Nature and Mechanics of Ritual Magic

Ritual Magic in this setting is the only option for casting arcane spells. This changes magic from a quick, at-the-fingertips resource to a more deliberate methodology with an imagery for ceremony and detailed material component management.

Ritual casters who are extremely skilled and well-versed will set themselves apart as the truly exceptional masters of a mysterious art. Others may just seek to learn enough of the system to become proficient at a few strategic spells. In the esoteric art of occult ritual casting, there is room for "the Hack", "the Intermediate", and "the Master Ritualist" of magic.

DC Challenge for Spell Success

As mentioned in other entries, magic is rare, not always foolproof, and sometimes carries some inherent risk to the caster in exchange for the power and results that it delivers.

All spells will have a corresponding "Base DC to Perform Ritual". This DC check must be met using the Ritualist's "Ritual Caster Ability" as a modifier at the time of casting to ensure that the spell is successful. To be clear, this DC attempt will NOT be susceptible to an automatic critical failure on an unlucky roll of a natural 1 (if a roll of 1 plus modifiers meets the DC, the spell is still a success).

Ritual Caster Ability = (INT mod + Proficiency Bonus)

Base DC to Perform Ritual = a rating of casting difficulty that will be identified in the description of each ritual


Saving Throws by Targets or Potential Victims of Ritual Spells
DC to resist a Ritual Spell = 8 + Ritual Caster Ability, in addition to any other modifiers


Possibility of Negative Consequences for the Caster

The lowest level spells may have little risk to go along with an unsuccessful or flawed ritual, other than the failure to deliver the desired effects. As spells get more powerful in nature, however, they may come with some risks of negative consequences for failure, or even backfires for catastrophic failures. Negative consequences may include a corruption that begins to seep in on the caster's mind, or a threat of temporary or even extended insanity. Other physical consequences may result in the event of catastrophic failure.

Again, not every spell will come with such risks, and there will be no standardized rule mechanism to explain a calculated trend of risks related to level, INT modifier, etc. Equally true though, a caster will be informed of the risk parameters of the spells that he encounters so that he can make his own decision about risks versus rewards in each case.

Adjustments to Spell Availability, Level Rating, Description, and Effects

The spells listed in the PHB do not correspond exactly to the available spells at each level rating in this setting. Some spells will be completely restricted, some will have different effect parameters. Some new or specialized spells not listed in the PHB spell list could be discovered.

Ritualists should refer to the references posted in this Forum dedicated to Ritual Magic for spell lists, details, and descriptions. Because of the unknown and mysterious nature of magic, many of the details of specific magics will not be provided in advance, but would be learned over the course of the campaign story line by discovery.