Tome of Ritual Magic [Alternate Magic System]

[Stratovarius]

The COMPLETE Tome of Ritual Magic!
Canere hid, silent, as the raiders carried a gift towards their leader. The "gift" was a humanoid, wrapped in a net and bound tightly. Clearly, Canere had stumbled upon the kidnappers who hhad been working this area in recent weeks.

Placing the creature flat on the ground, the raiders backed away, bowing and scraping to their lord, their faces fearful, although Canere could not tell of what.

Stripping away the cloth from the bound creature's face, the leader nodded in satisfaction at what he saw, and began to spread unguents about the creature, creating diagrams and mystical symbols that Canere had never seen before.

The process took perhaps fifteen minutes or more, the captive squirming against its bonds, but able to do more than writhe in place. Such writhings did not stop the blade that slit its throat, nor hide the bitter tang of fresh blood in the air.

A savage grin split the leader's mouth as his form changed, twisted, until it was a strange melding of his own and the dead captive, revealed to be a gnoll after it spilt from the bindings in death.

Canere staggered, his thoughts rippling wildly. What magic was this?

Ritual magic is an old form of magic, perhaps the first there was. It began when the first shaman danced around a fire, calling upon the spirits and souls of ancestors past and great beasts of the present to come and aid him. What answered him is uncertain, but it was called up both from within himself and from without, from the sacrifice that he laid upon the altar. It was there that the true power of the ritual was discovered, in a sanctified symbol upon the ground with powerful unguents that help trap and hold the spirit of the sacrifice, binding it to the wielder's will. There was much refining of the process and powders until the current times, where it now resides as a powerful yet fragmented magic, split between the desire to do good, and the ease with which it can do evil.

It is this idea of sacrifice that holds true throughout the Tome of Ritual Magic, for all of the rituals within require a source to power the desired energies, be it the dead soul of a creature, the energy bound within a magical item, or a sacrifice of the wielder's very essence. Conversely, the power offered by a ritual lasts for days, and often weeks, rewarding the gift of sacrifice with long lasting energies that grant many strange and unusual benefits. The gifts imbued into the wielder vary in the method of sacrifice, with those that give of oneself a boon to help, and those that take from another a more overt and harsh mistress. No one wielder has learned how to manipulate all of the methods of power, with each branch preferring to specialize themselves into a source of sacrificial energy that suits their discipline and temperament.

Like the Expanded Psionics Handbook, this book presents a new system of magic, a novel way of looking at characters who deal with life and death. The heart of this system is the sacrifice, the rules for which will presented in full in Chapter 4.

Sacrifices
Sacrifices are the sources of power to those who wield the knife upon the altar, but despite the image of a priest standing above a creature, a sacrifice need not be a living being. No, sacrifices can come from almost anywhere, be it from unharnessing the magical energy in an artefact to, indeed, killing creatures, to the very essence of a soul that resides in each and every character.

Talented users of ritual magic understand this, and apply themselves so that they can draw upon different sources of energy, should one ever prove to be difficult to acquire.

Rituals
The characters who make use of the options in this book— new classes, prestige classes, feats, and other options—gain the ability to transform sacrifices into ongoing supernatural effects called rituals. Characters who can perform rituals are called ritual-wielders.

A ritual is the bound energy of the sacrifice, slowly being expended either by the will of the ritual-wielder, or over time as the magic is used up. Unlike spells, however, the duration of rituals is measured in days, such is the strength of the sacrifice, although some are dismissed sooner than that.

Character and Campaign Options
Central to the concept behind this book is the idea that you can use as much or as little of it as you want to in your game. Much of the material can be used by characters from existing classes, although ritual magic does perform best when utilized by a specialist character.

A player who is very excited about ritual magic might choose a new race from Chapter 1, one of the ritual-wielder classes from Chapter 2, and feats from the new feats presented in Chapter 3. His character can perform rituals drawn from Chapter 4 and wield magic items from Chapter 5. When he’s ready, he might adopt a prestige class from Chapter 6. For such a player, this book can almost replace the Player’s Handbook—in much the same way that the Expanded Psionics Handbook can for a psionic character. Others might prefer to simply dabble in ritual magic. A player can choose a race and a class from the Player’s Handbook, then choose feats and prestige classes from Chapters 3 & 6 to enhance his character. He can make extensive use of the items in Chapter 5, even if he can’t unlock all the potential of those items. Several of the prestige classes in Chapter 6 are designed for characters with little previous exposure to ritual magic, so they open up additional opportunities. A player who wants his character to dabble in ritual magic can use this book as an additional resource at the table, without having ritual magic dominate the character’s capabilities.

A campaign might introduce ritual magic in tiny fragments: a single villain with a ritual-wielding class from Chapter 2, an encounter with members of a new race from Chapter 1 or monsters from Chapter 7, or a strange item from Chapter 5 that holds the promise of more abilities than it immediately reveals—if a character can learn the secrets of the sacrifice. The player characters might explore an ancient ruin strangely laden with ritual magic-related items and opponents, and learn new capabilities themselves as they progress through the ruins and uncover their secrets. Like Canere in the vignette at the start of this introduction, the PCs in your campaign might stumble upon a tribe that utilizes this strange magic, and choose whether to learn it, or judge the users of it. Chapter 8: Ritual Magic Campaigns includes a wealth of options and advice about incorporating ritual magic into an ongoing or all-new campaign. Whatever options you choose, you’ll find ritual magic injecting a unique flavor and never-before-seen effects into your campaign. Whether you’re as new to the game as ritualists and Caeth or you’ve been playing since psionics made their first appearance, we trust that the arrival of ritual magic will spark your imagination and give new life to your campaigns and adventures to come.

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Spoiler: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

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Relak Traven is a 3rd-level Hastro Ritualist. As a 3rd-level ritualist, he can be under the effects of up to 9 sacrificial hit dice at a given time (his ritual-wielder level of 3 * the 3 sacrificial hit dice allowed per ritual-wielder level). Already under the effect of a 2 sacrificial hit dice Dazzling Fetor and a 4 sacrificial hit dice Streaked Countenance, when the party is able to capture a leopard, a 3 hit dice animal, Relak decides to sacrifice it.

Binding the creature in place with the help of his allies, Relak spends the 5 minutes necessary to create a Wave of Fetor ritual, slaying the leopard at the conclusion of the ritual with a coup de grace and successfully passing the DC 14 Spellcraft check.

Now under the effect of three rituals, when the party encounters a mob of orcs later that day, Relak expends one of his three uses of Wave of Fetor to send the mob sprawling, making the fight easy for his allies.

By evening, Relak’s Dazzling Fetor has run its two day course, and he has 2 sacrificial hit dice available to create another ritual with.

Spoiler: Rituals Named

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DAZZLING FETOR
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal; see text
Effect: Fog spreads in area; see text
Saving Throw: See text
Light sparkles as it passes through the mists that bleed outward from the ritual-wielder, a thin tint of blood catching the light and springing it free into rainbow colors. The fetor acts as per the Obscuring Mist spell with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice, except as follows. Any creature within the area of the fetor must succeed at a Fortitude save each round that he is in the cloud or become dazzled for one round. If dispersed, the cloud reforms after one hour.

STREAKED COUNTENANCE
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: See text
The ritual-wielder marks himself with leavings taken from the body of the sacrifice, strange whorls that cover his face. He gains a +1 bonus to Intimidate for each sacrificial hit dice. He may choose to expend the ritual in a single attack against a foe. If the total sacrificial hit dice is six or below, this creates a Fear spell that affects a single creature. If the total sacrificial hit dice is seven or above, this creates a Phantasmal Killer spell. The caster level for these spells is equal to the sacrificial hit dice. Using this effect ends the ritual.

WAVE OF FETOR
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None
Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can target a single point within 10 ft. per hit dice of the sacrifice. Any creature within 20 ft. of that point must succeed at a Reflex save or be knocked prone and pushed to the edge of the area. They are pushed outward in a direct line from the center point of the area to its edge.

Spoiler: Archived Links

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Rules
Base Rules
Variant Rules

Base Classes
Martyr
Ritual Warrior
Ritualist

Prestige Classes
Animus Savant
Bone Crafter
Cabalistic Thaumaturge
Cabalistic Thaumaturge - Spell point variant.
Carcass Hunter
Ceremonial Butcher
Hunger
Immolator Apostate
Lifeweaver
Panegyric
Planar Animist
Quietus
Soul Channeller

Rituals
Martyr Rituals
Ritual Warrior Rituals
Ritualist Rituals

Feats
Feats

Skills
Knowledge (Rituals)

Races
Caeth
Hastro
Helfarch
Niwl

Magic Items & Artefacts
Magic Items
Artefacts

Monsters & Templates
Ritual Creatures & Subtype
Blood Drained [Template]
Bloodwalker [Template]
Cadaver Column [Template]
Glân [Monster]
Hematic [Template]
Hemic Swarm [Monster]
Preserver of the Weald [Monster]
Starving Carcass [Template]
Tutelary [Template]

[Stratovarius]

Ritual Magic

Ritual magic is an old form of magic, perhaps the first there was. It began when the first shaman danced around a fire, calling upon the spirits and souls of ancestors past and great beasts of the present to come and aid him. What answered him is uncertain, but it was called up both from within himself and from without, from the sacrifice that he laid upon the altar. It was there that the true power of the ritual was discovered, in a sanctified symbol upon the ground with powerful unguents that help trap and hold the spirit of the sacrifice, binding it to the wielder's will. There was much refining of the process and powders until the current times, where it now resides as a powerful yet fragmented magic, split between the desire to do good, and the ease with which it can do evil.

It is this idea of sacrifice that holds true throughout the Tome of Blood Magic, for all of the rituals within require the giving of a source to power the desired energies, be it the dead soul of a creature, the energy bound within a magical item, or a sacrifice of the wielder's very essence. Conversely, the power offered by a ritual lasts for days, and often weeks, rewarding the gift of sacrifice with long lasting energies that grant many strange and unusual benefits. The gifts imbued into the wielder vary in the method of sacrifice, with those that give of oneself a boon to help, and those that take from another a more overt and harsh mistress. No one wielder has learn how to manipulate all of the methods of power, with each branch preferring to specialize themselves into a source of sacrificial energy that suits their discipline and temperament.

For this, the first segment in the Tome of Blood Magic, the class and rituals presented herein focus on the sacrifice of living creatures, drawing strength and knowledge from the dead carcasses. The ritualist can see into the lifeblood of his sacrifices, and wrench out the gifts that make them strong and unique, appropriating them for himself. His intimate acquaintance with the very source of life has allowed him to twist and break it in others, and he has refined his touch into a deadly weapon, when empowered with his magic. As he progresses in power, the ritualist can cause the soul of the sacrifice to twist and writhe in ways that stretch far beyond the beast's basic nature, even, should he wish, pulling itself to cover his allies, an oft unusual decision among this self-centred class. Be it as friend or foe, the ritualist opens a new horizon, a style of magic very different than anything yet seen.

Rituals
Rituals are the spells of the ritual magic world. They are the known sources of power for a ritual-wielding class, and like spells, they possess common factors as well. All rituals and their effects are considered supernatural abilities, and remain within the ritual-wielder or the affected target until dismissed. Only the ritual-wielder can dismiss a ritual, and he may do so at any time as a full-round action.

Sacrificial hit dice is the measuring stick for the power of the ritual-wielder, and in many ways corresponds to caster level, although certainly not in all. Sacrificial hit dice can be created in a number of ways, with the first being sacrificing a living creature, as detailed below in Performing Rituals. In this case, the sacrificial hit dice is simply the creature's hit dice. There are also classes with alternate methods of sacrificial hit dice creation. Regardless of method, the sacrificial hit dice determines the duration and, often, strength of the effect, and is a universal constant, whichever creation method is chosen.

A ritual-wielder's knowledge and power are not unlimited, and due to the need to maintain length control over the energy of the sacrifice, the amount that he can control is limited. A ritual-wielder can have rituals whose sacrificial hit dice total three times his ritual wielder level. Any time he performs a ritual which would take him above the limit, he has the option of either cancelling enough existing rituals that the newly created ritual does not put him above the limit, or he can simply let the new ritual fail. Likewise, certain rituals require a minimum amount of power. In order to create a ritual, a ritual-wielder must sacrifice a creature whose hit dice are at least equal to the level of the ritual, otherwise the ritual simply fails.

A ritual-wielder is a man of strength, but even that strength cannot last indefinitely. All of his rituals have a duration of one day per sacrificial hit dice, and this time period is known as the ritual duration. There are also rituals which have one use per sacrificial hit dice, such as Brume of Broken Blades, and when the last of those effects has been used and completed, the total ritual ends. In the case of Brume of Broken Blades, the ritual would end one round per sacrificial hit dice after the application of the last touch attack, when that effect was finished. At that time, the ritual and its attendant hit dice no longer count against the ritual-wielder's hit dice cap.

The DC of a save against a ritual created effect is 10 + one half sacrificial hit dice + the ritual-wielder's primary ability modifier. The ritual-wielder needs to have a primary ability score equal to or greater than ten + the ritual level in order to perform it.

Lastly, at any level when a ritual-wielder gains access to a new level of rituals, he can also replace a ritual he already knows with another ritual of the same or a lower level. For example, when he gains access to third level rituals, the ritual-wielder can, if he chooses, either replace a 1st level ritual he knows with another 1st level ritual or replace a 2nd level ritual he knows with a ritual of either 1st or 2nd level.

Performing Rituals
As with all forms of magical energy, there is also a cost of time to be paid during the formation and creation of a ritual. For rituals, given their inherently longer natures than other forms of magic, this time cost can be considerable. A ritual takes five minutes per level of the ritual to perform, ranging from a bare five minutes to thirty-five for the most difficult of rituals, unless otherwise specified or altered.

During the performing of the ritual, the ritual-wielders lays down complicated and complex designs that help control and guide the energy of the sacrifice in the proper direction, and to the correct effect. This is a difficult task, and, if completed improperly, will cause the energies loosed by the sacrifice to fly off, not forming the tight and proper bonding that they should. Creating these signs and symbols requires a spellcraft check of five plus one-half the sacrificial hit dice (rounded down) plus the ritual level. This check is performed at the end of the ritual's creation time.

If the sacrifice for the ritual is a living creature, it must be slain at the culmination of the ritual to release the powers of its soul. To do so, the ritual-wielder performs a coup de grace on the victim. Due to the ritual-wielder's skill and the helpless nature of the creature, it has no Fortitude save and is killed if it takes any damage. If the creature does not take any damage, the ritual fails. The creatures used for this cannot have been created, summoned or called, including being gained via any class feature, and they must be alive at the time of sacrifice.

Once a ritual has been performed and is active, if it is performed again while still active, the old ritual is lost and replaced by the new, pursuant to the sacrificial hit dice cap. This is true even should the target of the ritual be a different creature, one unaffected by the original.

Should a sacrificed creature come back to life at any point during the duration of a ritual, that ritual is immediately lost. For the duration of the ritual, the sacrificed creature can be raised by any normal means. However, once the ritual's duration is over, the lifeblood of the sacrifice has been damaged to the point that only a True Resurrection or Miracle spell may bring it back to life.

General Terms
This addendum defines the terms described above, for easy reference

Ritual Creation Time: 5 minutes per level of the ritual
Ritual Creation DC: Spellcraft check of 5 + 1/2 Sacrificial HD + Ritual Level
Sacrificial Hit Dice: The hit dice total of the creature slain to power the ritual
Minimum Sacrificial Hit Dice: A ritual-wielder must use a creature with hit dice equal to the ritual's level in order to create the ritual
Ritual Cap: A ritual-wielder can have no more than 3 HD of rituals per ritual-wielder level
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice, unless defined otherwise. Please note that if using the final effect of a ritual (such as Brume of Broken Blades), the ritual ends after the effect duration concludes, not when the final effect is used.
Effect Duration: Unspecified, and always defined in the body of those rituals that have one.
Target: The ritual-wielder unless otherwise specified
Difficulty Class: 10 + one half sacrificial hit dice + the ritual-wielder's primary ability modifier

[Stratovarius]

Variant Rules

Monetary Sacrifice
All rituals must be performed in an area sanctified by the ritual-wielder. Sanctifying an area must be done separately for each creature to be sacrificed. The cost is 10gp x Hit Die of Sacrifice x Level of Ritual, and requires painting arcane symbols on the ground around the sacrifice. Painting requires a spellcraft check of five plus one-half the sacrificial hit dice (rounded down) plus the ritual level.

This adds a good bit of cost to the performing of rituals, and will have a significant effect on the wealth level of the ritual-wielder over time, putting him well behind other PCs, and will also reduce the advantage of having UMD as a class skill, through less money to spend on consumables.

Self-Sacrifice
For those who don't wish to deal with sacrificing creatures, or who desire a somewhat different flavour to the ritual-wielder, self–sacrifice is an option that allows the ritual-wielder to give of himself to power rituals, as opposed to sacrificing creatures. This will invalidate more than a few of the ritualist and ritual warrior rituals, as many of them rely on the properties of the sacrificed creature. Talk to any players before hand so they can adjust their ritual list.

Ritual-wielders do not sacrifice other creatures in their rituals. Instead, they give of themselves, in health. This option allows them to spend their own life in the form of hit points to create the ritual. When completing a ritual, the ritual-wielder loses hit points equal to the ritual level + the effective hit dice. These hit points are gone for the duration of the ritual and can in no way be restored until the ritual has expired. Once the ritual is expired or cancelled, they are immediately taken as damage to the ritual-wielder. This damage can only be healed naturally. This does not alter the ritual-wielder's hit dice or level in any way, nor do either of these methods allow the ritual-wielder to bypass the cap on sacrificial hit dice at a given time. For those using this method, it should be considered bumping the class hit dice of ritual-wielding classes to accommodate the extra damage being taken.

[Stratovarius]

Martyr

"A gift from me to you."
– Laria Hiol, elf Martyr

Rituals come in all forms, from the minor, daily, personal rituals of all beings, to those that can summon a demon, commune with a deity, or create an artefact. Many of these have no power beyond what the creator imbues into them through force of habit. There are other rituals that do possess an inherent power, ones performed far less than the daily, ones that call to beings and powers beyond the normal realm of existence. Rituals of this sort demand a sacrifice, given to gain access to what power the ritual offers. These greater rituals of sacrifice are the tool of the Martyr, granting to others in recompense to what he takes upon himself.


Making a Martyr
A Martyr focuses entirely on the internal nature of things, and on the strength that can be found within his own soul and body. This strength is used to help others who are deemed to be worthy of that assistance. A Martyr denies the needs of the material world, shaming those who rely on material things by gladly offering his own as gifts to prove his self–sacrifice worthy of the gifts that are bestowed upon him. To give of one's self to assist and teach others is always among the highest goals of a Martyr, and the drawing upon his own flesh for the assistance of others is his symbol to others of this dedication.

Abilities: A Martyr uses Wisdom to determine what level of ritual he can perform. If he has less than 11 Wisdom, he cannot perform any rituals. Intelligence is useful to a few Martyr abilities skills, especially Spellcraft during rituals, and a Martyr needs a high Constitution, as it partially determines the number of rituals he can have active at any one time.

Races: Martyrs tend to exist in and among many of the same societies that have monks, or orders of clerics where fasting and other forms of self–denial are found. Also often found among the creatures of the higher planes, Martyrs are most often worshippers of Ilmater, a deity closely tied to their own self–beliefs and actions.

