Here is the first one I came up with (I started off easy), Detect Thoughts as a Ritual. Here it is:
Detect Thoughts
As you utter the last words of the ritual, the unspoken thoughts of nearby creatures become audible.
Level: 1
Category: Divination
Time: 10 Minutes
Duration: 1 hour
Component Cost: 10 gold
Market Price: 50 gold
Key Skill: Arcana
This ritual lets you hear the surface thoughts of any one creature within 5 squares of you. You cannot, however, hear the thoughts of more than one creature at a time. You must take a standard action to focus on a particular subject. At the end of the action, the subject of your focus makes an immediate Insight check. The DC equals your Arcana check result. Should the subject pass the DC, the ritual does not work on that creature, but the creature is not aware of your probing. On your next turn, you may attempt to listen to another creature, or attempt to listen to a subject that has previously passed the DC. If you try to use the ritual on someone who has already passed the DC, their next Insight check receives a +5 and receives a further +5 for everytime they are successful.
What do you guys think? And please, post more.
take, for example, the old druid/ranger spell "Puffball". for those who don't remember, it creates a small sphere of fungus in the druids hand, which when thrown, creates a small cloud of sleap-spores where it lands
the ritual would, in effect, be item creation - a ritual that creates said puffball, with a duration of, say "1 day / until used"
i'm still only half thinking of this
anyhoo, time to go watch doctor-who!
Ritual lvl 2 divination
Identify:
The wizard casts a ritual that enables him to learn the history of a magical item and also discover the full extent of its capacities and the key triggers for its powers.
(otherwise the only information players can get without this ritual is the basic enhancements and powers activated on a crit, after they use the item in battle)
Detect Lycanthropes Divination Lvl3 (needed for the plot)
The caster names an individual or an area and for a few hours can sense the location of the neares lycanthrope, as the caster gets closer he receives visions (dazed for 1d4 rounds) that give hints to the location of the target.
Arcane Shield
A shimmering shield of force hovers close by, moving automatically to intercept incoming arrows.
Level: 3
Catergory: Warding
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: Special
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 125 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
The subject of the ritual is protected by a small shield of force, providing a +2 shield bonus. In addition the shield automatically moves to block all ranged attacks (bows, crossbows, magic missiles, rays of frost, etc), preventing all damage. The shield does not protect against mundane ranged weapons larger than a longbow or heavy crossbow, or spells of level 4, or higher.
The duration of the ritual depends on your Arcana check.
Arcana Check Result | Duration
9 or lower | The shield last for half an hour, or until the end of the next encounter, whichever comes first.
10-19 | The shield last for 1 hour, or until the end of the next encounter, whichever comes first.
20-29 | The shield last for 2 hours, or until the end of the second encounter, whichever comes first.
30-39 | The shield last for 4 hour, or until the end of the second encounter, whichever comes first.
40 or higher | The shield last for 8 hour, or until the end of the third encounter, whichever comes first.
Bless Water
The water in the golden cup gains a luminiscent glow, and you think you can hear small bells tinkling from nowhere in particular.
Level: 3
Catergory: Creation
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: Permanent
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 75 gp
Key Skill: Religion (no check)
This ritual imbues 1 pint of water with holy energy, turning it into holy water. A pint of holy water can be filled into a flask and used as a thrown weapon. When used against a creature vulnerable to Radiant energy, each pint of holy water deals 1 point of Radiant damage, and 1 point of ongoing Radiant damage (save ends).
Charm
Letting a drop of your own blood fall on the crude doll, you bind a connection between yourself and the fat merchant.
Level: 5
Catergory: Binding
Time: 8 hours
Duration: Special
Component Cost: 100 gp
Market Price: 250 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
In addition to the usual material components, this ritual also requires a personal item of the creature to be charmed. This could be a part of the creatures (hair, nail-clippings), something that has been in a lot of contacts with the creatures (an often worn item of clothing), or something of great personal importance to the creatures (a fighter's favorite sword, the necklace given to him by his true love). This item is destroyed in the process of casting this ritual.
