Rituals (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Rulebook p 221 and following.

Ritual Rules

Here are the ritual rules from Blades in the Dark, edited to fit my campaign setting.:

Rituals

A ritual a slow and costly process but can create very powerful effects. Rituals utilize the scientific application of planar energies. To enact a ritual is to come into contact with planar forces and entreat them to do your will. It is a practice that anyone can learn and use, but not without considerable risk.

Finding a Ritual Source

A PC with the Ritual special ability begins with one known ritual, already learned (answer the questions below to create it). To learn a new ritual, a PC must first find a source. A source may be secured as payoff from a score—perhaps you steal a ritual book when your crew robs the Museum of Antiquities. You might also secure a source as the goal of a long-term project—by consorting with cultist friends, studying ancient texts, or some other method you devise.

Creating a New Ritual

The player and the GM answer questions about the ritual to define what it will do in play and what is required to perform it (see below). The player records these answers in their notes for future reference.

Ritual Questions

1. GM asks: “What does the ritual do and how is it weird?” Player answers.
2. Player asks: “What must I do to perform the ritual, and what is its price?” GM answers. A ritual takes at least one downtime activity to perform and inflicts stress on the caster according to its magnitude. If performance of the ritual is dangerous or troublesome in some way, it requires an action roll (usually Attune). A ritual may also have additional costs, such as a sacrifice, rare item, the start of a dire progress clock, etc.
3. GM asks: “What new belief or fear does knowledge of this ritual and its attendant occult forces instill in you?” Player answers.

Example Ritual Answers

Player: “The ritual wards a person so that the ghosts of their victims cannot find them. It's weird because... as long as the ward is in place, the person sometimes weeps tears of black blood.”

GM: “Spend a downtime action to prepare a mixture of tobacco, dream smoke, and crematory ash from a victim—which the target then smokes. You take at least 3 stress when you perform the ritual, which will be its quality for a fortune roll when it's challenged by a spirit—so you might want to take more stress to make it more potent.”

Player: “Gotcha. My new fear is what will happen if the spirits figure out where the ward came from and turn their vengeance on me, instead.”

Calculating Stress Cost

Sum the following factors from the magnitude tables.

The area or group size

The duration

The range

The quality (to create things) or force (for energy effects, including destruction)

Divide the result by the number of downtime actions required to complete the ritual.

Further, various sacrifices can reduce the Stress cost by one to four points.

1. A minor sacrifice, neither expensive or hard to acquire.
2. A medium sacrifice, expensive, emotional, or hard to acquire.
3. A major sacrifice, two of expensive, emotional, and hard to acquire.
4. A serious sacrifice that is very expensive or costs the caster something personal, like a memory or inflicts some condition, similar to a Devil's Bargain.

Magnitude Tables

Use these tables to calculate the base complexity of a ritual. They are also used with some crew playbooks, powers, and equipment, but that is separate from these rules. The complexity of the ritual depends on the highest magnitude involved, with an increase of any other aspect has a magnitude more than half as high as the main one.

Area / Scale, People / Group Size, Duration, Range

Scale	Area	People / Group Size	Duration	Range
0	A closet	1 or 2 people	A few moments	Within reach
1	A small room	A small gang (3-6)	A few minutes	A dozen paces
2	A large room/Glen	A medium gang (12)	An hour	A stone's throw
3	Several rooms/Hollow	A large gang (20)	A few hours	Down the road
4	A small building/Dale	A huge gang (40)	A day	Several blocks away/Next village
5	A large building/Vale	A massive gang (80)	Several days	Across the district/Next parish
6	A city block/Township	A colossal gang (160)	A week	Across the city/Next county

Quality / Force, with Examples

Scale	Quality with Examples	Force with Examples
0	Poor: A rusty knife, worn & tattered clothing, rickety shack on the street	Weak: A firm shove, a candle flame, breeze, tiny spark
1	Adequate: A fighting blade, ordinary clothing, shared apartment, cheap food or drugs	Moderate: A solid punch, steady wind, torch flame, electrical shock
2	Good: A pistol, respectable clothing, private rented room, typical ghost	Strong: A powerful blow, howling wind, burning brand
3	Excellent: A coach, boat, military rifle, fashionable clothing, small home	Serious: A crushing blow, staggering wind, grenade, searing fire, electrical surge
4	Superior: A luxury vehicle, townhouse, typical demon or powerful ghost	Powerful: A charging horse, burning forge, bomb, whirlwind, electrocution
5	Impeccable: A large townhouse, small ship, custom-tailored clothing, lightning barrier	Overwhelming: A ship's cannon, raging thunderstorm, massive fire, lightning strike
6	Legendary: A mansion, large ship, rare essences or arcane artifacts, powerful demon	Devastating: Hurricane wind, molten lava, tidal wave, electrical maelstrom

Performing a Ritual

To perform a ritual, you must have the Ritual special ability, then follow the method outlined by the answers to the ritual questions. Most rituals will take one downtime activity to complete, though the GM may call for two (or more) downtime activities for very powerful or far-reaching rituals. Some rituals may be partially performed during downtime and then fully manifested at-will later by completing the last incantation or ritual action. In this case, simply make a note that the ritual has been “primed” and may be unleashed at a later time. Such a prepared ritual may degrade over time, so it is best to use it as soon as possible.

When you perform a ritual, you take an amount of stress as established by the ritual questions, according to the magnitude of the forces brought to bear. You can opt to spend more stress to make the effect stronger. The GM uses magnitude as a guideline for setting the stress cost—it may be higher or lower at their discretion to better describe the nature of the ritual. Some claims and special abilities also reduce the stress cost for ritual casting. The GM may also tick a progress clock when you perform a ritual—to advance the agenda of an arcane power or entity, or to show the steady approach of a dark outcome that is a consequence of the ritual's use.

Most rituals are dangerous or troublesome to perform. In such cases make an action roll (usually Attune) to see if unpleasant consequences manifest. If a ritual has an uncertain effect then a roll should be made with dice equal to the ritual's stress cost to see how well it manifests. Because a ritual is a downtime activity, you may spend coin 1-for-1 to increase the result level of your fortune roll (this represents the expenditure of expensive or rare ritual materials). If a ritual is both dangerous and uncertain, then both rolls may be called for.

Each performance of a ritual is a unique event, and may not always work the same way each time. The GM or players may call for a round of questions to establish a ritual anew. Rituals are a way to bring in a wide variety of arcane effects into the game. Use with caution! If you ever go overboard, address the questions again to establish new weirdness and costs if things have gotten out of hand. Cosmic forces are not playthings and cannot be considered a reliable or safe source of power.

Tier: More complex rituals require more resources, reflected in tier. If a ritual has a Complexity/Stress cost higher than 4 + tier the difference is applied as a penalty on the number of dice rolled for the ritual.

Community: There is one way to contribute to the stress cost of a ritual without reducing complexity, and that is to have a community or congregation supporting the ritual.

