Mar 22, 2017 9:22 am
THE 1st LEVEL RITUALS
The following is a list of rituals available, if and when a character learns the Ritual Caster feat. It is by no means a comprehensive list of the rituals that can be found throughout the game world. Rather, the below are simply some of the more commonly available rituals to be found, although the player should keep in mind that ritual casting is not remotely common, and written copies of rituals are exceedingly scarce and difficult to find.
Ritual Caster Ability = (INT mod + Proficiency Bonus)
DC to resist a Ritual Spell = 8 + Ritual Caster Ability, in addition to any other modifiers
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: If a component for the ritual is not listed, it is absolutely required to have any chance at successfully performing the ritual.
Alarm
Base DC to perform ritual: 8 (check made in secret by DM, as caster shouldn't know if they succeeded)
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: 4 + Caster Ability in hours
(1): Mark points of the area to be protected (at least 3 points to form closed shape) with etchings of protective runes by:
---laying down rune stones with protection symbols etched in (rune stones may be gathered after ritual and re-used) OR
---simply etch the runes into the surface OR
---if necessary, any objects with runes etched in will do
(2): Walking boundaries of the area to be protected, burning incense in mortar while speaking ritual words, blowing smoke outward over the invisible lines formed by rune points.
---Substitution for incense: base DC 20 Nature check to find another substitute plant that will work; check is harder in environments with less plant-life.
(3): When incense is completely burned down, scatter ashes at each rune stone point, sprinkling any excess ash as desired within protected space.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: incense/plant substitute. All other components are required.
Charm
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 20 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes for steps 1-4. Consuming the product activates the magic.
Duration: No maximum. Upon completion of the ritual, the target is allowed an immediate Saving Throw, followed by additional saving throw attempts every hour, until they inevitably succeed. The target's saving throw receives a -1 modifier (maximum -3) for each personal material component of the target used in the ritual.
Preparation: Gather as many personal material components from the intended target as possible (at least 1 is required). These include things such as a lock of hair, fingernail clippings, articles of clothing, jewelry, blood (fresh or dried), etc. At least 3 components will improve the power of the ritual (see above, Duration).
(1): Place bits of the personal material components in the mortar and pestle, and grind/mix them into whatever kind of powder, stew, mish-mash, etc it forms, which will depend on the nature of the ingredients. A small amount will do (similar to a teaspoon), as the power comes from the variety of components.
(2): Pour the mixture into a heated brazier, centered within a ritual shape etched on the floor, with candles and ritual stones at the points. Add an animal heart into the brazier (any size, +1 to casting roll if fresh).
(3): Speaking the ritual words, add fresh human blood (specifically from the individual who will benefit from the Charm, which can be anyone present at the ritual), equal to Ritual Caster Ability in HP. More powerful magic, from more powerful casters, requires greater sacrifice.
(4): Bring the soupy mixture to a boil, then remove from heat.
(5): At this point, the mixture can be consumed immediately, still warm, or stored as a coagulated/dried mix similar to jerky for later consumption, remaining viable for a number of days equal to Ritual Caster Ability. Regardless, consuming the mixture is the final step of the ritual, takes a negligible amount of time, and will still only work on the originally intended target.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: Candles, ritual shape with runes, animal heart.[/i]
BRAZIER
Comprehend Languages
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: Half of Ritual Caster Ability in hours, rounded to the nearest whole number.
(1): Mix a pinch of salt and ash with saliva (mixing can be done in hand), speaking ritual words while doing so.
(2): Smear mixture on eyelids (reading) or behind ears (understanding languages), or both as desired.
Note: Watering eyes and sore ears are a sign that the ritual worked.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: salt.
Detect Magic
Base DC to perform ritual: 8 (check made in secret by DM, as player shouldn't know if it's working)
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
(1): Place the eye of a crow and a rat into a mortar and pestle, grinding them together into a powder or paste.
---Eyes from any two different creatures can be used, ground to a powder (dried) or paste (fresh!). Small animals' eyes are typically used for carrying convenience.
---A single human eye will work as well, adding +5 to the Ritualist's check to succeed.
(2): Place small amount of powder or paste underneath eyelids, above the pupil.
