User:Zhenra-Khal/Project Atrea (3.5e Sourcebook)/Mechanics

Mechanics

Within the world of the Pactbound, there are four major important mechanics. These are Pact Magic, Patrons, Pacts and Pact Boons.

Pact Magic is the power gifted to the Pactbound by his contract. This magic bridges the gap between the Arcane and the Divine - While Arcane methods are used in its execution, it is indeed a power drawn from another being, not from yourself, nature, spirits or the ambient magic of the world.

Patrons are those who grant and shape your power, and those you answer to as a Cleric or Paladin answers to their deity. However, your relationship with your patron is not one of veneration and sympathy, but one of business and mutual benefit - They give you this power while expecting you to use it to their benefit. Patrons also often have things they don't want you doing with the power they grant - Rarely will a Celestial approve of killing an innocent baby, and an elder Fae won't give you power just so you can build a parking lot with it. No matter how many Pactbound classes you have levels in, you may only have one Patron.

Pacts are how you serve your patron. Each Pact option gives you a tool to use to complete your end of the bargain - After all, it's silly to be asked to fight for a cause and not be supplied with a weapon to do so with, nor any details on what the cause is. You may choose a new Pact every time you enter a new Pactbound base class, but keep in mind you must fulfill both quotas.

Pact Boons are gifts related to your Patron and Pact, gained every so often. These can be bonus spells, invocations, feats, and etc., or alterations to existing abilities such as new affects, increased DCs, and the like.