Talk:Rituals (4E)

Page Formatting comment

Adding paranthesises to the level numbers, for example "(angel of valor cohort), 16 (angel of valor veteran), 21 (angel of valor legionnaire)" seriously broke the sorting order of the table, which is very irritating. It previously sorted "1, 2, 3", now it sorts "1, 10, 11... 2, 20, 21 ... 3". Is it possible to get the old sorting behaviour back, for example by moving the paranthesised add-ons to the body instead of having them in the header? --Mats 11:19, 12 January 2009 (CET)

The summary page used to look much worse. I've cleaned it up by creating separate rituals pages for some ritual groups (such as zombie and skelton creation). I will do the same for the remaining rituals with broken formating when I feel up to it, but it is not a priority. --Urban 11:27, 12 January 2009 (CET)

Sorting looks fine to me (Firefox 3 on Windows Vista). Edit: It seems that you can cycle through several sorting styles when you click on the level sort button. For me, default is alphabetical. First click on level sorts is proper ascending level sort. --Urban 11:28, 12 January 2009 (CET)

Ok, must have had bad luck with my clicking. Sorry. --Mats 14:20, 12 January 2009 (CET)

Using Rituals

Rituals and Resting

Rituals with a cast time of 10 minutes can be performed during a short rest.

Deception Rituals & Disbelief

The disbelief difficulty on deception rituals in the original rule varies too widely. With a good caster check supported by ritual assistants, disbelief is impossible even on an Insight roll of 20. This becomes especially important with illusions that cannot merely be ignored, such Hallucinatory Terrain, Sympathy, and Fairy Debt.

A proposed way to resolve this is that the Insight DC is 10 + the Arcana skill bonus of the caster, regardless of the ritual check result. In extreme cases, it is still impossible to disbelieve, but this comes up much more rarely.

Rituals as Skill Challenges

In certain cases, it might be necessary to perform a ritual in an action scene, usually because of time constraints or because the opposition interrupted the ritual casting. In such circumstances, one minute of cast time is equal to one success during a skill challenge. The key skill of the ritual is the primary skill of the skill challenge, and other skills can be used depending on the situation and type of ritual. The listed secondary skills generally work, in addition to any creative skill uses players can come up with.

The DC of these checks is 15 +2/3 level of the ritual. One character able to cast the ritual must always try and use the key skill each round. Record each such roll; the highest such attempt is used as the ritual check, with a +2 for each other character who contributed at least one success to the ritual.

If the ritual is performed in combat, there is no time limit. If it is performed out of combat, the usual three-round limit on skill challenges applies.

This is just a first draft of a skill list; I don't even have my books with me

Key Skill	Secondary Skills
Arcana	Bluff
Religion	Diplomacy
Nature	Athletics
Heal	Endurance
Ritual Type	Secondary Skills
Binding	Intimidation
Creation	History
Deception	Diplomacy
Divination	Perception
Exploration	Stealth
Restoration	Insight
Scrying	Dungeoneering
Travel	Acrobatics
Warding	Thievery

Many rituals affect "participants". Who counts as participants in this case? (assuming e.g. half the party fights to keep off the monsters while the other half completes the ritual) --Mats 19:37, 28 December 2008 (CET)

Those who make at least one attempt to support the ritual are participants IMO. This should perhaps be defined, tough 4E leaves many such definitions open.--Starfox 12:44, 10 January 2009 (CET)

Travel is not a skill. Did you mean Nature? --Urban 19:55, 28 December 2008 (CET)

Acquiring Rituals

Rituals and all associated paraphernalia are considered consumables if there are special campaign rules for such things. Ritual components are an exception; they can never be acquired at less than full price. Residuum can also be sold at full price, and is equivalent to gold as a currency, tough not all traders accept it.

Creating Rituals

Creating a new ritual from scratch is a long, hard, expensive process. It is generally best to see if one can be found somewhere in the world before endeavoring to research it from scratch. Developing high-level rituals is an especially daunting task.

To make a new ritual you need to go trough the following steps.

• Design the ritual rules, making a complete writeup and have the GM agree to it.
• Research the ritual for one day per level of ritual, paying five times the market price.
• Make a roll using the key skill, with a difficulty of 10 + the level of the ritual.
  • If this roll fails, it can be attempted again, at the cost of one week and the casting cost of the ritual in components.
• Once created, decide if you want to keep the ritual secret, or spread it and gain profit. If you choose the later, you earn back four times the Market Price of the ritual.