If your Arcana check is lower than the target's Will defense, the creature is unaffected. If the arcana check was higher the creature immediately comes to regard you as a well trusted friend. Creatures of Intelligence lower than 3, cannot be charmed. The creature will not wonder why it is friendly towards you, as long as no actions are taken that might cause it to become unfriendly (theft, attacks, insults, etc). Every time such an action is taken, the GM makes an attack roll of your Arcana against the creature's Will defense. Depending on the amount and severity of unfriendly actions, a GM may provide bonuses to the creature's Will. An unsuccessful roll meaning that the creature is no longer charmed.
An attack roll of your Arcana against the creature's Will defense is needed at regular intervals, depending on the Intelligence of the creature. Failure on the attack roll means that the creature is no longer charmed.
Intelligence Score | Interval for Attack Rolls
2 or lower | Cannot be Charmed
3-7 | Once per Week
8-12 | Once per Day
13-17 | Once per Hour
18 or higher | Once per Minute
A creature that is no longer charmed, does not automatically know that it was so, but given the uncharacteristic friendship may come to that conclusion. Though this knowledge may anger the creature, it does not do so automatically.
Curse Water
The water in the wooden bowl becomes murky, and a smell of death starts to fill the room.
Level: 3
Catergory: Creation
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: Permanent
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 75 gp
Key Skill: Religion (no check)
This ritual imbues 1 pint of water with unholy energy, turning it into unholy water. A pint of unholy water can be filled into a flask and used as a thrown weapon. Each pint of unholy water deals 1 point of Necrotic damage, and 1 point of ongoing Necrotic damage (save ends).
Detect Undead
Meditating, you see in your mind the undead of the dungeon around you, hanging as blops of murky light in a pitch black abyss.
Level: 3
Catergory: Exploration
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: Instantaneous
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 125 gp
Key Skill: Religion
You become aware of the presence of all undead within an area depending on your Religion check. You gain knowledge the direction, approximate range, and aura strength of all undead encounters within the area.
Religion Check Result | Radius around Caster
9 or lower | 10 suares
10-19 | 25 squares
20-29 | 50 squares
30-39 | 100 squares
40 or higher | 200 squares
The aura strength of an encounter depends on the combined level of all undead creatures in the encounter. So one level 8 Mummy, two level 4 Wights and eight level 2 zombies would have a combined level of (8 + 2x4 + 8x2) 32, giving a strong aura strength.
Combined level | Aura strength
1-5* | Faint
6-24* | Moderate
25-50* | Strong
51+* | Overwhelming
*Multiply the level of elites by 2, and solos by 5. Divide the level of minions by 4.
Goodberry
Focusing on the berries in your palm, you feel natural goodness streaming into them.
Level: 1
Catergory: Creation
Time: 1 hour
Duration: 24 hours
Component Cost: Special
Market Price: 50 gp
Key Skill: Nature
You make an amount of berries depending on your Nature check magical. When such a berry is consumed as a Standard Action, it triggers a healing surge, and heals an additional 1d6 hit points. Any berries not consumed within 24 hours lose their magic, and become normal berries again.
Nature Check Result | Berries Enchanted
9 or lower | 1 berry
10-19 | 3 berries
20-29 | 5 berries
30-39 | 7 berries
40 or higher | 9 berries
Hide from Undead
Though your skin crawls as you pass the undead sentries, they seem oblivious to your presence.
Level: 3
Catergory: Warding
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 1 hour
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 125 gp
Key Skill: Religion
The affected creatures become Invisible to all undead creatures. Nonintelligent undead creatures are automatically affected, and will generally not react to your presence at all. Intelligent undead are unaffected if their Will defense is higher than your Religion check. If their Will is lower, you are invisible to them, but will still react to your presence if they become aware of it.
If a warded creature attempts to turn undead, touch an undead creature, or attacks any creature (even with a spell), the ritual ends for all recipients. If a creature moves farther than 5 squares away from the caster, that creature is no longer protected, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature comes under the protection of the ritual again if it moves within 5 squares the caster again.
The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Religion check. All creatures must be within 5 squares of you at the time of casting.
Religion Check Result | Creatures affected
9 or lower | Self
10-19 | 5
20-29 | 15
30-39 | 25
40 or higher | 50
Invisibility
As the last few syllables pass your lips, you see transparency spreading from your hands up your arms, to completely envelope you.
Level: 5
Catergory: Deception
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 1 hour
Component Cost: 100 gp
Market Price: 250 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
The affected creatures become Invisible.