1. 10 supporters.
2. 100 supporters
3. 1,000 supporters
4. 10,000 supporters.
5. 100,000 supporters
6. 1,000,000 supporters

How does one gather this much support? The answer is that normally only churches can do so. Supporters need not be physically present as long as they recite certain phrases during the time span of the ritual. If a huge church like that of Pelor commands all temples to pray for a ritual cause on a certain day, this can gather immense power.

Example Rituals

Below are the example rituals I mentioned in the introduction. Among the example rituals the first two are canon from the original rules, the others are designed by me using these rules.

• Effect: of the ritual. This is generally were you see the positive side of the ritual
• Consequences generally lasts until the caster is rid of all stress.
• Weird Aspect is the fun part, where you get to imagine the ritual as it slowly escalates through your downtime action. This is also something that is noticeable, and might make others intervene to find you and interrupt your ritual. Basically any form of magic detection can trace the effect back to where you are performing the ritual. This endangers the security of a Hidden lair. If opponents decide to interrupt the ritual, this is a score. Everyone else finishes their downtime actions and then make an immediate engagement roll.
• Cost Here you find the stress cost, which is also the complexity of the ritual. You can spend additional stress to make the ritual more powerful. It also outlines other outlays and added negative effects that always occur.
• Consequences is what happens when you fail or roll an opposed success on the ritual. This is generally an Attune roll, but certain rituals will describe how you use other actions. These consequences can be resisted as normal. Consequences that have a lasting effect generally last until you have recovered all your Stress. When you get to zero Stress, you have overcome the problem. Consequences that affect your behavior count as trauma conditions and might be worth xp if you struggle with them. A player may choose to keep an effect as a personality trait or even adopt one as a trauma condition.

Alchemical Reconstitution

Effect: This dark process reduces a corpse or cadaver to "essential salts" — a fine, chalky residue infused with the creature's essence. These salts can be stored indefinitely and, when combined with precise arcane formulas, can be used to reanimate the creature as a perfect undead copy of its former self. The condition of the corpse is not a factor as long as most of the body is recovered. Missing some of the body weakens the entire structure rather than some parts being missing, but body parts lost in life long before death will not be recreated. The reanimated being retains all memories, skills, and personality traits from its life but awakens in a helpless state and needs time to recover.

Requirements: This procedure requires a special ability that allows the creation of alchemical items to perform, along with a laboratory and rare alchemical reagents worth at least 6 coin. Alchemical skill can be provided by an assistant.

Cost: The caster takes 6 stress and must succeed on a desperate attunement roll. Failure or complications may result in: - The creature lashing out, inflicting severe harm. An assistant can attempt to restrain the creature as it re-forms. - The salts becoming unstable, creating a volatile arcane hazard. - The reanimation process going awry, with the resulting creature being a deranged version of its former self. - The reanimated body is possessed.

Notes: The reanimated creature is an undead simulacrum. While indistinguishable from its living self in most ways, it is immune to aging, disease, and other effects that typically harm the living. It does need to breathe and feed. It may feel beholden to the caster, but often other means are needed to make the creature comply.

Consequences: Memories of Death: The creature retains vague, haunting memories of its time as essential salts, potentially causing it to question its nature. - Arcane Residue: The area where the ritual was performed becomes tainted, attracting otherworldly entities or causing magical anomalies. - Fading Stability: Over time, the creature may begin to degrade physically or mentally, requiring periodic rituals to maintain its form and sanity.

Ashtology

This ritual is from Baklunish lands and is based on the power of Istus, the lady of fate.

Effect: This ritual involves enchanting arrows to be shot to arrows to divine answers or guidance regarding a specific question or situation. Shooting this arrow does not take much time, but the user must loudly proclaim the question asked and takes 4 stress. If the arrow was not created in the most recent downtown period, the stress cost increases by one for each score the caster has participated in since the item was crafted. The user focuses on their inquiry as they release the arrow, which will land in a way that reveals the answer through its position and the nature of the target struck. Answers are thus simple, usually yes, no, or a direction. A Hunt roll determines the quality of answers.

Weird Aspect: As the arrow is loosed, the air around it shimmers with ethereal light, and a soft whisper can be heard, echoing the caster's question. The trajectory of the arrow appears influenced by unseen forces, guiding its path toward destiny.

Consequences: After using one of these arrows, the caster may feel a strong connection to the result, becoming fixated on the outcome of the divination. If the answer is unclear or troubling, they may experience anxiety or obsession about the implications, leading to a crisis of faith in the process.

Astral Restoration

Effect: This ritual reaches into the Astral Plane to mend injuries by making perfect astral forms real, helping individuals completely recover from physical or mental trauma, loss, or wounds. It restores the person’s body to its perfect form.

Weird Aspect: The atmosphere shimmers with starlight, and whispers of comforting voices can be heard, guiding the recipient towards inner peace and clarity.

Cost: The caster must light a candle infused with powdered stardust and take 6 stress. They must also meditate with the recipient for a full hour, allowing the energies of the Astral Plane to align.

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the target may become more distant from the physical world, retreating into a mental ivory tower. They may also lose some recent memories.

Avian Oracle

Effect: This ritual allows the caster to receive a prophecy or insight about the future by interpreting the flight patterns of birds. The caster observes the behavior of birds and deciphers their movements to gain knowledge of forthcoming events.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual unfolds, the sky darkens momentarily, and a soft wind carries whispers from the unseen realms, creating an atmosphere of anticipation and mystery.

Cost: The caster must gather a selection of grains to entice the birds and take 3 stress. They must also spend a full day observing the birds and documenting their movements, which requires patience and diligence. Roll either Attune or Survey for this ritual.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may become overly fixated on omens, leading to paranoia or an inability to make decisions without consulting the signs.

Bond of Returning

Effect: This ritual forges a mystical connection between a specific item, its designated wearer, and the ritual site. If the item is separated from its wearer by more than ten feet (3 meters), or if the wearer becomes incapacitated, the item vanishes and reappears at the ritual site.

Weird Aspect: A faint, glowing rune circle appears on the item, and when the item is moved a ghostly afterimage of this rune remains visible at the site, pulsing softly.

Requirements: The ritual must be performed at the designated site with intricate runic patterns drawn around the item and wearer. A drop of blood from the wearer must be left at the ritual site, and will remain fresh until en effect ends.

Notes: One Item Only: The ritual binds a single item per casting. Repeating the ritual on the same item overwrites previous bindings. - Permanent Bond: The connection lasts until it is activated or deliberately severed. - Teleportation: The item teleports back to the ritual site, and this can be hindered like any other teleport.

Consequences: Make a complexity roll when the ritual activates, with consequences on a failure or opposed success. - Dimensional Echoes: The item’s return creates bursts of planar energy, briefly exposing the ritual site to otherworldly influences. - Fragmented Bond: If the ritual fails, the item may appear at unintended locations. - Lingering Attachment: People nearby may experience phantom sensations or dreams tied to the ritual site, even when far away.

