant” spell). Health lost to this forfeiture is
not permanent, though years of life are. The Health lost is an immediate result
of the brutal siphoning of the mage’s life.
Minor
Merit: The character loses a four dot Merit or four dots of a
single Merit.
Medial
Merit: The character loses a five dot Merit or five dots of a
single Merit.
Minor
Paradox: The character draws the attention of the Abyss. Paradox
rolls always assume that there is at least a single Sleeper present, adding at
least 2 dice to the roll. If one or more Sleepers are actually present, then
the use of rotes and order tools grant no penalty to the Paradox roll.
Medial
Paradox: In addition to the effects of the minor Paradox forfeiture,
the character’s Paradox is always considered one grade worse than it would
otherwise be. For example, if a character’s spell causes what would normally be
a Havoc Paradox, it instead causes Bedlam.
Major
Paradox: The character must roll for Paradox every time he casts a
spell, whether vulgar or covert. Such a character quickly garners the
attentions of the Guardians of the Veil.
Minor
Vulnerability: The character becomes vulnerable to a rare substance that
would normally be harmful (such as a specific poison or specific and unusual
type of wood) or to a common substance that would normally be relatively
harmless (such as sunlight, the ringing of bells, or crosses).
Medial
Vulnerability: As above, save that the substance can normally be utilized
to do harm (such as iron, wood, silver or fire).
Sealing the
Pact:
Once the aspects of the pact have been determined, the pact
is sealed. This costs one Willpower point from the summoner and one point of
Essence per request granted by the entity. If the pact includes an aspect of epic
or apocalyptic value, the cost rises to one permanent Willpower dot and five
points of Essence per request granted by the entity. Inability to pay the cost
to seal the pact results in its failure to take hold.
For the pact to be valid, the total requests + costs must
equal out to zero, as must the total terms + forfeitures.
Minor Request = +1, Minor Cost = -1, Minor Term = +1, Minor
Forfeiture = -1
Medial Request = +2, Medial Cost = -2, Medial Term = +2,
Medial Forfeiture = -2
Major Request = +3, Major Cost = -3, Major Term = +3, Major
Forfeiture = -3
Epic Request = +4, Epic Cost = -4, Epic Term = +4, Epic Forfeiture
= -4
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