If a warded creature attempts to touches or in any way attacks another creature (even with a spell), the ritual ends for all recipients. If a creature moves farther than 5 squares away from the caster, that creature becomes visible, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature becomes Invisible again if it moves within 5 squares the caster again.
The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Religion check. All creatures must be within 5 squares the caster at the time of casting.
Religion Check Result | Creatures affected
9 or lower | Self
10-19 | 1
20-29 | 3
30-39 | 5
40 or higher | 10
Longstrider
You step becomes quicker, and your pulse quickens as magic flows through your body.
Level: 3
Catergory: Exploration
Time: 1 minute
Duration: 24 hours
Component Cost: 10 gp/subject
Market Price: 125 gp
Key Skill: Nature (no check)
This ritual affects up to 10 creatures within 5 squares of the caster. Within 1 minute of the completion of the spell, the affected creatures must start running, or the ritual ends immediately. While the creatures are running, their speed is increased by 4 (which includes the normal bonus for running), and they do not tire from running.
The ritual can end in one of three ways. If a creature stops running, the ritual ends for that creature. If the caster stops running, the ritual ends for all recipients. Note that you normally cannot make an attack or other action while running.
If a creature moves farther than 5 squares away from the caster it loses all benefits of the ritual. If the creature manages to come within 5 squares of the caster again, it once again gains all benefits.
If 24 hours pass, the ritual ends immediately.
Mage Armor
As you finish the ritual, a shimmering armor of force encircles your torso.
Level: 1
Catergory: Warding
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 24 hours
Component Cost: 10 gp
Market Price: 50 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
The subject of the ritual gains an Armor bonus depending on your Arcana check.
Arcana Check Result | Armor bonus
9 or lower | +2
10-19 | +3
20-29 | +4
30-39 | +5
40 or higher | +6
Pass Without Trace
As you move through the room, no footsteps appear in the dust, and the cobwebs bounce back into shape behind you.
Level: 3
Catergory: Exploration
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 24 hours
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 125 gp
Key Skill: Nature
All subjects can move through any type of terrain without leaving any trace. Tracking the subject under the influence of the ritual is impossible without magical means.
If a creature moves farther than 5 squares away from you, that creature loses the benefits of the ritual, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature regains the benefits if it moves within 5 squares of the caster.
The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Nature check. All creatures must be within 5 squares of you at the time of casting.
Nature Check Result | Creatures affected
9 or lower | Self
10-19 | 5
20-29 | 15
30-39 | 25
40 or higher | 50
Reduce Person
As you shout the last two incantations, the man within the arcane circle quickly shrink to half his size.
Level: 3
Catergory: Exploration
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 1 hour
Component Cost: 25 gp
Market Price: 125 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
The subject of this ritual is reduced to half size, halving his height, length and width, and dividing his weight by 8. The subject becomes Small, and gains ability modifiers depending on your Arcana check. Equipment carried by the person is reduced along with the person. Reduce weapon dice by 1 size (1d8 to 1d6, 1d4 to 1d3, 2d6 to 1d10, 2d4 to 1d6). Any item that leaves a character's possession regains its old size, though this does not change weapon damage for ranged weapons.
Arcana Check Result | Ability Modifiers
9 or lower | -4 Strength
10-19 | -4 Strength, +2 Dexterity
20-29 | -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
30-39 | +2 Dexterity
40 or higher | +4 Dexterity
Speak with Animals
You feel a sense of natural awareness flowing over you.
Level: 1
Catergory: Exploration
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 24 hours
Component Cost: 10 gp
Market Price: 50 gp
Key Skill: Nature
Using this ritual you gain the ability to comprehend the calls, grunts, howls, body postures and other methods of expression of beasts. Be aware that a beast's or magical beast's natural ability to comprehend advanced subjects is limited by its intelligence score.
If your Nature check is 15 or higher, you are also capable of talking to beasts, and understanding magical beasts. If your Nature check is 25 or higher, you are also capable of talking to magical beasts. If your Nature check is 35 or higher, you are capable of magically enhancing a beast or magical beast's ability to comprehend, allowing you to give complicated requests, or ask complicated questions. For purpose of understanding your requests and questions, the creature counts as having an intelligence score equal to your own, unless it was already larger. Only one animal at a time can possess this ability to comprehend, which it can retain until the end of the ritual, however you can transfer the ability from one animal to another.