Bones of Fate

Effect: This ritual uses a collection of bones, cast and interpreted to reveal insights about the past, present, and future. The patterns formed by the bones indicate various outcomes or truths related to the question posed by the caster.

Weird Aspect: The bones emit an eerie glow as they are cast, and their arrangement seems to shift slightly, as if influenced by unseen forces guiding their positions.

Cost: The caster must gather and put runes on a set of specific animal bones (ideally from a creature with significant meaning) and take 5 stress. If the bones are from a Sapient creature this reduces the stress cost to 3. They must also speak a short incantation while casting the bones, channeling their intent into the ritual.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may experience lingering feelings of unease, as the truths revealed can be unsettling, leading to doubts about their path or the implications of their findings.

The Cartographer's Eyes

Effect: This ritual reveals the unseen features of an unexplored area, mapping out the terrain and potential dangers with eerie accuracy. The sacrificed map redraws itself to show the new area, with the same level of detail.

Weird Aspect: The caster temporarily loses their vision, instead "seeing" the landscape as a mental imprint while their eyes glow faintly.

Cost: You must sacrifice a map of a well-explored area to erase the known in favor of the unknown. This map is erased and replaced with the map created by the ritual. Such a map costs 1 coin or more. The caster takes 3 stress.

Consequences: The ritual leaves the caster feeling disconnected from reality, fearing they are becoming more attuned to the land than to the people around them.

Celestial Insight

Effect: This ritual utilizes astrological principles to glean detailed information about a target, whether a person, item, or building. By knowing the precise time and place of birth (or creation), the caster can uncover significant insights, traits, and hidden aspects. The clarity and depth of the revelations depend on how specific the provided information is; vague details yield only superficial insights.

Cost: The caster takes 3 stress and must prepare an astrological chart using the date, time, and location of the target and make a Study roll to interpret the celestial alignments effectively. Scant or faulty information doubles or quadruples the stress cost, which the caster will feel as the ritual is performed, allowing them to abort the process.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual progresses, the air becomes charged with celestial energy, and the stars seem to shimmer in the sky, even during the day. A faint, ethereal melody fills the surroundings, resonating with the harmonic vibrations of the cosmos, drawing forth the secrets of the universe. These effects are subtle, but may warn the target that it is subject to divination.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may experience vivid dreams filled with astrological symbols and cosmic patterns, leading to confusion between reality and dream. Additionally, they may find themselves unusually affected by celestial events, such as phases of the moon or planetary alignments, experiencing heightened emotions or intuition during those times. Sadly this might increase sensitivity to totally irrelevant things.

Chains of Binding

Effect: Temporarily binds a powerful entity (spirit, demon, or elemental) to a physical location or object, preventing its escape. Typical objects are a cursed goblet or enchanted mirror, but more often the creature is bound to a location. This can be cast in advance to trap a creature summoned by Summoning of the Eldritch Paragon.

Weird Aspect: The air crackles with tension, and the object or location glows with eerie symbols.

Cost: The entity must be willing, helpless, or trapped in a specially prepared vessel (e.g., spirit bottle). The caster must sacrifice a set of cuffs and takes 6 stress and risks their own essence being bound if the ritual fails.

Consequences: The caster begins to believe that, one day, they will be bound by their own magic or trapped by the entities they subdue.

Chimeric Fusion

Effect: This ritual allows the caster to magically merge two or more living creatures into a single, fantastical chimera, blending their physical forms and abilities. The result is a unique creature that embodies the strengths, traits, and characteristics of its components, potentially creating new powers or abilities.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual unfolds, a kaleidoscope of colors surrounds the participants, swirling and shifting in ethereal patterns. The air resonates with harmonic sounds that echo the voices of the creatures being fused, creating an atmosphere of enchantment and wonder.

Cost: The caster must have access to the creatures, either willing or restrained, and take 7 stress. Additionally, they must chant an incantation while drawing a mystical sigil on the ground around the creatures to be merged, that represents the merging of life forces.

Consequences: After the ritual, the chimera may exhibit unpredictable characteristics, such as fluctuating moods or abilities. The caster may also experience a lingering connection to the merged creatures, feeling their emotions or instincts, which can lead to internal conflict or challenges in control over the chimera’s actions.

Creation of the Nefarious Dungeon

Effect: This ritual harnesses the chaotic energies of the Netherworld to create a dungeon room filled with arcane features. Such a room needs to be encased in stone and is usually underground, but despite this is never entirely dark, the Netherworld always has some ambient light. The caster can choose to include one or more of the following elements, but the exact outcome is subject to the whims of the Netherworld:

• Magical Fountain: A fountain that flows with enchanted water, providing various effects (healing, stress restoration, etc.). Cost: The caster must collect water from a source touched by another world appropriate to the desired effect.
• Trap Mechanism: A hidden trap that activates under certain conditions, such as a pressure plate or magical trigger, to ensnare or harm intruders. Cost: The caster must sacrifice a simple model of the desired trap.
• Aberrant Monsters: Summons aberrations native to the Netherworld, like Trappers (camouflaged, sticky floor tendrils) or Piercers (stalagmite monster dropping from ceilings to ambush). Cost: The caster must offer a sacrifice of life (such as a captured creature), resonating with the darkness of the Netherworld.
• Illusory Walls: Creates walls that can deceive those who attempt to navigate the room, hiding exits or leading them into traps. Cost: The caster must spend an hour crafting illusions from dreams or memories, focusing their intent.
• Dark Alteration: Alters the room's environment to create unnatural conditions, such as shifting shadows, illusions, or even magical darkness. Cost: The caster must endure a moment of disorientation, tapping into the chaos of the Netherworld.
• Transport: The room has a feature like a portal or strange mist that transports creatures into another dungeon location in the same dungeon complex. Cost: The caster must perform part of the ritual in the desired target location and part at the spot where the room is to appear.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual unfolds, the room pulses with energy, and faint whispers echo from the shadows. Surreal images and fleeting phantoms may flicker in and out of view, hinting at the chaotic power at play.

Cost: The costs associated with each effect are detailed above. The caster must also use 3 stress and draw a rough layout of the desired room, but the final design is influenced by the energies of the Netherworld, often leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Consequences: An opposed success lessens the caster's control over the dungeon room and might add other effects the caster did not desire. On a failure, the room still forms, but the results are entirely unpredictable and likely dangerous to the caster if they enter the room.