Rituals in Development

This section describes rituals in development for use with 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Onomancy

You analyze a name to find information.

Level: 1	Component Cost: 25
Category: Divination	Market Price: 75
Time: 1 hour	Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Instantaneous

You need to know the name of a creature in its native language and to be able to read and write that language - either naturally or by using magic. By performing various calculations on the name, you find out information about the creature.

Arcana Check Result	Information
9 or lower	Race and Gender
10-19	Class and/or monster role
20-29	Level
30-39	Alignment
40 or higher	You can ask three yes/no questions about the innate abilities of the creature.

Belomancy

You find answers by drawing arrows from a quiver.

Level: 8	Component Cost: 120
Category: Divination	Market Price: 350
Time: 10 minutes	Key Skill: Nature
Duration: 10 minutes

As a part of this ritual, you prepare a number of arrows, writing a possible answer to a question on each arrow. You must also add at least one blank arrow to the mix. After the ritual is complete and while the duration lasts, you ask a question and draw an arrow; it the ritual was successful, the arrow with the most relevant and correct answer will be drawn. If none of the answers were relevant or correct, you will draw a blank arrow. You can continue to ask questions until you run out of blank arrows in the quiver.

Belomancy can only answer questions about things you will encounter within the next six ours, and can only give out information you would reasonably discover during such encounters. Typical questions include "Which way to the dragon" or "what monster will I meet behind this door". Deeply analytical questions, such as "what is the nature of life" or "should I get married" always draw a blank.

The DC of the Arcana check is 10 + twice the number of arrows in the quiver; the DM usually rolls this check. On a failure, you get random answers. It is common to first ask a question with a known answer to check the veracity of the ritual.

The arrows and quiver are needed for the ritual, but are not a part of the ritual cost.

Cleromancy

You learn the difficulty of a task by drawing lots.

Level: 1	Component Cost: 5
Category: Divination	Market Price: 10
Time: 10 minutes	Key Skill: Religion
Duration: Instantaneous

You can analyze the odds in a certain situation by drawing lots or throwing bones, sticks, or dice (such tools are part of the component cost). You must be thinking of a clearly defined task when using this rite, such as a skill challenge or encounter. If the ritual succeeds, you learn what the DC of each skill involved in the task is and the level of the encounter.

The difficulty of the ritual itself is equal to the highest difficulty involved in the task or to 10 + encounter level, whichever is higher. If the ritual fails, this still imparts some information, as it tells you the task is more difficult than your Arcana check allowed for.

Trial by Elements

You learn of a creature's vulnerabilities by exposing parts of it to the elements.

Level: 3	Component Cost: 55
Category: Divination	Market Price: 65
Time: 1 hour	Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Instantaneous

You need a former body part or piece of excrement from the creature to be analyzed; on a success, you learn of any special vulnerabilities or resistances the creature has to different forms of attack, including such things as not being able to regenerate damage of a specific type. You do not learn of any defenses the creatures have against all types of attack.

You can ask about one type of attack for every full 5 points on the Arcana check; a result of 5-9 allows one question, 10-14 two questions, and so on. Damage types analyzed include all types of energy such as radiant, fire, or thunder, and specific substances like silver.

Omen

You ask for a sign, and an omen appears that tells about the future.

Level: 13	Component Cost: 900
Category: Divination	Market Price: 2,900
Time: 6 hours	Key Skill: Religion
Duration: 1 week

You ask for an omen, and one appears over the duration of the ritual; this can be in the form of a comet, odd weather phenomena, animals behaving strangely, a rain of toads, as a dream shared by many and important people, or in some other ominous form. It is always clearly noticeable by a large number of people, and clearly recognizable as an omen, but hard to interpret. You can always interpret an omen you caused, and so can someone else of your level or higher that uses this ritual. When used in this way, the ritual does not have a component cost, but neither does it cause a new omen to occur.

You have no direct control over what kind of event the omen portents, but after interpreting it you gain a distinct idea of what events are going to happen on the grand scale, tough you have few details. For example, you might learn that a drought is coming, who it will affect, and that it is caused by an evil cult - but not which cut or where their secret temple lies. You also have an approximate idea of when this event will occur.

This ritual is an invitation to the DM to use the omen as an adventure hook, placing you square in the middle of the action. It always succeeds as log as there is some interesting event coming up in the campaign. Besides its use as an adventure hook, it also serves to establish you as an oracle, able to interpret what so many people saw but could not understand.