Alignment: Martyrs are too focused upon helping others to be evil, and, indeed, it is almost unheard of for one to be anything but good.. Because of the strong self–discipline and will–power needed to commit their ritual acts of self–sacrifice, Martyrs tend towards the lawful, but can be found at any point on the law–chaos spectrum.

Starting Gold: As Wizard.

Starting Age: As Wizard.


Table 1: The Martyr
Hit Die: d12

Level  BAB   Ref  Fort  Will  Abilities                           Rituals Known  Maximum Ritual Level
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––------------------
1      +0    +0   +0    +0    Mettle, Touch of Friendship         2              1
2      +1    +1   +0    +0    Bonus Feat                          3              1  
3      +1    +1   +1    +1    Healing Touch                       5              1  
4      +2    +2   +1    +1    Goodness Abounds                    7              2  
5      +2    +2   +1    +1    Wash the Sins                       8              2  
6      +3    +3   +2    +2    Bonus Feat                          10             2  
7      +3    +3   +2    +2    Cleansing Touch                     12             3    
8      +4    +2   +6    +6    Resilience of Will                  13             3
9      +4    +3   +6    +6    Reversing Strike                    15             3
10     +5    +3   +7    +7    Bonus Feat                          17             4
11     +5    +3   +7    +7    Calming Breeze                      18             4
12     +6    +4   +8    +8    Sanctified One                      20             4
13     +6    +4   +8    +8    Remove Temptation                   22             5
14     +7    +4   +9    +9    Bonus Feat, Improved Mettle         23             5
15     +7    +5   +9    +9    Blessing the Sinful                 25             5
16     +8    +5   +10   +10   Returning Anguish                   27             6
17     +8    +5   +10   +10   Hand of the Heavens                 28             6
18     +9    +6   +11   +11   Gift of Life, Bonus Feat            30             6
19     +9    +6   +11   +11   Blessed Sacrifice                   32             7
20     +10   +6   +12   +12   Holy Mantle                         34             7

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Profession, Spellcraft.

Class Features
The focus of your abilities is outward, into assisting and changing those around you into better than they are, attempting to show them the right of your path. Despite your sometimes proselytizing ways, Martyrs tend to be welcome almost anywhere they go, dispensing healing and other gifts among those they pass through.

• Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Martyrs are proficient with all simple weapons. If a Martyr wears armour with which he is not proficient, he takes a penalty on all skill checks made within a ritual equal to the Armour Check Penalty.
• Gift of Self: Martyrs do not sacrifice other creatures in their rituals. Instead, they give of themselves. The Martyr spends their own life in the form of hit points to create a ritual. When completing a ritual, the Martyr takes damage equal to the ritual level + the effective hit dice (chosen by the Martyr as part of the ritual). This damage can’t be healed by any means other than getting a full night’s rest, and can only be healed after the ritual that caused it has ended. Nor can it be prevented or redirected. Any temporary hit points are ignored when dealing this damage.
• Mettle (Ex): Even at the very beginning of their training, a Martyr can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower and fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Martyr does not gain the benefit of mettle.
• Touch of Friendship (Ex): Often the spiritual leader of his party, the Martyr knows how to bring forth the goodness and righteousness of purpose within his friends. Once per hour, the Martyr can cause powerful emotions in an ally, causing that ally to gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks. This is a standard action that lasts for one minute.
• Bonus Feat: At 2nd level, and every four levels after that (6th, 10th, 14th, 18th), the Martyr may choose one Ritual or Exalted feat for which she meets the prerequisites.
• Healing Touch (Su): The Martyr gives up some of his body as a gift for those who need it most. Once every five rounds, the Martyr can touch and heal a single target a number of hit points equal to the total number of hit points the Martyr has sacrificed through his class abilities or rituals. This is a standard action that can only affect creatures other than the Martyr.
• Goodness Abounds (Su): There is such inherent righteousness in the Martyr's goals that he is able to shelter himself and others from the depredations of evil. All allies within 30 ft. gain the benefits of protection from evil. His caster level is his ritual-wielder level. The Martyr may suppress or resume this aura as a free action.
• Wash the Sins (Su): The Martyr offers a brief moment of atonement, washing the sins from the body and mind of those around him. Evil or Neutral creatures within 60 feet are stunned for one round per two Martyr levels. The Martyr must sacrifice one hit point per hit dice of the highest level creature targeted. The saving throw versus this effect is 10 + one half Martyr level + Wisdom modifier. For the duration of the effect, the target improves one step (evil to neutral, neutral to good) on the good–evil alignment axis. This is a standard action, and the hit points stay sacrificed for the duration of the effect. If all the opponents makes their saves, the Martyr immediately takes the damage.
• Cleansing Touch (Su): The Martyr grants his purity of body and of mind to those who have it not. The Martyr can touch and remove a number of negative conditions from a single target equal to the total number of hit points the Martyr has sacrificed divided by three. This is a standard action. Those conditions must be either ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, immobilized, nauseated, sickened, stunned, poisoned, one targeted spell effect currently affecting the target with a duration of 1 or more rounds, or a curse affecting the target (treat as the remove curse spell in this case).
• Resilience of Will (Su): One of such nobility as the Martyr has seen much, and sacrificed more. But that sacrifice has taught him control, and eased him away from the merely physical rewards into the realm of the spiritual. The Martyr gains Spell Resistance 12 + 1/3rd the total hit dice he has sacrificed. This spell resistance only applies to hostile effects.
• Reversing Strike (Su): Taking the pain of a blow from an enemy, he transmutes it into a gift for an ally. When struck by an enemy's attack, the Martyr may instead sacrifice a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt by the attack, and use that to create one ritual that he knows. He must touch an ally (or himself) before the end of his next round for the ritual to take effect. If creating a ritual in this way would put him above the maximum allowed number of hit dice, the Martyr can choose to cancel a number of rituals such that he would be below the hit dice limit. If he does not, he takes damage normally.
• Calming Breeze (Su): Those who see and understand the sacrifices of the Martyr are awed by his presence. All hostile creatures within 30 ft. are affected by a calm emotions spell. The saving throw versus this effect is 10 + one half Martyr level + Wisdom modifier. His caster level is his ritual-wielder level. The Martyr may suppress or resume this aura as a free action.
• Sanctified One (Sp): The forces of good and right have seen the devotion of the Martyr, and have showered him with bountious gifts. By undergoing a ceremony similar to creating a ritual (use the same rules), the Martyr may instead grant himself a single use of a sanctified spell (Book of Exalted Deeds). The spell is available for 1 day per hit die sacrificed, and he may trigger the spell at any point with a standard action. Activating the spell does not require any components, provoke attacks of opportunity, or allow counterspelling via means other than Dispel effects. Otherwise, the spell takes effect normally with his ritual-wielder level as his caster level and Wisdom as his spellcasting ability modifier. Instead of paying the normal sacrifice cost listed for a sanctified spell, he must pay the spell's level plus his ritual-wielder level in hit dice, as per creating a ritual. A spell created in this way counts against the ritual cap, with sacrificial hit dice equal to the amount paid for his ritual-wielder level. He may create sanctified spells with a spell level up to the maximum ritual level he knows, except that when a Martyr knows 7th level rituals, he may create any level of sanctified spell.
• Remove Temptation (Su): An enemy charges, a glittering axe in his hands. It swings down at the Martyr. And shatters. As a standard action that requires sacrificing a number of hit points equal to the market cost of the item divided by 2,000, the Martyr can attempt to destroy a single item within 60 ft. If he does, the item must make a Reflex save versus 10 + one half Martyr level + Wisdom modifier. Should the item fail its save, it is destroyed permanently.
• Improved Mettle (Ex): The world holds very little in the way of surprises for the Martyr, and certainly nothing that his will cannot overcome. This ability works like mettle, except that while the Martyr still takes no damage on a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw against attacks henceforth she takes only the lesser effect on a failed save. A helpless Martyr does not gain the benefit of improved mettle.
• Blessing the Sinful (Su): Letting his inner piety help those who have fallen by the wayside, the Martyr asks for forgiveness on behalf of the sinful. A single target creature is affected by an Atonement spell. The Martyr must sacrifice a number of hit points equal to six plus the hit dice of the creature forgiven.
• Returning Anguish (Su): The Martyr is so inured to the pain that comes with his self–sacrifice that he can simply will pain caused by others to rebound upon them, a touch of sacrifice from a master of the art. If the Martyr succeeds at a Will saving throw versus 10 + Damage Dealt, he splits the damage dealt to him, with the Martyr taking half, and the creature that caused the damage taking the other half. He may still use Reversing Strike on this damage. This only works on melee and ranged attacks.
• Hand of the Heavens (Ex): Stretching himself, the Martyr has learned to affect more than one person with each of his rituals. The Martyr can touch one person per hit dice of the sacrifice, granting them the benefit of a ritual he has just created. All affected creatures must be touched within one minute of the Martyr creating his ritual. Should he use this ability, the Ritual counts as double against the hit dice cap.
• Gift of Life (Su): Reaching deep into himself, the Martyr grants an ally and a friend the gift of a second life. A single target dead creature is affected by a True Resurrection spell. The Martyr must sacrifice a number of hit points equal to seven plus the hit dice of the creature resurrected. These hit points are lost for two full days. This is a standard action.
• Blessed Sacrifice (Su): By reaching within himself, the Martyr can find even the last reserves of strength necessary to carry on. As a standard action, the Martyr can cancel all of his existing rituals and instead create one new ritual, transferring all of his sacrificed hit dice into a single new ritual. If the newly created ritual has uses, he may then use a single one of those uses as a free action. Treat the newly created ritual as if the Martyr had just successfully created that ritual, except that it cannot be affected by any ritual feats or class abilities.
• Holy Mantle (Su): Cloaked by the holy purity of his cause, the Martyr simply ignores the lesser distractions of life. He becomes impervious to nonmagical weapon attacks and transforms any nonmagical weapon or missile that strikes him into harmless light, destroying it forever. Magic weapons or missiles are unaffected, but the Martyr is entitled to a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) each time he is struck by such a weapon; success indicates that he takes only half damage from the weapon (rounded down). He may suppress or resume this as a free action.

Ex-Martyr
A martyr who ceases to be good, or who wilfully commits an evil act loses all martyr rituals and abilities. She may not progress any farther in levels as a martyr. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate, and returns to a good alignment.

[Stratovarius]

Ritual Warrior

"I will sunder your spirit and drink of its energy!"
– Katorn Redblade, Orc Ritual Warrior

Ritual Warriors have broken from the main ritual tradition by no longer sacrificing themselves or their enemies in long, elaborate ceremonies. Instead, they have brought rituals to the battlefield, incorporating them into the mayhem and killing of the melee. Ritual Warriors believe that any who see their friends sacrificed, their souls rent asunder, will be cowed, no longer able to fight to their full potential, and they spend years developing techniques that allow them to enhance this; the theatrical pose as they feel the ritual's power flow into them, the flourish at the end of a Finishing Strike, words and gestures that scare all those who can feel fear. Ritual Warriors can still perform rituals normally, and try to never go into battle completely undefended, but their ability to cow an opponent makes them never worried about anyone they see.


Making a Ritual Warrior
Ritual Warriors blend the art of ritual and the dance of combat from the day they began to be trained. Not focused simply on gory killing as the Ceremonial Butchers that some of them become, they look to use their skill in combat to defeat enemies without ever crossing blades with them. The faster and sooner their enemies flee, the less harm is done to them or to their allies. They practice techniques to this end, cutting away at the strengths of an enemy creature, wearing at both their mind and their body, reducing their enemies step by step, until they collapse and their souls are sucked into the Ritual Warrior, giving him fresh energy for another target.

Abilities: A Ritual Warrior uses intelligence to determine what level of ritual he can perform. If he has less than 11 intelligence, he cannot perform any rituals. Strength is essential to performing well in combat. A Ritual Warrior needs a high Constitution, standing inside of melee range of even the toughest creatures.

Races: Ritual Warriors can be found among almost any race where a ritual magic tradition and a warrior tradition exist, and even where those do not, there are always a select few who learn to imbue themselves with ritual magic as they fight. Even so, they are at best uncommon among any race, although certain areas of Thay and Rasheman have a higher than average concentration, due to the heavy use of arcane rituals (Circle magic).

Alignment: Ritual Warriors can come from any point on the spectrum, but tend towards lawful and, if not evil, at least neutral, for few can reconcile the brutal slaying and disfiguration with the tenets of the higher realms.

Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10.

Starting Age: As Wizard.


Table 1: The Ritual Warrior
Hit Die: d10

Level  BAB            Ref  Fort  Will  Abilities                           Rituals Known  Maximum Ritual Level
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----
1      +1             +0   +2    +0    Finishing Strike                    –              –
2      +2             +1   +3    +1    Disfigure Corpse                    –              –  
3      +3             +1   +3    +1    Rituals of Combat                   –              –  
4      +4             +2   +4    +2                                        1              1  
5      +5             +2   +4    +2    Channelling Crush                   2              1  
6      +6/+1          +3   +5    +3    Cleaving Sacrifice                  2              1  
7      +7/+2          +3   +5    +3    Bloodflay                           3              1    
8      +8/+3          +2   +6    +2                                        4              2
9      +9/+4          +3   +6    +3    Rituals of Combat                   5              2
10     +10/+5         +3   +7    +3    Furious Release                     6              2
11     +11/+6/+1      +3   +7    +3    Eviscerator                         7              3
12     +12/+7/+2      +4   +8    +4    Cowing Prowess                      8              3
13     +13/+8/+3      +4   +8    +4                                        9              3
14     +14/+9/+4      +4   +9    +4    Strike of Finality                  10             4
15     +15/+10/+5     +5   +9    +5    Rituals of Combat                   11             4
16     +16/+11/+6/+1  +5   +10   +5                                        12             4
17     +17/+12/+7/+2  +5   +10   +5    Twinned Sacrifice                   13             5
18     +18/+13/+8/+3  +6   +11   +6                                        14             5
19     +19/+14/+9/+4  +6   +11   +6    Binding                             14             5
20     +20/+15/+10/+5 +6   +12   +6    Ritual Attunement                   15             5

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Profession, Ride, Spellcraft, Swim.

Class Features
A pure merging of Sword and Ritual, within you they combine to create a series of strikes and flourishes that shake your enemy and steal his soul. Always land the finishing blow, for in that single strike you can do more than in all others hewing away at a foe.

• Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Ritual Warriors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armour (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
• Finishing Strike (Su): If the Ritual Warrior kills a creature with a melee attack, he may choose one ritual that he knows, and for which the creature meets the requirements. He gains the effects of that ritual, but at a highly reduced duration of only one minute per hit dice of the slain creature. Each time the Ritual Warrior gains a ritual through this ability, he gets a +1 bonus to attack that lasts until the end of the encounter (This bonus stacks with itself). The Ritual Warrior can not affect the ritual through feats, and the hit dice cap still applies. The Ritual Warrior must be in combat to use this ability. He may choose not to create a ritual with this ability. If he does so, he instead gains 5 temporary hit points per HD of the creature slain, up to a maximum of 5 hp per ritual warrior level. These HP stack with those from other sources.
• Disfigure Corpse (Su): As a swift action, the ritual warrior may mutilate the corpse of a fallen foe, marking himself with the blood of the slain creature. All creatures within 5' per two class levels must make a will save versus 10 + ½ class level + the hit dice of the dead creature or be shaken for 1 minute. The corpse must be within melee range, and must have died within the last minute.
• Rituals of Combat (Su): When the Ritual Warrior kills a creature with a Finishing Strike, instead of activating a normal ritual, he may choose instead to have the dead creature's soul power a Ritual of Combat. All of these rituals last for the duration of the encounter, and end when he has been out of combat for one minute. He learns one Ritual of Combat at 3rd level, a 2nd at 9th, and a 3rd at 15. He may only have one Ritual of Combat active at any time, and they count towards his normal sacrificial hitdice maximum.
  
  • Warrior's Ritual : The Ritual Warrior's skill and prowess improves as the energy flowing into him gifts him new insight into combat. He learns one new feat for every seven hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of one feat). He must meet all prerequisites of the new feats.
  • Berserker's Ritual : The Ritual Warrior gains +1 Strength enhancement bonus for every three hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of +1).
  • Defender's Ritual : The Ritual Warrior gains +1 Natural Armour enhancement bonus for every three hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of +1), and can choose to make one extra attack during a full attack option. If he does so, all attacks are made at a –2 penalty. However, he cannot use any skills or abilities that require patience or focus, such as moving silently or performing Rituals.
  • Dreadnought's Ritual : The Ritual Warrior simply shrugs off blows under the effect of this ritual, gaining damage reduction of X/-, where X is equal to one point for every three hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of 1/-).
  • Dancer's Ritual : The weapon that performed the Finishing Strike is animated as per the Dancing enhancement, except that it dances for the full duration of the ritual.
  • Duelist's Ritual : The Ritual Warrior strikes with precision and purpose, cutting through to the weak points of a creature's defence. For the duration of the ritual, he deals 1d6 extra damage on weapon attacks for every five hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of 1d6).
• Channelling Crush (Su): Slamming his weapon into a foe as he channels the energy of a ritual through the weapon, the Ritual Warrior deals an extra five damage per hit dice of the expended ritual. This takes a standard action.
• Cleaving Sacrifice (Su): If the Ritual Warrior kills a creature with a Channelling Crush, he gets an immediate extra attack against a creature within reach. If he used Finishing Strike on the attack that activated this ability, he may immediately perform another Channelling Crush against the new target. This otherwise functions exactly like the Cleave feat.
• Bloodflay (Ex): The ritual warrior pounds away upon the body of his foe, hitting in the same location time and again, widening the vicious wounds caused there. The first time the ritual warrior strikes a foe, he does normal damage. Each subsequent time, he adds a stacking bonus of 1d6 damage of the same type as his weapon deals, with a maximum damage bonus per strike equal to ½ his class level rounded up. When he gains this ability at level 7, after 5 strikes on a foe he does the maximum +4d6 damage per hit. At level 20, he could deal a maximum of +10d6 per blow after 11 strikes. If he attacks another creature, or has not attacked the target for one round, reset the counter.
• Furious Release (Su): The Ritual Warrior expends a ritual affecting him in a brilliant burst of energy. Every creature, friend or foe, within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice used to create the ritual takes 2d6 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice. This takes a standard action, and does not affect the Ritual Warrior. The ritual chosen ends as part of this ability.
• Eviscerator (Su): The ritual warrior has learned new techniques for inspiring fear among all his foes. If he critical hits a creature, all enemies within 5' per class level who have the same or less hit dice than the foe struck are sickened for one minute. Whenever the Ritual Warrior kills a creature with a Finishing Strike, it is treated as a critical hit for the purposes of this ability. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this ability. This is a Fear effect.
• Cowing Prowess (Ex): Depending on the type of weapon wielded, the Ritual Warrior can perform strikes designed to break the foe of any physical gift or strength he may possess. The penalties from these abilities stack with themselves, but cannot reduce the affected statistic below 1. The affected creature recovers from this damage at the normal rate (Treat attack bonus and natural armour damage as ability damage for the purposes of this ability).
  
