Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Deal or No Deal?

I enjoy the concepts of classes that derive their power from their personal relationship with a specific entity
that you can talk to. However, it seems like many classes that fit the bill in 3.5 or Pathfinder really want you
to overlook that defining relationship in favor of treating the vestige or patron like a spellbook.

BINDER (witch, occultist, petitioner, channeler)
1
Contract, +1 implicature
1 free slot per day
2
Bargain for Second Magnitude
2 free slots per day
3
Dupe, +1 implicature
3 free slots per day
4
Bargain for Third Magnitude
5 free slots per day
5
Artifact Channel, +1 implicature
7 free slots per day
6
Bargain for Fourth Magnitude
11 free slots per day
7
Two Minds, +1 implicature
15 free slots per day
8
Bargain for Fifth Magnitude
21 free slots per day
9
Undying, +1 implicature
27 free slots per day
10
Bargain for Sixth Magnitude
35 free slots per day
Starting Skills: any one expertise, implicature, and one other.
Contract: You have bargained with a supernatural entity or entities for magical power. This will require skill tests for later magnitudes, but it is assumed that you’ve managed to already work out a deal for first magnitude spells. All spells you know are recorded in magical, ethereal contracts, which you study each day. When you consult your contract, you decide which spells you will be able to cast that day and how many times you can cast each one. For each casting of a starting-level spell, you must commit one spell slot. Later magnitudes cost a number of slots equal to their magnitude.
Later that day, you may try to bargain with your patron to cast more spells. You get a penalty equal to the number of attempts you’ve made to bargain for more spells that day, as well as the number of spell slots you want from the patron. See the “bargain for magnitudes” entry for rules on bargaining with your patron.
Your patron teaches you two spells per level, and for a negotiated cost can teach you more, if you have a scroll, tome, or similar artifact to study from. It is totally impossible to break free from your patron, but if you do you will become more powerful than your wildest dreams.
If you have one patron, you get a +3 to implicature tests to bargain with it, but you are restricted to learning spells of its domains (see the Gods and Patrons chapter.) You are also bound by one of its taboos of your choice. If you consult multiple patrons, you may learn spells of any domain, but are bound by two random taboos from the table below. The DM may choose to have you randomly select new taboos every level.


Table 9: General Taboos
1. Cannot eat meat. 
2. Cannot lie. 
3. Cannot touch a dead body. 
4. Cannot sleep indoors 
5. Must flagellate self daily (1d4 damage) 
6. Must engage in hedonistic acts whenever possible. 
7. Must follow the law. 
8. Must accept all challenges and wagers. 
Bargain for Magnitudes: A binder cannot even learn a spell unless they are initiated into the appropriate magnitude. Once they achieve the appropriate level, they may make an implicature test to bargain with their patron. They get a -2 penalty for each degree of magnitude they are trying to be initiated into.
  • If you fail, pick three. If you succeed, pick one. If you succeed by 10+, pick zero. You must fulfill a random taboo until you next level up, you must perform some minor quest incidental with your current business, you must endure a curse until you level up (such as babbling, penalty to a primary stat, or compulsive singing.)
Dupe: You may use implicature to bargain as a standard action, but it only convinces the mark for up to one minute. This cannot be used in combat or other hostile situations.
Artifact Channel: Channeling a little magic from your connection to your patron, you may use magic items as a wizard of half your level.
Two Minds: Whenever you make a mental test, roll twice and take the better result.
Undying: Wounds do not render you unconscious or incapacitated. You are alive and standing until you’re dead.


PATRONS
Patrons in Sweetheart D&D are minor spirits, vestiges, outsiders, demons, angels, or ascended familiars. Unlike gods, they are much smaller-time and have a more immediate relationship with the binders who channel them. Most bargains with a patron should be fully roleplayed. A binder can summon an illusory form for their patron to speak with, each one identifiable and unique. A DM strapped for ideas might consult the Lesser Keys of Solomon. Below, several example patrons (and their taboos) are listed.


A typical patron will have:
  • Two of the following domains: ritual, illusion, transformation, fire, curse, necromancy, charm, angel, demon, summoning, shadow.
  • Two of the following domains: healing, disease, ooze, liquid, flesh, blood, soul, spirit, item, weapon, bone, emotion, dispel, conjuration, flight, radiation, speech
  • Four taboos to choose from.
  • A manifestation and a personality. In negotiations, a patron is remarkably hung-up on their taboos, but they often have other desire and interests as well. While friendship is almost certainly off the table, a patron and their binder can develop a rapport for a time if they have compatible personalities.


