Okay, so basically it would depend on the Demon your character had a pact with. Pact magic would probably be closely associated with the patron themself, so if the Demon has a particular theme or domain associated with them, you could base their pact magic around that. For instance, a demon associated with war might have pact magic that creates cursed weapons, or a demon associated with misfortune might manipulate luck. Really there’s a lot of options. If you’ve got any ideas for the Demon I can help brainstorm some ideas.
Well in that case I'll pm you some of the skills when I hash some out. I don't have any at the moment but I'll have them soonish, probably.
@DrowsyPangolin Changed her as requested and I've added Control. Phantosia was something I wasn't sure of to be honest. I was split between that or (I forgot the word) sound hallucinations. Making someone hear something that wasn't there. I'm having this scene in my head with her being a master and fighting someone and as she's about to lose, make the person hear the voices of their loved ones or those who have departed by combining thought reading and that ability.
One more question, what kind a magic would a magi need to know in order to influence luck, without it being pact magic?
Stats Strength: F Speed: C Precision: B Endurance: D Control : A
Spellcasting Class Psyhic
Specialization Thought Manipulation/Hypnosis Runecraft
Notable Spells/Techniques Mental Screem Alexis is able to unleash a mental screem which affects those around her. This usually causes dizziness in those with low endurance/willpower. Those strong enough to withstand the scream will usually experience a strong ringing in their ears. Those with exceptional low endurance/willpower will fall unconscious and when the ability will be stronger it might even affect stronger willed persons.
Confusion-Rune A rune which is tattooed on Alexis's skin which when activated will cause confusion and even forgetfullness to the person which is affected by it. Later, it will be able to affect multiple targets at once and even cause hallucinations.
Phantosmia The lowest cost spell Alexis knows. It causes a person which is near Alexis, to experience different smells. The smells are random for now as she doesn't know how to control it yet but when she'll be stronger, she will be able to overwhelm a person with strong smells she chooses. Example in combat : She uses it and her attacker soon is overwhelmed by the smell of death or rotten food.
Sense-Rune not available for now as it is too advanced but putting it here for later A spell which is inscribed on her palms. Used together, Alexis is able to make the target of the spell to be overwhelmed with different feelings (pain, melancholy, love etc) for about 10 minutes.
Magical Items/Equipment: Necklace of Clear Thought A family heirloom which was passed down from Alexis's great-great-x5 more greats-grand mother which was a psyhic herself. The true purpose of the necklace was lost in time as it's simply an accessory for the non-psyhics. When Alexis's abilities manifested, the sapphire gemstone inside the necklace started glowing and it kept glowing until Alexis wore it for the first time. Its purpose became known after a long day of training for Alexis when her willpower was low. The sapphire gemstone started glowing again and gave Alexis a sense of unease, as soon as she was fully rested it stopped glowing. The runes written on the sapphire prevent the user to go over his normal limit by warning them when their willpower is too low and they're in danger.
Rune-Inscriptor Pen A magical pen which was enchanted to allow it to write runes on Alexis's skin or different walls. It consumes Alexis's willpower each time it is used but it is an object which Alexis tresures the most as her father gave it to her on his death bed.
Knife Of Dizziness The first object which Alexis put a rune onto. Whoever is cut by the knife gets a sense of dizziness for a few seconds. Not very useful if you want to win a fight but useful when trying to escape.
Purse of Holding A small purse which was purchased by Alexis's mother before letting Alexis go to the school, which allows only people from the Ben'Ghazad line of blood to open it and it gives instant access to the user to the Ben'Ghazad family wealth.