  • Flay the Hide : Slashing and hacking at the limbs of his foe, the Ritual Warrior carves away pieces of flesh and skin. If the Ritual Warrior strikes his foe for more than ten damage from a slashing weapon (after damage reduction and other magical effects), he reduces their Attack Bonus or Natural Armour by 1 (player's choice).
  • Bonecrusher : Hammering at the bones of his foe, the Ritual Warrior seeks to shatter his opponents resistance and body. If the Ritual Warrior strikes his foe for more than ten damage from a bludgeoning weapon (after damage reduction and other magical effects), he deals 1 point of Constitution damage from cracked bones.
  • Stab the Vitals : Poking and prodding at the vital areas of a creature, the Ritual Warrior seeks to penetrate flesh, twisting and stabbing into areas that will do the most damage. If the Ritual Warrior strikes his foe for more than ten damage from a piercing weapon (after damage reduction and other magical effects), he deals 1 point of Strength or Dexterity damage (player's choice).
• Strike of Finality (Su): Focusing the energy of a ritual into a single melee attack, the Ritual Warrior attempts to slay the struck creature. If it fails on a Fortitude save of 10 + 1/2 Ritual Warrior level + hit dice of expended ritual, the creature dies. This does not work on creatures immune to death effects, and takes a standard action. This cannot be used with Finishing Strike to gain a ritual.
• Twinned Sacrifice (Su): Whenever the Ritual Warrior kills a creature using Finishing Strike, he gains the benefits of any two rituals that the sacrifice's hit dice qualified for. Both of these rituals count against the hit dice cap, and if this would exceed the cap, the ability fails (He may still use Finishing Strike normally).
• Binding (Su): Any ritual created through a Finishing Strike now has a duration of one hour per hit dice of the sacrifice.
• Ritual Attunement (Su): The many hours, weeks, and years of wielding ritual magic and weapons have merged them into one tool, no longer separate in the eyes of the Ritual Warrior. He gains a +1 bonus to attack, damage, and armour class for every four hit dice of rituals affecting him that he has created.

[Stratovarius]

Ritualist

"Greet your god for me, for I send you to meet him."
– Relak Traven, Human Ritualist

Rituals come in all forms, from the minor, daily, personal rituals of all beings, to those that can summon a demon, commune with a deity, or create an artefact. Many of these have no power beyond what the creator imbues into them through force of habit. There are other rituals that do possess an inherent power, ones performed far less than the daily, ones that call to beings and powers beyond the normal realm of existence. Rituals of this sort demand a sacrifice, given to gain access to what power the ritual offers. These greater rituals of sacrifice are the tool of the ritualist, granting to him what he desires.


Making a Ritualist
A ritualist gathers his power from rituals, strange and macabre ceremonies that can be performed at any time of the day, but are usually seen by the flicker of torchlight as the night grows strong. A ritualist possesses knowledge of very few rituals, yet each one is strong enough to imbue him with powers that last for days or even weeks.
Your abilities roam across the spectrum, from rituals that grant devastating forms for melee combat to ones that steal the power out of a spellcaster and offer it to you.

Abilities: A ritualist uses Charisma to determine what level of ritual a ritualist can perform. If he has less than 11 Charisma, he cannot perform any rituals. Intelligence is useful to a few ritualist abilities skills, especially Spellcraft during rituals, and a ritualist needs Constitution for more hit points.

Races: Ritualists can be found among any race. Tribal shamans of isolated tribes are often ritualists, sacrificing animals or even outsiders to the gods of the village. Humans possess the most ritualists outside of the remote tribal villages and those evil creatures to whom the blood magic calls. They are uncommon among the other standard races.

Alignment: Because of the nature of the ritualist's magic and what is required to perform it, almost no ritualist can be of good alignment. Those extreme few that are tend to focus on the sacrifice of evil creatures exclusively, or have a dispensation from their gods for their acts. Because of the serious and complex requirements inherent in performing rituals, ritualists tend towards the lawful, but can be found at any point on the law–chaos spectrum.

Starting Gold: As Wizard.

Starting Age: As Wizard.


Table 1: The Ritualist
Hit Die: d6

Level  BAB   Ref   Fort  Will  Abilities                           Rituals Known  Maximum Ritual Level
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1      +0    +0    +0    +2    Bloody Terror, Grasp the Lifeblood  2              1
2      +1    +0    +0    +3    Sacrificial Armour                  3              1  
3      +1    +1    +1    +3    Ritual Feat                         4              1  
4      +2    +1    +1    +4    Shatter Resistance                  6              2  
5      +2    +1    +1    +4                                        7              2  
6      +3    +2    +2    +5    A Heart's Beat                      8              2  
7      +3    +2    +2    +5    Ritual Feat                         10             3    
8      +4    +2    +2    +6    Diehard                             11             3
9      +4    +3    +3    +6    Hematic Seizure                     12             3
10     +5    +3    +3    +7                                        14             4
11     +5    +3    +3    +7    Ritual Feat, A Heart's Beat         15             4
12     +6    +4    +4    +8    Gift of Cruor                       16             4
13     +6    +4    +4    +8                                        18             5
14     +7    +4    +4    +9    Life's End                          19             5
15     +7    +5    +5    +9    Ritual Feat                         20             5
16     +8    +5    +5    +10   A Heart's Beat                      22             6
17     +8    +5    +5    +10   Staunch                             23             6
18     +9    +6    +6    +11   Spread the Lifeblood                24             6
19     +9    +6    +6    +11   Ritual Feat                         26             7
20     +10   +6    +6    +12   Bloodform                           28             7

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Profession, Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Class Features
Your rituals are the centre of your being and the focus of your character. Because these rituals focus primarily on yourself, you will not always be welcome among friends.

• Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Ritualists are proficient with all simple weapons and light armour. If a ritualist wears armour, he takes a penalty on all skill checks made within a ritual equal to the Armour Check Penalty.
• Bloody Terror (Ex): Whenever the ritualist is under the effect of a Ritual, he gains a +1 bonus to intimidate for every ritualist level he has. He takes an equal penalty to all other charisma–based skills except Use Magical Device.
• Grasp the Lifeblood (Su): As a standard action, the ritualist calls for the blood of the creature to slow and harden, damaging it's ability to move and to think. The target must make a will save of ten plus one-half ritualist level (minimum of one) plus his charisma modifier. If the target fails, it is entangled and slowed. If the target succeeds at the save, remove all effects from Grasp the Lifeblood, and the target is immune to Grasp the Lifeblood for one hour. If the target falls below 20% of its hit points or 10 hit points, whichever is greater, it becomes paralysed instead of entangled or slowed. The duration is concentration. The target must be a living creature, and must be within 60' of the ritualist. This is a mind-affecting ability.
  
  As a move-action, the ritualist may attempt to brain-lock the target. If the target fails a will save of ten plus one-half ritualist level (minimum of one) plus his charisma modifier, that target is paralysed and immobile for six minutes per ritualist level. If the target succeeds at the save, remove all effects from Grasp the Lifeblood, and the target is immune to Grasp the Lifeblood for one hour. Only one creature may be under the effect of Grasp the Lifeblood at a time.
  
  Against undead creatures, this ability serves only to slow them, should they fail their saving throw. It is not considered mind-affecting for these creatures.
• Sacrificial Armour: At 2nd level, a ritualist gains a deflection bonus to his armour class equal to the highest level of ritual currently affecting him.
• Ritual Feat: At 3rd level, a ritualist gets a bonus ritual–oriented feat in addition to the feat that any 3rd level character gets. The ritualist gains an additional bonus feat at 7th, 11th, 15th and 19th level. These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as ritual feats. The ritualist must still meet all prerequisites for the bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums as well as class requirements.
• Shatter Resistance (Su): The ritualist clutches the lifeforce of a helpless foe, causing its barriers to his power to crumble. The target must make a will save of ten plus one-half ritualist level plus his charisma modifier. If it fails, the creature becomes charmed by the ritualist. If his ritualist level is nine or above, he instead becomes dominated. This is a mind-affecting ability that can be used twice per day, and has a duration of one minute per ritualist level. If the target makes its save, it does not cost the ritualist one of his two uses per day.
• A Heart's Beat (Su): As a move action, the ritualist can detect the location of all living (no undead or constructs) creatures within five feet per ritualist level for one round. This includes invisible creatures, but not those on the ethereal or other planes. At level 11, this ability lasts for one round per ritualist level. At level 16, the duration increases to one minute per ritualist level. He may use this ability once per hour.
• Diehard (Ex): The ritualist has gained control of his life's flow to the point that he can stopper any wounds upon his body. He gains the benefit of the Diehard feat. In addition, he dies at -20 as opposed to -10.
• Hematic Seizure (Su): As Grasp the Lifeblood, except that the ritualist can affect two creatures at the same time. Each must be within 15' of the other. This supersedes Grasp the Lifeblood.
• Gift of Cruor (Ex): Rather than have a newly created ritual affect himself, the ritualist may choose to affect another creature with the benefits of the ritual. That creature must be touched at the completion of the ritual, and gains the benefits of the rituals. The ritual still counts against the sacrificial hit dice cap of the ritualist, and has a duration that is one-half normal.
• Life's End (Su): Once per day, the ritualist can direct a creature under the effect of Hematic Seizure to kill itself. The creature attempts a coup de grace on itself. If it successfully kills itself, the ritualist is affected by one ritual of his choice that the sacrifice meets the requirements for. No ritual feat can be used to affect the chosen ritual. The ritualist does not need to pay the gold cost or make any checks as normal for a ritual.
• Staunch (Ex): The ritualist has mastered lifeblood, and now sends it to and fro at a whim. Rather than dying at -20, he now dies at -30, and may act normally when reduced below 0 hit points.
• Spread the Lifeblood (Ex): The ritualist invites allies to participate in his rituals, anointing them with the blood of the sacrifice and transferring some of its power to them. For each person beyond the ritualist who is involved, increase the Spellcraft DC by 5. All participants gain the full benefits of any ritual, but the duration is the normal total divided among all participants. This often results in a duration in hours instead of days, for example a 5 day ritual divided among four participants results in a 30 hour duration for all participants. A ritual performed in this way counts as double the hit dice against the ritualist's maximum. All creatures who wish to be affected must be present at the end of the ritual, at the time when the ritualist makes the spellcraft check. There is no limit on the number of people that can be affected by this.
• Bloodform (Ex): The ritualist has achieved a complete union with the blood that he has used and held for so long, and it has merged into his very being, whether he wishes for it or not. The ritualist gains the bloodwalker template.

[Stratovarius]

Bone Crafter

"You will be my blade, my shield, and my armour!"
– Erdarg the Skeleton, Bone Crafter

Ritual magic leaves behind many broken left overs, the corpses of the fallen who have been slain. These wasted husks are useless to many, but to the bone crafter, using the shattered leavings of his rituals to shield himself has become second nature. Wrapping himself in the bones of the fallen, the bone crafter uses the bodies of the dead as the armours and weapons that shields his body from harm. He even learns how to create webs and walls from the corpses, striking at foes with shards of the pulverized flesh. Using all that his sacrifices provide to him, the bone crafter marches onwards, armed with vicious weapons of his enemy's corpse.

Becoming a Bone Crafter
There are two paths into the bone crafter: those who come from a more martial and ritual warrior based entrance, or those who are more pure users of ritual magic. Ritual-wielders choose the path in order to augment their capabilities in melee combat, while ritual warriors specialize in a single aspect of their capabilities. Blending heavily enhanced magical weaponry with the ability to control his foes with damaging walls of bone, the bone crafter has something to offer to all of those who take it.

Table 1: The Bone Crafter
Hit Die: d10

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities           Rituals            
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +1     +0    +2    +0     Ritual Bound Bone           –––                
  2    +2     +0    +3    +0     Bone Visage                 +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +3     +1    +3    +1     Ritual Bound Bone           +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +4     +1    +4    +1     Fragments of the Dead       ––– 
  5    +5     +1    +4    +1     Ritual Bound Bone           +1 Ritual Level 
  6    +6     +2    +5    +2     Wall of Shackling Bone      +1 Ritual Level 
  7    +7     +2    +5    +2     Ritual Bound Bone           +1 Ritual Level 
  8    +8     +2    +6    +2     Prison of Entrapping Flesh  ––– 
  9    +9     +3    +6    +3     Ritual Bound Bone           +1 Ritual Level 
  10   +10    +3    +7    +3     Flesh Evicted               +1 Ritual Level

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Religion), Spellcraft, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Rituals: 3rd level rituals or above.
BAB: +4.
Special: Must know the Boneform Gear ritual.

Class Features
Spirit and Bone, the two segments of a creature's life. The bone crafter takes each of them, moulding them to his tasks and his will. Shredding a spirit to force a body to serve, complete domination of his victims comes with the single slash of a sword, rending their throats and their lives.

• Rituals Known: The Bone Crafter increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the ritual-wielder class at each indicated level.
• Ritual Bound Bone (Ex): The weapons and armour granted by the Boneform Gear ritual is bolstered by your focus upon of the craft of working with bone, shaping it more strongly to your needs and imbuing it with greater ties to the spirit that created it. At the levels indicated, you gain an additional +1 that can be used to add weapon or armour enhancements from the tables below. This is only a single +1, and so you cannot apply it to both your armour and your weapon, but must choose one of the two to receive the benefit.
  
  • At level 1 you receive an additional +1 enhancement bonus.
  • At level 3 you receive an additional +2 enhancement bonus.
  • At level 5 you receive an additional +3 enhancement bonus.
  • At level 7 you receive an additional +4 enhancement bonus.
  • At level 9 you receive an additional +5 enhancement bonus.
• These tables define what abilities can be added to the Boneform weapons, shields and armour. Your ritual-wielder level must be equal to or higher than the required caster level in order to add these properties to your Boneform Gear.
  
  • Armour and Shield
    
    • Animated
    • Arrow Deflection
    • Bashing
    • Blinding
    • Etherealness
    • Ghost Touch
    • Glamered
    • Invulnerable
    • Undead Controlling
    • Averter
    • Mindarmour
  • Weapons
    
    • Bane
    • Dancing
    • Ghost Touch
    • Keen
    • Mighty Cleaving
    • Speed
    • Vicious
    • Bodyfeeder
    • Collision
    • Soulbreaker
• Bone Visage (Ex): For every point of enhancement bonus in the Bone Crafter's Boneform Gear, totalling armour, shield, and weapon, you receive a +1 bonus to Intimidate.
• Fragments of the Dead (Su): A tiny bone emanates from your outstretched hand and rapidly expands to a 2–foot–diameter ball of bone as it speeds toward the location you designate. You can choose to aim this bone sphere at a single target or at a specific point in space (a grid intersection). If you aim the bone sphere at a single target, you must make a ranged touch attack to strike the target. Any creature or object struck by the ball of bone takes 5d4 points of bludgeoning damage. Whether the bone sphere hits its target, misses, or was aimed at a point in space, it explodes upon arrival at the location you designated. Anyone within 20 feet of the explosion takes 9d4 points of slashing damage from the thousands of bone shards that spray forth. Creatures receive a Reflex save for half against the 9d4 damage. The DC for this save is 10 + Class level + the hit dice of the sacrifice used to create the Boneform Gear. Using this reduces the Enhancement bonus of one of the items created by Boneform Gear by –1. If this causes you to lose a weapon property such as Bodyfeeder, you lose the entire property.
• Wall of Shackling Bone (Su): This creates a solid wall of angry bone, slashing and hacking at any who walk near to it. It is up to 20 ft. long/hit dice of the sacrifice used for the Boneform Gear, and it is always 10' high. The wall is 1" deep/hit dice, with 15 hp per inch of thickness and hardness 5. Anyone who walks within 10' of the wall takes 2d6 points of slashing damage. Using this reduces the Enhancement bonus of one of the items created by Boneform Gear by –1. If this causes you to lose a weapon property such as Bodyfeeder, you lose the entire property.
• Prison of Entrapping Flesh (Su): A prison of bone wraps itself around the target, pinning it to the ground and piercing it with sharp spikes. The target is wrapped in a cocoon 1" deep/hit dice, with 15 hp per inch of thickness and hardness 5. He can only use light or smaller weapons to fight his way out. For every round within the cocoon, the creature takes 3d6 damage a round. If they struggle or attempt to attack the bone holding them, the trapped creature instead takes 6d6 damage. Using this reduces the Enhancement bonus of one of the items created by Boneform Gear by –1. If this causes you to lose a weapon property such as Bodyfeeder, you lose the entire property.
• Flesh Evicted (Ex): The Bone Crafter acquires the skeleton template with the following changes: The type does not become undead, and the hit dice are not altered. Do not change the Bone Crafter's ability scores.

[Stratovarius]

Cabalistic Thaumaturge

"Magic should never be pure."
– Sillafa, Yuan–Ti Cabalistic Thaumaturge

A creature who focuses on knowledge or faith, and views any form of magic as a tool to be used, may follow the path of the Cabalistic Thaumaturge. Concerned with something greater than the source of power, they grasp at whatever offers them a gift of insight. Within their soul, the tools that they have used blend together, creating a magic that is neither fully based on rituals, nor the gift of spells. That magic, and the knowledge and faith that it grants, becomes their religion, and the centre of their life.

Becoming a Cabalistic Thaumaturge
Those who seek to blend magic and rituals must first seek to master and to know each of those two forms. Some come from the ranks of the divine, seeing the sacrifice of the souls of unbelievers as a way to prove their loyalty to their gods. Arcanists often follow this path as a way to power, or a way to a deeper understanding of the nature of things. Ritualists see this path as a way to augment what they have, and as a weapon to ensure they have a ready supply of sacrifices. A Cabalistic Thaumaturge learns to fuse the two traits together, using each to improve the other.

Table 1: The Cabalistic Thaumaturge
Hit Die: d4

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities               Rituals            Spells
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +0    +2     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  2    +1     +0    +0    +3     Magic Unto Magic                +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  3    +1     +1    +1    +3     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  4    +2     +1    +1    +4                                     +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  5    +2     +1    +1    +4     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  6    +3     +2    +2    +5     Magic Rent Asunder              +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  7    +3     +2    +2    +5     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  8    +4     +2    +2    +6                                     +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  9    +4     +3    +3    +6     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  10   +5     +3    +3    +7     Gifted Soul                     +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana or Religion) 9.
Feats: At least one metamagic feat.
Rituals: 2nd level Rituals or above.
Spells: 2nd level spells.

Class Features
Magic and Rituals weave themselves around, twisting and combining within you, a new breed of magic born as the unholy child of your studies. Impure and knotted, it is your weapon, your life, and your love.

