Bond Mage OCC

[taalismn]

The Bond Magic spells were originally posted to the New and Invented Spells thread on these forums, but here’s the Mage class specializing in Bond Magic, followed by a reporsting of the Bond Magic spells(to date) for convenience.


Bond Mage OCC(aka ‘Link-Mage’, ‘Dominizard’)

“ (*Awaken) I have use for you. No, don’t pretend to still be asleep. You know as I do how long recovery from the stasis-spell takes. (*Cleanse*Refresh*) Stand up. Humiliated? Feeling self-conscious? I see no reason to store you fully dressed. You know, Fhadiza, that had our little duel gone differently, you’d be doing the same to me. You were so fond of tormenting me with the harness you were going to make me wear when you won and made me your slave. It turns out it fits you so much better. Those of Greater Will Command. It is the way of our Order. As I said, I have use for you. I have visitors who need a guide to the city. I can’t spare the time to personally attend to them, so you will be my instrument and you will guide them. However, you are merely the extension of my will. Need I remind you not to try anything? You -know- I will be watching and listening. That -was- the first thing you taught me when we were Odivar’s students.”

The Bond Mage is a practitioner of magic who specializes in establishing mystic bonds between beings. They study the linking and manipulation of life force energies, including the paramechanics of Familiar linkages, possession, and similar magicks. Bond Mages can also discern the signs of magic links and even disrupt them with touch-contact. Bond Mages are also taught how to recognize when their own thoughts are being scanned and manipulated, and how to resist such attempts, this dovetails with training in discerning when others are trying to hide their thoughts from the mage, whether mystically or through more mundane evasions.
Bond Mages tend to study magic that allows them to manipulate the life energies and mental attitudes of others at a distance. They rarely show interest in magicks that affect the inanimate, preferring to commune with and influence the living. Bond Mages focus more on contacting and manipulating the regular people and animals around them; they seldom exhibit any interest in making deals or links with extradimensional entities, or getting inside their heads. They frequently find employment conducting marriages(for those seeking more intimate association), communications(giving members of a party the ability to communicate through a bond), Familiar-bindings, punishment-bondings, and exorcisms.
Bond Mages typically build up ‘retinues’ of associates, servants, or slaves Bonded to them. This small network allows them to become, in many cases, surprisingly powerful. Even Good-aligned Bond Mages may acquire a reputation of being ‘puppet masters’, maintaining unseen networks of minions and pawns, while Evil Bond Mages are naturally reputed to use their powers to force others to do their bidding, and regard other people as tools, potential tools, or expendable assets.


Special Abilities of the Bond Mage:
*Bond Magic----Bond Mages can cast Bond Magic spells at 50% of listed PPE cost. The Bond Mage starts out with the Bond Magic spell Bond of Communication, and can learn/intuit one additional Bond Magic spell each level of experience. They can also learn spells in the usual fashion, provided opportunity and resources.

*Bond Affinity---Bond Mages are better able to handle the strain of multiple Bonds with different people. Can establish Bonds with a different person for every 3 points of M.E., plus one additional individual for every additional level of experience.

*Extended Bond Range---If a Bond has a range, those made by a Bond Mage with another being and themselves benefit from having DOUBLE range.

*Inflict Linkage---The Bond Mage’s mastery of mystic bonds means that they can apply magic affecting the mid or body on the other member of a Bond-link, regardless of the type. Spells that would normally require touch to apply to another being, can be remotely transmitted through an existing Bond. Thus, a Bond Mage can power up a linked partner with a Superhuman Speed spell, or punish a minion with a Mindshatter spell. However, the subject of the Bond gets a +1 to save versus any magic that allows a saving throw.

*Detect Magic Links---Bond Mages can sense the presence of active life-force linkages, including Bonds, possession, mind-control magic, and vampire thralls. 65%+5% per per level of experience, and range is line of sight.