Earthshaper's Craft

Effect: This ritual grants the caster the ability to manipulate earth and stone to repair or create structures from local stone in a 25 meter cube. Because of the limited volume, it requires repeated rituals to create large construction. Depending on the intent, the caster can perform one of the following actions:

• Build a Shrine: Erects a sacred space for worship and offerings, filled with tranquil energy to honor a specific deity or spirit. Cost: The caster takes 2 stress and must offer a personal item of significance to their faith (e.g., a cherished religious token).
• Build a Wall: Constructs a sturdy barrier for defense or delineation, providing immediate protection to the area. Cost: The caster takes 3 stress and must offer a valuable earth-based item (e.g., clay or soil from a sacred site).
• Rebuild a Ruined Building: Restores a structure to its former glory, mending walls and roofs with earth and stone. Cost: The caster takes 4 stress and must sacrifice a valuable item made of stone (e.g., a semi-precious gem).
• Build a Bridge: Bridges a chasm or river up to 20 meters (60 feet) wide. If it is possible to create foundations, several bridges can be created one after the other to cover wider obstacles. Cost: The caster takes 5 stress and must sacrifice a land vehicle.
• Build a Wizard's Tower: Raises a tall, intricately designed tower, filled with arcane energy and potential for magical endeavors. Cost: The caster takes 5 stress and must sacrifice a magical item tied to the arcane (e.g., a spellbook or enchanted trinket).
• Build a Fortification: Creates a fortified stronghold, complete with battlements and defensive features to withstand sieges. Cost: The caster takes 6 stress and must sacrifice a rare crafting tool or artifact used in construction.
• Build a Temple: Constructs a grand temple dedicated to a higher power, complete with altars, statues, and spaces for communal gatherings and rituals. Cost: The caster takes 6 stress and must sacrifice an item of great spiritual importance (e.g., a family heirloom or lesser relic).

Weird Aspect: The ground trembles and shifts as if alive, and glowing sigils appear momentarily before the structures rise from the earth, revealing ancient patterns etched in the stone.

Cost: The costs associated with each effect are detailed above. Increase the cost by two if this is a new building, not a repair and another two to use non-native stone. The caster must provide a model of the desired construction made of clay or stone which is consumed in the casting. A stone model must be carved by a skilled mason and is likely to be costly, but allows much finer control of the result.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster feels a lingering connection to the land, experiencing vivid dreams of the structures they’ve built, leading to anxiety over their maintenance and protection.

Embrace of the Netherworld

Effect: This ritual delves into the dark energies of the Netherworld to heal madness or mental instability, blocking off damage to create clarity and balance of the mind. The recipient loses their fears and can overcome delusions.

Weird Aspect: Shadows flicker and swirl around the caster as if alive, and the air feels thick with forgotten memories and lost whispers, creating an atmosphere of dread and revelation.

Cost: The caster must consume a small vial of an opalescent liquid harvested from the Netherworld and take 4 stress. They face their own fears or traumas during the ritual, and then lock away those memories.

Consequences: After the ritual, the target feels distant not only from the traumatic events that caused them madness, but from all memories.

Enchantment of the Twilight Glade

Effect: This ritual transforms a natural area—such as a bowery, glen, wood, hill, grotto, lake, or bog—into a place intimately connected to the Feywild. The affected area takes on fey characteristics: subtle lights that glimmer, plants and trees seem to move when not watched, and the air shimmers with otherworldly magic. The landscape subtly shifts, with paths becoming labyrinthine, leading to hidden clearings or pools that were not there before. Animals and creatures that inhabit the area become influenced by the Feywild, gaining intelligence or magical traits. The area remains small for a terrain feature, generally no larger than a few acres.

Cost: The caster takes 4 stress for a small transformation (a single grove, hill, or pond) and may increase the size or complexity by consulting the magnitude tables. You can add points of interest as outlined below.

• Sylvan Glade (3 stress): A lush clearing surrounded by towering ancient trees, whose leaves glow faintly under starlight. A strange pool lies at its center, reflecting constellations even during the day. The water is enchanted—drinking from it restores stress but also marks the drinker as a visitor of the Feywild. Fey creatures often watch from the trees, curious about newcomers.
• Enchanted Grove of Whispers (1 stress): A circle of trees with bark twisted into faint shapes resembling faces. When the wind blows, the trees softly murmur ancient secrets. However, the whispers also contain half-truths and tempt those who listen too long into becoming lost in the forest’s growing mysteries.
• Moonlit Mire (2 stress): A murky bog that glows eerily under a permanent full moon, with floating will-o’-wisps luring the unwary into deep waters. Some patches of the mire conceal precisely the item you need, but others trap wanderers, slowly pulling them into the bog’s fey enchantments where they may be lost forever.
• Feywild Bridge (3 stress): A natural stone bridge arching over a stream that hums with soft music. This bridge is a known crossing point between the material world and the Feywild. Fey creatures can appear or vanish at will here. When a traveler crosses, they may find themselves inexplicably aged or shifted in time.
• Cavern of Glimmering Roots (1 stress): Beneath the earth lies a cave where roots from the enchanted trees above hang down, glowing with a soft blue light. Inside, the air is thick with fey magic, and the ground is scattered with rare fungi that enhance magical abilities but may warp the mind or body.
• Ring of Dancing Lights (2 stress): A circle of floating lights that dance eternally in a specific pattern. Entering the circle of lights is like a labyrinth, it can take a long time to find the way out.

Weird Aspect: Time flows strangely in the enchanted area—what feels like hours inside may be only minutes outside, or vice versa. Fey creatures and spirits begin to manifest in subtle ways, watching and sometimes interacting with those who enter. The flora and fauna may develop unpredictable traits, such as trees whispering secrets or flowers growing rapidly under moonlight.

Consequences: The area’s connection to the Feywild is unstable. The fey influence may grow or fade over time, causing the area to expand unpredictably or pull travelers unwittingly deeper into the Feywild itself. It might also attract dangerous fey creatures, such as mischievous sprites or powerful archfey with their own agendas. If the ritual falters or fails, parts of the natural world could warp into something entirely alien or chaotic, turning the land into a dangerous, ever-shifting labyrinth.

Etheric Passage

Effect: This ritual allows the caster to teleport themselves and their crew to a distant location by traversing the ether, bending space and time to appear instantaneously at the chosen destination. The journey feels surreal, as if slipping through a veil between worlds.

Weird Aspect: The air crackles with energy, and the caster's body shimmers as they fade into translucent forms, leaving behind a faint afterimage for a moment before vanishing.

Cost: The caster must create a map of their intended destination, imbued with their essence (using a personal item or hair), and take 6 stress. They must also chant an ancient incantation for one hour, focusing on the coordinates of their target.

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the caster experiences brief episodes of disorientation upon arriving, as if caught between realms. They may find it challenging to return to their original location without a similar ritual, leading to potential complications in navigation.

Eye of the Hunter

Effect: Bestows a keen sight upon the caster or target, allowing them to track creatures or people with supernatural accuracy, seeing their tracks as glowing imprint and the target themselves can be seen through walls and in darkness.

Weird Aspect: The target’s eyes glow faintly, and their vision becomes tunnel-like, focusing only on the prey.

Cost: The caster must pluck out a bird’s eye and the beneficiary must swallow it, taking 2 stress. Caster must either uniquely name the target or include some link to them. The beneficiary becomes unable to see any creature other than their prey until the hunt is complete.

Consequences: The target develops a fear of losing their sight, haunted by blurred visions of strange, unidentifiable creatures.