• [li]Rituals Known: The Cabalistic Thaumaturge increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the Ritualist class at each indicated level.[/li]
  [li]Spells: The Cabalistic Thaumaturge increases spellcasting as if the character had gained a level in the spellcasting class used to enter the Cabalistic Thaumaturge.[/li]
  [li]Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis: These rituals wrap the Cabalistic Thaumaturge in a glowing white shroud. Whenever he casts a spell that is affected by one of these rituals, the shroud pulses brightly, and energy flashes into the spell as it is cast. Only one Ritual of Spell Metamorphosis can affect a spell. The choice of which Ritual (or none) to affect the spell with happens as the spell is being cast. These Rituals have a variable level, up to 7th, and the Ritualist chooses that level before he begins the ritual. He must meet all requirements for the level of a Ritual, including being able to perform rituals of that level, sacrificing a creature of the proper hit dice, and so on. These Rituals can only affect a level of spell equal to or less than the level of a ritual. The Cabalistic Thaumaturge learns one Ritual of Spellmetamorphosis at each odd level.[/li]
  
  • [li]Ritual of Distant Touch: Spells narrow and extend, reaching out even farther to affect those around you. Spells you cast are Enlarged.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Expanded Gaze: Spells you cast expand, entire battlefields disappearing under magic. Spells you cast are widened.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Lost Hours: Your magic lives in a different time flow, lasting twice as long as usual. Spells you cast are extended.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Siphoned Strength: Your spells sucks at the muscles of those affected. All affected creatures take 1/3rd class level in strength drain.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Fearful Shape: Your spells weaken the mind, forming nightmares and twisted thoughts in their head. All affected creatures are shaken for 1 round per class level.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Lifeforce Lost: The very existence of those affected by your spells drains away. All affected creatures gain 1 negative level for every 5 class levels, rounded down.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Still Silence: The words and gestures of spells are muted by the shroud. Spells you cast are affected by both still and silent metamagic.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Boundaries Broken: Spells reach across boundaries, cutting down foes who seek to hide. Spells you cast ignore all barriers, including being able to strike creatures on the Ethereal, Astral, and Shadow planes. However, you must still have line of sight to the target or location.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Resistance Sundered: Your spells more easily affect creatures. You gain a bonus to penetrate spell resistance equal to ½ your class level.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Harm Punished: Those who seek to harm you are in their turn harmed by you. When you cast a spell, you may choose to hold it in a magical reserve. It will stay in that state for up to one hour per hit dice of the sacrifice used to create the ritual of harm punished. Whenever you are struck by an attack, whether magical or physical, you may unleash the reserved spell(s) as an immediate action, targeting the creature that just struck you. The creature must still be in range of the spell, and you must have line of sight and effect for the spell to function properly.[/li]
  
  [li]Magic Unto Magic: When performing a ritual a Cabalistic Thaumaturge may cast a spell of the same or greater level, and affected by a metamagic feat, as the Ritual. That metamagic feat is applied to the results of the ritual.[/li]
  [li]Magic Rent Asunder: At the completion of a ritual, a Cabalistic Thaumaturge can expend a spell from a spell slot. Treat the hit dice invested in the ritual as if it was one higher for every three levels of the spell sacrificed. The Sacrifice must still meet the hit dice requirement. (Example: A Cabalistic Thaumaturge sacrifices a 3 hit dice creature for a level two ritual, and expends a Bulls Strength spell. That Ritual is treated as if a 4 hit dice creature had been sacrificed to power it).[/li]
  [li]Gifted Soul: As a move action, the Cabalistic Thaumaturge can expend a ritual, focusing the energy into a spell he casts in the same round. That spell has its Caster Level and DC increased by the level of the ritual expended. If it has a duration, that duration is increased by 50%.[/li]

[Stratovarius]

This version of the Cabalistic Thaumaturge is intended for use in the Arhosa Campaign Setting, or with spell point based casters.

Cabalistic Thaumaturge

"Magic should never be pure."
– Sillafa, Yuan–Ti Cabalistic Thaumaturge

A creature who focuses on knowledge or faith, and views any form of magic as a tool to be used, may follow the path of the Cabalistic Thaumaturge. Concerned with something greater than the source of power, they grasp at whatever offers them a gift of insight. Within their soul, the tools that they have used blend together, creating a magic that is neither fully based on rituals, nor the gift of spells. That magic, and the knowledge and faith that it grants, becomes their religion, and the centre of their life.

Becoming a Cabalistic Thaumaturge
Those who seek to blend magic and rituals must first seek to master and to know each of those two forms. Some come from the ranks of the divine, seeing the sacrifice of the souls of unbelievers as a way to prove their loyalty to their gods. Arcanists often follow this path as a way to power, or a way to a deeper understanding of the nature of things. Ritualists see this path as a way to augment what they have, and as a weapon to ensure they have a ready supply of sacrifices. A Cabalistic Thaumaturge learns to fuse the two traits together, using each to improve the other.

Table 1: The Cabalistic Thaumaturge
Hit Die: d4

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities               Rituals            Spells
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +0    +2     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  2    +1     +0    +0    +3     Magic Unto Magic                +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  3    +1     +1    +1    +3     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  4    +2     +1    +1    +4                                     +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  5    +2     +1    +1    +4     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  6    +3     +2    +2    +5     Magic Rent Asunder              +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  7    +3     +2    +2    +5     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  8    +4     +2    +2    +6                                     +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  9    +4     +3    +3    +6     Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis  +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class
  10   +5     +3    +3    +7     Gifted Soul                     +1 Ritual Level    +1 Spellcasting Class

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana or Religion) 9.
Feats: Focused Seed.
Rituals: 2nd level Rituals or above.
Spells: Ability to cast spells costing at least 3 spell points.

Class Features
Magic and Rituals weave themselves around, twisting and combining within you, a new breed of magic born as the unholy child of your studies. Impure and knotted, it is your weapon, your life, and your love.

• [li]Rituals Known: The Cabalistic Thaumaturge increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the Ritualist class at each indicated level.[/li]
  [li]Spells: The Cabalistic Thaumaturge increases spellcasting as if the character had gained a level in the spellcasting class used to enter the Cabalistic Thaumaturge.[/li]
  [li]Rituals of Spell Metamorphosis: These rituals wrap the Cabalistic Thaumaturge in a glowing white shroud. Whenever he casts a spell that is affected by one of these rituals, the shroud pulses brightly, and energy flashes into the spell as it is cast. Only one Ritual of Spell Metamorphosis can affect a spell. The choice of which Ritual (or none) to affect the spell with happens as the spell is being cast. These Rituals have a variable level, up to 7th, and the Ritualist chooses that level before he begins the ritual. He must meet all requirements for the level of a Ritual, including being able to perform rituals of that level, sacrificing a creature of the proper hit dice, and so on. These Rituals can only affect spells equal to or less than 2 spell points per level of the ritual. The Cabalistic Thaumaturge learns one Ritual of Spellmetamorphosis at each odd level.[/li]
  
  • [li]Ritual of Distant Touch: Spells narrow and extend, reaching out even farther to affect those around you. Spells you cast are enlarged.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Expanded Gaze: Spells you cast expand, entire battlefields disappearing under magic. Spells you cast are widened.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Lost Hours: Your magic lives in a different time flow, lasting twice as long as usual. Spells you cast are extended.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Siphoned Strength: Your spells drains the muscles of those affected. All affected creatures take 1/3rd class level in strength drain.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Fearful Shape: Your spells weaken the mind, forming nightmares and twisted thoughts in their head. All affected creatures are shaken for 1 round per class level.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Lifeforce Lost: The very existence of those affected by your spells drains away. All affected creatures gain 1 negative level for every 5 class levels, rounded down.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Still Silence: The words and gestures of spells are muted by the shroud. Spells you cast are affected by both still and silent metamagic.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Boundaries Broken: Spells reach across boundaries, cutting down foes who seek to hide. Spells you cast ignore all barriers, including being able to strike creatures on the Ethereal, Astral, and Shadow planes. However, you must still have line of sight to the target or location.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Resistance Sundered: Your spells more easily affect creatures. You gain a bonus to penetrate spell resistance equal to ½ your class level.[/li]
    [li]Ritual of Harm Punished: Those who seek to harm you are in their turn harmed by you. When you cast a spell, you may choose to hold it in a magical reserve. It will stay in that state for up to one hour per hit dice of the sacrifice used to create the ritual of harm punished. Whenever you are struck by an attack, whether magical or physical, you may unleash the reserved spell(s) as an immediate action, targeting the creature that just struck you. The creature must still be in range of the spell, and you must have line of sight and effect for the spell to function properly.[/li]
  
  [li]Magic Unto Magic: When performing a ritual a Cabalistic Thaumaturge may expend twice the number of spell points as the ritual level, and affected by a metamagic alteration. That metamagic alteration is applied to the results of the ritual.[/li]
  [li]Magic Rent Asunder: At the completion of a ritual, a Cabalistic Thaumaturge can expend spell points. Treat the hit dice invested in the ritual as if it was one higher for every six spell points sacrificed. The Sacrifice must still meet the hit dice requirement.[/li]
  [li]Gifted Soul: As a move action, the Cabalistic Thaumaturge can expend a ritual, focusing the energy into a spell he casts in the same round. That spell has its Caster Level and DC increased by +1 if it is a first to third level ritual, +2 if it is a fourth to sixth level ritual, and +3 if it is a seventh level ritual. If it has a duration, that duration is increased by 50%.[/li]

[Stratovarius]

Carcass Hunter

"They breed but to be killed"
- Lanlinariu, elven Carcass Hunter

A single creature is both the bane and the source of a carcass hunter's existence. Their sole purpose is to wound and kill as many of that type as possible, eviscerating their foe's flesh in order to get at the magic that lies within, magic that has become all the sweeter to the carcass hunter as time goes on. They prefer their enemies to die upon their hands, but should they come across the corpse of a dead foe, the carcass hunter has no scruples about using that corpse to his own ends. Those that they do not use will often be defiled and marked, for even if the carcass hunter cannot prevent their foe from having a happy ending in the afterlife, he will do his best to ruin all his foe loves.

Becoming a Carcass Hunter
Carcass hunters come from a fairly narrow range of people, usually from those who have seen a great wrong and wish to avenge it, or from those brought up in a culture that despises another, seeing those creatures as completely beneath their own civilization, and willing to eradicate them. Blending their hatred of a single foe with a specialization in the ruination of that creature's lifeforce, the carcass hunter is a dangerous and often demented adversary, willing even to use the spirits of their enemies as grist to their war.

Table 1: The Carcass Hunter
Hit Die: d10

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities           Rituals and Spells            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1    +1     +0    +2    +2     Hunting the Chosen          ---                
  2    +2     +0    +3    +3     Drain the Carcass           +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  3    +3     +1    +3    +3     Death Vision                +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  4    +4     +1    +4    +4     Embittered Force            +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  5    +5     +1    +4    +4     Hunting the Chosen          +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  6    +6     +2    +5    +5     Life Unto Death             +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  7    +7     +2    +5    +5     Foebane                     +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  8    +8     +2    +6    +6     Drain the Carcass, Greater  +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  9    +9     +3    +6    +6     Hunting the Chosen          +1 Ritual/Ranger Level 
  10   +10    +3    +7    +7     Spirit Carcass              ---

Class skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana/dungeoneering/geography/nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Requirements:
Rituals: 2nd level Rituals or above.
Special: Finishing Strike class feature. Favoured Enemy in a creature type.
Feats: Exclusive Sacrifice in the same creature type as your Favoured Enemy.

Class Features
Committed to the precepts of nothing less than racial genocide, the carcass hunters are beholden to no organization or friendship, focused only on killing those whom they see as fit but for death, and enslavement to their betters.

• Rituals Known: The Carcass Hunter increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in a Ritual-using class at each indicated level.
• Spells Known: The Carcass Hunter increases spells known as if the character had gained a level of Ranger spellcasting at each indicated level.
• Hunting the Chosen (Ex): You gain a +1 bonus to your favoured enemy ability against the chosen creature type. In addition, when you sacrifice a creature of the chosen creature type, you gain a +1 bonus to the hit dice of the sacrificed creature. This stacks with Exclusive Sacrifice. At level 5, the bonuses increase to +2, and to +3 at level 9.
• Drain the Carcass (Ex): You may sacrifice (finishing strike does not qualify) the dead body of a creature of your chosen creature type. If you do so, the hit dice of the sacrifice before any outside modifiers is the hit dice of the creature minus the number of days it has been dead. Thus, a four hit dice creature dead for two days acts as a two hit dice creature. A corpse is always treated as if it had been dead for at least one day.
• Death Vision (Su): While under the effects of a ritual created by sacrificing a creature of your favoured enemy type, you are able to sense the general effect of all special qualities, as well as the health and condition (treat per the Status spell), of all creatures of the chosen type.
• Embittered Force (Su): Whenever you kill a creature of the chosen type with a finishing strike, instead of using it to activate a ritual, you may instead force the creature's spirit back into the creature for a few moments, forcing it to fight for you for 1 round every two class levels. Treat the creature as if it was unharmed, but any abilities that were expended remain so.
• Life Unto Death (Ex): Whenever you kill a creature of the chosen type with a finishing strike, the duration of any ritual created this way is doubled.
• Foebane (Ex): Any weapon you wield acts as a Bane weapon against a creature of the chosen type.
• Drain the Carcass, Greater (Ex): As Drain the Carcass, but the hit dice of the sacrifice is the hit dice of the creature. The creature cannot have been dead for more days than it has hit dice.
• Spirit Carcass (Ex): Whenever you kill a creature of the chosen type with a Finishing Strike, the duration of any ritual created this way is as normal (1 day/hit dice). This supersedes Life Unto Death. Also, while under the effect of a ritual created using a creature of your chosen type, you ignore all extraordinary abilities that provide a defensive bonus.

[Stratovarius]

Ceremonial Butcher

"Feed my blade!"
– Ortok the Gory, orc ceremonial butcher

A Ceremonial Butcher is a warrior enthralled with the grace and skill required to wield ritual magic, the finely tuned movements of weapon and body that recall to his eyes the dance of a sword fight. Seeking to combine the two into one unified whole, a Ceremonial Butcher seeks to wield the sacrificial tool of the Ritualist not only upon an altar, but also on the field of battle, crushing his opponents beneath the force of his blade and giving their souls to power rituals.

Becoming a Ceremonial Butcher
Ceremonial Butchers come from a mixed background of ritual user and weapon wielder, recognizing the benefit that comes from being under the effect of rituals while upon the field of battle. Often a warrior realizes that he has chosen poorly in the ritual performed before, and he seeks a way to alter that power during combat. This is the result. Still able to wield rituals, a Ceremonial Butcher can now discard and change those rituals with the rise and fall of his blade.

Table 1: The Ceremonial Butcher
Hit Die: d10

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will    Special Abilities   Rituals
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +1     +0    +2    +0     Executioner's Blade  –––
  2    +2     +0    +3    +0     Bonus Feat           +1 Ritual Level
  3    +3     +1    +3    +1     Bloody Blow          +1 Ritual Level
  4    +4     +1    +4    +1     Bonus Feat           +1 Ritual Level
  5    +5     +1    +4    +1     Steal the Lifeforce  –––

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Feats: Power Attack, Skilled Executioner.
BAB: +4.
Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks.
Rituals: 2nd level Rituals or above.

Class Features
Wielding a great blade, soaked in the blood of those who fell before you, rituals come to your call with but an axe's swing. With that swing, you learn to cast off and take on rituals to destroy your enemies.

• Rituals Known: The Ceremonial Butcher increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the Ritualist class at each indicated level.
• Bonus Feat: The Ceremonial Butcher can select any Fighter bonus feat for which he meets the prerequisites.
• Executioner's Blade: Once per day per class level, as a standard action, the Ceremonial Butcher can attempt to kill a creature in a single blow and gain the benefits of a chosen ritual. The Ceremonial Butcher must use Power Attack to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls equal to the ritual level. If the attack deals damage equal to half or greater of the target's remaining hit points, it is affected by a coup de grace. If it dies, the Ceremonial Butcher gains the full effects of the chosen ritual. No ritual feat can be used to affect the chosen ritual. The Ceremonial Butcher does not need to pay the gold cost or make any checks as normal for a Ritual. This ability can be used with a Ritual whose level is equal to or lower than his class level. This ability only functions if the Ceremonial Butcher wields a two–handed weapon.
• Bloody Blow: The Ceremonial Butcher expends an active ritual, channelling the magical energy into a vicious strike against all of those around him. As a standard action, the Ceremonial Butcher makes a single attack against a chosen target. If that attack connects, the spent energy of the dismissed ritual is focused through the blade, slamming into the creature and tearing the vital fluids from its body. In addition to normal damage, the strike deals 5 damage for each day of duration remaining to the ritual, and every creature within 5' per hit dice of the struck creature must make a Fortitude save vs 10 + Ceremonial Butcher level + Days remaining to expended ritual or be nauseated as they are covered in blood. This ability only functions if the Ceremonial Butcher wields a two–handed weapon, and if the target is living.
• Steal the Lifeforce: Whenever a creature is killed by a Bloody Blow, the Ceremonial Butcher is affected by a Steal the Lifeforce ritual. This counts towards the normal limit. If it would exceed the normal limit, there is no effect.

[Stratovarius]

Hunger

"I sense food! I crave food!"
– Liala, halfling hunger

A Hunger is a ritualist who enjoyed the eating of the dead, even to the point of sometimes using his teeth to complete a ritual by tearing out the sacrifice's throat. This eating eventually took on its own power, as the ritual magic coursed through his body in the flesh of the fallen, and eating that flesh to gain the rush became the end in itself. Addicted to the few moments when a dying creature releases its energy into his body, a Hunger lets nothing stop him from eating and consuming his way, reducing all before him to the level of food.

Becoming a Hunger
Hungers are very, very rare, for there are few indeed who enjoy the flavour of flesh and the power and grace of the ritual. Those who do almost always follow this path, letting the warping and entwining effects of ritual magic and the lifeblood that powers them guide their hand above rational thought. These creatures are almost always on the move, never staying in one place for fear of being killed due to their horrid nature, making them natural adventurers, at least until the hunger becomes too strong and they consume their allies.

Table 1: The Hunger
Hit Die: d8

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities               Rituals            
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +2    +2     Consumptive Gift, Expend Ritual –––
  2    +1     +0    +3    +3     Ritual Bound Body               +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +2     +1    +3    +3     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +3     +1    +4    +4     Ritual Bound Body               +1 Ritual Level 
  5    +3     +1    +4    +4     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  6    +4     +2    +5    +5     Ritual Bound Body               –––                
  7    +5     +2    +5    +5     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  8    +6     +2    +6    +6     Ritual Bound Body               +1 Ritual Level 
  9    +6     +3    +6    +6     Twisted Blood                   +1 Ritual Level 
  10   +7     +3    +7    +7     Corrupted Body                  –––

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Feats: Consumptive Fetish.
Rituals: 2nd level Rituals or above.
Special: Must have eaten a creature used as a ritual sacrifice.

Class Features
Consumed and consuming, you scavenge across battlefields, eating the rotting corpses of the dead and waylaying the living equally, a monster focused only on feeding the consuming hunger that drives you onward, a hunger that keeps you alive and in its grasp.

• Rituals Known: The Hunger increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the Ritualist class at each indicated level.
• Consumptive Gift (Su): Whenever the Hunger kills a creature, it must spend 1 round per hit dice of the killed creature to consume it, gaining the effects of one ritual that only affects the caster. There is no gold or spellcraft check required. It cannot dismiss that ritual normally, nor can it use Consumptive Gift again until that ritual is gone. It will only overcome the compulsion to feed when already affected by a ritual or when in serious danger, at which time it will defend itself or run. The ritual is randomly chosen from the highest level he can cast, and cannot exceed his hit dice cap. If it does, he must dismiss an existing ritual. Every day that the Hunger is not affected by Consumptive Gift, it must make a Will save vs 15 + the number of weeks without using Consumptive Gift or go into a frenzy, seeking out the nearest living creature, slaying and eating it.
• Expend Ritual (Su): The Hunger must achieve and maintain a grapple for one full round, and be under the effect of a ritual gained through Consumptive Gift. If it does so, it can release a rush of ritual magic and force that ritual into the grappled creature, dealing it 3d6 points of damage per level of the ritual. The Hunger loses the effect of the ritual and is again under compulsion to feed to create a new one.
• Ritual Bound Body (Ex): The Hunger has suffered and been warped by the constant energies of ritual magic flowing through his body, and at the same time, those energies have come to give his life strength. A Hunger takes 1 point of Constitution damage per day that he is not under the effect of a ritual, and cannot heal any damage naturally, including ability damage, while not under the effect of a ritual. Due to his mangled form and unclean ways, the Hunger takes a –1 penalty every two levels in the class to Diplomacy, Bluff and Sense Motive. He gains a +1 bonus to Intimidate every two levels. He also gains a number of abilities as more and more powerful ritual energies course through his body.
  