*Disrupt Magic Magic Links---With a touch, the Bond Mage can temporarily disrupt a Bond or a link, such as a Domination spell, and including a Shifter’s or Witch’s link to their supernatural patron. If the linkage is voluntary, the person will get a save versus the disrupting touch. If the save fails, the link-spell is disrupted for as many melee rounds as the Bond Mage’s M.E.
In the case of Possession, the possessing entity, not the host body, rolls against the Bond Mage.
This ability costs the Bond Mage NO PPE to perform.

Initial Spell Knowledge:
In addition to Bond Magic, Bond Mages tend to focus on spells that affect life energies or allow them to manipulate others’ biologies, ideally at a distance. Unless otherwise noted, these cost PPE as normal.
Starts with:
Befuddle
Locate
Distant Voice
Ley Line Transmission
Fear
Charm
Familiar Link(costs only 22 PPE for the BondMage, and penalties are only HALF)

Each level of experience, the Bond Mage will be able to figure out a new spell equal to his or her level of achievement/experience. Of course, additional spells may be learned or purchased at at any time regardless of the character’s experience level.

Additional Spell Magic for Bond Mages:
Agony
Second Sight
Mental Shock
Life Drain
Memory Bank
Exorcism
Light Healing
Heal Wounds
Greater Healing
Fortify Against Disease
Sickness
Aura of Doom
Mute
Cloud Animal Mind
Tame Beast
Summon and Control Canines
Summon and Control Insects
Summon and Control Animals
Summon and Control Rodents
Summon and Control Sea Serpents
Summon Greater Familiar
Enemy Mind
Compulsion
Lifeblast
Instill Knowledge
Memory Bank
Influence the Beast
Domination
Death Curse
Weight of Duty
Blind
Paralysis: Lesser
Life Source
Constrain Being
Superhuman Endurance
Superhuman Speed
Superhuman Strength
Sustain
Mindshatter

The Bond Mage can learn other spells outside this list/theme, but those will cost 50% MORE(round up) of their normal PPE to cast. Few Bond Mages bother learning spells of other disciplines.

Base PPE: 2d6x10 +P.E. . Add 2d6 PPE per level of experience
Supplemental Sources of PPE: Bond Mages can draw upon ambient PPE and that of sacrifices in the usual manner, but their ability to establish Bonds also allows them to potentially draw upon the PPE of Bond-members.

O.C.C. Bonuses: +3 save vs Horror Factor, +3 save vs possession, + 1 save vs magic and mind control at levels 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12. +1 to Spell Strength at levels 2, 4, 8, and 12.

Bond Mage O.C.C.
Alignment: Any. Good-aligned Bond Mages are often called upon to officiate marriages and other bonding rituals, and seek to improve the lives of people through bringing them closer together. Evil Bond Mages are prone to be slavers, leashing people mystically against their will.
Attribute Requirements: Minimum M.E. of 14.

O.C.C. Skills:
Language: Native tongue at 98%
Three of choice (+10%)
Literacy: Native language (+30%)
Two of choice (+15%)
Math: Basic(+10%)
Land Navigation(+5%)
Lore: Magic(+15%)
Lore: Psychics & Psionics (+15%)
Psychology(+5%)
Interrogation(+5%)
First Aid(+10%)
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Basic (Can be upgraded to Expert at the cost of one ‘other’ skill, or Martial Arts or Assassin---if of Evil alignment---for the cost of two skills).
OCC Related Skills: Select 6 ‘other skills at Level One, plus an additional two at levels 3, 6, 9 and 12.
Communications: Any
Cowboy: None
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Basic only
Espionage: Intelligence only(+10%)
Horsemanship: General and Exotic Animals only(+10%)
Mechanical: Basic Mechanics only
Medical: Paramedic and Holistic only(+10%)
Military: None
Physical: Any, except boxing and acrobatics
Pilot: Any, except aircraft, robots, and power armor.
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any
Science: Math, Astronomy, Biology, and Chemistry: Pharmaceutical only
Technical: Any
Wilderness: Wilderness Survival only(costs two skills)
Weapons Proficiencies(W.P.): Any, except Heavy Weapons