Short History: The Ben'Ghazad family history is long and full of ups and downs. The first mention of them was in any official document was in Isila, a hundred years ago. A family of traders which traveled all the world before finally settling in Osuun 10 years ago. They've amassed a fortune over the years and bought a small mansion while also, slowly taking over some of the trade in the area. Alexis was born on the road and most of her childhood was lost learning how to get trade and get the best price for objects she sold. Always loyal to her family, by the age of 12, she already sold her friends toys and different trinkets. At the age of 14, her abilities manifested and everything changed for her. Her parents wished to keep Alexis's gift a secret in order to use it to get better deals but after a year with a private teacher which didn't taught Alexis more than the basics of spellcasting and rune magic, which the mage was specialized in, they fired her and after another few weeks they discovered Alexis's great-great-etc-grand mother's diaries which spoke exaclty of the same gift, Alexis had. After a few more years in which Alexis didn't move forword with her studies, Alexis's mother, decided to send Alexis to the school of Magi in order for her to trully understand her gift.
@Timemaster Yep yep, everything looks good! Feel free to add her to the characters tab. And I dunno, sounds would be a cool take as well, but there’s something unique about smells, it’s just the last thing you’d expect.
Oh, and stuff relating to luck with be something like “probability manipulation” and would probably be it’s own school to itself.
What school would a shaman controlling animals fall under? Pact magic seems like it deals with higher entities than just beasts, but golemancy implies artificial constructs that weren't already alive.
What school would a shaman controlling animals fall under? Pact magic seems like it deals with higher entities than just beasts, but golemancy implies artificial constructs that weren't already alive.
Well the way the GM pitched it pact magic lets you use the magic/powers of the stuff you make a pact with. So if it's a magic animal pact magic works, otherwise probably thought manipulation so you can talk to them and stuff.
@Scribe of Thoth It would still fall under pact magic in the majority of cases I think, you can make pacts with all sorts of entities, not just Demons and such, sorry if that wasn’t clear! There might be a few instances where thought manipulation/hypnosis could also work though. Just depends on the situation!
Also, a reminder that the list for schools of magic isn’t comprehensive, you guys are more than welcome to come up with your own if the options in the list don’t quite fit.
Notable Spells/Techniques: Counterspell This technique allows Zach to twist mana as it is being shaped by another spellcaster, essentially allowing him to quickly 'unmake' spells and magical effects right as they're being manifested and preventing them from performing their intended function. This generally requires a fair degree of speed and attentiveness in order to execute properly before the opposing spell is cast, unless said spell takes a particularly long time to prepare.
Exorcism Following along the same principle of his Counterspell technique, Zach can dispel magic that has already been cast through a much lengthier process of shaping the mana involved in the spell into a form that no longer performs the spell's function. While this isn't viable to be used against fast-acting spells like fireballs, this technique can negate persistent magical effects such as curses or illusions. The duration needed to complete an Exorcism increases with the amount of mana the original caster poured into the spell, as well as the complexity of the spell.
Primal Bond By exploiting his shamanic connection with nature, Zach can perform a ritual to create a spiritual bond with a beast (or spirit, though he's never attempted this) that allows him to control them. While this control is usually exerted in the form of mentally-transmitted commands, Zach can choose to link his senses to the beast's or outright take complete control over its body and actions, at the expense of rendering his own body unaware and defenseless.
Magical Items/Equipment: Witchhunter's Sight A blindfold marked with a runic pattern over the eyes, given to Zach by his father. The blindfold bestows a magical vision to the wearer, allowing them to both see normally despite the blindfold, as well as detect traces of mana in the environment. This is most useful for tracking spellcasters by detecting residue in areas where magic has recently been cast, though Zach primarily uses it to give himself a brief heads-up when another spellcaster begins preparing a spell, thus increasing the window of time he has to prepare a Counterspell. He also uses it to compensate for his fairly subpar eyesight, but he'd never admit that willingly.
Sirocco Not a true piece of equipment but rather a horned owl that Zach has bonded to, Sirocco is covered in tawny plumage and has a small sigil is dyed into the feathers on its forehead. Most of the time, he's fairly docile unless ordered to act otherwise, and can often be seen perched obediantly on Zach's shoulder or forearm.