Unseen Servant
As you rest, an invisible presence moves around, mending cloths, bringing you refreshments and polishing your companion's armor.
Level: 1
Catergory: Exploration
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: 24 hours
Component Cost: 10 gp
Market Price: 50 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
The servant can accomplish simple tasks such as fetching things, cleaning, or mending, doing so at your mental command. The servant is undetectable, and cannot attack or be attacked. It has an effective Strengh score of 2 for purpose of carrying things, or open stuck doors. The servant is limited to staying in a small area, the size of which depends on your Arcana check. The area is centred around the point of summoning (the position of the caster during the ritual).
Arcana Check Result | Range
9 or lower | 3 squares
10-19 | 5 squares
20-29 | 10 squares
30-39 | 15 squares
40 or higher | 20 squares
Arcane Shield and Mage Armor
I don't think that these fit with the purpose of rituals. There is a design dichotomy of powers and rituals: powers provide primarily combat benefits, rituals provide primarily non-combat benefits. Obviously, Utility powers straddle the line a bit, but rituals are carefully set up to provide combat bonuses only in situational ways, and then only to clever players. Creating rituals which give flat statistic bonuses clearly transgresses this boundary.
One way to look at the issue is this: is there any reason for a player NOT to use this ritual? The component cost of both of these rituals is low, even by early level standards. Further, both provide powerful benefits, especially Arcane Shield, for long periods. Mage Armor is largely mitigated by magical clothing by mid-levels (or as soon as learned, for armor-proficient classes), but becoming completely immune to ranged attacks from Medium or smaller creatures, as well as many spells, is far too powerful. Even with the (extremely generous) duration limits, this is a ritual that no caster should let lapse. Any single option that cannot be lived without clearly indicates a lack of balance.
As I indicated in the first paragraph, I would simply axe both of these. If you want a Mage Armor style spell, I would make it a Wizard Utility Daily power that provides a +2 to +4 power bonus to AC until the end of the encounter. 3E Shield is already handled much this way, and reasonably effectively. Even if you do want the rituals, though, Arcane Shield is simply far too powerful to stay as-is. The +2 shield bonus is more than sufficient, given how few arcane casters bother to gain shield proficiency.
Goodberry
As with the above two, this is far too powerful and combat-based. Consider that it is basically free, requiring only a standard action, and far exceeds the power of certain class abilities (particularly Lay On Hands) and healing potions. Given its ease of use, this ritual is roughly comparable to the cleric and warlord healing/inspiring word class features. Instead, let each berry restore one hit point and provide benefits of eating, as in 3E. Out of combat utility, not combat effectiveness.
Charm
Very voodoo-esque, which provides interesting RP flavor if it fits your campaign. However, this sounds like a very paperwork-heavy option for a simple Charm. Instead of this, I propose the following:
---
Charm
Your mind reaches out to the owner of the object before you, projecting good-will and imposing the attitudes you demand.
Level: 5
Category: Binding
Cost: 25 gp per level of the target
Market Cost: N/A (Others cannot perform this ritual for you.)
Time: 8 hours
Duration: 24 hours
Key Skill: Arcana
In addition to the usual material components, this ritual also requires a personal item of the creature to be charmed. This could be a part of the creatures (hair, nail-clippings), something that has been in a lot of contacts with the creatures (an often worn item of clothing), or something of great personal importance to the creatures (a fighter's favorite sword, the necklace given to him by his true love).
If your Arcana check is lower than the target's Will defense, the creature is unaffected. If the Arcana check is higher, the creature immediately comes to regard you as a well trusted friend. The creature will not wonder why it is friendly towards you, as long as no actions are taken that might cause it to become unfriendly (theft, attacks, insults, etc). You gain a (5 + [Arcana result / 10]) bonus to Diplomacy and Bluff checks with the target. Further, its high regard for you leads it to potentially risk itself to aid you in ways it would not for most others (subject entirely to DM's discretion and interpretation). Creatures of Intelligence lower than 3 cannot be affected by this ritual. At the end of the ritual's duration, this friendship fades rapidly and the target returns to its normal attitudes. A creature that is no longer charmed does not automatically know that it was so, but if prompted to recall its experiences during the ritual's duration may conclude this to be the case.Though this knowledge may anger the creature, it does not do so automatically.