  • At level two the Hunger gains a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage as a Medium creature, his jaw distending to more easily allow him to feed on corpses.
  • At level four the Hunger gains a +2 bonus to Strength, the twisting and and gnarling of his limbs giving him an increase in physical power.
  • At level six the Hunger gains damage reduction 5/–. A Hunger's anguish and twisted self allow it to shrug off normal attacks.
  • At level eight the Hunger gains a +2 bonus to Constitution, the energies within his body toughening him against any outside interference.
• Twisted Blood (Su): The Hunger learns to warp rituals, altering them within himself. This can only be used on rituals gained with Consumptive Gift. The benefits of these effects last for the remaining duration of the ritual.
  
  • At level three the Hunger can warp a ritual to increase the damage his bite attack does to 2d6, his body hardening against any blows, giving him a +1 Natural AC bonus for each hit dice of the sacrifice.
  • At level five the Hunger can warp a ritual to cloud himself in tiny motes of blood that deals 1d4 damage and 1d2 points of constitution damage to any creature who strikes the Hunger with a melee attack. A Fortitude save vs DC 10 + Sacrifice's hit dice (Of the original, unwarped ritual) + 1/2 class level negates the Constitution damage.
  • At level seven the Hunger can warp a ritual to strength his ability to shoulder aside damage, increasing his damage reduction to 10/–.
  • At level nine, the Hunger can warp a ritual such that whenever the Hunger is the target of a spell or ritual, he may attempt a check of the Sacrifice's hit dice + his class level vs a DC of 10 + caster level of the spell. If he succeeds, he heals 5 points of damage per level of the spell. If he fails, he takes a –4 penalty on any save the spell might have, due to leaving himself open to the magic. This can only be used on spells that have the Hunger as a target.
• Corrupted Body (Ex): The Hunger undergoes an apotheosis, his type changing to aberration and gains all racial features of the type as the rituals warp him fully. His gnarled and twisted body is so infused with blood and ritual energy that any ritual he performs has its duration doubled if the Hunger is the only target.

[Stratovarius]

Immolater Apostate

"I was lost, yet through the fires of faith, I am remade anew."
– Ffaglu Benboethyn, Elven Immolator Apostate

Once, the immolator apostate was a man convinced of the goodness of all things, that his dedication, and hard work, self-sacrifice to the point of mystical power, would be enough to change the world and thwart those who brought evil into it. That time has passed, and he had become disillusioned with the increasing ruin that he sees spreading throughout his beloved lands. At the same time, his belief in the rightness of his own abilities is shaking and crumbling. He has come to see fire as a focusing method, one that may restore the purity to his soul, while at the same time purging those who deserve it of their sins. Perhaps now, with the flames in his blood, his faith may be restored, and his land saved.

Becoming a Immolater Apostate
Immolator apostates come from one source: martyrs who have lost their way, and lost the belief in their own abilities. It is within them to recover, and to become once again what they had hoped to be, but they will be irrevocably changed by that process, scarred and charred by the flames that helped them walk a path back to righteousness, a righteousness tinged with a blacker and less wholesome outlook on the world, symbolized in the knowledge of ritual murder that has become a tool in his arsenal.

Table 1: The Immolater Apostate
Hit Die: d12

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities                    Rituals            
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +2    +2     Burn For Thy Sins, Faith Weakened    –––                
  2    +1     +0    +3    +3     Blood and Fire                       +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +2     +1    +3    +3     Self–Purgation                       +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +3     +1    +4    +4     Cleanse in Fire                      +1 Ritual Level 
  5    +3     +1    +4    +4     Blood and Fire                       +1 Ritual Level 
  6    +4     +2    +5    +5     Fever in the Flesh                   +1 Ritual Level 
  7    +5     +2    +5    +5     Flame Transference                   –––
  8    +6     +2    +6    +6     Blood and Fire                       +1 Ritual Level 
  9    +6     +3    +6    +6     Lost in the Flames                   +1 Ritual Level 
  10   +7     +3    +7    +7     Immolation                           +1 Ritual Level

Class skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft.

Requirements:
Rituals: 3rd level Rituals or above.
Alignment: Neutral on the Good/Evil axis.
Feats: Burn Essence.
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 10 ranks.
Special: Must never use Fire Resistance after taking a level in this class.
Special: Must have lost over three quarters of your total hit points to fire damage from a single attack.
Special: Must be able to create rituals through the sacrifice of hit points.

Class Features
Purgation in the flames of retribution, both of himself and of his foes, the immolator apostate is a man of broken faith, on a journey towards a new and dangerous understanding of what it means to sacrifice.

• [li]Rituals Known: The Immolator Apostate increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in a ritual-wielding class at each indicated level.[/li]
  [li]Burn For Thy Sins (Ex): While it may have been appropriate once upon a time to sacrifice only yourself, there are too many out there who are worthy of being disciplined for that to remain the case. You may now fuel rituals by sacrificing a creature upon a pyre. All other aspects of a ritual remain the same, including the amount of hit dice that must be sacrificed.[/li]
  [li]Faith Weakened (Ex): It has been a trying time for you and your personal relationship that has allowed you sacrifice yourself for all of those around you. Perhaps they do not deserve an offering of such magnificence. Any sacrifice made via losing your own hit points acts as if it was two hit dice lower than the amount paid. However, you regain access to all Martyr (or other class as appropriate) abilities and rituals.[/li]
  [li]Blood and Fire (Ex): Those who are burned for their sins offer you a different form of sacrifice than that you make of your own accord. At second level, learn a single ritual of a level one less than the maximum you know of. This ritual comes from the ritualist list. At level five and at level eight, you learn a second and a third ritual off of this list.[/li]
  [li]Self–Purgation (Su): The flames are the symbol of the purity that you wish to attain, and that you feel you have lost. By rededicating yourself in the burning glow of the fires, you seek to regain your sense of purpose. Benefits listed here are cumulative. You must hold your arms into a fire in order to achieve the benefits, and only rounds in which you take damage from the flame are counted towards the total. This flame deals 1d6 fire damage a round. After three rounds within the flame, you gain fire resistance 2/– (This is the only exception to the Special requirement). After six rounds within the flames, you have achieved a mild insight, granting +2 intelligence and wisdom, as well as +2 to all skills. After nine, you gain the ability to create a charring melee touch attack once per round. The damage from charring touch is capped at 10d6 a round, and can deal a total number of d6 of damage equal to the number of rounds spent in the fire in self–purgation. After twelve rounds, you are cleansed of all disease and poison that flows through your veins. After fifteen you are granted the effects of an Augury spell at caster level eighteen, while after eighteen rounds, you gain the ability to create a single divine spell, targeting only yourself, that is cast at caster level twenty. The spell cannot have a spell level above your maximum ritual known level. The duration of any of these effects is one hour per class level, and cannot be renewed until the effects have worn off. Hit points lost through self-purgation can be used to create a single ritual at the end of the time in the fire. The immolator must still spend the full amount of time necessary to create the ritual.[/li]
  [li]Cleanse in Fire (Su): Impurities exist within all beings, even yourself. They must be rooted out and cleaned, for they lead to the degradation of those who retain them. To this end, fire is the tool. You gain a special 4th level ritual that you can create, which allows you to deal 1d6 fire damage per hit dice of the sacrifice in a burst 5' wide per hit dice of the sacrifice as a standard action, reflex half. If the hit points sacrificed for this ability are lost through self-purgation, the damage dealt is doubled. You may center the burst anywhere within 20 ft. per hit dice of the sacrifice.[/li]
  [li]Fever in the Flesh (Su): Fire has been inside your blood ever since that fateful day when it scorched your soul and your faith, leaving a mark that would never be extinguished. With a sacrifice equal to one half of your hit dice, you may enter into a fevered state. While in this state, you take two fire damage a round, as the fire rushes throughout your flesh. You gain a +4 bonus to initiative checks, and deal 1d6 fire damage per two hit dice sacrificed on all melee or ranged attacks. Any creature killed by the fire damage this ability grants counts as being sacrificed as per Burn For Thy Sins, but the duration of any ritual created is 1 minute per hit dice of the sacrifice. The benefits of Fever in the Flesh last for one minute per hit dice sacrificed.[/li]
  [li]Flame Transference (Ex): Your fury and anger at your faith being damaged assist you in forcing the fire with which you are so acquainted into a form that will help you most. When struck by an enemy's attack that deals fire damage, the Immolator Apostate may instead sacrifice a number of hit points equal to the fire damage dealt by the attack, and use that to create one ritual that he knows. He must touch an ally (or himself) before the end of his next turn for the ritual to take effect. If creating a ritual in this way would put him above the maximum allowed number of hit dice, the Immolator Apostate cannot create this ritual and takes damage normally. This is a free action.[/li]
  [li]Lost in the Flames (Su): You stare deeply into the flames of a fire, losing yourself in a meditative state as the dance of the flames captures your eyes. You may create an effect identical to either a Scry or Commune spell with a caster level equal to your character level. You must stare into the flames for ten minutes to activate this ability, and it can only be used once per week.[/li]
  [li]Immolation (Su): You have finally become able to reconcile the lost faith and the new-found interest in fire into one compatible and complete whole. You energize the fire in your soul, taking five fire damage a round. While in this state, anyone who strikes you in melee is hit by a tongue of fire that deals 20 fire damage, while those who approach within 10' take 2d6+10 fire damage for every round that they remain within the area. You gain the melee attack of a fire elemental of the same size and hit dice. Finally, any hit points that are lost through this ability (the five damage a round from immolation) can instead be sacrificed to create Martyr rituals. You must start creating the ritual within one minute of dismissing this ability. This ability lasts until it is dismissed, and is a swift action to activate. While it is active, no healing or fast healing effect will affect you.[/li]

Ex-Immolator Apostate
An immolator apostate who is affected by fire resistance loses all immolator apostate rituals and abilities. She may not progress any farther in levels as a immolator apostate. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations by undergoing self-purgation for 1 round per class level.

[Stratovarius]

This class has two progressions, one for the Martyr and one for the Ritualist and Ritual Warrior.

Lifeweaver

"I am linked to you as you are linked to me."
– Febiol Heahm, halfling Lifeweaver

All life is interconnected. That is the contributing factor to the Lifeweaver's existence, that he is not separate from those around him, and is in fact connected to them through processes that have taken some great time to understand. The way of using that process has become split, as the gifted who understood the knowledge divided into two factions: those who were focused on selfish ends and those who looked towards the good of others before themselves. That split has come down the years to those who are currently trained in the skills required. The threads of life still call out to one another, and the Lifeweavers still know how to manipulate them. Some have even begun to bridge the gap between the two traditions.

Becoming a Lifeweaver
Lifeweavers come in two distinct forms: Charitable or Narcissistic. The self-focused ones have learned how to draw upon the energy of others around them to power creations for their own benefit and use the web of life as a well from which to pump energy. Those who follow this path most often come from those who wield lifeblood as a weapon: the Ritualist or the Ritual Warrior. Those who treat the web as a gift that can be used to restore health and good fortune to others are mostly drawn from the ranks of Martyrs, heroes who have dedicated themselves to self-sacrifice in order to assist others. For them, this thin net is the means by which they can accomplish that goal, letting their gifts blossom out among all those in whom they confide their gifts.

Table 1: The Lifeweaver
Hit Die: d8

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities                   Rituals            
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +0    +2     Spirit of Giving/Theft of the Soul  –––
  2    +1     +0    +0    +3     Succour/Red Tinted Wind             +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +1     +1    +1    +3     Personal Boon/Grudging Acceptance   +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +2     +1    +1    +4     House of the Holy/Friendly Spirit   +1 Ritual Level 
  5    +2     +1    +1    +4     Leading the Ritual/Acceptance       +1 Ritual Level

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Feats: Morphic Ritual.
Rituals: 3rd level Rituals or above.
Special: Must either know at least two Network of rituals or two rituals that pull effects from the sacrificed creature.

Class Features
Linked through the web of life, and connected to all of those around them, be it for good or for ill, your talents as a Lifeweaver allow your influence to extend well beyond the paltry confines of your own body.

• Rituals Known: The Lifeweaver increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the ritual-wielding class at each indicated level.
• Martyr: You have focused on enhancing your gifts, turning your soul outward in a selfless act of compassion, putting all others in front of yourself.
  
  • Spirit of Giving (Ex): You have learned how to make your rituals stretch, encompassing more creatures that just the few who would be able to receive your gifts normally. Whenever you perform a ritual, pay the sacrifice cost normally. If you pay one third of the total cost again, you may affect another creature within 30'. There is no limit to the number of creatures you can effect. For example, to perform a 3rd level ritual at its minimum level costs 6 hit points (3 + 3). To affect one additional creature, sacrifice 8, and to affect two additional creatures, 10.
  • Succour: To heal and to help reign uppermost in your mind, and it has given you the ability to sense those who are most needy. By taking a full-round action, you can sense the location (to within 500 ft.) of any good–aligned creature under attack within one mile per class level of your location.
  • Personal Boon: There are times when helping those around you will not accomplish your goal as much as helping yourself to perform what you know is right. You recall a ritual you have created from a creature within 60'. The ritual's duration continues and expires as normal.
  • House of the Holy (Ex): You have learned how to project your inherent purity of spirit so that it shines out, beyond your person, a soul too strong and too invested with energy for a body to contain it. All allies within 10' of the ritual-wielder gain the effect of any rituals that are currently affecting the ritual-wielder. These rituals cannot be any that allow the ritual-wielder to attack another creature, magically or physically, but only rituals that grants boons, passive benefits. If the ritual has a one time effect, such as healing, it only affects the creature the first time it enters the area of effect. If your ally leaves the area, he loses the effect of the ritual. Rituals with larger areas, such as the Network series, have their normal effect in addition to this smaller area.
  • Leading the Ritual (Ex): A sacrifice for the betterment of others has always been the primary calling of your life, and here you have learned to teach others how to better themselves. whenever the ritual-wielder completes a ritual of up to third level, he may grant one ally per class level the knowledge of how to perform that ritual. The ally must be within 30', and, when he performs the ritual, must pay the cost and complete ritual as normal, and can only have one ritual granted to them in this way at any given time. The ally is treated as a Martyr of his character level for all purposes.
• Ritualist/Ritual Warrior: You have turned the network of souls inward, drawing upon its power to feed your hunger and to gift you continued access to the forms of life that grant you your most dangerous abilities.
  
  • Theft of the Soul (Ex): Instead of paying the hit dice cost of a ritual normally, via sacrificing a creature, a ritual-wielder may instead siphon his allies, slowly pulling away their life force in order to grant him power. The ritual-wielder level drains his allies within 50' a number of levels equal to the amount needed to create the desired ritual. This drain cannot be removed in any way while the ritual is active, but are restored immediately when the ritual is ended. If a drained creature dies or is transported to another plane, the ritual ends. The ritual and spellcraft checks must still be completed as normal. This drain can only be used on helpless or willing targets.
  • Red Tinted Wind (Ex): A breeze blows past, carrying with it a whiff of that most delicious substance:[/b] Lifeblood. Your senses race to follow the trail and alight upon the object of your desire. Once per day, you may Scry a wounded creature within one mile per class level of your location.
  • Grudging Acceptance (Su): You are normally reticent about helping allies, and it shows, with your magic and your nature focused internally, upon turning others into sacrifices for your own ascension. Even so, you are wise enough to know that on occasion, an ally may benefit you more than a dead creature. Once per day, you can transfer the effects of a ritual to another creature within 60'. The ritual's duration expires as normal, and if the target is invalid for any reason, the ritual fails. If the ritual-wielder dies, the ritual ends.
  • Friendly Spirit (Ex): The ritual-wielder has learned how to draw abilities and benefits from creatures without killing them. Whenever the ritual-wielder performs a ritual that grants him the abilities of the sacrificed creature, he may instead power the ritual through use of his Theft of the Soul ability. At least half of the required sacrifice must come from the creature to be copied.
  • Acceptance (Ex): The power that runs through the blood of your sacrifices can be called upon in many ways, but none more satisfying than to spill it out across the ground. However, sometimes it is not possible to find a creature who is so suited, and a lesser being must be made do with. You may meet the hit dice requirements of a sacrifice by mixing hit dice pulled through Theft of the Soul and killing sacrifices. When you create a ritual like this, you may have the abilities of the sacrifice come from the killed creature, or from one of the creatures giving negative levels, as per Friendly Spirit.

[Stratovarius]

Panegyric

"To truly speak well of the dead, you must emulate their nature."
– Halvloaa Balhnmohay, Elven Panegyric

Panegyrics take their knowledge of self-sacrifice and the precarious balance that exists between life and death, and walk along that fault line, sacrificing themselves to the very borders of the realm of death, and in that narrow place, finding the abilities that make them special. Soon, they begin to welcome death, able to use that place and time to return back to life, to once more balance on the knife's edge between life and death, and to help those who likewise are in that state, voluntarily or not. Panegyrics see creatures in their last moments, and it is in those last moments that they know one another. Sometimes, that will lead to a vow of vengeance upon someone who has sent far too many undeserving creatures to their final resting place, and that can be a terrible thing to behold, for the narrow lands between life and death give to the panegyric great power for retribution.

Becoming a Panegyric
Panegyrics start out in the form of martyrs, although they branch outwards, finding new applications for the talent of self-sacrifice. They are often those who are most driven, who demand the most out of their bodies and souls, pulling every last ounce of their being into the sacrifices they make in the name of others, and defending those others ever more strongly as they slip closer to the realm of the dead.

Table 1: The Panegyric
Hit Die: d8

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities                                       Rituals            
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +2    +2     Leaping Touch, Panegyric Balance                        –––                
  2    +1     +0    +3    +3     Sacrificial Boon, Redirect Gift                         +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +1     +1    +3    +3     Undying Devotion, Walk Amongst the Dead and the Dying   +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +2     +1    +4    +4     Inheritance of the Meek                                 +1 Ritual Level 
  5    +2     +1    +4    +4     Balancing the Scales                                    +1 Ritual Level 
  6    +3     +2    +5    +5     Corruption Turns Inward                                 –––
  7    +3     +2    +5    +5     Rise and Rise Again, Moment of Justice                  +1 Ritual Level
  8    +4     +2    +6    +6     Ritual Empowerment                                      +1 Ritual Level    
  9    +4     +3    +6    +6     Lifeforce Arisen                                        +1 Ritual Level 
  10   +5     +3    +7    +7     Revival                                                 +1 Ritual Level

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft.

Requirements:
Rituals: 3rd level Rituals or above.
Special: Healing Touch class feature.
Alignment: Good.
Feats: Open Soul.
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks.

Class Features
Balanced on the knife's edge between life and death, the panegyric is a servant of the living, and a gift to those who are dying, and has broadened his reach into both realms in order to serve better.