Short History: Zachary comes from a line of Cresian witchfinders, though he is the first in the Chaudoir line to attempt to merge the profession with shamanism. His father worked as a witchfinder in the countryside, and as such Zach grew up in a rural setting surrounded by nature. He eagerly trained in the arcane arts from an early age, intent on continuing the family profession, however his personal mana reserves were very underwhelming and it seemed as though Zach just wouldn't have the raw power to take on rogue spellcasters. Undeterred, Zach turned to more obscure methods to increase his abilities beyond his normal limits. While it would've been hypocritical for an aspirant witchfinder to make a pact with a demon, the natural world was a source of power that already surrounded Zach, and with the help of a few instructional texts, he began an intensive meditation regimen in order to attune himself to the wilderness. He would sit for hours at a time in the woods, grasping for a connection with the natural world and strengthening it into a bond he could manipulate as magic. While he eventually reached a state where natural mana could be shaped as easily as his own inherent magic, most of the magical techniques that his family would've normally taught him were tailored for mages and not for shamans, leaving Zach with a pitifully underdeveloped arsenal of magic. He adapted what spellwork he could, however his ever-present desire to excel forced Zach to seek out further education in the arcane from another source - namely Arkus Academy.
@DrowsyPangolin Here's a sheet for a wannabe witchfinder. Do tell if you want anything changed or clarified.
@Scribe of Thoth Looks great! You can add him to the character list whenever you like.
@ShwiggityShwah Sorry to hear that, I understand though. Feel free to come on back at a later date if you get some free time later on, we’ll always be accepting new characters.
@DrowsyPangolin I'll just leave this here. If 2 characters are accepted, then great, if not, use him as an NPC or if anyone needs a character...take him 😉
Stats Strength: F Speed: F Precision: F Endurance: D Mana : A Control : A
Spellcasting Class Magi
Specialization Golemancy Necromancy
Notable Spells/Techniques Soul Sight Mortimer channels it's mana into his eyes and that allows him to see in an area around him, life signs. For now, he can only see through wood and in an area of 5 meters but as the spell gets stronger, he will be able to see through walls and different materials. At the end, it will allow him to see through illusion.
Skeleton-Golem Mortimer uses the remains left by the dead in the ground (different animals, humans etc) to create a Golem made of bones. Right now, it only allows Mortimer to create a golem of 40 cm in height and 10 in width but as the power grows, he will be able to make Golems bigger than a human in stature.
Soul Sap A spell which allows Mortimer to sap the strength of a living creature which will leave it weakened. The only way for this to work is by physical contact. As it will grow, he will be able to sap the strength by just being in the same area.
Raise Dead not available for now as it is too advanced but putting it here for later A spell which speaks for itself, it is used to wake up a dead person for a few minutes with every memory the dead had when it died. The dead will be under the control of Mortimer
Magical Items/Equipment: Armor of Death An armor which is linked to Mortimer and which cannot be removed as it has been cursed to be wore until the death of Mortimer. It protects his body from blows but slows him down a lot.
Eye Rune A rune which has been inscribed by the father of Mortimer to always see what his son sees without him knowing.
Staff of the Dead A staff which Mortimer has stolen from his father. He doesn't know exactly what it does but he knows that his father always had it with him when practicing necromancy.
Short History: The story of Mortimer starts long before he was born. His ancestors were loyal subjects of the ancient Vampires, until the Last War. When the outcome of it was clear, most have stood and fought but Mortimer's grandparents didn't. They understood that they would die and with Mortimer's father on the way, they escaped and settled in Isilla. They continued practicing their magic in secret out of fear that they would be recognized. Mortimer's father was known as a prodigy between necromancers and after some time working as a mercenary, gathered enough money to build a secluded lab in a desert cave. Mortimer's mother was an outcast between her people and sent to die in the desert, only luck if it can be called like that made William (Mortimer's father) to save her. After Mortimer was born, William became even more engrossed in his experiments and when Quilla (Mortimer's mother) wanted to take Mortimer and run away, he killed her and raised her as a zombie. Mortimer was 3 at that time and didn't knew his mother died till when he was older as she kept taking care of him. Eventually, Mortimer started practicing his father's magic too but as he grew older, so, William's madness did. Eventually, Mortimer ran away from home before William would kill him too.