Forge the Hidden Realm

Effect: This ritual creates an extradimensional space, a pocket dimension accessible through a hidden doorway or portal. The size and complexity of the space depend on the stress expended during the ritual. The basic form is a small room or chamber (about the size of a large closet), and it can be customized to store objects, hide individuals, or serve as a temporary refuge. By expending additional stress, the caster can increase the size, add furnishings, or imbue the space with special features such as floating platforms, shifting walls, or even basic life-sustaining conditions.

Cost: The caster takes 5 stress for a small space approximately 3 x 3 meters (10x10 feet), and may increase the size or complexity by consulting the magnitude tables:

• +1 stress per additional room-size area or per 3 meters (10 feet) increase in each dimension.
• +1 stress to add structural complexity (multiple rooms, unusual shapes).
• +1 to +3 stress for environmental effects such as an ecosystem, replenishing food and water, specific temperatures, or unusual gravity.

Consult the magnitude tables and the GM for further increases in size or features, which could significantly increase the stress cost.

Weird Aspect: The extradimensional space has a surreal quality. Objects inside may appear slightly warped, and the colors may seem off or more vivid than normal. Sounds are muffled, as if heard underwater, and time may feel slower or faster depending on the caster’s intentions. Entering the space feels like stepping through thick, viscous air.

Consequences: The extradimensional space is not completely independent of the real world and can become unstable if tampered with or overused. Prolonged use may also weaken the barrier between planes, causing leaks or distortions, such as random objects disappearing or creatures from other dimensions slipping in. Should the space collapse, anything inside might be expelled violently or trapped in a different plane altogether.

Ghost Map

Effect: This ritual enchants a specially prepared map so it reveals the position of all spirits across the district. An individual spirit may be Studied on the map to glean some details about it.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual is completed, the map begins to shimmer with an ethereal light, and ghostly images of the spirits appear hovering above it, whispering faintly in a language only the caster can partially understand.

Cost: The caster takes 4 stress when it's performed (range: across the district, quality of information: good, minus extra time: a few hours). As an example; another GM might judge the magnitude differently.

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the caster may become more sensitive to spirits, experiencing vivid dreams or visions of the entities they observed, which could lead to sleepless nights and a growing obsession with the spirits of the district.

The Gravekeeper's Hand

Effect: Animates all the dead in a graveyard, causing them to rise as either mindless undead or bound to the caster’s will.

Weird Aspect: As the dead rise, the ground shifts and groans, and the stench of decay fills the air.

Cost: Roll Attune or Command for this ritual. You must bury a sapient creature alive in the graveyard as an offering. The caster takes 7 stress.

Consequences: The caster develops a growing connection to the undead, feeling their pull even when not near a graveyard.

Harvest of Plenty

Effect: Enhances the fertility of a large swath of land, ensuring bountiful crops and healthy livestock for the next season.

Weird Aspect: Strange glowing roots rise momentarily from the ground before vanishing, and the smell of freshly tilled soil permeates the air.

Cost: The caster must bury a valuable item tied to life and growth (a rare seed, a child’s toy, or a personal keepsake) into the soil. They take 4 stress and temporarily lose the ability to speak until they see the full white moon, Luna. For this reason the ritual is usually performed at or just before the full moon.

Consequences: The caster develops a deep connection to the earth and suffers level 1 harm": "rashes if any destruction is caused to the blessed fields until they are harvested. If this happens a lot, it might even kill the caster.

Healing Touch of the Fey

Effect: This ritual channels the vibrant life energy of the Feywild to heal physical injuries, restoring the body and invigorating the spirit. Wounds close rapidly, and the recipient feels a surge of vitality. Heals any harm of level 2 or less.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual is performed, flowers bloom in the area, and the air is filled with the scent of sweet nectar, creating a sense of otherworldly joy and savage lusts.

Cost: The caster must collect dew from a moonlit flower and take 5 stress. They must also share a moment of genuine laughter with the recipient, fostering a bond that enhances the healing.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may develop a craving for the magic of the Feywild, longing for the euphoria of the experience, which could lead to reckless behavior in pursuit of such moments.

Hedge of Thorns

Effect: This ritual summons a thick, living wall of thorn-covered plants that forms an almost impenetrable barrier, fencing off a designated area such as a woodland or following the natural contours of a ditch or gully. The hedge is densely packed with razor-sharp thorns, making it extremely difficult to pass through without cutting it down or using magic.

Cost: The caster must plant seeds along the boundary where the hedge will grow, then take 5 stress and offer fresh blood (at least 2 Harm, willingly given or taken from a living creature) to nourish the hedge.

Weird Aspect: As the hedge forms, the air fills with a strange, earthy scent mixed with the metallic tang of blood. The hedge grows rapidly, twisting and writhing unnaturally, as if guided by unseen hands. Faint whispers can be heard from within the plants, as though the hedge itself is alive and aware.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may develop an unusual sensitivity to plants, feeling discomfort or even pain when near damaged or destroyed vegetation. They may also have recurring nightmares of being trapped in a never-ending labyrinth of thorns, making restful sleep difficult.

Mastery of the Golem

Effect: This ritual allows the caster to create a golem, an animated construct formed from different materials, each possessing unique attributes and abilities. Depending on the materials used, the golem's complexity and power will vary, with options including:

• Flesh Golem: A humanoid figure stitched together from parts of various creatures, animated by arcane arts. This golem is agile and can adapt its tactics in combat and feeds off eclectic energy. Cost: The caster must gather flesh from at least three different recently dead creatures and take 4 stress.
• Clay Golem: A robust figure crafted from clay that is kept soft and pliable using sacred oils. This golem is slow but incredibly strong, capable of taking and dealing substantial damage. Cost: The caster must mold sacred oils into the clay with their own hands while chanting an incantation and take 6 stress. Additionally, they must sacrifice a valuable earth-based item, such as a precious stone or artifact.
• Stone Golem: A towering construct made of stone, animated through ancient rites. This golem is durable and resistant to physical damage, making it a formidable guardian. Cost: The caster must gather rare stones and take 7 stress.
• Iron Golem: A formidable creature forged from iron and animated with powerful arcane energies. This golem possesses high resilience and can unleash devastating attacks, embodying the pinnacle of golem craftsmanship. Cost: The caster must use molten iron poured into a specially crafted mold, taking 10 stress. They must also infuse the iron with a magical essence from a powerful source, such as a magical beast or a valuable artifact.

Weird Aspect: As the ritual is performed, the materials tremble and shift, drawing energy from the surrounding environment. Glowing runes and sigils appear, pulsating with life as the golem is brought to existence.

Cost: In addition to the costs outlined above, the caster must inscribe a binding rune on the golem’s forehead using blood. The golem will obey the person whose blood was used.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may experience fatigue and a sense of loss, as the golem's creation can temporarily drain their vitality. The golem may also develop unpredictable urges, leading to unforeseen behaviors or actions in its role as a servant or guardian, this is a permanent risk.

