Base Class: The Oathmage

[TheDisgaean]

My first attempt at a pact-magic themed class:

Oathmage
It is said that a man’s word can make or break him, that something as simple as a promise can change the course of history. Some scoff at this claim, calling it little more than trite romanticism. But some believe that the sworn oath is more than mere words, that there is something magical in a contract. That a deal, if made with the right people, is a source of great and terrible power…one need only be willing to pay for it. While wizards gain their magic through intensive study and sorcerers through raw talent, these spellcasters gain theirs by bargaining with powerful, otherworldly beings. In exchange for this power, they swear an oath to their patrons, a vow that if broken will cost them not only their gift, but something they hold dear. Many fear and loathe them, even their fellow spellcasters, but none can deny the power of the oathmage.

Role
The Oathmage is an extremely versatile class thanks to its ability to form contracts or “oaths” with otherworldly entities. Oaths focus mainly on offensive magic, but also have a variety of support spells.

Alignment
Oathmages can be of any alignment, but certain pacts may require them to change that…sometimes without intending to.

Hit Die
d8

Base Attack Bonus
As Wizard

Saves
As Wizard

Class Skills
Appraise, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Planes), Knowledge (Religion), Linguistics, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft

Skill Ranks per Level
4 + INT modifier

Oathmages In The World

Spoiler:

“Oh sure, you force your daughter to marry the Viscount’s son in exchange for wealth and land and nobody lifts a finger, but I force my daughter to marry the Archduke of the Plane of Fire for some spells and everybody throws a fit!”

- Billias Rothchild, human oathmage.

Many people are very distrusting of oathmages due to the nature of their powers, and with good reason. Becoming one requires bargaining with spirits and other outsiders, and their demands run the gamut from small favors to arduous quests to horrific, gory rituals. After all, how would you feel if your best friend sold your right arm to some water elemental for the ability to breathe underwater, or the man you loved allowing a demon to have his way with you so he could have him do his bidding? That would suck (and probably hurt like hell)! Regardless of where they go, oathmages are rarely ever welcomed with open arms, even by fellow spellcasters, who view them as little more than dabblers who cheated their way to get their powers while they had to work for it. The feeling is mutual, as many oathmages consider their art no different than any other business transaction, calling their detractors cowards and hypocrites.

Laws of Oath Magic

Spoiler:

“I emerged through the portal expecting another worm spell-slinger. It seemed like another open-shut pact. We make a deal, I give her power, I twist her wish in some way, I claim her immortal soul as my plaything, cue moral of the story. She was there…and she brought a lawyer with her.”

- Demon Lord Ozma after a prepared wizard formed a pact with him.

In recent years special oath magic laws have been enacted by both mortals and spirits to ensure that nobody can exploit the contracts. While some laws vary between spirits, they all follow these laws:

1. Only those directly involved in the pact may come to any harm. Using others as bargaining tools against their will is forbidden.

2. Forming pacts with anyone under adulthood is forbidden.

3. While forming the pact, patron spirits are forbidden from lying.

4. The caster is allowed to have no more than one outside advisor when dealing with spirits.

For the most part the laws work, but there are still exploitable loopholes. For example, while spirits are required to be truthful during the formative stages of the oath, this doesn’t forbid withholding information, so would-be oathmages need to watch out for the “you didn’t ask” trap. This is especially problematic because once a pact is made it can’t be negated under any circumstance. The GM may decide how much these laws are enforced.

Class Features

Spoiler:

1. Cantrips, Pact, Price, Oathspells, Oath Power
2.
3. Oath Power
4.
5. Oath Power
6.
7.Oath Power, Greater Oath Powers
8.
9. Oath Power
10.
11. Oath Power
12.
13. Oath Power
14.
15. Oath Power, Supreme Oath Powers
16.
17. Oath Power
18.
19. Oath Power
20. Leniency

Spells
[spoiler]An oathmage casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard list (May gain its own list in future versions.). Oathmages prepare their spells in advance (Based on Intelligence) and learn spells at the same rate as a wizard, and like a wizard, oathmages must prepare their spells in advance, but instead of consulting a spellbook, they consult an otherworldly “magical database” by meditating an hour a day much like a cleric.

Pact

Spoiler:

The source of an oathmage’s power is their pact. Pacts provide them with a pool of “oathspells” and several “oath powers”. Unless otherwise noted, there are no special requirements. Here are concepts for some of the pacts:

Abaddonic (aka Daemonic)
While rare, it’s not unheard of for the hateful, death-sowing daemons to ally themselves with oathmages, especially if the prospect of powerful souls is involved. The price for the power of the denizens of Abaddon is almost exclusively your own soul, but not all members of daemonkind are that picky.

Abyssal
The destructive demons of the Abyss are difficult to work with, they have been known to work oathmages if it means causing some mayhem, but more often than not it’s the oathmage who makes the first move. But be warned, due to their chaotic, self-indulgent nature, demons will only marginally keep their end of bargain, and will hunt you down and kill when the moment presents itself.

