Mcdt2
2015-01-19, 02:22 PM
I've been working lately on a homebrew project to implement something similar to DnD 4e's Rituals system. Basically, the idea is that you can take a feat (exact specifics of it have yet to be worked out) which gives you a ritual book. This book can be filled in a similar way to the wizard's spellbook (ie, find a "spell", pay money to write it into book). The rituals can be cast at any time, and require a Spellcraft check to succeed. Some have additional foci or costly components, or a "backlash" effect for failing the check (aside from simply wasting your time). They generally take some amount of time to cast (1 minute or higher), and also consume a special resource called "mana" (you have an amount of mana per day equal to your Int mod times half your level).
Here's a few examples of rituals:
Track
Mana Cost: 1 mana
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Target: One creature or object.
Focus: A lock of hair, piece of skin, or drop of blood from the creature; or a piece that was once part of the object.
DC: 20
Backlash: The focus is destroyed.
This basic ritual is designed to track down a creature or object, though it is not as strong as most divination magic. If the check is successful, you are pointed in the general direction of the target's current location. This can manifest as a sort of vague intuition, a glowing arrow in the air, or even tied to a hanging object or compass. Whatever the method, it continues to track the target if they move.
This ritual can track at a distance of up to 1 mile per caster level, and lasts for 10 minutes per level (which may not give enough time to reach the target). Any effect which prevents divination or scrying from working automatically blocks this ritual. If a creature can alter themselves significantly enough that the focus lacks a connection to the target (such as by shaving off their hair, or changing their form) then the ritual will not take effect.
Sensory Enhancement
Mana Cost: 1 mana
Casting Time: 1 minute
DC: 20
By focusing on one sense to the exclusion of others, this ritual lets you sense things you otherwise might not. These abilities last for as long as you concentrate on them (a standard action). Choose a sense to focus on:
Sight: You gain low-light vision, and halve all range penalties, but are deafened.
Hearing: You can hear things far more easily, reducing the DC to hear things by 10, but are effectively blinded.
Taste: You can notice the faintest of tastes with ease, giving you a +5 on all Wisdom checks to taste the poison in food before ingesting a full dose. However, your sight and hearing are reduced so much you suffer a -10 to all Perception checks.
Scent: You gain the scent ability, but are completely blinded and deafened.
Touch: You can more easily locate tell-tale cracks and invisible tripwires, and gain a +5 to all Perception checks made to locate traps and hidden doors. However, you are deafened.
So, what I think I need now is more ideas for rituals. I'm looking for "niche" spells, things which don't come up too often, but are useful for whatever task; preferably ones that don't directly influence combat. I'm thinking I'll have a couple levels of rituals (Least, Lesser, Greater, Superior?; might make more flavorful terms later), so I'm looking for a variety of spell levels. I definitely want to add some of the divination spells which are, in a word, "vague" (augury, divination). What else do you think should be added?
Here's a few examples of rituals:
Track
Mana Cost: 1 mana
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Target: One creature or object.
Focus: A lock of hair, piece of skin, or drop of blood from the creature; or a piece that was once part of the object.
DC: 20
Backlash: The focus is destroyed.
This basic ritual is designed to track down a creature or object, though it is not as strong as most divination magic. If the check is successful, you are pointed in the general direction of the target's current location. This can manifest as a sort of vague intuition, a glowing arrow in the air, or even tied to a hanging object or compass. Whatever the method, it continues to track the target if they move.
This ritual can track at a distance of up to 1 mile per caster level, and lasts for 10 minutes per level (which may not give enough time to reach the target). Any effect which prevents divination or scrying from working automatically blocks this ritual. If a creature can alter themselves significantly enough that the focus lacks a connection to the target (such as by shaving off their hair, or changing their form) then the ritual will not take effect.
Sensory Enhancement
Mana Cost: 1 mana
Casting Time: 1 minute
DC: 20
By focusing on one sense to the exclusion of others, this ritual lets you sense things you otherwise might not. These abilities last for as long as you concentrate on them (a standard action). Choose a sense to focus on:
Sight: You gain low-light vision, and halve all range penalties, but are deafened.
Hearing: You can hear things far more easily, reducing the DC to hear things by 10, but are effectively blinded.
Taste: You can notice the faintest of tastes with ease, giving you a +5 on all Wisdom checks to taste the poison in food before ingesting a full dose. However, your sight and hearing are reduced so much you suffer a -10 to all Perception checks.
Scent: You gain the scent ability, but are completely blinded and deafened.
Touch: You can more easily locate tell-tale cracks and invisible tripwires, and gain a +5 to all Perception checks made to locate traps and hidden doors. However, you are deafened.
So, what I think I need now is more ideas for rituals. I'm looking for "niche" spells, things which don't come up too often, but are useful for whatever task; preferably ones that don't directly influence combat. I'm thinking I'll have a couple levels of rituals (Least, Lesser, Greater, Superior?; might make more flavorful terms later), so I'm looking for a variety of spell levels. I definitely want to add some of the divination spells which are, in a word, "vague" (augury, divination). What else do you think should be added?