Secondary Skills: Select 6 secondary skills without bonuses. +1 additional Secondary Skill at levels 4, 8, and 12.
Experience Tables: Use the Summoner Tables

Standard Equipment:
Set of ceremonial robes
Light Body Armor(seldom wears heavier armor)
Several sets of restraints/handcuffs or rope ties.
Several packs of chalk sticks, candles, portable brazier, small silver-bladed knife.
Pocket digital recorder/player
Starting Money: 1d8x1,000 credits, plus 2d6x1,000 credits in barterable goods. Using their networks of contacts and Bonds, Bond Mages can easily increase their personal fortunes quite quickly.


Bond Magic

“We are closer than close, we are two, yet one, and through the bonding of our souls, we are greater together than we are alone.”

Bond Magic is a school of ritual that may be related to Tattoo Magic and Demon Binding, but may also have come about from studies of Familiars and the linkage they share with their masters. Bond Magic creates a semi-permanent linkage between two individuals, allowing them to share certain abilities or information, to varying degree. Depending on the ritual used, the Mystic Bond can be mutual, with both members able to draw mutually on each other, or it can be decidedly one-sided, with one member of the Bond being ‘dominant’. Some Bonds have limited range and duration, while others seem to take advantage of the phenomenon of ‘quantum entanglement’, and can last as long as the members of the Bond do, and reach across space/time without limit.
Bond Magic can be used to seal a mutual friendship, alliance, or marriage, or it can be used to enforce a penal probation or slave contract.
A Bonding Ritual frequently involves the mingling of blood in a ritual circle, and leaves both members marked with a distinctive tattoo or bond mark. However, shorter duration and lower-powered Bonds are also possible that mark the participants with much less distinctive markings.

Bond Limitations:
An individual can carry one Bond with a different person for every 5 points of their M.E. Carrying any more beyond that is possible, but strains the person’s mental endurance. Each additional Bond beyond the ME limit imposes a cumulative -1 to save versus psionics, insanity, and Horror Factor.


Breaking a Bond
Breaking a Bond is possible, but difficult. Note that if one member of the Bond attempts to break it, the other Bond-partner will instantly know that an effort is being made.
- The easiest way is if the dominant member of a one-sided Bond decides to end it. By voluntarily reciting encantations of cancellation and meditating on breaking the Bond, the dominant member relinquishes their Bond.
- Two-way Bonds may be broken by one or both members. If only one member wants the Bond broken, it becomes a battle of wills with the other member(s), ME vs ME.
-The spell Thrall Breaker will permanently break a Bond spell. However, if the Bond is mutually voluntary, the Bond saves as standard against being broken by a third party using the spell.
-The spell Sunder Bond(see below) is designed specifically to break Bonds.

-(Psionic) Mind Block and AutoDefense MindBlock can temporarily break Bond-links.

TEMPORARY(Evocation) Bonds are +1 to break.
PERMANENT(Ritual) Bonds are -1 to break.

Optional:
*Feedback---Feedback is a risk in improperly insulated Bond magic. It is the possibility of psyhic damage inflicted in one member of a Bond bleeding over it to affect the other people in it. Thus, a Mental Shock attack on one person might carry over to affect the others. Note that in the cases of magic and psionics that have a saving roll, the other people in the Bond get a save versus the attack, and in any event the effects will be HALF that as done to the original target of the attack.


Bond of Communication
“...two cartons eggs, one gallon milk, bread, cheese, and something from the mystic deli...right! Got it!”

This Bond forms the equivalent of a closed circuit line of communication between the members. This Bond CAN be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 8th
Type: Invocation or Ritual
Range: 10 miles per level of experience for the invocation, effectively unlimited for the ritual.
Duration: 1 day per level of experience if cast as an invocation, permanent if cast as a ritual.
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 40 for an invocation, 80 if a ritual
Effects:
The members of this Bond can converse with one another as if via telepathic speech.
This Bond can be cast as a temporary invocation or a longer-lived ritual.