---
This simulates the "best friends syndrome" of the 3E charm spell without demanding constant checks or saves (i.e., bookkeeping). As noted above, such combat-based options aren't really appropriate to rituals. It also doesn't destroy the focus object (try explaining to that fighter why you destroyed his heirloom blade without him slicing you to pieces, heh). The component cost scaling just seems right, though it could be done without if you'd rather. I figured that more powerful targets should require more effort, which includes the quality and quantity of materials used in the binding.
Other Comments
Bless Water: Looks good. I'll probably adopt this one.
Curse Water: Like Bless Water, this looks nice.
Detect Undead: Change type to Scrying. The system for determining aura strength seems too complicated for easy use; I'd gauge it by the number of undead present, and not give players any indication of their power level. This seems to follow the pattern of "blind oracles" that low-to-mid-level 4E divinations use. The spells aren't smart enough to be precise.
Hide From Undead: Seems like an oddly specific ritual, unless you're playing an undead-heavy campaign (at which point it's probably too powerful). If you really want it, see below for my advice on Invisibility and follow the same general trends that I recommend there. Also, change type to Deception.
Invisibility: Change the name to Invisibility Sphere, if you want to be clear about its effects. Increase level to 12 (probably too powerful to be available before Paragon tier). Reduce duration (no more than ten minutes). Have it break if combat begins (after surprise round, before regular actions). Reduce aura size (probably to 2 squares). Make it an Arcana check instead of a Religion check (blech, typos).
Longstrider: Seems reasonable, but it does roughly the same thing as Phantom Steed one level earlier, so apart from the thematic difference it doesn't serve much purpose.
Pass Without Trace: Looks good, but reduce duration to eight hours. I'll probably grab this one as well.
Reduce Person: Ditch the ability score modifiers. 3E version didn't have them, and given how set against altering ability scores 4E is, I'd stay well away from them. Plus, they're too good; rogues, warlocks, wizards, and any other classes that don't worry about weapon damage much would get far too much from them. Reduce duration to 30 minutes.
Speak With Animals: Excellent! I don't know why they didn't have this in the PHB, but this is a great job of resurrecting the concept (and improving it). I would reduce the duration, though - make it one hour.
Unseen Servant: Also excellent.
And, with that wall of text completed, I leave you. Good work overall. Just avoid combat-based rituals.
Goodberry; I tried to balance from Healing Word, which can be used twice per encounter. The one hour casting time, was my attempt at making sure that the players wouldn't just make a huge stack of them. Though I do acknowledge that it won't help the tiniest bit against some players.
But with 1d6 too much, how about just making it a healing surge which heals an extra 1 hp?
Charm; I must admit that my version is probably flaws by the fact that I want a pet troll :D
From your version I'd just cut out "You gain a (5 + [Arcana result / 10]) bonus to Diplomacy and Bluff checks with the target.", and change it to "The DM should keep in mind the creature's friendly attitude when setting DCs for social skill checks, and may provide bonuses to skill challenges concerning this creature." I personally think its a good idea to keep the friendliness as freeform as possible, instead of quantifying it into numbers. I actually also required the destruction of the focus, due exactly to the reason you mentioned. Maybe you should get a piece of hair from the fighter, rather than take his favorite sword. I'd also keep the market price. You might for some mystical reason want others to cast it (even if it is then that person that becomes the friend), and there is the subject of getting your hands on the ritual in the first place, which might involve a magical bookshop.
Detect Undead; All the other detect rituals are exploration. I'm guessing that the distinction is that an actual Scrying ritual lets you see the location in question, rather than just know what is there.
As for the aura strength, I kinda like it. Gives some information, but not enough to know exactly which one of those strong auras belong to the lich. So, it is kinda smudgy. But I'll bump it to level 6 (Commune with Nature, Discern Lies) with accordingly higher costs, so that it fits in better.
And I realized that I was making it needlessly complicated. How about:
The aura strength of an encounter depends on the encounter's XP total.
