A spellpact is a magical bargain made between a spellcaster and a powerful being with innate magic. Spellpacts have a variety of costs based on type, but they all require the sacrifice of a spell slot. Forming a spellpact requires careful negotiation, as a wily patron will do all it can to gain the greatest benefit for itself, at the cost of the spellcaster. They have good reason though, as granting a spellpact often costs them significantly.
Regardless of the type or source of a spellpact, they function in the same way. The spellcaster pays any associated costs and sacrifices an unused spell slot. In return, the spellcaster gains up to 5 spell-like abilities usable a limited number of times per day, with better spell-like abilities and more daily uses given in return for sacrificing higher level spell slots.
The spellpacts available to the spellcaster are based on the type of creature that makes the spellpact with the spellcaster. Except in rare circumstances, a spellcaster can be part of only a single spellpact and must break it to form a new one. If a spellcaster is capable of forming more than one spellpact, he is limited to only having spellpacts with a single patron at a time and may never gain the same spellpact more than once. For example, if a spellcaster makes a feypact with the Winter Court, he only has access to additional spellpacts offered by the Winter Court and could not select a spellpact offered by a dragon, another fey, or any other type of creature.
Forming a Spellpact
Any spellcaster which meets all of the prerequisites for a spellpact may attempt to form one. The patron who provides the spellpact is always a powerful being with some form of innate spellcasting ability. The exact nature of the patron is detailed in the specific type of spellpact.
To form a spellpact, a spellcaster enters into a meditative trance where he selects an uncast spell slot he possesses and offers it up to a willing patron. He must meditate for one hour per level of the offered spell slot, after which time he must make a concentration check (DC 20 + the level of the sacrificed spell slot). If his potential patron is present and willing, the spellcaster gains a +10 bonus on the check.
If the concentration check fails, the spellcaster may continue to meditate, making a new concentration check each hour. If his meditation is interrupted, he must begin the meditation anew.
If the check is successful, the spellcaster is able to make mental contact with a patron willing to enter into a spellpact. Unless his patron is present when the spellpact is formed, the spellcaster can only specify the type of spellpact he wishes to enter and cannot contact a specific patron. A patron can make a spellpact without revealing their identity to the spellcaster, though they always know the identity of the spellcaster.
Once contact is made with a potential patron, the spellcaster must pay any associated costs but may attempt to gain a better deal. If he chooses to haggle, the spellcaster may use the Persuasion (Haggling) rules to negotiate the new price. This uses a fixed DC of 15 + the level of the sacrificed spell slot + any modifiers of the specific spellpact. The results of this check vary depending on the type of spellpact being formed.
Once the final price is set, the payment is instantly transferred to the patron, the offered spell slot is lost, and the spellcaster gains the full benefits of the spellpact.
Spellpact Effects
A spellpact grants the spellcaster up to 5 spell-like abilities usable a certain number of times per day; however, it also reduces the number of spells he can cast based on the agreement made when forming the spellpact. A spellpact rewards a caster with better spell-like abilities and more daily uses of those abilities if he sacrificed a higher level spell slot.
| Spell Slot Level | Level of Spell-like Ability | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd/4th | 5th/6th | 7th/8th | |
| 1st1 | 1/day | – | – | – | – |
| 2nd | 2/day | – | – | – | – |
| 3rd | 3/day | 1/day | – | – | – |
| 4th | 3/day | 2/day | – | – | – |
| 5th | 3/day | 3/day | 1/day | – | – |
| 6th | 3/day | 3/day | 2/day | – | – |
| 7th | 3/day | 3/day | 3/day | 1/day | – |
| 8th | 3/day | 3/day | 3/day | 2/day | – |
| 9th | 3/day | 3/day | 3/day | 3/day | 1/day |
| 10th1 | 3/day | 3/day | 3/day | 3/day | 2/day |
| 1 A spellcaster cannot normally gain access to this level of spellpact and requires special circumstances to receive a spellpact of this level. | |||||
The caster level for the spellpact’s granted spell-like abilities is equal to the spellcaster’s caster level for the spell slot sacrificed. So, if a 5th-level sorcerer enters a spellpact, his caster level for that spellpact is 5.
The save DC (if any) is 10 + the spell-like ability’s spell level + the spellcaster’s Charisma modifier, unless otherwise specified.
The patron also gains a number of benefits. The patron gains a bonus spell slot equal to that sacrificed by the spellcaster. She also chooses one spell of that spell level or lower known by the spellcaster when the spellpact is formed. For the duration of the spellpact, she may cast the chosen spell as though it were one of her spells known. The spellcaster does not lose access to the chosen spell.
A spellpact remains in effect until it is broken.
Breaking a Spellpact
A spellpact is a form of binding oath between two individuals to exchange power. It remains in effect for the lifetime of the spellcaster and the patron plus one additional year after the death of either party. If either party dies, the surviving party loses all benefits of the spellpact but retains all penalties and does not regain any sacrificed abilities until after one year has passed. If the deceased party is returned to life, the benefits are reinstated for both parties immediately.
Either party may choose to break the spellpact at any time; however, they are costs for doing so.
The spellcaster may break the spellpact simply by stating an intention to do so. He must not use any of the granted abilities of the spellpact for a full day, after which time he can end the spellpact, immediately losing all of its granted abilities. He does not regain the sacrificed spell slot until an additional seven days have passed, during which time the patron retains full use of the spell slot and selected spell. When he regains his spell slots at the start of the 8th day, he also regains the sacrificed spell slot and pays no ongoing costs or penalties.
A patron may break the spellpact by forfeiting any payment that the spellcaster offered as part of forming the spellpact, which immediately returns it to the spellcaster. If the payment cannot be returned, such as in the case of payments related to information or service, the patron must return a payment of equal value. The spellcaster maintains the use of the spellpact for the remainder of the day and regains his sacrificed spell slot when he next regains spell slots, losing the spellpact at the same time. The patron suffers any additional costs or penalties for seven days after breaking the spellpact.
Renegotiating a Spellpact
Over time, a spellcaster may gain in power and desire to improve the spellpact he has made to gain greater power. The spellcaster may choose to renegotiate any spellpact he possesses once per day with an hour of meditation to contact his patron.
The spellcaster may only renegotiate a spellpact if he has not yet used any of the spell-like abilities it offers on that day. No concentration check is needed, as he already has a magical bond with his patron. Once the meditation is complete, the spellcaster must negotiate the cost of the new spellpact as described in Forming a Spellpact.
If the spellcaster is only modifying his existing spellpact, such as by sacrificing a higher level spell slot, the value of any associated costs paid previously counts towards the final negotiated payment of the modified spellpact, though he does not earn a refund for offering a lower spell slot.
If the spellcaster is ending one spellpact in favor of a different one offered by his patron, he must pay the full cost of the new spellpact but does not suffer any penalties for breaking the first spellpact.
Once the new spellpact has been negotiated, the spellcaster and patron both immediately lose any benefits and penalties associated with the old spellpact and gain all benefits and penalties from the new one.
Types of Spellpacts
Each type of spellpact has its own rules and restrictions depending on the type of patron who offers the pact.
Spellpact Patrons
The following is a list of the types of potential patron which offer spellspacts.
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The Spellpacts
The following is a list of the spellspacts available from all possible patrons.
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