Bond of Empathy
“Gotta go, boss, something just made my partner go gibbering bananas!”

This Bond allows the members of it to know how each other is feeling. This Bond CAN be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 8th
Type: Invocation or Ritual
Range: 6 miles per level of experience for the invocation, effectively unlimited for the ritual.
Duration: 1 day per level of experience if cast as an invocation, permanent if cast as a ritual.
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 40 for an invocation, 80 if a ritual
Effects:
The members of this Bond can sense the feelings and mental state of the others as if via the Empathy psionic ability.
This Bond can be cast as a temporary invocation or a longer-lived ritual.

Bond of Karma
“Because you felt SOME guilt over this...this travesty, -doctor-, you will not be executed as many would demand you be. You will be released, instead, so that your skills as a physician may help heal people. But if you -ever - break faith with your oath as a healer, I WILL KNOW, and I will not be so merciful in my judgement!”

The Bond of Karma lets members of the Bond know if the other member has done things contrary to the first member’s alignment. This Bond is often forced upon another as a probationary measure, a criminal being bonded to a more powerful ‘minder’. This Bond CAN be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 9th
Type: Invocation or Ritual
Range: 5 miles per level of experience for the invocation, effectively unlimited for the ritual.
Duration: 1 day per level of experience if cast as an invocation, permanent if cast as a ritual.
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 50 for an invocation, 100 if a ritual
Effects:
The members of this Bond will sense if and when the other commits an act contrary to the first member’s alignment. Thus a Principled character Bonded to a Miscreant character will sense when the latter has committed a crime, while the latter will sense when the former has committed an act of heroism or charity. This Bond can be FORCED on another person.

Bond of Senses
“You gotta open your eyes sometime, Albar, and when you do, I’ll see what you see, and I’ll know where you are.”

This Bond allows those in it to experience other members' senses. This Bond CAN be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 9th
Type: Ritual only
Range: 6 miles per level of experience for the invocation, effectively unlimited for the ritual.
Duration: 1 day per level of experience if cast as an invocation, permanent if cast as a ritual.
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 60 for an invocation, 120 if a ritual
Effects:
This Bond allows the members to co-opt the other’s senses, to see and sense what the other member is at the time. This Bond has two forms, specified at the time of the Bonding ritual; a MUTUAL form in which the partners in the Bond can sense what each other are sensing, or an EXCLUSIVE form in which the flow of sensory information is one-way to one member of the Bond.
This Bond(usually the exclusive form) can be FORCED on another person.
Note that members viewing the sensory feed from the other member will be distracted by the incoming information; while looking through the other’s senses, the person will be at HALF normal initiative, perception, and all other bonuses when dealing with their own immediate surroundings.

Bond of Life
“You are NOT dying on me, Rhianna d’ Tesos! ‘Til death do us part’, remember? I want to share my life with you, literally!!”
This Bond allows members to share a common pool of health, transfering life essence to each other and bolstering each others’ lifeforce. This Bond CAN be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 10th
Type: Invocation or Ritual
Range: 5 miles per level of experience for the invocation, effectively unlimited for the ritual.
Duration: 1 day per level of experience if cast as an invocation, permanent if cast as a ritual.
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 80 for an invocation, 160 if a ritual
Effects:
This spell enables members of the pair to transfer Hit Points to their partner. The donating partner can donate all but ONE of their H.P.(they must retain at least ONE point).
If one of the members of the Bond dies anyway, the survivor gains back the lost Hit Points normally, but permanently loses HALF of them.
Note: This Bond must be MUTUAL, and cannot be forced on an unwilling participant. Even if a successful Bond of Life is established, the participants may withhold transfering life essence to one another.

