Pactholder Template

After creating a mortal character, apply the Pactholder Template by adding the following options. This template assumes the character is starting at Resonance 1. If you are creating a character at higher Resonance, make sure to consult the Resonance chart.

If you are creating a stigmatic pactholder, apply the stigmatic template first, then see the additional guide at the bottom of the page.

THE WISH PACT

All pactholders come to be by making a wish pact. Some things to consider when making your character:

THE TETHERED

Your character is the host to an Unchained. For the most part, the demon does not have their own stats. However, some of their pre-pact stats and information may be useful to consider:

Name and Title. Who is the demon? What do they go by? What was their Title before they paired with their pactholder?
Agenda and Incarnation. What was the demon, and what did they believe in? This information may help shape the demon's personality, and thus their relationship with their pactholder.
Primum. How powerful was the demon prior to entering the wish pact? Their Primum influences a few aspects of the wish pact. While this may not come into play, it may be interesting as a story hook if you're willing to take the risk. Remember that demon characters should generally be Primum 8 or lower, and higher Primum demons have more to lose when they make a wish pact.
Reasons. Why did the demon make a wish pact? Are they running from something or someone? Did they want a break from their own plans? Does their pactholder fit into their schemes?
Control. What was the demon's maximum Willpower prior to the pact? If you want to play with your pactholder and demon struggling for control over their shared body, you'll need this information.
Acoustics. What was the demon's acoustics? This might be the same as their pactholder's current acoustics, or something entirely different.
Spells and Abilities. What spells and demonic abilities did the demon have? You don't need a thorough list - maybe you only know their favored Etude, or a particular demonic ability they always transformed. While pactholders can learn spells on their own or from their allies, their biggest source of information is their own demon. As a pactholder's power comes from the merging of their own personality and capabilities with that of their demon, it's very common to see overlap between a demon's own spells/abilities and that of their pactholder.

THE WISH

Pactholders are granted a single wish through the contract made with their demon. Determine what this is. Generally speaking, demons of higher Primum are able to grant more grandiose wishes. You do not need to worry about concrete mechanics for this, but this may help shape your character concept.

In some cases, the wish can be represented by a Merit, such as Fame, Resources, Allies, etc. The pactholder can have up to 3 additional Merit dots to be distributed according to their wish. Other wishes may be more narrative - for example, bringing someone back to life, curing a terminal illness, causing a rival business to go bankrupt, and so on.

PACT ITEM

The pactholder's contract now takes the form of a pact item. This item must be Size 2 or smaller, and generally takes the form of an ordinary object bearing a Gear of the God Machine, often of some kind of symbolic importance to the pactholder. The pact item has Durability 3 and Structure 5. Unlike other contracts, there is no visible text on the pact item.

Pact items are extremely important. Destruction of the pact item is disastrous for the pactholder and detrimental to the demon. Consider where your character keeps their pact item. Normally, these are off-limits for Storytellers to harm play... unless you're willing to risk it.

TITLE AND ALIASES

Like demons, pactholders are granted a Symphonic Title. These reflect the nature of the pactholder and demon, though generally with more emphasis on the pactholder themself. Additionally, members of the Symphony tend to go by aliases. For demons, this is because their Cover names aren't truly who they are. For pactholders, perhaps it provides a degree of separation between their mundane and supernatural selves, and the façade of anonymity. This may be a shortening of their Title, or simply some other codename they use.

ACOUSTICS

Pactholders have acoustics, aka "spell sounds". These can be an instrument or something non-traditional, such as the sound of thunder, creaking metal, or a sewing machine.

RESONANCE

Resonance represents the metaphysical connection between a pactholder and their demon. This acts as their Supernatural Potency.

Pactholders begin at Resonance 1, which can be raised in play by spending EXP. Up until Resonance 5, gaining Resonance costs 5 EXP. Each level of Resonance above that costs an additional 1 EXP (i.e. it takes 6 EXP to get to Resonance 6, 7 EXP to get to Resonance 7, etc). Players cannot become Resonance 10. Note that EXP spent on Resonance can never be refunded.

SYMPHONIC MERITS

Pactholders gain access to Symphonic Merits, Though they do not start with any, these can be bought during play with EXP.

SPELLS AND AETHER

Pactholders begin with three Etudes and one Cadenza, where one Etude must be able to function as a prerequisite for their Cadenza. Additionally, they have a pool of Aether depending on their Resonance level. At Resonance 1, they can hold a maximum of 10 Aether, and can spend 1 Aether/turn.

DEMONIC FORM

At Resonance 1, pactholders start with two Forms, two Functions, one Flow, and one Flourish. Demonic abilities can be earned or changed by gaining Resonance and Merits.

STIGMATIC PACTHOLDERS

Unlike most supernatural templates, Nocturne Symphony allows a mortal to have both a stigmatic and pactholder template at the same time. Parts of the pactholder template and mechanics override those of the stigmatic template.

Aether Pool. Use the pactholder rules for maximum Aether and Aether expenditure per turn.
Stigmatic Merits. The following Merits are suppressed (or refunded by the Sanctity of Merits mechanic, if the player chooses) while the stigmatic is a pactholder: Sleeve Integrator, Stigmatic Tolerance, Ambient Aether, Expanded Pool, Aetheric Flow.
Supernatural Merit. Stigmatic pactholders retain their Supernatural Merit gained from being a stigmatic.
Acoustic Sensitivity. Stigmatic pactholders retain their Acoustic Sensitivity Merit. Non-stigmatic pactholders are able to purchase this Merit as well.
Acoustics. An individual may have different acoustics as a pactholder than as a pure stigmatic.
Spells. Stigmatic pactholders retain their stigmatic-earned spells (though their acoustics may change). Upon becoming a pactholder, the stigmatic will gain spells to have a minimum of three Etudes and one Cadenza total. For example, a stigmatic who knows two Etudes and one Cadenza will gain an additional Etude upon becoming a pactholder. A stigmatic who knows six Etudes will gain one Cadenza.
Stigmata. Stigmatics retain their stigmata, as well as the ability to suppress it using Willpower. This does not affect their other brands. Additionally, the stigmata cannot be "upgraded" when the pactholder gains brands (such as when a brand might normally shift from Major to Catastrophic).
Degradation. Stigmatic pactholders roll for Magic Overflow and Compromise as per the pactholder rules, even when casting spells learned as a stigmatic. Stigmatic pactholders no longer roll Exposure for spells, but continue to roll for Exposure for other cases, such as when reacting to Infrastructure or when Merits call for it.

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