A year later, witch hunters reported that William had been attacking travelers and caravans for years in the area but he hid very well and he couldn't be found. Eventually with the help of Mortimer, they found William's lab but he was expecting them. William killed 3 witch hunters before managing to escape. The last thing he did before doing so, was to curse Mortimer and vow that he will die.
Seeing that Mortimer has magic of his own, albeit, very weak magic, one of the Witchhunters convinced him to enrol in the Arkus Academy for the studying of magical powers.
Strength: E Speed: D Precision: D Endurance: C Control: E
Patron/Pact Info: Mortimer (Mort) Richard has made a pact with Mortimer, a trickster demon. Compared to other demons Mortimer is rather weak, lacking in both power and mana. In lieu of fighting prowess, he excels in the art of deception, using illusions and psychic abilities to prey on the weak willed. He's rather frank and sharp tongued, but is fundamentally a coward. Short and thin with a protruding belly, his build is such that he could lose to a child in a fist fight. Thus, he relies on his wit to manipulate situations to his advantage. Unfortunately for him, he is not very bright. Nevertheless, the demon has a ruthless disposition when it comes to achieving his goals and will do anything if it means getting closer to his ends.
Movement binding seal A seal that slows anything it is applied to. Mastery of this seal allows the user to completely immobilise objects it. Sadly, Richard is not a master. The seal can theoretically slow spells as well, but how a seal would be applied to a spell in the first place is another question entirely. A simple spell that Richard relies on the most, as it is his most consistent spell.
Disguise The signature skill of the demon Mortimer, uses illusion magic to change one's appearance, voice, and even their scent. This spell is limited by the user's imagination, and as the change isn't physical, the disguise won't hold up under intensive scrutiny. But, as it is a simple illusion, it takes a relatively small amount of mana to maintain, so other spells can be used in tandem.
Demon's whisper Mortimer's other signature skill. Uses demon magic to allow communication between minds, whether the recipient is willing or not. Functionally the same as telepathy, but allows some leeway into guarded minds. Strong minds can still resist the effect but may also need some magic defenses.
Aura of fear Creates a mind-affecting aura around the user that incites fear and amplifies its effects. One of Mortimer's favourites, he often uses it to increase the impact of his presence. Depending on the will of those inside the aura they can feel anything between indifference (when the effect is resisted) and sheer terror (when it is not). Most people excepting the especially weak willed won't feel much more than uncomfortable around the user with the aura's base effects, which is why it's best paired with an intimidating appearance.
Befuddle A simple psychic spell which slows victim's reactions. Recipients feel as if a fog begins creeping into their minds and they begin to be a little more forgetful. If the victim notices the effect then it's trivial to dispel, but if they are otherwise occupied they will quickly fall victim to the spell.
Tricky space Another Mortimer special. Creates a powerful field of psychic energy which manipulates the perceptions of those inside. While inside a tricky space, those without the proper psychic protection will find their own body thrown into chaos. Tricky space confuses the brain's signals to the body, sending leg signals to the hand, arm signals to your head, etc. The effects are entirely random, from effect to timing, and grow more severe over time. It's a powerful spell but calls for an accordingly large mana cost. Even a demon like Mortimer can't maintain the space for long, and if one has the proper mental faculties to resist it, it becomes unable to affect them. As such its most practical use is to create chaos in a crowd, causing a distraction to achieve some other goal.