Fairy Debt

You invoke a debt to call a creature to come to you.

Level: 5	Component Cost: 100
Category: Deception	Market Price: 150
Time: 10 minutes	Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Sustain Standard

Select a creature you know by name. If that creature carries any object that formerly belonged to you, you can call that creature to you. The target is overcome with a compulsion to move towards you and return the object. You must sustain the effect of the ritual with a standard action each round. You know if the power is still working or has been broken, but nothing more.

The target is dominated, and will move towards you. It knows what direction you are in, and will select what it thinks is the best path. If prevented from moving, the creature will fight to be able to move on, under the limits of domination. Once the target arrives, it will follow you around but obey no other orders.

Anyone who sees the creature is allowed an Insight roll against DC 15 to realize the target is dominated. The target is allowed an Insight roll against the Arcana check result of the ritual upon first being affected, whenever a particular creature first tries to get them to stop, and each round when in combat or other direct danger. On a success, the effect is broken.

The range of the power depends on the result of the Arcana check.

Arcana Check Result	Range
9 or lower	Ranged 50
10-19	Ranged 200
20-29	Ranged 1,000 (one mile)
30-39	Ranged 5,000 (five miles)
40 or higher	Ranged 25,000 (twenty-five miles)

Arcane Smite

Arcane force pulverizes everything in a small area.

Level: 10	Component Cost: 550
Category: Exploration	Market Price: 1,600
Time: 15 minutes	Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: 1 round

You must specify a target spot when you begin the ritual, and it strikes in a burst 5 area with a range of 40, using the Arcana check as an attack against Fortitude inflicting a number of d6 of damage equal to the Arcana check. This is usually enough to reduce everything in the target area to rubble.

Essence of the Totem

The target draws power from his totem spirit.

Level: 3	Component Cost: 50 gp.
Category: Exploration	Market Price: 125 gp.
Time: 10 minutes	Key Skill: Nature
Duration: Variable

The first time this ritual is used, the target can choose to select an animal totem. Failing to do so means the ritual fails. Depending on the totem selected, this offers different benefits. You can only change totem while advancing in level.

While under its ritual, the target takes on slight features of his totem animal, perhaps pointed ears, beast eyes, animal teeth, or even a vestigial tail. The game effects game effects depend on your totem.

Totem	Benefit
Bat	Blindsight 1 (sonic)
Cat	+2 power bonus to Athletics and Stealth checks.
Badger	+2 power bonus to Nature and Dungeoneering checks.
Bear	+2 power bonus to Endurance and Nature checks.
Bull	+5 power bonus to Strength checks (not Strength based attacks).
Dolphin	Swim at half land speed.
Eagle	+2 power bonus to Intimidate and Perception checks.
Fox	+2 power bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks.
Goat	+2 power bonus to Athletics and Endurance checks.
Hawk	+2 power bonus to Insight and Perception checks.
Horse	+1 power bonus to land speed.
Monkey	+2 power bonus to Athletics and Acrobatics checks.
Mouse	+2 power bonus to Perception and Stealth checks.
Owl	+2 power bonus to History checks, low-light vision.
Otter	+2 power bonus on Athletics and Thievery checks.
Raccoon	+2 power bonus on Acrobatics and Thievery checks.
Rat	+2 power bonus on Streetwise and Thievery checks.
Raven	+2 power bonus to Arcana and Religion checks.
Shark	+2 power bonus on Nature and Perception checks.
Snake	+2 power bonus on Heal and Religion checks.
Wolf	+2 power bonus to Endurance and Perception checks.

The duration depends on the result of the ritual check, and you can end it at any time as a minor action.

Arcana Check Result	Area
9 or lower	1 hour
10-19	3 hours
20-29	9 hours
30-39	1 day
40 or higher	3 days

Sound of Doom

Angelic trumpets blast the target area.

Level: 15	Component Cost: 3,900 gp
Category: Exploration	Market Price: 7,500 gp
Time: 15 minutes	Key Skill: Religion
Duration: 1 round

You must specify a target spot when you begin the ritual, and it strikes in a burst 4 area with a range of 20, using the Religion check as an attack against Fortitude inflicting a number of d6 of thunder damage equal to the Religion check. This is usually enough to reduce everything in the target area to rubble and create difficult ground. The target area becomes obvious during the last minute of the ritual.

