Friday, January 1, 2016

[Mage: The Awakening] Spirit Pact Guide

((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 , specifically Spirit 2 “Spirit Pact.”  This is very different then pacts with the Fae, Infernals, or true Demons (fallen Angels), or Sanctifying an Oath.

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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