Poltergeist The user imposes their will onto a seal and uses it to transfer their desire onto an object, whereupon it will come to life and act out the user's wishes. A form of golemancy, but is fundamentally a seal. Richard can make the seal but lacks the control to fully impose his will on it. Most of the time he lets Mortimer do his part to incite the object into chaos. Can be used to overwrite golems, but commands counter to its programming will meet heavy resistance. Can be used on any object, sentient or not, but sentient creatures will naturally be able to fight it. Meanwhile the magic in the seal will naturally begin fading, and it fades much faster if the recipient fights against it. As such it's a spell best used on inanimate objects with no inherent will.
Soul eating seal The most potent sealing spell that Richard can currently cast. The caster draws a magical circle with a special pattern, and then activates it by feeding some magic into it. While active it continuously drains the mana of anything inside the circle, using the mana to strengthen its own defences. If cut off from a supply of mana it will eventually fade away. Casting the seal is a careful balancing act. It's possible for the seal to remain on the target indefinitely, by matching the mana used by the spell with the target's mana recovery. But more often than not the circle is too weak to effectively hold something before they break it. If the mana it takes to maintain itself is too high compared to the target's mana regneration it will fade away quickly. Richard isn't very adept at using this seal and it's generally too weak to be useful, or shoddy enough that it collapses when it's used. Nevertheless, if pulled off correctly it's a significant threat.
Ashfield Magic Tome A large leather-bound tome, inscribed with runes and seals. In its pages lies a compilation of magic from Richard's father, a Warlock, and his mother, a powerful sealing mage. Contains various spells and procedures for capturing demons, talking to demons, bargaining with demons, etc. Also has a chapter of designated demon jails to house demons in the book's pages, inside one of the pages is Mortimer. The rest are empty. The seal on those pages prevents demons from using their powers without the holder of the book allowing it, but allows telepathy through as the major means of communication between demon and summoner. Much to Richard's chagrin, this feature is often abused by Mortimer who can bother him with demon's whispers 24/7.
At the back of the book is a series of blank pages which never run empty, which can be useful for writing seals on, or taking notes. Because Richard barely even knows the basics, the vast majority of the spells in the book are practically illegible for him. Nevertheless, it is a valuable resource for him which he is never seen without, despite its ponderous weight.
Sealed ring A ring that belonged to Richard's mother. Made of gold, set with a dull ruby. It has the ability to store a single magical seal inside itself, which can be released by the wearer with a code word. Richard mostly uses the ring to hold seals, as they can be rather time consuming to create.
Self refilling pen Using spacial magic it hides a cache of ink with which it can refill itself. Rather expensive. Aqcuired through stealing.
Richard was born to a pair of mages. His father was a powerful Warlock, intent on divining the secrets of the infernal realms. His mother was a powerful sealing mage, intent on securing the safety of her husband. While in public his father styled himself as a scholar of the demon realm, which did little to bring him friends in magic circles. Nevertheless he had his passion, and that was all he needed. He was a talented mage besides, as was his wife. Together the family had no want, but that all changed when tragedy struck.
It was a freak airship accident. It went down on an uninhabited mountain range far away from society, and Richard's mother had been on it. When the rescue teams came back the verdict was almost universal. If anyone somehow survived the crash, they wouldn't have survived in the wilderness. Everyone wrote off the incident but his father never gave up. He began spending less and less time with Richard, communing with demon after demon in the hopes of finding news. And one day, he disappeared. In the basement where he had done his communions there was nothing left but the pungent smell of sulphur, and the leather bound book. After that, Richard's extended family came, but not to offer sympathies. The family fortune, while not being particularly large, was the accumulation of 2 talented mages. There were likely special items, worth much more than their material value, hidden in the coffers. The Ashfield fortune was picked clean, and Richard was the remainder. He was left to languish in an orphanage, with only his mother's ring to keep him company.
Richard was quite young at this point, and he didn't know much. But he knew he couldn't let this state of affairs slide. As soon as he could, he ran away to live on his own. But he knew he wouldn't last long, so he made a plan. He would steal his father's book, and then, he would talk a demon. Stealing the book was easier than he thought it would be. It had been sold to a scholarly mage, so he waited until the mage came out with it. Richard caused a scene with the carriage and stealthily took the book while the mage was distracted. Making off with it was somewhat harder with its weight, but he managed. A few nights later and he was back in his house, in the basement, getting ready to commune with a demon.
