Contractual Magic - for an unnamed vote-created setting

[zabbarot]

What is Contract Magic?
Contract magic is the ability to create a verbal or spoken agreement, especially one concerning services or transfer of non-tangibles, with another creature that will be upheld by magic. This makes one of two assumptions, either the universe is to some degree inherently lawful and upholds the contract or the contract maker is privy to a very specific form of magic.* Either way, all that matters is that the contract is upheld. There is an exchange of goods or services and the contract is complete.

This is very important, every contract is negotiated with a price. The price can vary widely, from actual coin to intangibles like memories. The only thing that matters is that the price is paid. There are consequences for those who attempt to break a contract, and they are not forgiving.

Now you may already be familiar with some things that resemble contract magic in ways, such as a Vow of Poverty or the ability of Binders, and you would be correct in assuming that these things are related. These things are in some ways just simpler contract magic. For binders the contract is always the same, the use of the binder's sense for the use of the vestige's powers. A Vow on the other hand is a contract with a higher power (usually Good) stating that in return for certain boons, you will refrain from specific actions that the higher power finds unsavory (usually considered a form of self sacrifice).

So what is a contract user?
A user of contract magic goes a step beyond this. He is aware of the laws higher powers operate under and able to broker deals with them to his benefit. Contracts can be as basic as protection from fire in exchange for a bit of lamp oil, or as serious as consigning your soul for power.

The most important thing to remember is the contract user can make deals with just about anything, from a simple imp or lantern archon to the gods themselves and even to (or between) the average people around him. The other thing to remember is that all involved parties must agree to their side of a contract.


*Just fluff but worth conversation, so let's vote on this.

Created for this particular thread.
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So we voted for contract magic, and just recently voted for a homebrewed contract magic class. So first off what comes to mind when you think of contract magic? One of the major things that comes to mind for me is the lore behind the contracts from Changeling. That a fae somewhere created a contract with the air or envy or some other embodied concept, and has extended the benefits to you.

In my mind a contract magic class should be a savvy business man in a way. If what a binder does could be considered making deals, then the contract magician is the cut throat lawyer who's going to take your for all you've got. They should be all about making that Faustian bargain and using loopholes to be sure they get out clean.

So again, I ask, what would you like to see in this class?