Hey all. So I recently started running an FC game and we made a setting for it. Thing is: the type of magic I "developed" for it was unique... very much so.
The basic premise is that magic in this universe can only be attained by making deals and pacts with creatures of mighty and inherit powerful nature. Things like Demons, Angels, Dragons, Elementals, etc and the spells gained from them in turn reflect the nature of the spells cast. My only problem is that the best I could do to transfer this mechanically was to basically tweak the sorcery quality rules as described here.
Sorcery: The act of making pacts with powerful entities for their strength and power is a well-known and sometimes feared practice among the people of Erred. Sorcerers and spell casters tend to vary depending on their particular pacts and also determined what spells they may learn. Certain magic qualities are applied depending on the nature of the pact made. For a vague guide, see below.
Elemental Pact (Wild Magic): Making a pact with elementals tends to grant the mage some... interesting effects. Their powers range from being extra-effective to backfiring particularly hard. Elementals grant the Channeler and the Conjuror school of magic.
Fey Pact (Random Magic): Those who make pacts with fey rarely know what they get out of it. Fact many fey-pact mages don't even realize they're magic users until they realize the blindingly beautiful lady who waits by the water every evening to talk to him is more than just a random mistress of his. Feys grant the Enchanter and the Trickster schools.
Angel Pact (Difficult Magic, Potent Magic): Magic granted by angels tend to require a greater deal of effort to pull off. But tend to be much more rewarding when they're cast properly. The act of making a pact with angels is a difficult one that many mages turn away from due to the pact's inherit difficult nature. But those who stick with it find a power and a strength not seen. Angels grant the Preserver School.
Demon Pact (Corrupting Magic, Potent Magic): Magic granted by demons is just as potent as angelic magic and much easier to cast! Making it a proffered choice for many mages... who are unwittingly playing directly into the demon's hands. The effects of corruption can range from many things. Sometimes the mage slowly transforms into a demon himself, sometimes he goes mad, sometimes the magic almost works like an addiction. With the demon withholding power from the mage until he is performing heinous acts every day just to get a buzz. Either way, mages who make demonic pacts tend to have disturbingly short lifespans. Demons grant the Reaper School.
Tower Pact: Certain mages claim that their pacts come from the ancient and powerful beasts. As well as claims that certain mage powers come from the gods and even the magical tower itself. Such claims are met with harsh skepticism as the exact nature of those pacts tend to be... nebulous at best. Yet there's little doubt that these mages do indeed have power and strength all on their own. A pact made with the tower in general has access to the Prophet and Seer School.
Oni House Spirits (Easy Magic, Potent Magic, Special): Oni house spirits grant the Conjuror, Preserver and Seer schools. The powerful spirit's magic is easy to use for the Oni who make pacts with them (and it is ONLY oni who can make pacts with such spirits) and it's particularly potent as well! The only reason the Oni have not used said magic to conquer Erred is due to a certain limitation that the house spirits posses. Although their magic infuses the Oni's homeland, the house spirits lack the ability to keep their magical gifts alive inside those who make pacts with them for those who move too far from their homeland. Any Oni mage who exists beyond the Frost Back mountains loses 1d10 spell points each day and can only regain them by returning to the mountains of his home. Oni mages who move out of their home on pilgrimage must make pacts with different entities.
Dragon Pact: Dragons tend to be the most varied and powerful of magic users. Their power and skill trumps that of many other pacts. The only problem is: out of all the magical creatures who can grant mages their powers. Dragons are the least likely to do so. Beyond draconian arrogance having them overlook and be downright hostile toward any human who comes into their territory, dragons are a very material and very real creature. Angels, demons even most truly powerful elementals and fey reside in their own section of the tower and can only communicate with Erred through the occasional contact/summoning circle. Dragons LIVE in Erred and are often not ones to mince words or be bargained with. Still, some mages have been known to be clever or cunning enough to earn a dragon's magic. Those that do find dragons to be slightly more versatile than other pacts, depending on the type of dragon. The schools learned may range from Prophet and Reaper, to Conjuror and Trickster. Typically, GM's should play dragon-pacts by ear and go with what seems thematically appropriate.
Mages should list which spells they have come from which pact and categorize them accordingly. A mage who casts spells granted from an elemental pact will have a different effect on his magic than a mage who casts spells from a demon pact.
So as you can see. The idea of pact-magic I've developed here is a bit of a mixed bag. I dunno how well it works in the context of the game or if it just adds a layer of confusion to an already confusing class. I dunno if Spellbound would have rules for this sort of thing (if it did, that'd be something) but I'm overall just looking to see if anyone else can come up with a decent idea on how to implement this type of magic in Fantasy Craft.
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