Poem of Past Glories

Effect: This potent ritual reshapes a location, reverting it to a specific moment from its past. Structures are reformed, valuables and furnishings are restored to their former placements, and any defenses present in that time period, including traps and guardians, are reactivated. Guardians are revived as undead or construct versions, given they were originally present, and their remains lie within the ritual area.

Requirements: A rare catalyst for temporal energy, such as the sands from an ancient hourglass or a crystal steeped in moonlight for a century. The caster must recite a poem about the locale’s past state.

Cost: The caster takes 8 stress, with a possibility of additional stress depending on the magnitude of the transformation (e.g., large, intricate areas). The caster must make a Study roll to enact the ritual.

Basic Parameters: - Range: The ritual affects a single area, up to a large building or significant stretch of land (approx. 100 meter (300 feet) square). Larger or more complex sites require higher complexity. - Duration of State: The restored state persists until the next dawn or until the next time the moon sets, whichever comes first.

Consequences: - Temporal Glitch: Inaccuracies in restoration create disjointed or fractured areas, with hallways leading nowhere or rooms overlapping. - Echo of the Past: The restored area emits a faint aura of its former time, making it easier to view and communicate with spirits or past echoes of those who once inhabited it. - Temporal Instability: Attempts to alter or damage the restored area require significant effort, as it "snaps back" to its restored state within minutes unless thoroughly disrupted. - The ritual is known to attract powerful spectral or extraplanar entities with an interest in or connection to the chosen time period. - Items and furnishings restored may bear a fleeting magical resonance, making them tempting but volatile if removed from the restored locale.

Pool of Reflection

Effect: This ritual involves using a bowl of water or a reflective surface to gain insights about a person or situation. By staring into the water and allowing their mind to drift, the caster can glimpse potential futures or hidden truths.

Weird Aspect: The surface of the water ripples and shifts, revealing faint images and shadows that hint at what lies ahead, creating a surreal atmosphere where reality and vision intertwine.

Cost: Roll Attune or Survey for this ritual. The caster must use pure spring water and take 4 stress. They must also place a silver coin or a personal token in the water to enhance the divination, connecting their essence to the vision.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may become haunted by the visions, experiencing moments of déjà vu or confusion between reality and their prophetic glimpses.

Portal to the Depths

Effect: This ancient song calls upon the power of the leviathans to open a small gateway to the great Void Sea (somewhere within a few blocks of the ritual site). Anything caught near the portal is swamped by cold, black water and drawn with hideous strength into the abyss.

Weird Aspect: As the portal opens, the air grows thick with the scent of saltwater, and shadows of immense creatures can be seen swirling within the black waters, their haunting songs resonating in the caster's mind.

Cost: This ritual is very dangerous, involving arcane contact with a leviathan's demonic power (desperate action roll). The caster takes 6 stress and ticks a 4-segment progress clock: “Seduced by the Leviathan's Song.”

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the caster finds themselves occasionally drawn to bodies of water, feeling an insatiable pull to return to the Void Sea, which can lead to dangerous situations if ignored.

Profane Reconstruction

Effect: This ritual allows the caster to stitch together various body parts and essences from different creatures to create a powerful, yet grotesque amalgamate creature. The resulting being is a patchwork of different traits, drawing on the strengths and weaknesses of its components.

Weird Aspect: The ritual requires a powerful source of electricity, usually by directing a lightning strike. As the ritual progresses, the air thickens with a swirling clouds and the remnants begin to glow faintly with unnatural light and then crackling with electricity. The sounds of distant, anguished wails echo among the sounds of thunder, giving life to the lifeless components.

Cost: The caster must gather body parts from at least three different creatures, each representing a distinct quality they wish to combine (e.g., strength, agility, resilience, flight). This gathering must include the brain of being that sets the level of intelligence of the creation. The caster must take 8 stress. They must also perform a macabre ritual that involves inscribing symbols of life and death around the assembly area, using a mixture of blood and ash. The ritual requires a Study roll, adding any recovery bonus the caster has access to when performing the ritual.

Consequences: After the ritual, the creator suffers intense and irrational hatred towards the creation.

Reshape the Terra Arcana

Effect: This ritual allows the caster to reshape the landscape, transforming the terrain to better suit their needs or desires. Depending on the intention, the caster can perform one of the following actions or reduce such such a terrain feature to gravel—such destruction does not require a sacrifice, only stress:

• Transform a Glen: Modifies a small glen into a lush, vibrant area filled with flora and fauna, enhancing its natural beauty. Cost: The caster takes 3 stress and must gather soil from a sacred site, infusing it with their essence.
• Create a Fertile Field: Turns an unproductive area into a fertile field, rich with crops and ready for harvest. Cost: The caster takes 8 stress and must sacrifice a life that symbolizes their commitment to growth.
• Create a Small Cave: Opens a cave, providing shelter and a hidden space for refuge or storage. Cost: The caster takes 5 stress and must gather stones from a nearby rocky outcrop, imbuing them with protective energy.
• Raise a Hill: Elevates the land to create a small hill, allowing for better visibility and strategic advantage in the area. Cost: The caster takes 6 stress and must offer a personal item representing their connection to the earth (e.g., a stone from a beloved location).
• Form a Lake: Creates a serene lake, allowing for fresh water and a thriving ecosystem to develop. In arid land the lake might soon dry out. Cost: The caster takes 5 stress and must gather water from a nearby significant body (e.g., a river or spring), infusing it with their energy.
• Craft a Mountain: Forms a majestic mountain, reshaping the landscape dramatically and altering weather patterns in the area. This ritual must be performed on a hill of 30 meters height or more (possibly created using this ritual) each casting doubles the height of what is now a mountain, up to a maximum of 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) in height. Cost: The caster takes 8 stress and must sacrifice a rare mineral or gem, reflecting the power of the earth itself.
• Establish an Extensive Cave System: Constructs a network of interconnected caves, offering a complex environment for exploration and resources. This variant must be performed in a cave (possibly created using this ritual) and extends this cave into a cave system reaching around a kilometer (1,000 yards) into the ground. Repeating the ritual can make the system even larger. Cost: The caster takes 9 stress and must sacrifice an artifact or item linked to exploration (e.g., a map or compass), symbolizing the journey into the depths of the earth.

Weird Aspect: As the landscape shifts, the air vibrates with energy, and vivid colors swirl around the caster, reflecting the essence of the terrain being modified. Sounds of nature harmonize with the ritual, echoing the spirit of the land.

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the caster feels a profound connection to the newly shaped land, experiencing dreams and visions tied to the environment's history and future. They may develop a sense of ownership or responsibility over the land, leading to anxiety if it is disturbed or harmed.

Restoration of the Lost Limb

Effect: This ritual calls upon ancient healing powers to restore a severed limb to its rightful owner. The restored limb is fully functional but may suffer a change in appearance.

Weird Aspect: As the limb reattaches, the air shimmers with golden light, and a faint, ethereal melody fills the surroundings, echoing the lost memories of the limb.

Cost: The caster must gather a portion of the original limb, preserved in salt, and take 8 stress. Additionally, they must offer a heartfelt sacrifice, such as a cherished memory or a personal item tied to their identity.