Celestial (Any Non-Evil Alignment)
From a religious standpoint, the idea of angels and archons forming pacts with arcane spellcasters is ridiculous and even sacrilegious. But while such dealings are rare, they aren’t forbidden, though generally frowned upon and discouraged. The outsiders, especially archons and lawful good angels, tend to ally with oathmages only to do so as a last resort, and even then, only the faithful and righteous are likely to have such an honor.

Elemental
The most common and easiest pact an oathmage can make, but far from the weakest. Plentiful, varied in personality and sentience, and easy to keep work with, what elementals make up for in lack of extreme power with incredible versatility.

Elysion (aka Azata) (Any Non-Evil Alignment)
While the idea of the flighty, freedom-loving azata being bound to an oathmage seems contradictory, a pact is in its most basic sense an agreement between two people. The azata are always ready to fight for the sake of freedom and good, and usually all one needs to form a pact is earn their friendship.

Infernal
You draw your power from pacts made with the forces of Hell. Devils often come to weak oathmages with promises of power in hopes of acquiring their souls, or to further their own agendas. Your hellborn powers are yours to use as you wish, but we warned, your “allies” will do everything in their power to break your oath and bring about your downfall.

Nirvanan (aka Agathion) (Any Non-Evil Alignment)
In their quest for enlightenment and the defense of all that is good, it makes sense that the agathions would be the most common good-aligned outsider to form a pact with an oathmage. Like the azata, agathion tend not to be as stringent as other outsiders as far as the rules of their pact go, and all it really takes is maintaining some form of relationship with them.

Protean
“Introduce a little anarchy and everything turns to chaos. I’m an agent of chaos. And the funny thing about chaos is…it’s fair.” Heath Ledger’s quote from “The Dark Knight” sums it up best when describing the general mentality of oathmages who dare to deal with the proteans of Limbo. A pact with a protean is only a pact in the most basic sense of the word. There’s no need for deals, no need for planning, no need for talk. Spreading chaos, sewing discord, destroying the totality of existence, and the willpower to keep your mind from being turned inside-out, that’s all it really takes to get one of the serpentine monsters to loan you their power and live. Many go in thinking they can maintain their sanity and not give in to the power, and predictably, many fail.

Utopian (aka Inevitable)
The inevitables will do whatever it takes to ensure that the order of the universe is enforced and preserved, even if it means allying with mortals. Usually they only form pacts with oathmages with similar ideals, but sometimes they go against this as a form of converting them to the side of law. Regardless, use caution when dealing with the living machines, because in addition to the strict terms of the contract, they always do so with some kind of plan in mind.

Prices

Spoiler:

Forming an oath comes at a price, as a side-effect of the mystical link bonding mage and patron, or a part of the contract. In addition to any requirements that don’t directly affect gameplay (Say offering your first-born child or the soul of a loved one.), the oathmage must select a one of the prices listed below by rolling a d%. Prices can either be “burdens”, which are always active, but can only be broken by curing them, or “punishments”, which are only inflicted whenever the oathmage breaks their oath. Some prices can be treated as both types, in which case the oathmage or GM must choose one. The prices are sorted into groups, and the oathmage may only have one penalty from each group.

Group A (Can be either Burdens or Punishments)
1-2. Ability Score Penalty: Strength -4
3-4. Ability Score Penalty: Dexterity -4
5-6. Ability Score Penalty: Constitution -4
7-8. Ability Score Penalty: Intelligence -4
9-10. Ability Score Penalty: Wisdom -4
11-12. Ability Score Penalty: Charisma -4
13-14. Ability Score Penalty: All Physical -2
15-16. Ability Score Penalty: All Mental -2
17-18. Ability Score Penalty: All Scores -2
19-20. Ability Score Penalty: One Physical, One Mental -2

Group B (Can be either Burdens or Punishments)
21-22. HP Gain Penalty -2 (Min. 1)
23-24. Skill Point Gain Penalty -2 (Min. 1)
25-26. Spells Per Day Penalty -1 (If it results in 0, you only gain bonus spells at that level)
27-28.Less Bonus Spells -1
29-30. HP Gain Penalty -4 (Min. 1)
31-32. Skill Point Gain Penalty -4 (Min 1)
33-34. Spells Per Day Penalty -2 (If it results in 0, you only gain bonus spells at that level)
35-36. Less Bonus Spells -2
37-38. No Favored Class Bonus
39-40. Lose 1 Class Skill

Group C (Can be either Burdens or Punishments)
41-42. Fortitude Save Penalty: -2 (Min. 0)
43-44. Reflex Save Penalty: -2 (Min. 0)
45-46. Will Save Penalty: -2 (Min. 0)
47-48. Base Attack Bonus Penalty: -2 (Min. 0)
49-50. Initiative Penalty: -2 (Min. 0)
51-52. Two Save Penalty (Random): -1 (Min. 0)
53-54. Two Save Penalty (Your Choice): -1 (Min. 0)
55-56. Base Attack Bonus: One Fewer Attack (Min. 1)
57-58. Initiative Penalty: Always Last
59-60. All Saves: -1 (Min. 0)

Group D (Burdens Only)
61-62. Curse: Clouded Vision (APG)
63-64. Curse: Deaf (APG)
65-66. Curse: Haunted (APG)
67-68. Curse: Lame (APG)
69-70. Curse: Legalistic (Blood of Fiends)
71-72. Curse: Consumed (Blood of Fiends)
73-74. Curse: Tongues (APG)
75-76. Curse: Wasting (APG)
77-78. Curse: Wrecker (Blood of Fiends)
79-80. Sold Soul: Can’t be resurrected if dead over a week.