Flicker: fire, shadow, speech, soul
  • Must wear a red ribbon in your hair
  • You can no longer feel heat.
  • Cannot enter a church.
  • Cannot allow yourself to be imprisoned.
Tzetkhal: ritual, curse, healing, disease
  • Cannot acquire a new pair of shoes.
  • Must speak with every horse you see.
  • Must avenge slights.
  • Cannot turn away a guest or someone seeking sanctuary.
Canorod: Illusion, demon, ooze, emotion
  • Cannot touch what you love
  • All animals are dogs to you.
  • Cannot relax without your back to the wall.
  • Must insult people periodically.
Inner Sister: necromancy, transformation, blood, flight
  • Must always reciprocate romantic overtures.
  • Cannot look at your own reflection.
  • Must dress as lavishly as possible.
  • Physically harmed by when others are self-deprecating.
Zohariel: angel, charm, conjuration, dispel
  • Cannot speak.
  • Each time you take a life, you must pray for their soul that night.
  • Cannot harm a priest.
  • Must always forgive.
Ublthu: summoning, curse, radiation, disease
  • Cannot look someone in the eye.
  • Cannot attack an unready foe.
  • Must speak your mind.
  • Must drink to excess when able.
Ashur the Ephemeral: charm, fire, item, speech
  • Must wear a blindfold at night.
  • Must always seize an opportunity to boast or expound.
  • Cannot admit wrongdoing.
  • Cannot cross running water.
Baron Zutherasc: ritual, shadow, spirit, weapon
  • Cannot cut your hair.
  • Cannot have a consensual romantic encounter
  • Must seek violent solutions.
  • Must whisper.
Fus: demon, angel, conjuration, blood
  • Cannot harm a wild animal.
  • Cannot cast spells with your eyes open.
  • Must try to barter every time.
  • Must try to taste any wound you see.
The Scholar Princess: fire, illusion, dispel, emotion
  • Cannot enter a cellar or basement.
  • Cannot thank anyone.
  • Cannot trust anyone with a beard.
  • Cannot be swayed by warnings.
Aoulosh Blackwell: ritual, transformation, conjuration, healing

  • Cannot harm an innocent.
  • Must educate the willfully ignorant.
  • Must at least read the title of every book you come across.
  • Must find an apprentice to train to become a philosopher king.

