Rumblings About Ritual Magic...

[GnomeBoy]

I thought there was a thread about people wanting to have magic rituals to broaden their games, but either there wasn't and I dreamt the whole thing, or I'm just looking right at it and can't make my Spot Obvious check...

What did people (if anyone) want Rituals to actually do...? I keep thinking of things that a Ritual might do, and then find a spell that already does it...

[cjoepar]

I allow characters in my game to cast a ritualized version of a spell that requires special components and takes many hours to complete. This gives the character a +10 bonus on the spellcheck. In some cases (such as Patron Bond), the ritualized version also requires that it be cast at a specific location and time. Basically, I allow characters to gain the casting bonus on some spells when they are not in the midst of an adventure, and I am deliberately vague about the specifics so that I can easily deal with someone who figures out a way to take advantage of it. I have also allowed the sacrifice of magic items to increase the spellcheck results.

I have also considered allowing a character to cast a ritualized version of a spell that is too high a level for them to ordinarily cast. So, perhaps I have something important to a story line, but it requires a 2nd level Cleric to successfully cast a third level spell. I have considered the possibility of providing the character with materials, blessings and special auspices to allow an attempt via a ritual in order to advance the story.

Lastly, I have also hinted at undefined ritual magic within my games to explain how people in the world have accomplished things that are well beyond the descriptions of spells as listed in the book. Githmaul the Nefarious, who resides deep in the haunted forest of Norgrimm has an army of undead that he has animated through ritual magic to do his bidding, for example.

[Skyscraper]

Ritual magic usually accomplishes great feats, in my game. Building a magical stronghold, an immense bridge that crosses over an entire ocean-front bay, protecting a large area against magic or other types of intrusion or attacks, making permanent magical effects, modifying a landscape to some specific result, opening a permanent or long-lasting gate to somewhere else, corrupting or cleansing creatures, ... Rituals are usually NPC tools, but in some instances PCs have used them.

[Tortog]

I can't remember the specific threads either, but I recall that there was a fair amount of discussion of ritual magic and how it could be used during the beta test. I think there are 2 aspects of ritual magic within the game and I address both in Liber Arcanum.

1) the structure of how ritual magic works in the core rules allows groups of wizards to get powerful results on normal spells. To that end, I added two additional tiers to the spells I wrote, so 1st level spells end at 36+, 2nd @ 38+, etc, out to 5th level spells which top out at 44+ This creates results that even the most powerful of wizards (those who roll d24's & d30's) still have an incentive to explore ritual sorcery, and with spells of 4th and 5th level they will nearly always need help to get the upper end results from a spell table.

2) I then take things up a notch by introducing Greater Rituals, Rites, Ceremonies, and Sacraments; which are basically 6th, 7th, 8th, & 9th level spells (respectively) that cannot be cast by one wizard. They require certain numbers of participants of specific levels, and the spell table results are set up as normal, but the minimum results reflect their level; so the range for Gr. Ritual (6th)= 22 to 46+, etc, and Sacrament (9th)= 28 to 52+. I also add a twist to Ceremonies and Sacraments such that clerics are required in the ritual's casting. These extra spell levels are to assist in the translation of older spells from earlier editions of D&D into DCCRPG framework, but I figure that these upper level spells (especially 8th & 9th) are for the summoning of type 6 demons or bringing forth the incarnation of a god, or elemental avatar, revive titans and dragon kings, etc.