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.
Spirit Gossip
| Level: 4 | Component Cost: 75 gp |
| Category: Divination | Market Price: 35 gp |
| Time: 1 hour | Key Skill: Nature |
| Duration: Instantaneous |
You talk to spirits and listen to what they have to say; the result is similar to that of using Streetwise to listen for rumors, only you learn of things relevant to spirits and not people.
You listen to rumors in one spirit locale, which is generally about 10 miles in radius, but if there is a distinct territorial division in the area the ritual's effects do not cross such a boundary. Examples of such borders include city/countryside limits, a shore separating land and sea, or the limits of a major forest. The ritual must be performed in the locale you wish to inquire about, and involves wandering around and actually conversing with spirits, which incurs a risk of encountering hostile creatures if such are present. If you have a history of aiding spirits and nature in this area, you gain a +5 bonus to the Nature check.
Depending on the success of your Nature check, you learn more or less useful information.
| Nature Check Result | Information gained |
| 9 or lower | The dominant align,et and mood of the area, if any. |
| 10-19 | Environmental problems or dangers in the area. |
| 20-29 | A general description of what kind of creatures live where in the area. If there are any creatures that are unusual for the area or newly arrived, you learn of their location. |
| 30-39 | A detailed description of the flora and fauna of the area, as well as any environmental dangers. |
| 40 or higher | Detailed information of the locations of all settlements and special locations in the area. |
Ambiance Adaption
| Level: 11 | Component Cost: 250 gp |
| Category: Warding | Market Price: 15,600 gp |
| Time: 30 minutes | Key Skill: Nature |
| Duration: Variable |
You are immune to any effect that does damage over a time of more than rounds. A superhot desert that inflicts damage every minute will not harm you; a fire that inflicts damage per round will. You do not need to eat, drink, breathe or excrete.
The duration of the effect depends on the result of the Nature check.
| Nature Check Result | Duration |
| 9 or lower | 6 hours |
| 10-19 | 24 hours |
| 20-29 | One week |
| 30-39 | One month |
| 40 or higher | A year and a day |
Arcane Smite
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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.