BINDER SPELL LIST
A binder’s access to spells depends on whether they have one patron or multiple. Binders with one patron may only cast spells from the binder list with at least one matching domain. Binders with many patrons may select from the full list. Binder spells of the “patron” domain may be cast only by binders with a single patron.
Spell Name
Domains
Magnitude
Effect
Alter Disease
Disease, ritual, healing
Second
You may use use expertise (nature) to bargain with diseases, convincing it to act differently as per the implicature skill.
Alter Form
Illusion, transformation
Second
You take on the appearance of another humanoid, with a degree of precision commensurate with your knowledge of them. This spell requires concentration.
Arson
Fire
Third
In just a few seconds, you set a wide area (maximum radius ten feet) ablaze. If the material affected is normally flammable, the fire spreads quickly. Otherwise, it peters out in a couple minutes.
Become Ooze
Transformation, ooze, liquid
Second
You can affect your body or parts of your body, as well as carried items, as though they were a viscous liquid. This lasts an hour. This spell requires concentration
Bind Heart
Ritual, necromancy, flesh, blood, heart, curse
Fifth
You pull a willing or bound target’s heart from its body, still beating. They become immune to critical hits and aging, but if anyone bearing the heart deals damage to it, they instantly die.
Bind Soul
Ritual, soul, spirit, item
Third
You pull a dead or dying target’s soul into an item or animal. So long as the vessel is intact, the soul does not go to its usual afterlife. Possession of this soul gives a bonus to some things, notably the seance spell targeting the particular soul.
Channel Chaos
Transformation, patron,
Sixth
Cast six spell slots worth of binder spells with the transformation domain or the domains of your patron. You do not need to know them. You must observe all of your patron’s taboos until the spell ends, which is not until your patron decides it ends. Your patron has direct control of your body, and resisting their will requires a charisma test.
Charm Person
Charm
Second
One target treats you like their friend. You can cast this spell at fourth magnitude to affect a group of people.
Call Up
Ritual, angel, demon, outsider, summoning
Fifth
You pull a powerful outsider out of the void. It is uncontrolled, and if you haven’t done prior research you have no idea what it’s capable of.
Clinging Shadow
Shadow
Fourth
You target a space up to 50 ft. away. All characters within 15 ft. of the center must test dexterity or take 2d6 damage and become entangled. Saving inflicts half damage but still entangles them. This spell requires concentration
Contact power
Ritual, spirit, angel, demon, outsider, patron
First
You invite a foreign intelligence from the void of another plane to briefly inhabit your body. It can speak, but do nothing else. The creature can answer questions, but may require a bargain to give the juiciest details.
Contagion
disease
Fourth
You afflict the target with a deadly and contagious disease.
Culpa
Bone, blood, necromancy, emotion, weapon
First (cantrip)
You summon a bone dagger out of your wrist. It deals additional damage if you truly hate the target. Typically this would be +1 for an ideological foe, +2 for a nemesis, and +3 for a former lover who spurned you.
Dispel leadership and tactics
dispel
Second
All leadership and/or tactics spells before you end. If they were cast by a higher-level caster, you must make a spellcraft test, modified by their level, to succeed.
Dispel nature
dispel
First
All nature spells before you end. If they were cast by a higher-level caster, you must make a spellcraft test, modified by their level, to succeed.
Dominate
Charm
Fourth
One target treats you like their master. You can cast this spell at sixth magnitude to affect a group of people. This spell requires concentration.
Fireball
fire
Fourth
You throw a bursting bead of fire up to 50 ft. All characters within 15 ft. of the center must test dexterity or take 4d6 damage. Saving inflicts half damage. This spell requires concentration.
Fire Blast/Shadow Blast
Fire, shadow
Second
You throw a bolt of fire (or shadow) up to 50 ft. Make a ranged attack to deal 2d6 damage.
False Bilocation
Illusion
Third
For the next six hours, create a clone of yourself. It acts in ways you plausibly would, and can accept simple instructions, but cannot attack, cast spells, or do anything that requires a roll. If attacked or forced to make a roll, it disintegrates. This spell requires concentration
Fool’s Gold
Illusion, conjuration, item
Second
Creates 10 gold coins per level you possess, which disappear after an hour.
Ghoul
Ritual, necromancy, disease
Second
Feed the flesh of sapient creatures to a dying creature; they become a ravenous, intelligent undead creature that is favorably disposed to you.
Grow Claws
Transformation, animal, shadow, bone,
First
Your hands distend into sharp nails. Your unarmed attacks deal 1d6 damage, and you may attack twice in a round with them.
Grow Tendrils
Transformation, shadow, ooze
Third
Tendrils grow from your body. You can be actively holding everything you carry. Whenever a foe within 20 ft. of you moves, you may attack them. This spell requires concentration
Grow Wings
Transformation, flight, angel, demon, animal
Second
Grow bulky wings that allow you to fly more quickly than a bird for up to one hour. Your flight speed is 60 ft. You can prepare this spell at a higher magnitude to fly 30 ft. faster per additional magnitude. This spell requires concentration
Heart’s Desire
Conjuration, illusion, item