Group E (Burdens Only)
81-82. Healing Penalty: Half As Effective (Min. 1)
83-84. Negative Energy Heals & Positive Energy Harms
85-86. Start With Two Less Bonus Languages
87-88. Debt: 1d10 x 1,000 GP
89-90. Voices: Alignment 1 Step Different
91-92. Voices: Alignment 2 Steps Different
93-94. Voices: Alignment Shift: Polar Opposite
95-96. Die Upon Breaking Oath. Can’t be resurrected by anything short of divine intervention. Punishment only.

Group F
97-98.Reroll for two prices, ignoring any further rolls of 97-100.
99-100. Reroll for three prices, ignoring any further rolls of 97-100.

NOTE
Curse
Functions as the Oracle’s Curse ability, but you don’t gain any of the benefits.

Debt
The oathmage must pay off a certain amount of gp, either in actual currency or items. Half their money earned automatically goes toward paying off the debt until it’s paid off.

Voices
You hear voices in your head that will tempt you to do things. These can be either your patron whispering to you or an alternate personality. Once a week, the voices may attempt to force control you, and you must pass a Will save with a DC of 10 + (5 per step the voices’ alignment differs.) to fight them off.

Oathspell

Spoiler:

Pacts provide oathmages with a small pool of spells they can cast spontaneously, much like how a cleric can cast cure/inflict spells. To cast an oathspell, just sacrifice a prepared spell of the appropriate level. You may also sacrifice a number of spells whose total level equals that of the oathspell, but only if they can cast spells of that level normally (Ex. You can’t cast a level 4 oathspell by sacrificing two level 2 spells unless you can cast a level 4 spells normally.).

Oath Powers

Spoiler:

In addition to spells, oathmages gain supernatural powers at every odd numbered level. These powers are similar to a barbarian’s rage powers, a ranger’s combat style feats, and a rogue’s talents. But certain pacts limit the types of powers you have access to.

At level 7 you can select stronger “greater oath powers”, while at level 15 you can select the even stronger “supreme oath powers”.

Leniency

Spoiler:

At level 20, if an oathmage violates his pact to the extent that he would lose his powers and abilities, he can not suffer any kind of punishment and keep his powers. This ability only works once a year.

CLOSING
Well, that’s the oathmage, hope you all enjoyed it. If anyone has any suggestions or feedback, post them, I need it.

Feel free to let me know if you have ideas for pacts, prices, powers, spells selections, and something better than “Leniency” for a capstone ability.

NOTE: No Draconic pact. With all this talk of dragonborn, dragon bloodlines, and other dragon powered classes, I’ve decided that having forming pacts with dragon would make things even more redundant than they already are. That, and I’m already using master arminas’ converted dragon shaman class in my games. Seriously he’s awesome, check it out:

http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz4x5a?A-Pathfinder-Dragon-Shaman-A-Conversion-by #8

[Aioran]

So it's a Wizard with d8 HD, prepares spells like a cleric, can spontaneously convert spells, and gets (unlisted?) supernatural abilities? Kind of like a Wizard+.
I don't like the random assignment of the burden/punishment. Mostly just because it's a character influencing thing that you can't choose, it just happens. Other than that I think it's a bit too strong.

[chip mckenzie]

Pretty sure the convention with Pathfinder is to tie the base attack with the hitdie, the only exception being the barbarian. This means the wizard attack bonus comes with the d6 hitdie.

I'd probably also drop the skill points down from 4 to 2.

Much like Aioran I believe that, although flavourful, the burden/punishment should probably be something directly selected by the player. Maybe similar to the the oracles curses.

Oathspell: I would probably keep it as sacrificing a spell of the same level or higher rather than multiple low-level spells. Keeps it in line with other casters.

The capstone ability needs something more. It really needs to be something which makes a player want to reach level 20 in the class. Mind you, the wizard only gets a bonus feat...

The class needs work but I think this is a good start and fantasy is filled with pacts made for power so I like the flavour of the class.

[TheDisgaean]

After giving it some thought, I decided to make the Oathmage a Witch archetype due to their similarities:

The Oathmage V2 (Witch Archetype)

Additional Patrons
Oathmages draw their power from multiple patrons, granting them a wide-variety of spells to cast. But because their power is spread out amongst so many different parties, they learn fewer spells normally.

Oathmages gain additional patrons at level 3, 7, 11, 15, and 19. But in exchange for the increased amount of patron spells, they only learn 1 spell instead of 2 each level, and only on even numbered levels.

Reasons For Downgrading The Class

• Pacts kept overlapping with domains, mysteries, and patrons.
• Dario Nardi beat me to the punch and did pact magic better.
• Couldn't come up with anything unique, so I decided not to force it.