(3): Keep eyes closed and speak ritual words until complete. If the ritualist opens their eyes before completion, the ritual fails.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: human eye or eyes from different creatures (two eyes from the same type of creature is less effective, but will still work). All other components are required.
False Life
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 30 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: Until temporary HP are used up. Only one False Life ritual may be active at a time, and temporary HP do not stack.
(1): Draw/etch a shape with flat sides on to any surface of the ritualist's choosing, runes along the edges, a drop of the caster's blood at each corner.
(2): Light a runed ritual candle, dripping wax on each corner sealing in the blood drops.
(3): Sit within the ritual shape, candle in front of you, chanting ritual words, waiting for a local insect (larger, bite-sized variety) or animal (smaller, rat-sized variety) to arrive and remain still in front of you, within the ritual shape.
(4): Continue speaking the words until you either:
--- consume the insect whole, swallowing it alive,
or
--- sacrifice the small animal via bloodletting (e.g., cut to the throat or major artery), letting the blood flow into any container (brazier will do). Drink the blood, or rub it on to your skin (anywhere you please) to complete the ritual.
Gain additional temporary HP equal to your Ritual Caster Ability for the duration.
Note: The ritual may be performed again if the caster's temporary HP gained from False Life drops below the maximum added by their Ritual Caster Ability. However, ritual effects will not stack, and performing the ritual will still only grant the ritualist additional temporary HP equal to their Ritual Caster Ability. Ultimately, performing the False Ritual, with a partial amount of temporary HP still remaining, will only refresh the spell.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: caster's blood drops, runed ritual candle. All other components are required.
Find Familiar
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 12 minus Ritual Caster Ability in hours (minimum 1 hour)
Duration: The summoned familiar stays with the caster until death, dismissal, or replacement. The Ritualist can only have one familiar at a time. If the caster dies, the familiar dies.
Range of telepathic/sensory link: Ritual Caster Ability x10 in feet
Note: Familiar can't just be dismissed into a pocket dimension, as it is a natural animal possessed by a fey, fiend, or celestial (DM's choice). It can, however, be 'dismissed' to simply stay within telepathic range, or to return at a later time, etc.
(1): Etch runes on to candles (at least 3, depending; see below).
(2): Set up a triangle/square/circle of lit rune candles (any shape desired by ritualist, triangle uses least materials with 3 points).
(3): Draw boundary lines with chalk to connect the candles, with runes written along the lines (can be drawn with charcoal or etched if needed, as long as lines are visible).
(4): Place brazier in center of outlined area and add charcoal, burn.
(5): Begin speaking ritual words and continue throughout the rest of the ritual.
(6): Add incense and bloodroot when fire subsides and coals are still blazing hot. If changing familiars, place living familiar directly on burning coals (it won't like the pain, but it will stay and burn to death, given that it follows the ritualist's commands). At the GM's discretion, Bloodroot substitutions can be found locally with a DC 20 or higher Nature check, depending on the environment.
(7): Continue speaking the ritual words until your familiar shows up within the ritual boundary. Feed or douse the potential familiar in (20 hp minus Ritual Caster Ability) worth of ritualist's own blood, forming the bond between ritualist and familiar.
Completion: If the familiar stays within the ritual boundary after dousing/feeding, the ritual was a success, and the familiar is ready and eager to serve. If it leaves before or after dousing/feeding, or the coals burn out before the familiar shows, the ritual has failed.
Note: the summoned familiar must be one that is native to the area, as it will be an actual animal that shows up, recently possessed by a fey, fiend, or celestial (DM's choice).
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: runed candles, boundary lines, incense, bloodroot. All other materials and steps are absolutely necessary.
Hex
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: For Doll creation (Steps 1-3): 20 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes. Negligible time needed for Step 4.
Duration: No maximum. Upon completion of the ritual, the target is allowed an immediate saving throw, followed by additional saving throw attempts every hour, until they inevitably succeed. The target's saving throw receives a -1 modifier (maximum -3) for each personal material component of the target used in the ritual.
Note: The Ritualist can only sustain one Hex at a time. Casting another Hex will end any other previously cast Hex.