Third
Create any object, which disappears after an hour.
Ignite
Fire
First (cantrip)
You start a small fire. If the material affected is normally flammable, the fire spreads quickly. Otherwise, it peters out in a couple minutes.
Ignored
Illusion, Charm
Second
Target doesn’t perceive you. If you cast another spell or attack, this spell ends. You can cast this spell at fourth magnitude to affect a group of people.This spell requires concentration
Insubstantial
Transformation, shadow
Third
You become a living shadow, with the consistency of water. Additionally, you are invisible while in near-darkness. This lasts an hour. This spell requires concentration
Juggle Fire
Fire
First
For the next hour, you can grab fire and toss it up to 50 ft. This does not allow you to create fire.
Kindred Spirits
Charm
First
One creature treats you as a friend. It must be a creature which somehow shares a temperament or significant similarity with you.
Marco
Charm
First (cantrip)
Any person within 30 ft. of you whom you are not aware of must announce their presence.
Melt
Fire
Second
Destroys a non-flammable, non-magical item. This spell requires concentration.
Mutation (physical)
Ritual, Transformation, radiation
First
The target gets a random sorcerer physical mutation. This lasts for 12 hours.
Mystery (combat)
Ritual
First
The target gets a random loresage combat mystery. This lasts for 12 hours.
Normalcy
Illusion, Charm
First
No one finds your appearance strange or alarming. This lasts for 6 hours. This spell requires concentration
Numb
Necromancy, flesh, blood
First (cantrip)
You gain DR 1 for the next ten minutes, and are immune to pain.
Object Impermanence
Charm
Fourth
Target must be looking at something to remember it. Lasts up to an hour. This spell requires concentration.
Parley
Charm
First
The target tests wisdom or becomes willing to hear you out for at least a minute. Fails if they are threatened. This spell requires concentration.
Seance
Necromancy, spirit, ritual
Third
You channel the departed spirits of those who have died in the area, or who otherwise have a connection to your location. Through you, they may converse and can answer questions, thought they may require bargaining for the juiciest information.
Seal
Rune, conjuration
First (cantrip)
Magically impresses your personal sigil. Can jam doors or give spirits attempting to break their prisons disadvantage on rolls.
See No Evil
Illusion, Charm
Third
Target cannot perceive you or anyone you are interacting with. Lasts ten minutes. This spell requires concentration
Secret Combination
Ritual, curse, Charm
Second
You and the target cannot betray the other’s confidence regarding any conversation immediately following the casting of the spell. You may cast this spell at fourth magnitude to target a group. This spell requires concentration
Slip into Shadow
dimensions, shadow
Second
You “slip” into a nearby shadow, emerging at another nearby. If the original shadow was dim, the new one may be up to 1000 ft. away. If it was properly dark, it may be up to 1 mile. You may cast this spell at higher magnitudes, each time doubling the distance. This spell requires concentration.
Speak with Sin
Charm, divination, sin, spirit, angel, demon, speech
Second
You may have a mental interaction with personifications of a target’s sins. The conversation takes one real-world instance, and while you may bargain or manipulate with these entities, they can’t actually do more than give minor circumstantial modifiers to their owners behavior.
Steal Face
Transformation, illusion, curse, flesh
First
You steal the visage of a target for one hour. If the creature is living, they get a constitution save to resist. Failure means that they can still see, breathe, etc. but have an utterly generic face for their race and ethnic extraction. This spell requires concentration.
Summon Hound
Summoning, shadow, angel, demon
First
You summon a magical dog for one hour per slot invested.
Summon Imp/Solar
Summoning, angel, demon
Second
You summon a somewhat stupid, but loyal, small flying outsider for one hour per two slots invested.
Summon Soldier
Ritual, Summoning, angel, demon
Third
You summon a strange errant outsider for one hour per three slots invested.
Summon Tempter/Redeemer
Ritual, Summoning, angel, demon, sin
Third
You summon a flying, charismatic outsider for one hour per three slots invested.
Summon Judgement
Ritual, Summoning, angel, demon
Fifth
You summon an uncontrolled force of moral nature for one hour per five slots invested.
Taboo
Curse, patron
First
Choose a taboo of your patron. The target must test intelligence or be bound by it for a day.
Unspeakability
Charm, curse
Third
You render a person, event, or object literally unspeakable in a target. This is permanent until shaken free by magic or sufficient accidental spilling of the beans.
Viscerakinesis
Necromancy, flesh
Second
You levitate something that is made of meat, and can throw it. A human-sized meat body can be thrown 30 ft., doing 1d6 damage to it. Living targets get a constitution test to resist it, moving only 5 ft.
Wight
Ritual, necromancy, curse
Third
You create from the cadaver of someone who died violently a new, strange, martial intelligent undead.
Zombie
Ritual, necromancy, flesh
First
Inject a dead body with a certain blend of herbs and animal fat. It rises the following night as a mindless, herding, undead.
Zombie Parts
Ritual, necromancy, flesh
First
Inject body parts with a certain blend of herbs and animal fat. They rise the following night as a mindless herd of undead bits.

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