XP Total | Aura strength
499 or less | Faint
500-999 | Moderate
1000-2499 | Strong
2500 or more | Overwhelming
Hide from Undead; The original is an abjuration spell, so my feeling is that the spell isn't "cloaking reality behind a facade". The undead simply just not notice you. Which removes it from Deception, and dumps it in Exploration (which is probably where you'll use it anyway). But it can work both ways. As for the invisibility stuff..
Invisibility Sphere; Okay, reduce duration, reduce area, check. Lose when you attack, already checked. However, I'm not sure about the level. I really think it depends on the game you are playing. Creatures might still hear you, and notice doors opening and closing, so it isn't a free card through the dungeon. And it only provides combat advantage on the very first round of combat, where you might get it anyway.
I don't know. Maybe invisibility does need to be very nerfed, but I just don't like it
Longstrider; You are kinda right. Just wanted to give the ranger (or druid or barbarian if they appear) a cool ritual to play around with.
Reduce Person; 3.5 did have ability modifiers, due to becoming small. But I see the problem. Ability modifiers scratched.
I can see myself using this mechanic on a whole class of "old spell rituals".
I may have to trademark that... "old spell ritual".
For Charm, that sounds just fine. I prefer more mechanics with my fluff, and you prefer more fluff with your mechanics. 's all good. :P
I like that aura strength bit with Detect Undead. That looks really good, something the DM can handle on the fly. Very nice.
Hide Undead/Invisibility: I'm more parsimonious about invisibility effects, because I've seen them abused so often, but if you want them available at 3E levels then by all means. Otherwise, then, it should be okay.
I am going to have to disagree on the elimination of mage armor. If you read the purpose of protection rituals and have read the book swordmage, such similar rituals are already used. I will definitely be using that ritual in my game.
I'm very leery of taking my cues on mechanics from fiction, however pseudo-official said fiction may be. Consider the problem of basing the mechanics of spellfire on Ed Greenwod's novels. Let's talk about a munchkin protagonist, gah.
Also, if you look at the way rituals were designed, it's actually been definitively stated that they should not have a combat focus.
From: Rituals Excerpt http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080528a
That’s a look at what rituals are. Here’s what they are not. Rituals are not buffs for combat. There are no rituals that give you temporary hit points, make your attacks do more damage, let you fly above the battlefield, or wrap you in coronas of flame that scorch your enemies.
That said, rituals can tactically inform combat: If you cast Arcane Lock on the door to the barracks before the alarm went off, if you cast Water Breathing before fighting in the city of canals, if you used an illusion to increase your apparent numbers, then you may well have gained an advantage in a fight. Rituals are primarily utility, and can only be used for tactical advantage by the clever.
That's not to say that you shouldn't be able to ignore design intent. It is, after all, your game that you're playing. But I would be extremely careful to have solid reasoning behind a fundamental change like this. The dichotomy of "powers for combat, rituals and skills for otherwise" seems very stable, and altering the balance in either direction would be problematic.
). A spell that has combat use isn't fit for rituals. One that accomplishes a long-lasting effect is more suited as a ritual (never mind prayers like Consecrated Ground and Hallowed Circle, consecrate and hallow spells are still great ritual fodder for what they do).I'd say Detect Undead is more ritually than that one, and thats an official ritual.
And I need to make the old 2nd and 3rd level spells into rituals before I make a move on Locate Creature
That one I've never really understood as well. Ten minutes feels like an awful lot of time for some random monster in the dungeon to ambush the ritual.
It is. I'm planning to houserule the casting time on most exploration-style rituals down to around five minutes. Not something you can pull out of nowhere, but not as large a break. Here are the times I was considering for the basic rituals:
Five Minutes
Animal Messenger
Comprehend Language
Detect Secret Doors
Discern Lies
Endure Elements
Eye of Alarm
Eye of Warning
Hallucinatory Creature
Hallucinatory Item
Knock
Magic Mouth
Make Whole
Passwall
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Wizard's Sight
Other Times
Arcane Lock - 3 minutes
Commune With Nature - 10 minutes
Gentle Repose - 10 minutes
Leomund's Secret Chest - 1 minute
Shadow Walk - 30 minutes
Silence - 3 minutes
Traveler's Feast - 15 minutes
Some of these I chose because the original casting times were nonsensical. Why should it take ten minutes to cast Comprehend Language, for example? Others, because they improve the opportunity for clever use of the spells. It's still hard to make an illusory dragon on the spot; you just need less warning, now. I like it when players surprise me with interesting ways of handling things, and the cast time on something like that made it more difficult for them to do so. Finally, some rituals had irritating casting times that would only serve to annoy other characters. The more complex effects still have longer cast times (except Leomund's Secret Chest, which was downright odd), but there will be no need to wait one hour for a Traveler's Feast or a Gentle Repose. I view the later as a rather convoluted version of the Catholic Last Rites anyway, so a huge casting time just didn't track.
