Pactbinder (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)
(art by Ageaus on DeviantArt)
One of my favorite things in Pathfinder is seeing archetypes or character options that actively encourage homebrewing just by existing, and there are few better examples than today’s subject.
Bargaining for power is nothing new in fiction and mythology. Certainly it happened enough times in the mythologies of various civilizations that it naturally would make the leap to Christianity, which in the 15th to 18th century got really on the idea of hunting down witches for daring to “deal with the Devil”, though to be clear, they were hardly the only ones doing it throughout human history. They were merely among the most infamous and ironic, given that the official stance of the church was that the Devil had no power on Earth, and that only God could theoretically grant magical to mortals if he desired such a thing. (Which makes the Malleus Malificarum, the text written by a notable misogynistic priest which was often cited by witch hunters, a heretical text. Food for thought.)
In any case, despite the dark reputation, not every such bargain is inherently ‘sinful’ or evil in nature. Mythos and fiction are full of stories of those that accept bargains with divine beings, or with nature spirits and fey.
All of this to say that the Pactbinder archetype offers a mechanical way to reflect said pacts beyond class abilities like the witch class and their patron. Anyone could entice a spirit to appear and offer a deal.
Such pactbinders may make bargains with one or more cosmic beings, carefully wording their deals to get what they want while offering something to the being that they desire, but has minimal (but not negligible) effect on the binder themselves.
However, like anything, there are limits to what one can do and how far one can stretch an agreement, and those that make too many bargains without consideration may be left a shadow of their former self.
So let’s look into it, shall we?
The first step to forming such pacts, the dedication requires study into how magical pacts operate. The character trains in diplomacy as well as the mystic field of their choice, and in turn they learn to perform basic magical vows with mystic consequences if they fail to uphold them. However, that dedication to the vow makes it easier to bargain with others in the pursuit of the vow’s goal.
One such pact these binders can call upon is a fey glamour that semi-permanently changes their appearance and lets them take on other magical disguises. However, in return, they must offer hospitality to nonhostile fey when they ask.
Back on the subject o their basic vows, some train to deepen them, increasing the diversity of social actions that benefit when they pursue the goal.
In exchange for collecting key treasures for a dragon, those that make the pact can call upon the elemental power in their breast, unleashing a mighty draconic breath upon their foes, the specifics being based upon the nature of the dragon in question.
And then there is the classic and most costly: the infernal pact. In the case of this pact, it grants a supernatural measure of luck, and makes accruing wealth through any task much easier. However, the cost is one’s very soul, and retraining away from the pact requires finding and destroying the original copy, which is no easy task.
Some instead bargain with psychopomps for an extended lifespan and a body that rises from the brink of death in extreme circumstances. The cost being that the binder agrees to be an agent of psychopomps on the material plane, offering respect for the dead and last rites when required, and of course destroying the undead.
Finally, we have a pact with a mysterious elder entity, allowing it to view the material world through the mortal’s eyes for its own sinister purposes (or maybe simply out of boredom and interest). While this normally just causes headaches and nightmares, this might get in the way during combat. However, in exchange, the mystic may gain glimpses of different lore which may be useful, and meanwhile, they can occasionally tap into the multifold gaze of the entity to summon multiple floating eyes to spy for them.
This is the sort of archetype that you can take one or two feats from and be done with, so if you’re interested in magical power that comes with restrictions on behavior as a consequence, this archetype might appeal to you, and pretty much anyone can make use of it.
What is most interesting about this archetype, however, is the fact that all of these pact feats listed are perfect examples for which to base your own homebrew pacts on! There are a myriad of magical beings, otherworldly and otherwise in Pathfinder, and limitless potential in what sort of powers a would-be occultist would want and what they’d be willing to give for it. If you’re looking to homebrew PF2E and are looking for a good starting point, this archetype and it’s feats may be a perfect place to start!
A nervous-looking fellow hires the party as bodyguards, hoping that they will keep him safe from his “debt collectors”. However, when said collectors finally show themselves, they are revealed to be a pair of kolyarut inevitables, citing that the party’s client broke a sacred pact, an error they aim to correct one way or another.
The Valewalker Farm has always had incredible crop yields, even when said fields should have been exhausted from overuse. The farm has long been the subject of debate among the surrounding halfling community, and some dare to suggest that it has to do with every young scion of the household “leaving to get married”, and that they are actually being offered to some powerful fey lord.
Normally cantankerous and quick to anger, the tor linnorm Balthald has made a pact with a mortal for the first time in ages, granting the mortal his breath of flame and smoke. However, this pact came with a price, namely the crown of jarl Ilmerand, with the promise that failing to deliver would invoke the curse normally reserved for those that slay such a dragon.