Preparation: Gather as many personal material components from the intended target as possible (at least 1 is required). These include things such as a lock of hair, fingernail clippings, articles of clothing, jewelry, blood (fresh or dried), etc, even urine/feces will do. At least 3 components will improve the power of the ritual (see above, Duration).
(1): Create some semblance of the target, the ritualist's 'doll.' It does not, however, have to be a work of art. Binding sticks/small bones together with twine, a molded clay figure, etc will do. As long as it looks vaguely like the intended target (e.g., assuming they have all their parts, a stick figure with a head, 2 arms, 2 legs, will do).
(2): Etch/draw a closed shape with flat lines on a surface of the caster's choosing, runes along the edges, lit candles at the corners.
(3): Placing the doll and keeping it within the ritual shape as they work, whatever personal material components (3 is ideal for potency) the ritualist has attained from the target are integrated into the doll while speaking the ritual words. E.g., dip the sticks in the target's blood, press the jewelry into the clay, etc.
Note: After completing step 3, the ritualist can delay as long as they like until step 4, which can be completed anywhere, at any time, as long as the ritualist has the doll and it is still intact.
(4): Speaking ritual words while visualizing the target, the ritualist douses/drizzles the doll with fresh human blood (their own, or someone else's), equal to their Ritual Caster Ability in HP. More powerful magic, from more powerful casters, requires greater sacrifice.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: candles, ritual shape with runes. All other components are required.
Identify
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: None. Ends when ritual is complete and items are identified
(1): Place smoking incense inside skull covered with etched rituals.
---The fresh rune etched skull of any dead animal/human can be used as a substitute, no incense necessary.
---DC 20 Nature check to find a suitable local substitute to burn for smoke in place of incense.
(2): While speaking ritual words, shake skull over the item to be identified, smoke wafting out of openings. During this step, understanding of item(s) is progressively achieved, with full understanding attained at ritual completion, identifying a number of items equal to half of Ritual Caster Ability, rounded to the nearest whole number.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: incense, runes. All other components are required.
The following is a list of rituals available, if and when a character learns the Ritual Caster feat. It is by no means a comprehensive list of the rituals that can be found throughout the game world. Rather, the below are simply some of the more commonly available rituals to be found, although the player should keep in mind that ritual casting is not remotely common, and written copies of rituals are exceedingly scarce and difficult to find.
Ritual Caster Ability = (INT mod + Proficiency Bonus)
DC to resist a Ritual Spell = 8 + Ritual Caster Ability, in addition to any other modifiers
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: If a component for the ritual is not listed, it is absolutely required to have any chance at successfully performing the ritual.
Alarm
Base DC to perform ritual: 8 (check made in secret by DM, as caster shouldn't know if they succeeded)
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: 4 + Caster Ability in hours
(1): Mark points of the area to be protected (at least 3 points to form closed shape) with etchings of protective runes by:
---laying down rune stones with protection symbols etched in (rune stones may be gathered after ritual and re-used) OR
---simply etch the runes into the surface OR
---if necessary, any objects with runes etched in will do
(2): Walking boundaries of the area to be protected, burning incense in mortar while speaking ritual words, blowing smoke outward over the invisible lines formed by rune points.
---Substitution for incense: base DC 20 Nature check to find another substitute plant that will work; check is harder in environments with less plant-life.
(3): When incense is completely burned down, scatter ashes at each rune stone point, sprinkling any excess ash as desired within protected space.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: incense/plant substitute. All other components are required.
Charm
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 20 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes for steps 1-4. Consuming the product activates the magic.
Duration: No maximum. Upon completion of the ritual, the target is allowed an immediate Saving Throw, followed by additional saving throw attempts every hour, until they inevitably succeed. The target's saving throw receives a -1 modifier (maximum -3) for each personal material component of the target used in the ritual.
Preparation: Gather as many personal material components from the intended target as possible (at least 1 is required). These include things such as a lock of hair, fingernail clippings, articles of clothing, jewelry, blood (fresh or dried), etc. At least 3 components will improve the power of the ritual (see above, Duration).