Thankfully, the basement had barely been touched, for fear of the things his father had summoned there. Richard could barely make heads or tails of the book, knowing very little of magic, but nonetheless forged onwards. After a few false starts he began getting the hang of things, picking up clues by comparing the state of the basement to the diagrams his parents had helpfully provided. 3 nights after he arrived, he succesfully summoned his first demon.
What emerged on that night had the shape of a man, with a grey tailored suit, a matching cane, and eyes like burning coals. With a voice as smooth as silk, the demon introduced himself. The demon's name was Mortimer, the great schemer, the spider at the end of the web. He had played the politics game for aeons, moving kings and queens to his will, matching it up so they'd carry out his every will without knowing. But let loose a little too much, and someone powerful hit him where it hurt. He'd need the help of Richard to recover. The boy wondered why he had never heard of this demon, but Mortimer quickly assured him - if every street urchin knew his name he wouldn't have been in the business for so long. The demon promised him power and status, and all he needed in return was for Richard to open the connection just a little bit wider, really summon this great demon to his house. Richard complied and stood in horror as the demon went through the portal he had made, eyes flickering with the evils he would soon unleash upon the earth. Fortunately for young Richard, his parents' thoughtfulness saved him from his hubris.
Instantly, magical countermeasures activated. The seal on the floor glowed brightly and sucked the magic from the demon. The demon's intimidating air was sucked into the circle, along with his grey suit, the silk voice and the eyes that smouldered. The Ashfield tome ripped itself from the boy's hands and sucked in what was left. A startled and confused Richard peered into the open page, finding a purple imp spouting profanities at him. And thus, the adventurous pair of Richard and Mortimer was born.
The demon summoning had not solved Richard's issues, homelessness and a lack of status chief among them. With the understanding that, in the event of Richard's death, Mortimer was unlikely to see the light of day ever again, the purple demon helped Richard create a plan. They set the plan in motion and secured a sponsor, a wealthy industrialist with an interest in demonic magic. On the condition that the pair help him learn what they could about demons the sponsor sent Richard to Arkus academy, in the hopes that they would be able to help him grow his "talent". And so, the pair went to the school. Their goals differed somewhat, but for the moment they had the same purpose - take everything they could from it and grow their power. Richard would use his education to search the demonic planes for his father, and Mortimer would go along for the ride.
@Timemaster Multiple characters are fine! So, a couple things: Do keep in mind that practicing necromancy in the open is kind of a no-go, so he'll need to be careful where he uses some of those spells. Secondly, if you wouldn't mind, could you PM some information about what the staff does? Lastly, with how his backstory turned out, would you say it's likely he was directed to the Academy by one of the surviving Witchfinders?
@Lord of Evil Looks great, just one small quibble with a detail in the short history: summoning Demons is almost always super dangerous, both because the process can be very volatile and because some Demons are world-threatening, so Richard's father probably wouldn't have managed to summon multiple Demons physically, though communing with them would certainly be an option, and then maybe an actual summoning when he disappeared. Secondly, and this is super minor, but not all Demons come from the same plane at least as far as anyone can tell, so its likely that Mortimer's political schemes would've either occurred in the human world or another plane besides his own, which actually lines up pretty well since most Demons travel between planes because their own homeplane was destroyed, so maybe some of Mort's schemes reached world-ending proportions. This could cause some fun issues if he happens to encounter another Demon. But other than that everything looks good! If you're cool with making some slight tweaks to the history you're welcome to add him to the character tab.
@Hammerman I'm more than willing to help you come up with one if you want!
@Lord of Evil I wondered if that might be the case, can't ever trust Demons! And as long as you guys are okay with them having the same name it's fine by me.