• Rituals Known: The Panegyric increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in a ritual-wielding class at each indicated level.
• Leaping Touch (Ex): Walking along the fine line between death and life, it is often incumbent upon you to determine those who live and those who are consigned to their fate, but this insight most often comes when in the same state as those being cared for. When you have less than half your total hit points, whenever you use the Healing Touch class feature, it affects one other creature per 2 class levels. That creature must be within 10' per class level. Halve the amount of healing for each creature after the first, so that the second creature affected heals half the total, the third a quarter, the fourth an eighth, and so on.
• Panegyric Balance (Ex): You have learned to remain in the state between life and death for many hours, days if need be, and not let other creatures disturb you from where you wish to remain. You gain a +2 bonus to Armour Class, Saves, and all Skills for every quarter of your total life you have lost. You also gain damage reduction of X/adamantium, where X is twice the bonus gained to Armour class.
• Sacrificial Boon (Ex): You have chosen to balance your life between the two equal and opposite ends. Combined with your inherent self–sacrifice, you have achieved a state unlike that experienced by almost any other. If creating a ritual would drop you below half your total hit points, you can apply its effects to another creature within 20 ft. per class level. That creature gains the half of the effects of the ritual. If the result of a ritual is not a numerical boost, the creature instead gains the ritual with one third normal duration.
• Redirect Gift (Su): Even a beneficial act may remove you from a state you wish to remain in. Whenever you would be affected by a spell or effect that would heal you, you may choose to have it instead heal one allied creature within 30 ft.
• Undying Devotion (Ex): Slipping perilously close to death may be a problem for many others, but for you it is merely a natural part of the state of being. You can act normally below 0 hit points, although you continue to bleed if appropriate, and must be reduced to –30 hit points instead of –10 to die.
• Walk Amongst the Dead and the Dying (Su): You have spent many an hour standing among the recently departed. Some you wished to have saved, others you wished had died sooner. You have the ability to change that now. You can perform a small sacrifice over the dead or dying. The cost of the sacrifice is a number of hit dice equal to the affected creature's, and takes a standard action to perform. If the creature was deceased, any wounds or diseases that remain upon the body after death are washed away, returning it to a normal, healthy state. If the creature has been dead for a number of rounds equal or less than your class level, the deceased may attempt a will save vs 20 + the number of rounds dead to return to life with one quarter of its total hit points. If the creature is dying, it is stabilized and will heal one hit point per round until it is above 0 hit points. If the dying creature makes a Will save vs 20 + the number of hit points below 0, it is restored to health with one half of its full hit points.
• Inheritance of the Meek (Ex): Those who are pushed to the brink between life and death that you inhabit are often placed there without consent, and you offer them a boon to help them remain upon this side of the transference. Whenever an ally drops below half of their total hit points, if they are within 10 ft. per class level they gain the benefit of all rituals currently affecting the Panegyric. These rituals cannot have effects that grants an ability with uses per hit dice of the sacrifice. If they creatures are healed above half their total hit points, go beyond the distance, or the Panegyric becomes unconscious or dying, the effects of the rituals are lost immediately.
• Balancing the Scales (Su): You have learned to spread your sacrifice far and wide, boosting the lifeforce of allies with the costs to your own. When you have less than half your total hit points, whenever you use the Healing Touch class feature, affected creatures gain any excess healing as temporary hit points, up to a maximum of twice your class level. This does not stack with other sources of temporary hit points, or itself, and lasts for one round per class level.
• Corruption Turns Inward (Su): Evil is the creature that brings suffering to others, and eviler still those who stand by and do nothing when they could step in to help. As a standard action, you may cancel a single active ritual to cause a single evil or neutral creature within 10' per class level to gain 1 negative level for every six hit dice of the sacrifice of the cancelled ritual. This ability is not an energy drain effect, and as such can even be used on creatures normally immune to energy drain (such as constructs or undead). A Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + panegyric level + wisdom mod) negates the level drain. If it fails, 24 hrs later the negative level also goes away, but one of the subject’s hit dice (or character levels, as appropriate) is permanently drained.
• Rise and Rise Again (Ex): You have spent so much time along the knife edge of life and death that the distinctions have blurred for you, no longer incurring their normal penalties. If you are slain and your corpse is primarily intact (over 80% of the body remains together), you will return to life in the location of your body one day after your death. Dismemberment or other bodily destruction during this time will prevent the revival of your body, and if it is not reconstituted before the day has passed, you pass on normally.
• Moment of Justice (Su): Right on the very precipice of dying, there you find your moment of greatest strength. If you are brought below 0 hit points by an enemy creature, you unleash a burst of spiritual energy, healing all your allies within range as if you had used Healing Touch on them. In addition, all allies affected by the healing gain the benefits of your Panegyric Balance class feature (+8 to Armour, Saves, Skills, and DR 16/adamantium) for a number of rounds equal to your class level.
• Ritual Empowerment (Su): You have found that the closer you are to death, the more power your sacrifices give to you. Any ritual created that would trigger sacrificial boon or while you are under half your total hit points increases any numeric benefits granted by 50% and grants 50% more uses if applicable. Any ritual created while you have 25% or less of your total hit points increases any numeric benefits by 100% and grants 100% more uses if applicable.
• Lifeforce Arisen (Su): The meek and the mild are often those most unable to defend themselves, ill equipped for the war the that the strong would bring upon them. You have seen fit to swing the balance in the other direction. As a standard action, you may cancel a single active ritual to grant all allies within 10' per class level a bonus of +1 per three hit dice of the sacrifice of the cancelled ritual to all rolls. The bonus lasts for one round per hit dice of the cancelled ritual.
• Revival (Su): Life has been a cruel master to you, and you have seen much suffering. Your own seems small by comparison, but even a small thing can tip the balance in your favour. Whenever fighting a creature of Challenge Rating greater than or equal to your level and while you are below 3/4 of your hit points, as a standard action you may call upon all others who have fallen before his despicable might. With a sacrifice of hit dice equal to the target's Challenge Rating, you create 1d4 Forgotten Souls (Treat as allips, spectres or wraiths) per hit dice of the sacrifice, adjacent to the targeted creature, or in the nearest available, safe, space. They can take a standard action immediately, and otherwise act on your initiative count in the order. These assault only the targeted creature, and dissipate with a bow of thanks if successful. If lost, they fly apart in shrieks of agony, an immortal soul rent asunder. They remain for one round per hit dice of the sacrifice, and cannot be turned, commanded, or controlled. A creature can only ever be targeted with this ability once.

[Stratovarius]

Planar Animist

"Serve me, for together we can right many wrongs!"
– Tr'Bon Karlat, Gnome Planar Animist

A Planar Animist looks outward for the answers to his rituals, out into the planes that surround the Prime. There are those that call to him, and in return, he offers sacrifices to them, begging them to come and to serve. And serve they do, enjoying their stint on the Prime. These outsiders also call to the Planar Animist, and he, in the end, learns to join them, wielding their powers as his own.

Becoming a Planar Animist
Almost all Planar Animists begin their adventuring days as martyrs, able to call creatures from other planes, most notably holy celestials. There are those among the martyrs who find that these rituals of summoning are their favoured tool, and they resolve to study and utilize them more. These then are the ones who become planar animists, focusing the might of their ritual utterings on the outer planes.

Table 1: The Planar Animist
Hit Die: d12

Level  BAB    Ref   Fort  Will   Special Abilities   Rituals
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +0    +0    +2     Planar Rituals      –––
  2    +1     +0    +0    +3     Bonus Ritual Feat   +1 Ritual Level
  3    +1     +1    +1    +3                         +1 Ritual Level
  4    +2     +1    +1    +4     Bonus Ritual Feat   +1 Ritual Level
  5    +2     +1    +1    +4     Outsider Form       +1 Ritual Level

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device.

Requirements:
Skills: Knowledge (The Planes) 10.
Rituals: Must have knowledge of at least two summoning rituals.

Class Features
You reach out to the higher planes, focusing on the might that resides within, begging and calling for it to come and assist you in your time of need against the foes who stand against you. There are few among the higher beings who can resist the call.

• Rituals Known: The planar animist increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in their ritual-wielding class at each indicated level.
• Planar Rituals (Su): At each level of the planar animist class, the character gains the ability to summon creatures from a designated plane of existence. This plane must have at least one alignment component shared with the planar animist. When performing the ritual, the planar animist chooses a creature type (such as Green Slaad) that is native to one of his (up to five) chosen planes. A creature average for its type appears at the end of the ritual, and serves the planar animist for the full duration. At the end of the Ritual's duration, the creature is returned to its home plane. Should the creature be killed, it reappears on its home plane within one day of its death. Creatures summoned this way are friendly, and will serve the planar animist to the best of their abilities. This ritual lasts for one day per hit dice of the sacrifice, and has a ritual level equal to one half the summoned creature's hit dice, with a maximum summon of 14 hit dice. A creature summoned in this way cannot use a spell-like ability with a spell level higher than the ritual level used to summon it. The Planar Animist chooses one plane that shares an alignment component with him at each class level. This choice is permanent.
• Bonus Ritual Feat: These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as ritual feats. The planar animist must still meet all prerequisites for the bonus feat.
• Outsider Form (Su): Upon attaining fifth level, whenever a planar animist uses planar ritual to summon a creature, he or she may assume that creature's form, gaining its physical statistics, natural armour, and any Extraordinary or Supernatural abilities. He or she also gains any spell–like ability of spell level 7 or below, and can use these either three times a day, or the creature's normal amount, whichever is less. While in outsider form, the ritual-wielder's race changes to outsider, with all the inherent penalties and benefits. He cannot be banished or dismissed, as he is still on his native plane.

[Stratovarius]

Quietus

"Join my army of the dead."
– Thranc Nefod, Necropolitan Quietus

Only a few of the most ambitious ritualists go down the even darker path that combines necromancy and ritual sacrifice, and those that do often end up as a quietus, poised over the balance between life and death. Capable of creating an almost limitless array of undead to serve them, and equally willing to sacrifice those servants, a quietus has few who will join with it, and less who approve of its methods.

Becoming a Quietus
The path to becoming a quietus is a long one, and involves more study of the nature of arcane magic than is expected from a ritualist, as well as a fascination with the undead, to the point that a quietus straddles that line, not fully undead but neither fully alive, healed by negative energy like the monsters it creates. His deep study of arcane magic and his love of the undead becomes fused together, and his path takes him to this point, where he merges the two into one seamless whole, death as the quietus's only focus.

Table 1: The Quietus
Hit Die: d6

Level  BAB    Reflex   Fortitude  Will   Special Abilities           Rituals
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-----------
  1    +0     +0       +0         +2     Rituals of Undead Creation  –––
  2    +1     +0       +0         +3                                 +1 Ritual Level
  3    +1     +1       +1         +3     Rituals of Undead Creation  +1 Ritual Level
  4    +2     +1       +1         +4     Bloodless Sacrifice         ---
  5    +2     +1       +1         +4     Rituals of Undead Creation  +1 Ritual Level
  6    +3     +2       +2         +5     Blood Drained               ---
  7    +3     +2       +2         +5     Rituals of Undead Creation  +1 Ritual Level
  8    +4     +2       +2         +6                                 +1 Ritual Level
  9    +4     +3       +3         +6     Rituals of Undead Creation  +1 Ritual Level
  10   +5     +3       +3         +7     Ceremony of Domination      –––

Table 2: Spells Known & Spells Per Day

Level  1st  2nd  3rd  4th  5th  6th  7th  8th  
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1st    -    –    –    –    –    –    –    –       
2nd    1    -    –    –    –    –    –    –       
3rd    2    1    -    –    –    –    –    –       
4th    2    2    1    -    –    –    –    –       
5th    2    2    2    1    -    –    –    –       
6th    2    2    2    2    1    -    –    –       
7th    2    2    2    2    2    1    -    –       
8th    2    2    2    2    2    2    1    -       
9th    2    2    2    2    2    2    2    1       
10th   2    2    2    2    2    2    2    2

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Rituals), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft, Use Magical Device, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 12.
Feats: Soul Pouch.
Rituals: 3rd level Rituals or above.
Special: Must have been brought below 0 hit points by an undead creature.

Class Features
Undead march to your will, ghosts, ghouls, mummies and shadows, all come to heel at your side. Blood flows in your wake, infecting even your servants, and you dance, revelling in the sacrifice.

• Rituals Known: The quietus increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the appropriate ritual-using class at each indicated level. If he has more than one, he may choose the one to increase.
• Spells: The quietus gains the ability to cast a limited number of spells from the quietus spell list, indicated below. At each new quietus level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on table #2. To learn or cast a spell, a quietus must have a charisma score equal to at least ten + the spell level. The difficulty class for a saving throw against a quietus’s spell is ten + the spell level + the quietus’s charisma modifier. These spells are cast as spontaneous arcane spells, as per the sorcerer, and he is subject to arcane spell failure. He does not gain extra spells per day from high charisma.
• Spell List: All spells are used at their wizard/sorcerer levels, and, if none, their cleric. animate dead, blight, cause fear, chill touch, command undead, control undead, create undead, create undead, greater, death ward, doom, enervation, false life, fear, gentle repose, ghoul touch, halt undead, harm, inflict critical wounds, inflict critical wounds mass, inflict light wounds, inflict light wounds mass, inflict moderate wounds, inflict moderate wounds mass, inflict serious wounds, inflict serious wounds mass, scare, speak with dead, undeath to death, vampiric touch.
• Rituals of Undead Creation (Su): A quietus can use the corpses of those felled in their rituals to create and command undead creatures. The creature used must be a creature previously slain in a ritual, and must meet any requirements for the template being applied or the creature it is to become. Any monster that becomes a creature as opposed to having a template applied is advanced until its hit die in undeath equals its living hit dice. If it does not have enough hit dice to become a standard creature of that entry, or if it does not meet some of the requirements of that template, the ritual fails and the body cannot be used again. To create a sentient undead creature, the slain creature must be sentient as well. At every other level, as indicated on the table, he can select one ritual of undead creation. This does not count as one of the rituals gained for that level. He must also meet any stated requirements for the ritual. A ritual of undead creation has a level equal to one half of the created undead's hit dice. Gold cost and other components of the ritual are as normal for a ritual of their level. A quietus can control undead with a total number of hit dice equal to four times his character level. If he creates an undead that would exceed this limit, that undead is free–willed and not under his control. These rituals do not count against the total hit dice cap, and the creatures created by them are permanent. Undead created by this ability cannot create spawn.
  
  • Ritual of Bone Form: The flesh melts away from the body of the sacrifice, revealing the skeleton beneath. That creature gains the skeletal template.
  • Ritual of Flesh: The flesh rots and congeals around the body of the victim, yet remains attached. That creature gains the zombie template.
  • Ritual of the King: The sacrifice twists and writhes, the flesh hardening and diminishing, yet losing none of the strength. That creature becomes a ghoul or ghast, depending on the strength of the sacrifice. Any creature with more than three hit dice becomes a ghast.
  • Ritual of Failed Vows: This ritual requires quietus level three or greater. The dying creature moans, reminded of each and every failing in its life, of times of loss, and of the woe it left behind. That creature becomes a bodak.
  • Ritual of Body Forgotten: This ritual requires quietus level three or greater. The body of the victim fades away, leaving only the faint outline of the creature behind. That creature becomes an allip.
  • Ritual of Wrappings: This ritual requires quietus level five or greater. The sacrifice must be clad in funereal wrappings for this ritual. The sacrifice becomes embalmed, the fluids and internal organs falling away, leaving the wrappings to describe the hidden horrors of the creature. That creature becomes a mummy.
  • Ritual of Hatred: This ritual requires quietus level five or greater. The bound target's form darkens and withers, death taking the vivacity of the creature from it, leaving only a husk behind. That creature becomes a mohrg.
  • Ritual of Shadow: This ritual requires quietus level five or greater. Shadows gather about the creature, concealing and darkening its form, parting only to reveal that they have consumed the sacrifice. That creature becomes a greater shadow.
  • Ritual of Pain Remembered: This ritual requires quietus level five or greater. Grim wounds tear into the corpse, peeling away the flesh until all that is left is a partially consumed soul. That creature becomes a spectre.
  • Ritual of Reborn Hunger: This ritual requires quietus level seven or greater. Bones revived from their temporary slumber reunite, coming together in only a semblance of life. That creature becomes a devourer.
  • Ritual of Blackened Corpse: This ritual requires quietus level seven or greater. Darkness entangles the body of the dead, writhing and twisting as if coming alive. That creature becomes a nightwing, nightcrawler, or nightwalker.
• Bloodless Sacrifice (Ex): The quietus can sacrifice an undead creature (including an undead it has created) in a ritual, in addition to using living creatures. Undead are treated as having sacrificial hit dice equal to half their actual hit dice, due to the already partially consumed lifeforce of the undead.
• Blood Drained (Ex): All undead creatures formed through a ritual of undead creation gain the blood drained template, whether they would normally meet the requirements or not.
• Ceremony of Domination (Su): All undead creatures within 30' feet per sacrificial hit dice are affected by a control undead spell, with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice. The saving throw against being controlled is ten plus the sacrificial hit dice plus the quietus's charisma modifier. The duration is as normal for a ritual, being one day per sacrificial hit dice.. No matter the number of undead under the quietus's control, this counts as a single sixth level ritual.

[Stratovarius]

Soul Channeller

"Souls are weapons to be wielded, nothing more."
– Tarranau, Soul Channeller

Perhaps a distant cousin to the lifeweavers, or perhaps reliant upon a new connection between the living, soul channellers have learned how to transmit the energies of dead souls over a distance not achieved by any other wielder of ritual magic. Attacks that require a mere ritualist to step into danger in order to complete can strike from the safety of a nearby cliff or hidden dell, finishing their foes before they have a chance to close with the soul channeller. The soul channeller has even learned how to manipulate the spirit itself, splitting it into fragments in order to strike down more of those who would stand against him. It is a rare gift indeed, and a great one.

Becoming a Soul Channeller
Soul channellers are taken from those who see ritual magic as an offensive tool, a weapon that can be altered and inscribed in ways that allow it to strike many foes, and many foes at range. Most often from the ranks of the ritualist, but sometimes from the ritual warrior or the martyr, they prefer the soul's energies as a weapon as opposed to the transformational rituals that are often the backbone of their colleagues's adventurous skills. It is a strange and terrible thing to kill a creature and let his soul orbit yours, thrusting it forward as a mere dangerous implement in order to strike down a foe, ruining all chances of their peace in the afterlife.

Table 1: The Soul Channeller
Hit Die: d6

Level  BAB    Reflex   Fortitude  Will   Special Abilities                           Rituals            
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
  1    +0     +2    +0    +2     A Soul's Distant Touch                              –––                
  2    +1     +3    +0    +3     Rituals of Focused Spirit                           +1 Ritual Level 
  3    +2     +3    +1    +3                                                         +1 Ritual Level 
  4    +3     +4    +1    +4     A Soul's Distant Touch, Rituals of Focused Spirit   +1 Ritual Level 
  5    +3     +4    +1    +4     Shrouded in Souls                                   +1 Ritual Level 
  6    +4     +5    +2    +5     Rituals of Focused Spirit                           +1 Ritual Level 
  7    +5     +5    +2    +5     A Soul's Distant Touch                              +1 Ritual Level 
  8    +6     +6    +2    +6     Rituals of Focused Spirit                           +1 Ritual Level 
  9    +6     +6    +3    +6     Manifested Soul                                     +1 Ritual Level 
  10   +7     +7    +3    +7     Rituals of Focused Spirit                           +1 Ritual Level

Class skills (2 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Intimidate, Knowledge (Religion), Spellcraft, Use Rope.

Requirements:
Rituals: 2nd level rituals or above.
Feats: Subsume Lifeblood.
Special: Three or more rituals that require a touch attack.
Alignment: Cannot be good.

Class Features
The dead are the weapon of the soul channeller, their souls ripped and reshaped as they writhe, converted into a filtered essence, attuned to a single segment of a foe's nature, destined to grasp it and wrest it from him.

• Rituals Known: The soul channeller increases rituals known as if the character had gained a level in the the appropriate ritual-using class at each indicated level. If he has more than one, he may choose the one to increase.
• A Soul's Distant Touch (Ex): A soul channeller has learned how to make his rituals reach out, affecting those farther away from him as they travel along soul conduits. These attacks still count as melee touch attacks for effects that would be triggered thereby.
  