Bond of Vengeance
“By Blood are we bound, until the death of the vermin Lord Calafax!”
This is a Bond that can be taken by more than two people, and is taken as part of an oath of vengeance against a particular individual. This Bond CANNOT be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 12th
Type: Ritual only
Range: Effectively unlimited
Duration: 1 year per level of experience of the caster
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 250 +30 per additional member beyond 2.
Effects:
This MUTUAL Bond requires something from the body of the target of the vengeance, such as a sample of blood, pieces of hair, nail clippings, etc, that are burned in the center of the mystic circle, and the participants clasp cut and bleeding hands over the fire.
Members of the Bond of Vengeance enjoy a +2 to Strike and Parry when engaged in combat against the target of their revenge. They will also sense the presence of their target within a 500 ft radius.
Those in the Bond will instantly know if another member of the Bond has died, or whether they have succeeded in fulfilling the Bond Oath, as the Bond will be dispelled for all of them upon the death of the target.
The dark side of this Bond is that it is a Bond Oath of VENGEANCE, and it carries a compulsion aspect. If a member of this Oath is in a position to take vengeance against the target of the oath, but, for whatever reason, refuses, they must roll versus the averaged M.E. of the other members of the Bond. Upon a failed roll, the dissenter MUST carry through the act of vengeance/continue the pursuit.

Bond of Power
“Tina, I gotta borrow your mindreading abilities for a moment; I think this guy’s trying to scam me.”

This Bond allows members to use the powers of their partners in the Bond. This covers magic, psionics, and superpowers. This Bond CAN be combined with other Bonds.
Level: 11th
Type: Ritual only
Range: Effectively unlimited
Duration: 1 year per level of experience of the caster
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 300
Effects:
This MUTUAL spell allows members to use the psionic, magical, or super abilities of another member, provided they have the permission of that member. PPE and ISP draw comes from the ‘donor’ member FIRST, though if the ‘borrower has PPE and ISP of their own, they can kick that in to use the powers/abilities as well.
The ‘donor’ may withhold or cut off the use of their powers at will.

Bond of Subservience(Domination)
“I, Llasana A’han, do pledge myself, body and soul, to Ranamas Asario, the Black Stallion of Neran, my will to bend to his, my powers that I have abused, now his to command. May the Winds of Han serve him to greater and better purpose than I have done with them.”

This Bond is a one-sided version of the Bond of Power that allows the dominant member of the Bond to absorb and use the powers of the subservient member. This spell is often used to bind the powers of captured mages and psychics(whose cooperation with the ritual is typically coerced, although there are a few cases of zealots voluntarily giving up control of their powers to their perceived leige).
Level: 13th
Type: Ritual only
Range: Effectively unlimited
Duration: 1 year per level of experience of the caster
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 360
Effects:
Similar to the Bond of Power, the Bond of Subservience allows the dominant member to transfer and use any special powers of the subservient member. PPE and ISP draw comes from the subservient member FIRST, though if the ‘master’ has PPE and ISP of their own, they can kick that in to use the powers/abilities as well.
The subservient member may only use their original powers if the dominant member allows them to. This must be a conscious decision on the part of the dominant member, and they can re-assert control whenever they wish.
If the subservient member of the Bond is killed, the dominant member loses the powers the Bond allows access to.
If the subservient member of the Bond is weakened or sick, the transferred power is also affected; any condition that takes the subservient member down to 1 Hit Point
If the dominant member of the Bond is slain, the subservient member gets their former powers back, but range, power, and available PPE and ISP will be permanently reduced by 25%.

Bond of Control(Domination)
“I warned you, Forsyth, what would happen if you disobeyed me! Now I’m going to have to do this myself, through you!”
Another Domination Bond, Bond of Control allows the ‘master’ of the Bond to take control of the other member, similar to a Domination spell.
Level: 14th
Type: Ritual only
Range: Effectively unlimited
Duration: 1 year per level of experience of the caster
Saving Throw: Standard
PPE Cost: 400
Effects:
The recipient of this spell is effectively POSSESSED by the ‘master’ member of the Bond and their body becomes a puppet of the other intellect. However, the dominant member can only maintain control for 10 minutes per level of experience, + the dominant member’s M.E. in minutes, at a time. During this time, the dominant is oblivious to his own surroundings. The dominant member can re-establish control after 5 minutes out of the circuit.

