Looking for...

[nerulean]

I'm searching for some rules to do with ritual casting. I have some casters in an upcoming campaign that will be able to combine their talents to give boosts to one another's casting, and I have no idea how to stat this. I've got a pretty good selection of books available to me but I'm not familiar with a lot of them, especially when it comes to casters, so I appeal to your superior knowledge to point me in the direction of some pre-existing mechanics I could steal or modify.

The sort of ritual I have in mind would normally happen in pairs but could work with as many casters as could feasibly fit in a room. There would be one main caster actually performing the spell, likely the most powerful of the bunch, and the others should all be able him up in some way.

It's not intended to function in combat, but if you know of any mechanics that would fit what I'm after apart from that then I can easily just whack up the time required.

Thanks very much to anyone who can help me.

[Dhavaer]

Red Wizards (in the DMG) have Circle Magic, which can do things like this.

[Lord Tataraus]

Well, Telepaths and Psychic Warriors get the Metaconcert power which boosts their manifesting.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Try Incantations from Unearthed Arcana.

[Keld Denar]

Cooperative Spell, a feat from Complete Arcane might be what you are looking for. Since it is a prerequisite for Mage of the Arcane Order (also Complete Arcane), it would be a common feat among mages who belong to a large guild, such as the one in Waterdeep (for FR) or Greyhawk (for GH). Even apprentices who are studying to become MotAO would probably have it so they can assist their masters (and qualify for the Pclass later).

It's not really "ritual" casting, since casting a cooperative spell is not any longer than casting a normal spell. You just delay until the last cooperative casters initiative order, and then you all cast 1 spell at the same time. The spell is based off the highest level caster, with bonuses to the caster level and save DC for each participant. Typically not worth it mechanics wise, since it is more often advantagous to have 3 mages cast 3 spells than 3 mages cast 1 superior spell. It might be worthwhile though, if you were doing a high level planar binding of a specific named creature and you didn't want to chance it breaking free. Going from lore and literature, that's usually when you have multiple casters congregating to cast a single spell. That or a bunch of druids conjouring up a small hurricane or something.

[nerulean]

Cooperative spell is perfect, thanks a bunch! It's going to be given as a free feat so there's no wasted slot, and funnily enough spells like planar binding were pretty much exactly what I had in mind.

[Anxe]

Savage Species has rules for rituals that turn people into monsters. You cold modify those for other stuff. Or just wing it. Winging it is always a good plan.

[Keld Denar]

/bow

You are very welcome. Take a peak into MotAO too, I think there is some additional cooperative mojo that they get. You'd have one MotAO at about 7-8th level (a straight wiz can enter MotAO after 5 levels I'm pretty sure) and a couple wiz3 or wiz4 to add to the potency. All you need to know after that is one word, and that word is:

Belial