(1): Place bits of the personal material components in the mortar and pestle, and grind/mix them into whatever kind of powder, stew, mish-mash, etc it forms, which will depend on the nature of the ingredients. A small amount will do (similar to a teaspoon), as the power comes from the variety of components.
(2): Pour the mixture into a heated brazier, centered within a ritual shape etched on the floor, with candles and ritual stones at the points. Add an animal heart into the brazier (any size, +1 to casting roll if fresh).
(3): Speaking the ritual words, add fresh human blood (specifically from the individual who will benefit from the Charm, which can be anyone present at the ritual), equal to Ritual Caster Ability in HP. More powerful magic, from more powerful casters, requires greater sacrifice.
(4): Bring the soupy mixture to a boil, then remove from heat.
(5): At this point, the mixture can be consumed immediately, still warm, or stored as a coagulated/dried mix similar to jerky for later consumption, remaining viable for a number of days equal to Ritual Caster Ability. Regardless, consuming the mixture is the final step of the ritual, takes a negligible amount of time, and will still only work on the originally intended target.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: Candles, ritual shape with runes, animal heart.[/i]
BRAZIER
Comprehend Languages
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: Half of Ritual Caster Ability in hours, rounded to the nearest whole number.
(1): Mix a pinch of salt and ash with saliva (mixing can be done in hand), speaking ritual words while doing so.
(2): Smear mixture on eyelids (reading) or behind ears (understanding languages), or both as desired.
Note: Watering eyes and sore ears are a sign that the ritual worked.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: salt.
Detect Magic
Base DC to perform ritual: 8 (check made in secret by DM, as player shouldn't know if it's working)
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
(1): Place the eye of a crow and a rat into a mortar and pestle, grinding them together into a powder or paste.
---Eyes from any two different creatures can be used, ground to a powder (dried) or paste (fresh!). Small animals' eyes are typically used for carrying convenience.
---A single human eye will work as well, adding +5 to the Ritualist's check to succeed.
(2): Place small amount of powder or paste underneath eyelids, above the pupil.
(3): Keep eyes closed and speak ritual words until complete. If the ritualist opens their eyes before completion, the ritual fails.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: human eye or eyes from different creatures (two eyes from the same type of creature is less effective, but will still work). All other components are required.
False Life
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 30 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: Until temporary HP are used up. Only one False Life ritual may be active at a time, and temporary HP do not stack.
(1): Draw/etch a shape with flat sides on to any surface of the ritualist's choosing, runes along the edges, a drop of the caster's blood at each corner.
(2): Light a runed ritual candle, dripping wax on each corner sealing in the blood drops.
(3): Sit within the ritual shape, candle in front of you, chanting ritual words, waiting for a local insect (larger, bite-sized variety) or animal (smaller, rat-sized variety) to arrive and remain still in front of you, within the ritual shape.
(4): Continue speaking the words until you either:
--- consume the insect whole, swallowing it alive,
or
--- sacrifice the small animal via bloodletting (e.g., cut to the throat or major artery), letting the blood flow into any container (brazier will do). Drink the blood, or rub it on to your skin (anywhere you please) to complete the ritual.
Gain additional temporary HP equal to your Ritual Caster Ability for the duration.
Note: The ritual may be performed again if the caster's temporary HP gained from False Life drops below the maximum added by their Ritual Caster Ability. However, ritual effects will not stack, and performing the ritual will still only grant the ritualist additional temporary HP equal to their Ritual Caster Ability. Ultimately, performing the False Ritual, with a partial amount of temporary HP still remaining, will only refresh the spell.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: caster's blood drops, runed ritual candle. All other components are required.
Find Familiar
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 12 minus Ritual Caster Ability in hours (minimum 1 hour)
Duration: The summoned familiar stays with the caster until death, dismissal, or replacement. The Ritualist can only have one familiar at a time. If the caster dies, the familiar dies.
Range of telepathic/sensory link: Ritual Caster Ability x10 in feet
Note: Familiar can't just be dismissed into a pocket dimension, as it is a natural animal possessed by a fey, fiend, or celestial (DM's choice). It can, however, be 'dismissed' to simply stay within telepathic range, or to return at a later time, etc.