Sunder Bond
“What was once two, then one, now is two again! What bound, is now cut!”
This ritual was developed specifically to break Bond spells.
Low level and ‘young’ Bonds are fairly easy to break, but the more powerful and older Bonds are more resistant to being broken.
Level: 6
Type: Ritual
Range: Touch
Duration: Ritual takes fifteen minutes of preparation. Effects are permament.
Saving Throw: Bonds get a +1 to save versus this spell for every three levels of experience(average them between the members of the Bond) of their existence.
PPE Cost: 36
Effects:
The ritual itself involves the members of the Bond standing in separate magic circles. connected by a single line. The spell caster summons the magic, then cuts the line between the two circles, cutting the Bond.
The Sundering ritual may be tried once a week.


Assimilation(Spell of Legend)

“Nice of you to let me out every once and a while. It’s cold and dark and boring inside your soul. What do you need me to do now, fatso? Wash your chariot? Clip your toenails? Kill your in-laws?”

Level: Spell of Legend
Type: Ritual
Range: Touch(Ritual Circles)
Duration: 5 years per level of experience of the caster
Saving Throw: Normal beings get no save, Magic Users and Psychics get a +1 to save versus the ritual, Supernatural creatures such as sphinxes save at +6 . God-beings and Alien Intelligences are IMMUNE to this ritual. CANNOT be used on cyborgs or robots.
PPE Cost: 600
Effects:
This extremely powerful Bond ritual effectively turns one member of it into an energy form that is absorbed into the dominant member of the Bond. The dominant master can draw upon the absorbed member’s powers and PPE/ISP base at will, and can cast their assimilated slave out of their bodies and materialize them to act as a Summoned beast.
A rematerialized assimilatee has all the actions/attacks/bonuses they had when they were absorbed, and their powers, but is constrained by the directives of their master. Note that while a summoned assimilatee may appear to be dressed, it is a magic illusion; they are limited to their innate physical powers and characteristics. For all other intents and purposes, they are naked, though if the summonee has the skills, and the equipment is available, they can don and use such gear such as power armor.
The enslaved being CAN fight the directives of its master, especially if the directed actions go against their alignment, but is at -2 in saves against the dominant will.
A Dominant can forcibly Assimilate and hold one other being per every 10 points of M.E. . Going over the limit is possible, but for each additional being so assimilated there is the risk of the assimilated being able to mentally overpower their host and break free. Once a month, an assimilatee can match their will(M.E.) against their host-captor’s. Upon successfully breaking the hold, the assimilatee is still trapped inside the host, but now no longer has to obey their orders and lend them their strength/power. The now-disconnected former assimilatee can make a second roll versus magic; a successful roll here means the assimilated person now rematerializes outside the host in a physical body.
Using the spell Thrall Breaker on a person with an Assimilated bondsbeing is possible, and causes them to rematerialize in a physical body.

Body Swap(Spell of Legend)
“Like slipping into a luxury car...you really took good care of yourself, Tarsos, and I appreciate that! Thanks! Have fun with my old clunker...because it’s not going to last much longer!”

Type: Ritual
Range: One designated target within the transferral matrix(no more than 10 ft distance)
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Normal beings get no save, Magic Users and Psychics get a +1 to save versus the ritual, Supernatural creatures such as sphinxes save at +6 . God-beings and Alien Intelligences are IMMUNE to this ritual. CANNOT be used on cyborgs or robots.
PPE Cost: 800
Effects:
This horrible mind transferral ritual is used to swap bodies between two people. Typically this is an involuntary procedure for one of the participants, though sometimes cults use this spell to extend the life of a leader, with a willing cultist sacrificing sacrificing their continued youth, health, and physical identity.
The good news is that the ritual can be reversed at HALF the preparation time and PPE cost as the original transferral, provided that both bodies are present. However, after six months’ occupancy, the transferee to the new body gets a +1(plus any other bonuses they have had as a result of magic or psionic experience) to resist the reversal.