  • At level one, the soul channeller's melee touch attack rituals become ranged touch attack at a range of 30'.
  • At level four, this increases to 60'.
  • At level seven, this increases to 90'.
• Rituals of Focused Spirit (Su): These rituals cause spirals of spirit energy to appear around his hands, lashing out to touch the targeted creature when an attacking ritual is used. Only one ritual of focused spirit can affect a single touch attack ritual. The choice of which ritual (or none) to affect the touch attack with happens as the touch attack is being performed. If the touch attack misses, these rituals have no effect. These rituals have a variable level, and the ritual wielder chooses that level before he begins the ritual. He must meet all requirements for the level of a ritual, including being able to perform rituals of that level, sacrificing a creature of the proper hit dice, and so on. The effects of the ritual of focused spirit can only affect a level of ritual equal to or less than the level of the ritual of focused spirit. These rituals count against the total hit dice cap, however, the soul channeller chooses them in addition to his normal rituals, at each even class level.
  
  • Ritual of Extended Striking: The soul channeller's rituals increase in range, the black energy at his fists coiling and twisting darkly as it stretches further. The range of his touch attack rituals is doubled.
  • Ritual of Forked Tongue: The soul channeller's rituals dance as if with life, hopping from one target to the next. The touch attack ritual may strike one additional creature. That creature must be within 15' of the primary target for every hit dice sacrificed to the ritual of forked tongue.
  • Ritual of Widened Blows: The soul channeller's rituals impact with a blast, striking not only the primary target but all those who would gather to him. It affects an area equal to 5' per two sacrificial hit dice for this ritual.
  • Ritual of Wretchedness: Siphoning the strength and soul from a creature as it strikes, the soul channeller's ritual sickens the target for one round per sacrificial hit dice for this ritual.
  • Ritual of Piercing Agony: Punching through the body of the soul channeller's foe like it was so much refuse, his ritual affects all creatures in a line that is 5' wide and 5' high. It is 5' long per two sacrificial hit dice for this ritual.
  • Ritual of Pain Returned: The soul channeller's ritual strikes an enemy repeatedly, drawing from him all manner of horrible screams and paroxysm. On the round after being struck, if the target fails a fortitude save against ten plus soul channeller level plus the soul channeller's charisma modifier, he is struck again by the ritual.
  • Ritual of Swift Endings: Strikes from the soul channeller's spiritual energy come fast and furious, driving the foe to his knees. The soul channeller may make a number of ranged touch attacks in a round equal to his normal attacks. This does not grant him additional uses of his touch attack ritual.
  • Ritual of Caressing Touch: The soul channeller's ritual slithers and slides across his foe as it strikes, entangling him within the bonds of the soul. This entangles the target for one round per sacrificial hit dice for this ritual.
  • Ritual of Vapours Stolen: The soul channeller strikes with the essence of the damned, siphoning the very soul and lifeblood out of a creature. The target takes 1d6 damage per two sacrificial hit dice used to create this ritual in addition to any normal damage the touch attack ritual might cause.
  • Ritual of Rent Soul: This ritual can only be taken at level ten. Whenever a creature is struck and killed by a touch attack ritual, the soul channeller may immediately affect himself, and himself only, with one new ritual for which the slain creature qualifies. If this would put him beyond the limit of hit dice allowed at any one time, it fails. There is no gold cost to creating a ritual in this way.
• Morphic Ritual (Ex): The soul channeller may change the effect of any one active ritual to that of a melee touch attack ritual. The new ritual must have the same duration and ritual level as the prior ritual, and the soul channeller must have knowledge of the new ritual. If he attempts to change to a ritual that he is already under the effects of, the older of the two rituals fails and is lost. After a ritual has been changed once, it cannot be changed again. The character may do this as many times per day as he wishes. Changing a ritual in this way takes five minutes.
• Shrouded in Souls (Ex): Whenever the soul channeller performs a ritual that would grant him a melee touch attack, instead of gaining its normal uses, he may instead create an emanation, centred on him, that is 5' per sacrificial hit dice in diameter. Whenever any creature enters this emanation, they are struck as if by the touch attack ritual. Any single creature can only be affected once. This lasts for the normal duration of the ritual. The soul channeller may only be shrouded in souls by a single ritual at a time.
• Manifested Soul (Su): The soul channeller expel a ritual from his body as a full-round action, summoning the creature that was sacrificed to power it. That creature lasts for one round per hit dice of the creature. Every round after the first, the summoned creature rolls a will save against ten plus the soul channeller's level plus the soul channeller's charisma modifier. If it succeeds, it is free willed, but still dies at the conclusion of the duration. It cannot be sacrificed again.
• Retributive Ritual (Ex): Whenever the soul channeller is struck by a melee or ranged attack, as an immediate action he may strike back using a melee touch attack ritual, the soul energy lashing out from his hand to attack the one who struck you. This counts as a normal use of his touch attack ritual, and the creature must still be within range of the ritual for it to be affected.

[Stratovarius]

Martyr Rituals

Level 1 Rituals

• Absolve the Weak - Transfer HP damage
• Affliction of Gluttony - Sicken target
• Burden of Virtue - Transfer negative effects to self
• Entwined Knowledge - Share skills
• Fettered Mind - Daze or slow creature
• Flesh Forged - Natural Armour
• Life's Wrappings - Protect ally inside cocoon
• Network of Suffering Surrendered - Poison and Disease protection
• Shifting Spirit - Teleport enemy
• Weaken Flesh - Remove Natural Armour

Level 2 Rituals

• Divine Presence, Lesser - Summon outsider
• Entwined Bodies - Share physical abilities
• Forge Lifebond - Share damage taken
• Gift of Anguish - Transfer negative effects to enemy
• Healer's Warning - Aware of single ally, condition affecting him
• Lift the Mind - Boost mental abilities
• Network of Hardened Skin - Sacred AC bonuses
• Shackled Thoughts - Slow target
• Shadows of Sin - Blind and Deafen
• Strengthen the Body - Boost physical abilities

Level 3 Rituals

• Call Boon, Lesser - Summon item
• Chained Body - Damage creature if it attacks
• Entwined Spirits - Share mental abilities
• Impregnable Spirit - Fortitude boost, Mettle, Fortification
• Network of Life's Gift - Fast Healing for allies
• Pinioned - Mental status effects against enemy
• Precognitive Awareness - Reflex saves, Evasion
• Reflexive Retribution - Return some damage to the attacker
• Sacrificial Knowledge - Grant Ritual Knowledge
• Unbreakable Body - Will saves, Mettle, Mindblank

Level 4 Rituals

• Ability Transfer - Transfer class ability
• Entwined Senses - Share vision, senses
• Healer's Viewing - Awareness of allies, conditions affecting them
• Heavenly Gift - Temp HP, healing, morale bonuses
• Momentary Repentance - Dominate Evil
• Network of Sheltered Soul - DR/Good
• Shelter in my Soul - Store ally in self
• Shield of the Soul - Wrap ally in cocoon
• Spirit Manacles - Pin creatures together, force shared damage
• Woven Tapestry - Heal ally, dazzle enemies

Level 5 Rituals

• Call Boon - Summon expensive item
• Divine Presence - Summon outsider
• Entwined Weaving - Share caster levels
• Justice - Force duel
• Network of Harm Undone - Elemental Resistance
• Sacrificial Knowledge, Greater - Grant Ritual Knowledge
• Sorrow's Burden - Shake and Slow target
• Spirit Aura - See all living creatures
• Spiritual Locus - Word of Recall
• Weaver's Life - Transfer damage to enemy, heal ally

Level 6 Rituals

• Ascension - Flight, Plane Shift
• Bless the Meek - Bonus to attack, damage, armour
• Darting Defense - Block physical attacks
• Entwined Magic - Transfer spell buffs
• Face Thy Punishments - Trap target in sphere
• Network of Magic Sundered - Spell resistance
• Restitution - Reflect attack to generator
• Soul Coffin - Self resurrection
• Splintered Soul - Fission, stun target
• Swirling Lives - Massive healing

Level 7 Rituals

• Call Boon, Greater - Summon artefact
• Divine Presence, Greater - Summon outsider
• Entwined Lifeforce - Share feats
• Judgement - AoE Save or Die
• Network of Souls - Share health amongst all allies
• Prayer Focus - Invulnerable
• Purge Thy Soul - Teleport target to Celestia
• Radiance - Sunbeam, AoE blind
• Soul's Shards - Trigger many rituals
• Trammel the Soul - Save or Die

[Stratovarius]

Martyr Rituals

Ability Transfer
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder gives of his soul to increase another creature's effectiveness. One willing ally loses a single class ability (This cannot be the ability to create Rituals, spells, or similar), which the targeted creature gains.

Absolve the Weak
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder takes the wounds of another onto himself. He can affect a creature and absorb all hit point damage the creature has taken, healing that creature fully. The ritual-wielder takes damage equal to half the total healed in this way, and cannot reduce the damage taken in any way. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Affliction of Gluttony
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

Tendrils of the sacrifice reach out and touch the target's stomach, causing it to become sickened for one round for each hit dice sacrificed. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Ascension
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Small morsels of the ritual-wielder's soul depart his body, affixing themselves to his allies, lifting them into the air. 1 creature per 3 hit dice of the sacrifice can fly, as per the spell. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, all affected creatures can plane shift, as per the spell, to any good aligned plane. They may also return to the location on the prime material plane they shifted from.

Bless the Meek
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: See text

The ritual-wielder raises up those below him, giving them the means to overthrow their oppressors. 1 creature per 3 hit dice of the sacrifice gains a +1 sacred bonus to armour class, attack and damage rolls, and saves per 2 hit dice of the sacrifice against any monster whose challenge rating is greater than the affected creature's.

Burden of Virtue
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder reaches out to touch the target, his hand enveloped in the energies he takes away from the touched creature. All negative effects, spell and otherwise, are transferred to the ritual-wielder, and he takes the full penalty from them. Those conditions must be either ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, immobilized, nauseated, sickened, stunned, or poisoned, or can be one targeted spell effect currently affecting the target with a duration of 1 or more rounds or to cancel a curse affecting the target as the remove curse spell. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Call Boon
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 hour/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder sends out his spiritual energy, offering a gift of himself in order to ask a boon. In return, he is gifted with a single item up to 50,000 gold pieces in value. If this item leaves his possession, the ritual ends. At the end of the ritual's duration, all effects created from the item disappear, along with the item itself. It may not be an expendable item, or one with charges.

Call Boon, Greater
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 hour/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As Call Boon, except that the item may be any non-epic item, including minor artefacts, but not major artefacts. Effects created by this item do not end when the ritual does.

Call Boon, Lesser
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 hour/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As Call Boon, except that the item may be up to 10,000 pieces in value.

Chained Body
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

Barbed chains of spiritual energy reach out and enfold the creature the ritual-wielder indicates. If that creature attempts a melee or ranged attack, it takes damage equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice, and the effect lasts for one round per hit dice of the sacrifice. It can only strike a given creature once per round.

Darting Defense
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

A series of small discs made out of force swim into existence around the ritual-wielder (or targeted creature), swirling and spiralling around him. Once per round, he can choose to have a disc block a single physical attack. This is a free action, and must be chosen before he knows the result of the attacker's roll. He receives one disc per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Divine Presence
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Effect: One summoned creature
Saving Throw: None

A glowing sphere of light appears, and out of it comes a creature of the higher planes, willing and able to serve the ritual-wielder for the sacrifices he has made. This summons a good–aligned outsider from the Summon Monster VI list.

Divine Presence, Lesser
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Effect: One summoned creature
Saving Throw: None

A glowing sphere of light appears, and out of it comes a creature of the higher planes, willing and able to serve the ritual-wielder for the sacrifices he has made. This summons a good–aligned outsider from the Summon Monster III list.

Divine Presence, Greater
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Effect: One summoned creature
Saving Throw: None

A glowing sphere of light appears, and out of it comes a creature of the higher planes, willing and able to serve the ritual-wielder for the sacrifices he has made. This summons a good–aligned outsider from the Summon Monster IX list.

Entwined Bodies
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. The two creatures share all of their physical statistics, choosing the highest score for each ability. Should any ability incur negative penalties to one creature, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Entwined Knowledge
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. The two creatures affected share all skill ranks, and can use the highest ranks among those entwined. Should any creature incur negative penalties to skills, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Entwined Lifeforce
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. The two creatures affected share all feats. The maximum number of feats that can be transferred is equal to one per two hit dice of the sacrifice. Should anything incur negative penalties (including damage) to one creature, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Entwined Magic
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. Any spell cast by one entwined creature upon itself also affects the other entwined creature. The highest level of spells transferable is equal to one half hit dice of the sacrifice. Should any spell incur negative penalties (including damage) to one creature, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Entwined Senses
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. The two creatures affected share all aspects of their senses, including magical vision, hearing, smell, or touch. They are treated as having Uncanny Dodge if they are within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice of one another. Should any spell blind, deafen, or incur negative penalties to one creature's vision, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Entwined Spirits
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. The two creatures share all of their mental statistics, choosing the highest score for each ability. Should any ability incur negative penalties to one creature, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Entwined Weaving
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two allied creatures
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder links two creatures together, weaving their lifeforces into an enmeshed knot. The ritual-wielder can be one of the targets of the Entwining, but does not need to be. Whenever the two creatures cast the same spell during a round, both spells act in all regards as if they had come from the higher level caster. The maximum level of spell that can be affected is equal to one half hit dice of the sacrifice. Should any spell incur negative penalties (including damage) to one creature, the other entwined creature receives all of those same penalties.

Face Thy Punishments
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

A globe of shimmering force encloses a creature, creating a sphere from which it cannot depart. If the creature fails a will save, it is unable to exit the 50' in radius sphere by any means, including teleportation or planar travel for a number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Fettered Mind
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder locks the target away within its own mind, bound in the vestiges of conscience. Evil creatures are dazed, neutral creatures are slowed, and good creatures are unaffected. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Flesh Forged
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The infusion of the ritual-wielder's gift toughens the outer skin of the target, granting him a +1 natural armour bonus for each 2 hit dice sacrificed.

Forge Lifebond
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

An iron chain of spiritual energy (no physical effect) links the ritual-wielder to a targeted creature. If it is hostile, it gains a Will save to negate the effect. If it fails or is willing, all damage to hit points is split evenly among the two creatures, with each taking 1/2 of the total that would normally be applied after all damage resistances are figured in (round up, if necessary). This includes the loss of hit points from creating a sacrifice. This lasts for one day per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Gift of Anguish
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls the hurt and anguish out of his friend, holding it to return to that which gave it to him. The ritual-wielder may transfer a single negative status effect from an ally to himself, or from himself to an enemy. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Healer's Viewing
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Target: One ally/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Sometimes the ritual-wielder needs to keep track of comrades who are separated; this ritual allows him to mentally monitor their relative positions and general condition. He is aware of direction and distance to the creatures and any conditions affecting them: unharmed, wounded, disabled, staggered, unconscious, dying, nauseated, panicked, stunned, poisoned, diseased, confused, or the like. If a subject leaves the plane, or if it dies, the ritual ceases to function for that creature. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder may scry an ally, as per the spell. This always succeeds. Each time he scrys an ally, he may affect the ally with a single beneficial ritual. This ends the scrying effect.

Healer's Warning
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Target: One ally/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Sometimes the ritual-wielder needs to keep track of comrades who are separated; this ritual allows him to mentally monitor their relative positions and general condition. He is aware of direction and distance to the creatures and any conditions affecting them: unharmed, wounded, disabled, staggered, unconscious, dying, nauseated, panicked, stunned, poisoned, diseased, confused, or the like. If a subject leaves the plane, or if it dies, the ritual ceases to function for that creature.

Heavenly Gift
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Area: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice emanation
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder gives greatly of himself, and all allied creatures within 20' per hit dice of the sacrifice become immune to all diseases, sickness, nausea, poison, and fear. Each creature also receives a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and Will saves for every 4 hit dice of the sacrifice.

Impregnable Spirit
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder's sacrifice flows through the body of the target, stiffening its resolve against all outside effects, granting the target a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves for each hit dice sacrificed. If five hit dice are sacrificed, the target gains Mettle, and if ten hit dice are, Heavy Fortification.

Judgement
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Area: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

The ritual-wielder allows his spirit to reach out to those around him, marking their state of being, and whether it is good or ill. Those who are ill are punished, those who are middling are reprimanded, and those who are good escape punishment. All evil creatures within 20 feet per hit dice of the sacrifice must save or be destroyed, all neutral creatures must save or become dazed for one round, and good creatures need not save. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice. This ritual's effects apply to undead, constructs, and other unliving creatures.

Justice
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two creatures
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial, see text

The ritual-wielder separates two creatures from the hordes around them, granting one wronged by the other a benefit in his pursuit of a proper ending to the matter. This ritual affects two creatures, one of whom must have wounded the other in some way. The wounded creature gets a +1 sacred bonus on attack, damage, and armour class for every two hit dice of the sacrifice. This bonus only applies against the creature that wounded it. No other creatures may attack or assist either of the two duellists in any way. Any creature that comes to the aid of either combatant must make a fortitude save or be destroyed (including undead, constructs, summons or other unliving creatures). Creatures that succeed at this fortitude save are paralyzed for one round. This rituals ends when one of the two creatures is dead or has surrendered. If one of the two creatures surrenders and then attempts to attack the other, the attacking creature must make a fortitude save or be destroyed. The aggrieved party gains double the normal benefits of the ritual, and the ritual does not end until one of the two creatures is dead. The ritual-wielder may target the two creatures, activating the duel, at any point during the ritual's duration as a standard action.

Life's Wrappings
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One ally
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder gestures at a creature within range, sending out tendrils made from his own spirit to wrap the creature, keeping it safe from harm. The wrapping has hardness equal to two times the hit dice of the sacrifice and hit points equal to five times the hit dice of the sacrifice. The subject can still breathe but is otherwise helpless, unable to see outside the wrapping, speak, or take any physical actions. The subject can execute purely mental actions (such as manifesting powers or casting spells with no verbal, somatic, or material components). Cutting or damaging the wrapping can free a victim. The creature within the wrapping is visible only as a vague shape (substantial enough to interrupt line of sight) and cannot be directly harmed or interacted with unless the wrapping is destroyed. The wrapped creature can be moved normally (the weight of the wrapping is negligible). A creature that is wrapped while aloft begins to fall immediately (and takes falling damage, if appropriate), and a creature that is wrapped while swimming or underwater may drown. While inside the wrappings, the creature heals 10 hit points per minute spent in the wrappings. This cannot be used on a hostile creature. The ritual-wielder may target his ally at any point during the ritual's duration as an immediate action. The wrapping lasts for one minute per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Lift the Mind
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One ally
Saving Throw: None

The targeted creature gains a +1 sacred bonus to his Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma for each 2 hit dice sacrificed as the ritual-wielder guides him to a higher state of consciousness.

Momentary Repentance
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder makes a gaze attack against a creature within 60', using the weight of the target's sins as a vehicle to force a change in the creature's soul. If the creature fails a will save, its alignment changes to good and it is dominated for a number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice. The ritual-wielder can do this once per hit dice sacrificed as a standard action. The targeted creature must be evil.