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the caster experiences phantom sensations, feeling the presence of the limb, leading to moments of disorientation or confusion regarding their own body.

Resurrection

Effect: This ritual draws a soul back from the afterlife to reanimate a recently deceased body, provided the body is not missing any vital parts. The soul is bound back into the flesh, restoring life, but the harrowing journey inflicts a severe mental or spiritual trauma on the resurrected individual. The caster must also provide a gem worth six coin, which is consumed during the ritual to anchor the soul.

Cost: The caster takes 6 stress, plus an additional stress for each day the target has been dead, and makes a desperate attunement roll to complete the rite. The target gains a Trauma Condition upon resurrection.

Typical trauma Condition Effects from Resurrection:

• Haunted: The target is plagued by vivid memories of the afterlife, hearing whispers of the dead and seeing visions that may or may not be real.
• Paranoid: The target becomes distrustful of others, suspecting betrayal and unseen dangers at every turn.
• Broken: The target feels an overwhelming sense of futility and detachment, struggling to find purpose in their restored life.
• Possessed: A fragment of another spirit or entity latched onto the soul during its return, occasionally influencing the target's thoughts or actions.

Rift of the Veil

Effect: Opens a planar portal to another plane (e.g., Shadowfell, Feywild, Netherworld, or a pocket dimension) at a fixed location for a duration of several hours up to several day or even permanent depending on the sacrifice.

Weird Aspect: The portal pulses with an unsettling rhythm, as if breathing, and the air around it smells faintly of brimstone or flowers depending on the plane.

Cost: You must inscribe a perfect circle with powdered silver (1 coin) and blood, and chant for three hours uninterrupted. You must also have a tuning fork tuned to the destination. The caster takes 5 stress and must sacrifice a living creature or a magical object to stabilize the portal. A permanent portal costs 10 stress.

Consequences: After performing the ritual, the caster becomes haunted by whispers from the plane they contacted, making them question the barrier between realms and possibly influencing their actions.

Sanctification of the Hallowed Ground

Effect: Sanctifies a temple or sacred space, creating a powerful ward that keeps out spirits, curses, and the influence of hostile Powers.

Weird Aspect: A subtle, golden glow suffuses the temple, and a low hum resonates within the walls when hostile entities approach. The area becomes anathema to spirits and monsters not aligned with your faith, costing 2 stress to enter and worsening their consequences in the area. NPCs do not have stress and instead suffer level 1 harm: Stressed.

Cost: The caster must offer up a personal sacrifice, such as a beloved possession or part of their own lifeforce. They take 5 stress and a full ritual of worship must be held.

Consequences: The caster fears they have bound their soul to the temple and that, upon death, they will be trapped within its walls.

Scorching Blade

Effect: Adds temporary magical potency to a weapon, imbuing it with arcane fire or another chosen element, making it far more dangerous in battle. This adds the Potent and Power features to the weapon. On a fumble when using the weapon the effect ends in an explosion causing level 2 harm: "Blasted" to the wielder.

Weird Aspect: The weapon pulses with a faint glow and emits whispers when drawn, as if the spirits of the elements are trapped within.

Cost: The weapon must be bathed in the blood of a creature associated with the chosen power (for example a fire elemental for imbuing fire). The caster takes 3 stress.

Consequences: The wielder begins to believe the weapon is sentient, developing a fear that it may act of its own will one day.

The Seeking Flame

Effect: Summons a flame that seeks out and burns hidden magic in the immediate area, obvious or concealed. This is mostly used to break powerful magic not susceptible to normal detection or dispelling powers or when the magic is so subtle it cannot be detected. This will destroy magic imbued into things that burn and point to the existence of magic even in things that won't burn.

Weird Aspect: The flame flickers in unusual patterns, as if alive, and whispers in forgotten tongues.

Cost: You must light the flame using a rare, flammable material harvested from an ancient source (like a sacred grove or temple garden). The caster takes 3 stress and may be burned if the flame detects deception.

Consequences: The caster begins to believe the flame can judge them, fearing its eventual turn on them if they are not "pure."

The Shattered Hourglass

Effect: This ritual grants the caster fleeting, uncontrolled visions of pivotal moments tied to a specific place, item, or creature. Upon touching the target (or its remains), the caster is flooded with fragmented images of its past and potential futures. These visions are intense, vivid, and often disjointed, revealing moments of great significance but leaving it to the caster to piece together their meaning.

Cost: The caster takes 4 stress and makes an Attunement roll. The intensity of the visions leaves the caster dazed and vulnerable for a day. Failure or a complication might result in visions of false or misleading events.

Consequences: - Misleading Visions: The visions leave out significant detail or focus on the wrong things. - Temporal Echoes: The caster is haunted by recurring fragments of the vision for days, hearing snatches of conversations or seeing flickers of scenes out of the corner of their eye. - Bleeding Futures: Some potential futures start to manifest subtly in the present, creating anomalies or omens linked to the target. - Soul Displacement: The caster experiences moments where they feel out of sync with time, momentarily slipping into the past or future in their mind.

Notes: The ritual can be refined with additional preparation or rare components to focus the visions, but the chaotic nature of time ensures some level of unpredictability.

Shattering the Veil

Effect: This ritual fractures the delicate dimensional boundaries separating the Prime Material Plane from the Netherworld, Shadowfell, and Feywild within a wide radius. Spirits and entities are forced to manifest in the area, creating a surreal, otherworldly atmosphere. Magic and abilities tied to these planes gain additional effect. Creatures on the linked planes can interact as if they were on the same plane in the affected area, but they will exit the area back onto their normal plane. The effect lasts about an hour.

Requirements: Rare planar attunement crystals worth at least 8 coin, a ritual circle inscribed with sigils of planar alignment. The caster takes 8 stress and must succeed on an Attunement roll. The cost in both coin and stress can be dramatically reduced by the appropriate circumstances.

-2 The presence of a cooperative or restrained spirit.

-2 Performing the rite in a location linked to one of the planes (see notes below)

Notes: The affected area becomes a chaotic confluence of multiple planes, where reality constantly shifts between the influences of the Netherworld, Shadowfell, and Feywild. In an area that is naturally connected to one of these planes, that plane will dominate. The shadowfell will dominate in graveyards and old battlefields, the Feywild in areas of myth and natural power, and the Netherworld in forsaken places dominated by alienation and arcanization.

Consequences: - Planar Intrusion: Powerful beings from these planes may take interest, seeking to exploit the weakened boundaries. - Dimensional Breach: The affected area may permanently shift, becoming a hybridized zone, with unpredictable magical phenomena. - Corrupted Inhabitants: Creatures in the area for too long might transform, taking on traits associated with the Netherworld, Shadowfell, or Feywild.

Spectral Steeds

Effect: This ritual summons a herd of phantom mounts, ethereal horses that can carry the crew swiftly across land or sea. The mounts appear as ghostly, translucent figures, capable of moving at incredible speeds and passing through rough terrain as if it were smooth. They last for a few hours before fading into the aether.