I also, as a personal choice, will be removing the restriction on combat rituals. I do not personally care what was design intent for Rituals, I only care what is rule specific. And nothing says rituals cannot have a war or military bent (and I am talking about rituals that are huge - like causing volcanos to erupt or meterioits to strike the lands).
Anyway, I like what you have done an I agree with you on the modified casting times.
++
On another point, I love the fact that people are creating new rituals. Considering that is the point of such an open ended system its nice to see them.
I also, as a personal choice, will be removing the restriction on combat rituals. I do not personally care what was design intent for Rituals, I only care what is rule specific. And nothing says rituals cannot have a war or military bent (and I am talking about rituals that are huge - like causing volcanos to erupt or meterioits to strike the lands).
There's no restriction, as such, on combat rituals. Nowhere in the RAW that I've seen does anyone say that you should not create rituals that have combat effect. (Although there seems to be remarkably little guidance on creating homebrew material in any form for this edition. Ah, well.) However, it is definitely a design intent, and could have unforeseen effects on gameplay if altered. I would love to hear about how such rituals work out in your game, but barring amazing success I probably wouldn't adopt them myself. It conflicts too fundamentally with the evident purpose of rituals for me to be comfortable with altering it.
What does everyone think about the gold cost on rituals? Personally there doesn't seem to be much of a need for it for the vast majority of rituals, as far as I can tell. If I added new rituals, I probably wouldn't worry about pricing them.
The gold piece cost, I think, is actually central to ritual balancing. Even a low cost makes players hesitant to use them when normal means of accomplishing their goals are available. At least, this applies in the heroic tier, which would be the primary place where "normal means" would be reasonable. Once you hit around 10th level in any edition of D&D, you're teleporting as much as you're walking anyway. Rituals shouldn't be the default means of accomplishing a task, and removing the gold cost might make them so. It's small enough in most cases that it shouldn't discourage players too much when they need the ritual, and its existence should make them consider whether they could just do it on their own.
Actually, that is my point. Nowhere in the books does it state that rituals cannot be combat-oriented. Its when one comes to these forums that it becomes a thought mentioned over and over again as some sort of holy grail, immutable fact that cannot be changed. I dislike it and hold no wish to listen to it. So when I create rituals my rituals will contain combat and non-combt actions. They will be both hugely powerful and somewhat mundane applications of low magic.
Drachasor,
I agree with MasterAaron, when he says taht component costs are a principle balancing issue. I also don't have a problem with them for to me such magics require high components and mystical mumbo jumbo. Since it works as a thematic thing for me, it works as a rule basis.
That said, some rituals I think are priced to high and so I might reduce their cost. While others might be priced to low, and need to be increased. Some games will have some rituals more common than others - and increasing or decresing price is very much an option to make it more or less available.
Actually, that is my point. Nowhere in the books does it state that rituals cannot be combat-oriented. Its when one comes to these forums that it becomes a thought mentioned over and over again as some sort of holy grail, immutable fact that cannot be changed. I dislike it and hold no wish to listen to it. So when I create rituals my rituals will contain combat and non-combt actions. They will be both hugely powerful and somewhat mundane applications of low magic.
I'm not trying to hold up design intent as some sort of divine commandment; this is, after all, the house rules forum. The denizens of this place work around the designers all the time. They certainly don't have a monopoly on D&D truth. I was simply cautioning you to be careful when tinkering with something like this. Anything that can fundamentally alter a major portion of the game should be approached cautiously, and this certainly qualifies.
And, since it's been a while since someone posted a new ritual, here are a few more.
Control Weather
Green energy crackles around your body, a column connecting you to the sky above. Slowly, awareness of the natural patterns of the region flows into your mind.