Totemic Possession

The target allows himself to be possessed by his totem spirit.

Level: 8	Component Cost: 250 gp.
Category: Exploration	Market Price: 600 gp.
Time: 10 minutes	Key Skill: Nature
Duration: Variable

While under this ritual, you take on major features of your totem animal, typically growing fur on parts of the body, getting pointed ears, beast eyes, sharp teeth, or even a tail. You retain full control, but the possession is distracting and makes you behave in an animalistic manner. See Essence of the Totem for totem selection rules. This has the following game effects:

• -2 penalty to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Insight.
• Benefits depending on your totem, from the table below.

Totem	Benefit
Bat	Blindsight 6 (sonic)
Badger	+2 power bonus to Nature and Dungeoneering checks. Burrowing speed 1 (tunneling)
Cat	+2 power bonus to Athletics and Stealth checks. Low-light vision
Bear	+2 power bonus to Endurance and Nature checks and to healing surge value.
Bull	+5 power bonus to Strength checks (not Strength based attacks), quintuple carrying capacity
Dolphin	Swim at land speed, with a +2 power bonus.
Eagle	+2 power bonus to Intimidate and Perception checks as well as to Initiative checks.
Fox	+2 power bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Insight checks. Replaces the normal penalties.
Goat	+2 power bonus to Athletics and Endurance checks. +1 damage on a charge.
Hawk	+2 power bonus to Insight checks and +5 power bonus to Perception checks.
Horse	+2 power bonus to Endurance checks and Strength attribute checks. +1 power bonus to land speed.
Monkey	+2 power bonus to Athletics and Acrobatics checks, climb speed equal to half land speed.
Mouse	+2 power bonus to Perception checks and +5 power bonus to Stealth checks.
Owl	+2 power bonus to all Knowledge checks, low-light vision.
Otter	+2 power bonus on Athletics and Thievery checks. Swim at land speed.
Raccoon	+2 power bonus on Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, and Thievery checks.
Rat	+2 power bonus on Stealth, Streetwise, and Thievery checks.
Raven	+2 power bonus to Arcana, Nature, Religion, and Spot checks.
Shark	+2 power bonus on Nature and Perception checks. Swim at land speed.
Snake	+2 power bonus on Arcana, Insight, Heal, and Religion checks.
Wolf	+2 power bonus to Endurance and Perception checks. +1 power bonus to speed.

The duration of the possession depends on the result of the ritual check, and you can end it at any time as a minor action.

Arcana Check Result	Area
9 or lower	30 minutes
10-19	1 hour
20-29	2 hours
30-39	4 hours
40 or higher	8 hours

Call Lightning

You call the wrath of nature to strike like a siege engine.

Level: 5	Component Cost: 100
Category: Exploration	Market Price: 250
Time: 15 minutes	Key Skill: Nature
Duration: 1 minute

As you perform the ritual a small thundercloud gathers, cumulating in a lightning strike. It becomes obvious where the lightning will strike one minute before it actually strikes. You must specify a target spot when you begin the ritual, and it strikes in a burst 1 area with a range of 100, using the Nature check as an attack against Reflex. It strikes the same area each round for one minute (10 rounds), each time inflicting lightning damage equal to the Nature check. Make a separate check for each round of the duration. In most cases, it can be assumed to destroy whatever is in the area, reducing it to rubble.

Reincarnate

You give the target a new chance at life, a chance to live again in a new shape.

Level: 23	Component Cost: 60,000 gp
Category: Binding	Market Price: 60,000 gp
Time: 1 hour	Key Skill: Nature (no check)
Duration: Instantaneous

Select a living, undead, or dead creature that is either helpless or willing. The target is restored to life, health, and youth, but in a different form.

Re-create the target as a brand new character of his level. Re-select all abilities, gender, race, class, powers, skills, and feats. It is as if you were creating a new character from scratch, only memories and experience points remain. Even if you select to make the character identical to how it was before, the body is still completely new and physical details differ. Old friends, acquaintances, and enemies will not recognize the target until shared experiences show who it is. For all practical purposes, the target is now a new person.

To perform this on a dead creature, you must have a part of the corpse of a creature that died no more than 30 days ago. The subject returns to life at full health and with all harmful conditions removed. The subject’s soul must be free and willing to return to life. Some magical effects trap the soul and thus prevent Reincarnate from working, and the gods can intervene to prevent a soul from journeying back to the realm of the living.