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So, this is a class I'm finishing off for my next book, "Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts". The goal is basically to create a magic user with slight differences accounting to the source of their powers. I want to keep it simple since this is for classic Labyrinth Lord (not AEC, although it would be no work really to make it AEC compatible by adding the AEC spells to the spell list).

(For the record, with the plethora of Magic User subclasses being introduced, throughout the volume Magic User is used as the term for all arcane casters, with Wizard being the term applied to the classic Magic User class)

The pact bound are those who seek the powers of wizardry without the work and study to master the arts and sciences involved. Instead they seek another path to power, one they have seen in the masters of divine magic. However, unlike clerics and their kin, the Pact Bound have not petitioned the gods for their powers, but instead have formed a pact with some darker force to grant them the ability to cast spells as a wizard.

Pact bound can cast the same spells as wizards, but do not use spell books, instead their spell knowledge is granted to them by their benefactors. However they still prepare spells each day as a wizard would.

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Now, I'm figuring that Pact Bound will use Charisma to determine if they get an XP bonus - signifying that higher Charisma pact bound have managed to make a better deal with the devil than low Charisma ones.

What I think I'll end up doing is providing a list of a dozen or so types of creatures that the pact bound can have his or her bargain with. Each with a few benefits and penalties for the caster. I'm looking at digging up the Witch character class from the Palladium RPG, and the Pact Magic rules from the d20 supplement "Secrets of Pact Magic".

Interesting. I'd been examining the spell list to consider a house rule where magic users can specialize, so that they cast certain spells (those in their spell group) at a bonus and others at a detriment or not at all. Spell in the specialization might be cast-able at a higher level or have a longer effect or might not drop from memory that day. Spells from that specialization's antithesis might be unavailable at all, or cast at a lower level or have a high chance of spell failure or unwanted effects.

I was originally trying to do this by the classic elements (fire/water/earth/air/void) but the spell list didn't divide well that way. I was then trying divide the spell list by other means but couldn't get anything that felt right to me.

I hope you have more success than I did. Needless to say, I'm very interested in your project.