Cost: The caster takes 3 stress and must offer a personal item tied to travel or adventure (e.g., a broken compass, a worn map) into a ritual fire made of incense and powdered bone. Additionally, the caster must spend an hour mimicking controlling horses while chanting an ancient phrase that calls to the spirits of past travelers.

Weird Aspect: As the steeds appear, the wind picks up unnaturally, carrying distant whispers of long-dead riders, and the ground trembles slightly beneath their phantom hooves. Each mount's eyes glow faintly with spectral fire, casting an eerie light on the path ahead.

Consequences: After the ritual, the caster may feel lingering phantom sensations as if still riding, leading to moments of disorientation and imbalance when walking. Additionally, there is a chance that the ritual could attract the attention of malevolent spirits, seeking to ride the steeds themselves, causing supernatural disturbances.

Summoning of the Eldritch Paragon

Effect: This ritual calls forth a powerful entity—whether a demon, angel, devil, or another mighty being—from its plane of existence to the mortal realm. The creature appears within a circle of binding, where it may bargain with the summoner. The creature's nature depends on the offering and the alignment of the stars, and it will listen to the summoner's requests, though any pact made comes with steep terms and hidden costs.

Cost: The caster takes 6 stress and must offer a significant sacrifice—something of great personal value, whether it be an item, a memory, or a bond. Additionally, the ritual requires rare components, including ground obsidian, star-metal, and the blood of a creature that has crossed planes.

Weird Aspect: The air in the ritual chamber grows heavy and oppressive as the summoning begins. Time seems to slow, and shadowy figures flicker at the edges of vision. When the entity appears, the air fills with an overwhelming aura, either divine or infernal, depending on the nature of the creature, and the temperature in the room may swing wildly between searing heat and icy cold.

Consequences: The summoned entity is bound only temporarily, and any failure to uphold the terms of the bargain can result in catastrophic retaliation. The caster may also attract the attention of otherworldly beings, leading to future hauntings, demonic temptations, or celestial scrutiny. Additionally, the ritual itself marks the caster with a subtle but permanent trace of the entity's essence, making them more vulnerable to future possession or influence by beings of the same type.

Veil of the Hidden Path

Effect: Conceals a path or safehouse with illusions, making it invisible to those who are not initiated.

Weird Aspect: The path flickers with brief mirages, and anyone who walks it feels an unnatural chill as they move through.

Cost: Roll either Attune or Prowl for this ritual. The caster must burn a rare incense and chant for several hours while walking the path, eventually passing through the ether. They take 4 stress and risk losing their way, potentially never finding the true path again on a fumble.

Consequences: The caster becomes paranoid that they are losing their ability to distinguish reality from illusion, fearing they are walking invisible paths unknowingly.

Veilbound Revelation

Effect: This ritual transforms an area, such as an abandoned building, graveyard, ancient battlefield, or forgotten temple, into a place where the veil between the living world and the Shadowfell grows thin. Ghosts, spirits, and echoes of the past and future can manifest easily, wandering through the haunted area. The region also becomes a place of potent spiritual power, where divine insights or truths can be glimpsed, though such revelations often come at a cost. The haunted site is imbued with spectral energies and linked to the spiritual realms, allowing communication with the dead or visions of the afterlife, but also drawing the attention of restless souls.

Cost: The caster takes 5 stress for a small area (a single building, temple, or acre of land) and may increase the size or complexity by consulting the magnitude tables. The caster must pray for guidance and burn incense and form a pattern of grave dust. It is possible to add points of interest at an additional cost in stress.

• Phantom's Chapel (2 stress): A ruined place of worship where the boundary between the mortal world and the divine is fragile. Hymns echo through the air, though the singers are nowhere to be seen. Within the chapel, seekers of truth can receive cryptic divine revelations, but the gods' voices are distant and may come with trials.

• The Mirror of Destiny (4 stress): A pool of still water that reflects not the present, but glimpses of the future, showing those who gaze into it the events shaped by their fate. Sometimes, the water ripples as though stirred by the unseen hand of fate, revealing different possible futures.

• Graveyard of Shadows (2 stress): A burial ground where gravestones are half-sunken into the earth, and faint, shadowy figures rise from the ground at nightfall. These figures are not true ghosts but rather impressions of the dead—echoes trapped between worlds. It is possible to evoke echoes of a distant place and gain information from the revealed echoes.

• The Soulflame Lantern (4 stress): A ghostly blue flame floats atop a broken stone plinth, shedding no heat, only a cold, ethereal light. Those who approach it hear the distant toll of a bell, and the flame is said to be a beacon for lost souls. Adventurers can use the Soulflame Lantern to summon spirits to communicate with, but the more one speaks to the dead, the harder it becomes to ignore the pull of the afterlife.

• The Unseen Gate (5 stress): A large stone arch, weathered and cracked, stands untouched by time, shimmering faintly with an ethereal glow. Those who sit beneath the arch and enter a deep meditative state can experience an Astral Detachment—their spirit slipping free from their physical body to wander the Astral Plane. In this form, the caster can travel to higher planes to commune with otherworldly entities, explore the Astral Plane itself, or spy on the material world from an unseen vantage point. While their spirit is detached, their physical body remains vulnerable. However, the astral body is limited in its interaction with the physical world—it cannot influence or affect it directly and any attack forces it back into the body.

Weird Aspect: The boundary between life and death weakens in the consecrated area. The area seems to be under a star and moonlit sky. Divine energies permeate the place, occasionally granting strange visions.

Consequences: The caster's attachment to the physical world grows weaker, leading to melancholy and yearning for a better place, potentially to a suicidal degree.

Void of Nullity

Effect: This ritual creates a magical void that nullifies all supernatural powers and effects within its radius. Spirits cannot perceive or enter the void, and any item or creature inside is freed from all supernatural influences, whether from magic, curses, or otherworldly effects. If performed correctly, any supernatural effects on an item or creature present during the ritual are permanently negated with a successful complexity roll. The base ritual affects a small area, such as a closet or a small room, for a short duration, but increasing complexity can extend the area and duration.

Complexity Roll: —Success: The ritual negates all supernatural effects within the affected area. Items or creatures present during the ritual have their supernatural influences permanently undone. —Critical Failure: The area becomes a zone of chaotic magic, where the caster and nearby entities are vulnerable to random supernatural effects, possibly rendering them uncontrollable.

Weird: A faint, cold sensation lingers in the area, perceptible to those attuned to the supernatural. It feels like a strange absence, an oppressive weight that makes the area feel empty. The ritual site becomes a place of unusual quiet. Creatures with heightened senses may find it disorienting to exist within the void’s proximity.

Cost: A sigil of nullification, which must be etched on the ground or walls of the area to be affected, along with a vial of nullifying essence (worth 3 coin) drawn from an antimagic source (e.g., a location of profound stillness or the remnants of a banished spirit). The caster takes 3 stress. Increasing the area or duration increases the cost in both coin and stress.