(1): Etch runes on to candles (at least 3, depending; see below).
(2): Set up a triangle/square/circle of lit rune candles (any shape desired by ritualist, triangle uses least materials with 3 points).
(3): Draw boundary lines with chalk to connect the candles, with runes written along the lines (can be drawn with charcoal or etched if needed, as long as lines are visible).
(4): Place brazier in center of outlined area and add charcoal, burn.
(5): Begin speaking ritual words and continue throughout the rest of the ritual.
(6): Add incense and bloodroot when fire subsides and coals are still blazing hot. If changing familiars, place living familiar directly on burning coals (it won't like the pain, but it will stay and burn to death, given that it follows the ritualist's commands). At the GM's discretion, Bloodroot substitutions can be found locally with a DC 20 or higher Nature check, depending on the environment.
(7): Continue speaking the ritual words until your familiar shows up within the ritual boundary. Feed or douse the potential familiar in (20 hp minus Ritual Caster Ability) worth of ritualist's own blood, forming the bond between ritualist and familiar.
Completion: If the familiar stays within the ritual boundary after dousing/feeding, the ritual was a success, and the familiar is ready and eager to serve. If it leaves before or after dousing/feeding, or the coals burn out before the familiar shows, the ritual has failed.
Note: the summoned familiar must be one that is native to the area, as it will be an actual animal that shows up, recently possessed by a fey, fiend, or celestial (DM's choice).
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: runed candles, boundary lines, incense, bloodroot. All other materials and steps are absolutely necessary.
Hex
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: For Doll creation (Steps 1-3): 20 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes. Negligible time needed for Step 4.
Duration: No maximum. Upon completion of the ritual, the target is allowed an immediate saving throw, followed by additional saving throw attempts every hour, until they inevitably succeed. The target's saving throw receives a -1 modifier (maximum -3) for each personal material component of the target used in the ritual.
Note: The Ritualist can only sustain one Hex at a time. Casting another Hex will end any other previously cast Hex.
Preparation: Gather as many personal material components from the intended target as possible (at least 1 is required). These include things such as a lock of hair, fingernail clippings, articles of clothing, jewelry, blood (fresh or dried), etc, even urine/feces will do. At least 3 components will improve the power of the ritual (see above, Duration).
(1): Create some semblance of the target, the ritualist's 'doll.' It does not, however, have to be a work of art. Binding sticks/small bones together with twine, a molded clay figure, etc will do. As long as it looks vaguely like the intended target (e.g., assuming they have all their parts, a stick figure with a head, 2 arms, 2 legs, will do).
(2): Etch/draw a closed shape with flat lines on a surface of the caster's choosing, runes along the edges, lit candles at the corners.
(3): Placing the doll and keeping it within the ritual shape as they work, whatever personal material components (3 is ideal for potency) the ritualist has attained from the target are integrated into the doll while speaking the ritual words. E.g., dip the sticks in the target's blood, press the jewelry into the clay, etc.
Note: After completing step 3, the ritualist can delay as long as they like until step 4, which can be completed anywhere, at any time, as long as the ritualist has the doll and it is still intact.
(4): Speaking ritual words while visualizing the target, the ritualist douses/drizzles the doll with fresh human blood (their own, or someone else's), equal to their Ritual Caster Ability in HP. More powerful magic, from more powerful casters, requires greater sacrifice.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: candles, ritual shape with runes. All other components are required.
Identify
Base DC to perform ritual: 8
Casting Time: 15 minus Ritual Caster Ability in minutes
Duration: None. Ends when ritual is complete and items are identified
(1): Place smoking incense inside skull covered with etched rituals.
---The fresh rune etched skull of any dead animal/human can be used as a substitute, no incense necessary.
---DC 20 Nature check to find a suitable local substitute to burn for smoke in place of incense.
(2): While speaking ritual words, shake skull over the item to be identified, smoke wafting out of openings. During this step, understanding of item(s) is progressively achieved, with full understanding attained at ritual completion, identifying a number of items equal to half of Ritual Caster Ability, rounded to the nearest whole number.
For each of the following components missing, increase DC by 5: incense, runes. All other components are required.