Level: 15
Category: Exploration
Component Cost: 500 gp, plus focus (see below)
Market Price: 2,000 gp
Time: 30 minutes
Duration: 24 hours
Key Skill: Nature
For the duration of the ritual, you are able to sense and alter the weather in circle (size based on the result of your Nature check), which remains centered on you as you travel. You control the path and force of the wind in this area (up to a maximum of 30 mph), and may create various weather events and conditions based on the season and climate of your current location. Any changes occur after roughly ten minutes, as the weather changes according to its natural rules to accommodate your command. You have no control over the precise effects of these changes; if you call a lightning storm, for example, you cannot control where specific bolts of lightning fall.
Focus: A heavy staff of rare wood, carved with representations of the four seasons, worth at least 1,000 gp.
Seasonal Weather
Spring | Tornado, thunderstorm, sleet storm, hot weather
Summer | Torrential rain, heat wave, hot weather
Autumn | Hot or cold weather, fog, sleet
Winter | Cold weather, blizzard, thaw
Nature Check | Effect Area
20 or lower | 1 mile radius
21-40 | 2 mile radius
41 or higher | 4 mile radius
Create Linked Portal
As you speak the final words of the incantation, the carefully drawn pattern before you flares with white radiance, ready for use.
Level: 15
Category: Travel
Component Cost: 5,000 gp
Market Price: 15,000 gp
Time: 24 hours
Duration: Permanent
Key Skill: Arcana (no check)
You create a permanent portal, as described in the Linked Portal ritual (PHB, pg 307). This portal requires at least ten square feet of floor space, and can only be placed on an even, horizontal floor. Your portal has its own unique access code, as with other portals, which you memorize automatically. Note, however, that once the portal is created it is not controlled by or locked to you; any other creature may learn its access code as normal. Use of this ritual may be illegal, depending on where you choose to cast it.
Invisibility, Strategic
A glistening burst of sparks spreads out from your hand, racing to envelop the subject of the ritual – who suddenly vanishes from sight.
Level: 5
Category: Deception
Component Cost: 50 gp
Market Price: 100 gp
Time: 5 minutes
Duration: See below
Key Skill: Arcana
You cause one creature to temporarily disappear from sight. It gains the Invisible condition. This ritual does nothing to prevent it from making noise. The Invisible condition ends immediately if the subject attacks. The duration of this effect is based on the result of your Arcana check.
Arcana Check | Duration
Less than 20 | 10 minutes
20-29 | 20 minutes
30-39 | 30 minutes
40 or more | 1 hour
I was never implying that you were. I was speaking in general about the great masses of people on this forum, not specific at all. I hope I didn't make it seem like I was targeting you or pointing you out on that. If so, that was not my intent at all.
Your points are a very good one, and I am listening to them. I might disagree with some, but it doesn't take away from the fact that they are good points and dieas.
For example, while I do not care of rituals are combat I will uphold the fact that rituals cannot rotuinely be cast in combat encounters. This means taht while I will reduce time for rituals I will never reduce them below a certain threshold - combat rituals sare not something that should occur. I think the minimum ritual time is 1 minute, which would take ten rounds that is a huge amount of time for a player to be sitting around doing nothing.
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As to you point about new rituals, yeah, I agree. I think I will do the same and post them later as well.
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Hear is another question that I put to you all - Do you thing that some rituals could have XP requirements that need to be paid. I ask because I have some ideas for rituals that add permanent capabilities to characters when they are used. Though these rituals will have high component costs.
Also, my version of the most underrated spell of 3e now updated for 4e.
Charm
As you utter the last word of the formulae, the goblins eyes glaze over and looks at you, confused. "If I untie you, do you promise not to tell anyone?" the goblin whispers to you, and you nod, smiling.
Level: 5
Catergory: Binding
Time: 10 minutes
Duration: Special
Component Cost: 100 gp
Market Price: 250 gp
Key Skill: Arcana
You make an Arcana check with a +5 bonus replacing a Diplomacy check in order to make the target friendly for the duration.
If you or your allies threaten the target, the target may make a saving throw to end the effect. If you or your allies attack the target, they may make a saving throw with a +5 bonus to end the effect. If the target is successful in their saving throw, the spell ends (as if the duration had expired).
At the end of the duration, the target can freely decide whether they still want to consider you a friend despite the spell ending, or revert to their old attitude (or even worsen, if they realize what you've done).