Classy

I haven't sorted it all out, yet, but for the Iorthim campaign, classes are gonna be race and culture specific. For example, the turu are the only race that can be Shadowcasters immediately, and they're the only race that takes to it naturally (ie, they can level up and learn mysteries on their own). The the other races can take classes in Shadowcaster, BUT they first have to take the feat that lets them learn a 1st level mystery. Along the same lines, they have to really work to understand the mysteries of shadow, so they don't just gain access to those by leveling up. They have to find training or some outside source to gain power over shadow, and that means adventuring. Of course, most magic is like that. Each culture will have it's own unique way magical path that comes naturally (probably) but magic users tend to be like Indiana Jones. Even some of the "natural" paths require extensive study abroad.

For instance, I'm kicking around the idea of a means of using temporary tattoos to replace vestigal pacts for pact magic. Rather than drawing a vestigal symbol to summon the aspect of the being he wants to bond with, he real quick whips up an appropriate tattoo of the beast spirit/ancestor he wants to honor, slaps that on his person, mutters/screams/sings a chant and bammo, now he's tattooed, but bound to the spirit of the Ram. To make a ram attack, he uses a standard action, but instead of charging his oppoenent, an etheral ram leaps from his tattoo. The tattoo fades over time and is gone after 24 hours, taking the spirit with it. Certainly, this isn't an original idea, but it's a blending of tattoo magic from many a martial arts setting with the Pact Magic from Tome of Magic that doesn't really fit in this campaign. Pact Magic in it's original state isn't likely to exist, but there will be suitable replacements. Rather than binding vestiges, the binder is likely to contact demons, devils, angels, fey, etc. It's stronger near a breech, but does that mean you get a bonus to your binding check or your target gets one? Probably your target, but there might still be bonuses to the abilities you get from putting yourself at risk, there. Deja vu. I'm done now.