Network of Hardened Skin
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder grants his allies a thicker skin, his sacrifice wrapping an extra layer of protection around his friends. He cannot affect himself with the positive aspects of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. While this ritual is active, all targeted creatures gain a sacred bonus to AC equal to one–half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Network of Harm Undone
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder's spent soul absorbs the energy directed at his friends, a guardian angel protecting them from harm. He cannot affect himself with the positive aspects of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. While this ritual is active, all targeted creatures gains damage resistance to acid, cold, electrical, fire, and sonic energy equal to twice the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Network of Life's Gift
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder sacrifices himself to imbue a regenerative spirit into those with whom he is allied. He cannot affect himself with the positive regeneration of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. While this ritual is active, all targeted creatures gain 1 point of fast healing for every three hit dice of the sacrifice.

Network of Magic Sundered
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Spells fly at the ritual-wielder's allies, splashing over them, bright bursts of flame that leave them unharmed. Among all of the party, only the ritual-wielder is wounded. Burned, but not dead, he smiles and carries on. He cannot affect himself with the positive aspects of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. While this ritual is active, all targeted creatures gains spell resistance equal to ten + twice the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Network of Sheltered Soul
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder sacrifices himself to imbue a resistant spirit into those with whom he is allied. He cannot affect himself with the positive aspects of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. While this ritual is active, all targeted creatures gain DR/Good equal to one–half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Network of Suffering Surrendered
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Diseases and poisons are deadly to many adventurers. To the ritual-wielder, they are another way in which he can gift himself to his friends. He cannot affect himself with the positive aspects of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. While this ritual is active, all targeted creatures that are struck by a disease or poison ability or spell instead transfer that effect to the ritual-wielder, who immediately makes the saving throw versus the effect. If the ritual-wielder is an invalid target for the disease or poison because of such things as race or class abilities, the poison fails to harm him.

Network of Souls
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One allied creature/3 hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder binds together all of his friends and allies, creating a network of life that resists even the toughest of challenges. He cannot affect himself with the positive aspects of this ritual. For every three hit dice of the sacrifice, he can target one willing creature. Whenever any targeted creature is struck for hit point damage, it is split evenly among all creatures affected by this ability.

Pinioned
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates, see text

The ritual-wielder batters at the gates of the affected creature's mind, slowly breaking down its resistances. Each round that the creature is under the effect of this ritual, he must save or be affected as follows: 1st round dazed, 2nd round stunned, 3rd round paralysed, 4th round charmed, and 5th round dominated. Once he is dominated, he remains that way for the duration of the ritual. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice. If a creature saves at any point against this ritual, he cannot be affected again by the ritual.

Prayer Focus
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder infuses his body with a resilience formed over years of self-sacrifice and denial. He is invulnerable to all attacks, spells, and special abilities, but neither can he attack, use rituals, spells, or special abilities. This benefit lasts for 1 round per hit dice of the sacrifice, and can be activated as a swift action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Precognitive Awareness
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

Joining with the ritual-wielder's gift gives the targeted creature a subconscious knowledge of what is about to happen, granting the target a +1 bonus on Reflex saves for each hit dice sacrificed. If five hit dice are sacrificed, the target gains Evasion, and if ten hit dice are, Improved Evasion.

Purge Thy Soul
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

If the target fails a will save, the creature is teleported to the upper planes. Unless the GM devises a specific location and scenario in Celestia, the subject encounters a group of 2d4 planetars every hour he or she spends in heaven (he spends 1 hour per hit dice of the sacrifice). The ritual-wielder can activate this ritual as a standard action once for every hit dice of the sacrifice.

Radiance
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Personal
Area: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: See text

The ritual-wielder freezes his body in order to allow his soul to shine through, channelling its power against all of those who wish him ill. The ritual-wielder may not take an action for the duration of the effect. The blinding light of his soul reaches out into the darkness for 20 feet per hit dice of the sacrifice. Invisible, ethereal, and incorporeal creatures lose the special protections those states grant and may be struck normally. Evil creatures (including undead) must succeed at a Will save or be dazed, nauseated, and paralyzed, as their souls battle against the goodness in the light. Neutral creatures must succeed at a Will save or be sickened and staggered. All evil and neutral creatures must succeed at a Fortitude or be blinded and dazzled. All evil and neutral creatures take 4d6 divine damage every round they are in the area. This damage is tripled against undead creatures. The ritual-wielder may activate this as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice. It lasts for 1 round per hit dice of the sacrifice, and creatures must save each round they are in the area.

Reflexive Retribution
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

Whenever the ritual-wielder or targeted creature is struck by a melee attack, an amount of damage equal to the number of hit dice sacrificed for the ritual is redirected into the attacker. The ritual-wielder or targeted creature takes all damage beyond that returned to the attacker.

Restitution
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

An enemy launches an attack at the targeted creature, which he accepts with open arms, knowing that if he survives the blow, all will be well. Whenever struck by a spell, effect, or attack, if he target creature survives or passes the save, as an immediate action he may cause the attack to rebound on the creator, dealing the same damage or effect to it as was done to the targeted creature. This can be used once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Sacrificial Knowledge
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The targeted creature gains the ability to sacrifice itself to power a single first level ritual. That ritual is chosen at the beginning of Sacrificial Knowledge, and must be a ritual that the ritual-wielder knows. The targeted creature retains that ability for one day per hit dice of the sacrifice. He creates this ritual at the same level as the ritual-wielder who created Sacrificial Knowledge.

Sacrificial Knowledge, Greater
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The targeted creature gains the ability to sacrifice itself to power a single second level ritual. That ritual is chosen at the beginning of Sacrificial Knowledge, and must be a ritual that the ritual-wielder knows. The targeted creature retains that ability for one day per hit dice of the sacrifice. He creates this ritual at the same level as the ritual-wielder who created Sacrificial Knowledge, Greater.

Shackled Thoughts
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder induces blocks in the spiritual activity of the target, dulling the interaction with the afflicted creature's body. The afflicted creature may take a standard action or a move action during his round, but not both. His swift action is unaffected, and if he has more than one standard or move action, he only loses one. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice, and the effect lasts for 1 round per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Shadows of Sin
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 60 ft.
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder makes a gaze attack against a creature within 60', forcing the sins of the creature to swell and form a visible barrier. If the creature fails a Will save, it is blinded and deafened for a number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Shelter in My Soul
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: Touch
Target: One ally
Saving Throw: None

At the completion of the ritual, the ritual-wielder touches one willing creature, engulfing him in a flickering glow of white lights that builds and swirls, eventually consuming the targeted creature, causing it to disappear entirely. The creature (and all worn and held items it possesses) is stored in an extradimensional space within the soul of the ritual-wielder, and is completely immune to all forms of magic, including divinations. The ritual-wielder must sacrifice a number of hit dice equal to the hit dice of the creature to be hidden. This ritual lasts for one day per hit dice of the sacrifice. When the ritual ends, the ritual is cancelled, or the ritual-wielder dies, the stored creature immediately appears standing in the closest available space to the ritual-wielder, and the creature is dazed one round for every day spent within the ritual-wielder's soul. During his time in the ritual-wielder's soul, he heals at three times the normal natural rate.

Shield of the Soul
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

As Life's Wrappings, except the Hardness is five times hit dice, the hit points are 15 times hit dice. While inside the wrappings, the creature heals 20 hit point per minute spent in the wrappings, and any ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, immobilized, nauseated, sickened, stunned, or poisoned is removed.

Shifting Spirit
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder teleports a single creature 50' per hit dice of the sacrifice in a random direction. This cannot put the creature in an area that would cause it harm upon arrival (this includes over chasms, above lava, or on other places that cannot support it). This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice. If the creature cannot safely appear at the randomly chosen destination, it appears in the nearest safe square.

Sorrow's Burden
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Area: 60 ft. cone
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder affects all creatures in a 60' cone, impressing upon them the weight of all his known and unknown sorrows. All creatures who fail a Will save are shaken and slowed for a number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Soul Coffin
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: Permanent, see text
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder creates an intangible block of soul matter that looks like a semi-transparent sarcophagus. Each time he dies, he is resurrected at the coffin one full day later, losing half of his current level's experience points. He is exhausted and shaken, and cannot use any ritual magic for one day each time he is resurrected. He may be resurrected a number of times equal to one half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Soul's Shards
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

Small fragments of the ritual-wielder's soul spin off from his body, forming a protective barrier around the targeted creature. There is one shard per hit dice of the sacrifice. Each shard, when triggered as a full-round action, activates a single ritual that the ritual-wielder of 3rd level or lower. The activated ritual lasts for one hour per hit dice of the sacrifice, and has a ritual-wielder level and sacrificial hit dice equal to that used to create Soul's Shards.

Spirit Aura
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder grants a single willing creature the power to see the aura that surrounds all creatures, peeling away any invisibility, disguises, concealment, or hiding. It even allows vision into the Astral and Ethereal planes.

Spirit Manacles
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two creatures
Saving Throw: None

Binding weaves of spiritual energy entwine two creatures, interlinking their lifeforces. For 1 round per hit dice of the sacrifice, neither creature can move more than 10 feet from one another, and whenever one takes damage, the other takes an equal amount. This ritual can be used once per hit dice of the sacrifice. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Spiritual Locus
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: Two creatures
Saving Throw: None

You bind the soul of two creatures together, letting each come to the aid of the other. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, either of the two touched creatures may teleport to the other, as per word of recall.

Splintered Soul
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates

If the target fails a will save, its soul splinters, crumbling into two equal parts. Treat this as if fission had been manifested on the creature, but instead of two negative levels, the duplicate and the original each function as if they had negative levels equal to half their total hit dice. Both the target creature and the duplicate are stunned for one round. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Strengthen the Body
Level: Martyr 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: None

The targeted creature gains a +1 bonus to his Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution for each 2 hit dice sacrificed as the ritual-wielder shows him how to achieve a body free from afflictions and wants.

Swirling Lives
Level: Martyr 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: See text
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder spins out his life into small globes of pure energy, an offering to all of those around him. Once per round, he can direct a globe to cover an area 30 ft. in radius, centred on the ritual-wielder, in positive energy as a free action. All allied creatures heal 20 hit points of damage, or one negative condition (ability burn, ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, immobilized, level drained, nauseated, petrified, sickened, stunned, or poisoned) of the ritual-wielder's choice. The ritual-wielder receives one globe per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Trammel the Soul
Level: Martyr 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: See text

The ritual-wielder drives the creature to its knees for each action it takes against the ritual-wielder or his ally. Each time the affected creature attempts a hostile act against the ritual-wielder or his ally, the creature must make a fortitude save or be destroyed. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice, and affects the target creature for one round per hit dice of the sacrifice. This affects creatures that would normally be immune to fortitude saves.

Unbreakable Mind
Level: Martyr 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: See text

The mind of the target grows in power, shrugging off effects that before would have clouded its thoughts as the ritual-wielder's sacrifice grants the target a +1 bonus on Will saves for each hit dice sacrificed. If five hit dice are sacrificed, the target gains Mettle for Will saves, and if ten hit dice are, Mindblank.

Weaken Flesh
Level: Martyr 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

The ritual-wielder steals some of the strength from target, thinning his natural defences and causing the target to take a –1 penalty to natural armour bonus for each hit dice sacrificed. This cannot reduce their natural armour below 0. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Weaver's Life
Level: Martyr 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature, see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude half

The ritual-wielder can transfer the wounds of one creature to another. The ritual-wielder fully heals an ally within 5 feet per hit dice of the sacrifice. All of the damage healed this way is transffered to a single hostile creature within range. That creature has a fortitude save to halve the damage. This ritual can be used as a standard action once per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Woven Tapestry
Level: Martyr 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Range: 20 ft./hit dice of the sacrifice
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text

A field of shimmering lights and glowing spheres surrounds the ritual-wielder. For each hit dice of the sacrifice, one glowing sphere appears. He can launch the spheres at the rate of one a round as a free action, each one either healing 6d8 damage, or dealing 6d8 damage to an undead creature, will save for half. Any hostile creature who approaches within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice of the ritual-wielder while the field of shimmering lights is active must make a will save or be dazzled.

[Stratovarius]

Ritual Warrior Rituals

Level 1 Rituals

• Breaker - Ignore DR
• Brume of Broken Blades - Damage armour, weapons
• Hematic Theft - Damage, temp hp
• Lunging Cadaver - Block attack
• Rush of Blood - Speed boost
• Skills of the Fallen - Gain skills
• Slithering Soul - Cloud Mind
• Soul Counter - Gain AoOs
• Transfer Resistance - Gain resistance
• Striker's Gift - Damage boost

Level 2 Rituals

• Anguish and Agony - Retaliation when struck
• Bloodseeking Blade - Keen, Wounding weapon
• Evacuting Touch - Damage will saves
• Grasping Hands - Turn corpse into ally
• Halo Strike - AoE damage
• Hematic Burst - Ability Damage
• Hematic Shield - Immune to blood affecting
• Rush of Blood, Greater - Speed, Attack boost
• Speed of the Fallen - Gain movement types
• Weapon of Blood - Life Leech

Level 3 Rituals

• Bone Web - Trap enemy in bone lattice
• Boneform Gear - Create arms and armour
• Bound Soul Blade - Enhance weapon
• Cadaver Column - Turn corpse into ally
• Feats of the Fallen - Gain feat
• Flesh of the Fallen - Immune to disease and poison
• Permeable Ward - Damage resistance, penalty
• Scything Bane - Retaliation Aura
• Seeping Spirit - Damage aura
• Siphon Spirit - Ability damage

Level 4 Rituals

• Blood Coffin - Trap enemy in coffin, Save or Die
• Fear Ward - Retaliate, shake enemy
• Finality - Deal half hp in damage
• Flesh Lance - Piercing Line attack
• Leeching Aura - Steal HP in AoE
• Size of the Fallen - Change size
• Soul Siphon - Level drain
• Transfer Resistance, Greater - Gain all resistance types
• Withered Rose - Damage over Time, nausea

Level 5 Rituals

• Blood Aflame - Fast Healing
• Blood Dancer - Chain attacks
• Death Ripple - AoE Save or Die
• Disfiguring Death - Kill creature, AoE damage
• Hematic Burst, Greater - Ability damage
• Ritual Held - Animate Dead
• Sympathetic Pain - AoE shaken
• Vitality Leech - Temp HP

[Stratovarius]

Ritual Warrior Rituals

Please note that the Ritualist also has access to some of these rituals, but they are duplicated in Ritualist Rituals

Anguish and Agony
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

You have warded yourself against the strikes of others, promising them a bitter return on all that they do. Whenever you are struck in melee by a creature, you deal them 1d6 damage and grant a –1 attack penalty that lasts for one round in response. The attack penalty granted by this ritual does not stack with itself. This ritual only affects living creatures.

Blood Aflame
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder feels his blood quicken, rushing to repair any injury that occurs, closing wounds that would kill a lesser man in mere minutes. The ritual-wielder gains Fast Healing equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Blood Coffin
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Fort negates

You entrap your foes, leaving them writhing and in agony inside a coffin of living blood that saps their life away. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a standard action that requires a melee touch attack that grants a Fortitude save vs 10 + hit dice of the sacrifice + ritual warrior's intelligence modifier, you enfold the target within a coffin of flesh and bone that has hardness of 8 and hit points equal to 20 per hit dice of the sacrifice. The first round that they are trapped within, the creature loses one third of its current hit points and is fatigued. The second round, it loses another one third of its hit points and is exhausted. The third round, it loses the final third and dies. If the coffin is shattered, the creature is freed, but his hit points are still lost. A creature inside the coffin can only attack with light weapons or natural attacks against the walls of the coffin. This does not work on non–living creatures.

Blood Dancer
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

You have learned to make the blood of enemies call out to you, pulling you towards it for a brief moment. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a standard action, you may strike a foe you are in melee range of, and then teleport to a foe of your choice within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice. You make a single melee attack against that foe and teleport on to the next creature within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice of you until all foes within range have been attacked once. You end your turn in melee range of the last target you struck. If you miss an attack or cannot arrive in melee range of the next creature, the chain is broken and your round is over. You gain a +2 bonus on attacks made during the Blood Dance.

Bloodform Champion
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder clothes himself in armour and weapons formed from the blood of the sacrifice. These items continually bleed, giving anyone trying to track the ritual-wielder a +10 bonus on their checks, except in rain or another condition that would wipe the trail clean. He gains proficiency with all martial weapons and all armours. When this ritual is completed, he must choose 1 suit of armour and either 1 two handed weapon, or a one handed weapon and shield. If it is a ranged weapon, it creates an unlimited supply of ammo. All items have a +1 Enhancement bonus to Armour Class, or Attack and Damage, for every 3 hit dice of the sacrifice. The ritual-wielder increases his size category by one (his gear growing to match), as well as increasing his BAB to match his character level. Finally, the ritual-wielder gains fast healing equal to half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Bloodseeking Blade
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The weapon the ritual-wielder uses to make the sacrifice drips blood after it is pulled from the sacrifice's body, and continues to do so for the duration of the ritual. That weapons becomes keen (or other appropriate property that doubles the threat range), and gains the wounding enhancement. Each time it strikes causes a fountain of blood to spray from the wound.

Bloodseeking Blade, Greater
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The weapon the ritual-wielder uses to make the sacrifice drips blood after it is pulled from the sacrifice's body, and continues to do so for the duration of the ritual. That weapons becomes keen (or other appropriate property that doubles the threat range), and gains both the wounding and Coup De Grace enhancements. Each time it strikes causes a fountain of blood to spray from the wound.

Bolstered Blood
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder becomes more able to shrug off the effects of spells and heavy blows. If the sacrifice has 1–3 hit dice, he gains light fortification, moderate for 4–6 hit dice, and heavy for 7+ hit dice. He also gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws for every two hit dice of the sacrifice.

Bone Web
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder rips the bones from the flesh of a corpse, transforming it into an awful spectacle entrapping those beneath. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a standard action that requires touching the corpse of a creature, the ritual-wielder creates a dome of bone that engulfs a single creature and has hardness of 8 and hit points equal to 20 per hit dice of the sacrifice. It is a semi–open lattice and creatures with reach weapons can strike in or out at a –4 penalty, although the creature inside also receives partial cover. Every round that he remains within the bone cage, the creature takes 2d4 damage as thorns growing from the bone walls pierce his flesh. If the creature attempts any action, it takes 4d4 damage that round. If the dome is shattered, the creature is freed. A creature inside the dome can only attack with light weapons or natural attacks against the walls of the dome. This web lasts for 1 round/hit dice of the sacrifice.

Boneform Gear
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls the skeletal structure out of the sacrifice, warping and altering the bones to create a set of gear. When this ritual is completed, the ritual-wielder must choose 1 suit of armour and either 1 two handed weapon, or a one handed weapon and shield, or two light one–handed weapons. If it is a ranged weapon, it comes with 1d6 rounds of ammunition per hit dice of the sacrifice. All items have a +1 Enhancement bonus to Armour Class, or Attack and Damage, for every 3 hit dice of the sacrifice. The ritual-wielder is automatically proficient in the weapon, but only the boneform weapon, not every weapon of the type.

Bound Soul Blade
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder twists and contorts the soul of the sacrifice, imbuing it into his weapon. His weapon gains a single enhancement (without charges), such as Shocking Burst or Bane, with a maximum enhancement possible of +1 per three hit dice of the sacrifice. This does not allow him to exceed the +10 overall cap for enhancements on the weapon.

Breaker
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

When the ritual-wielder sacrifices a creature for this ritual, he intuitively understands the physiology that made it tough and strong, and the ways to overcome it. He ignores all damage resistance that has a component equal to that of the sacrificed creature. Thus, if he sacrificed a creature with damage resistance 5/cold iron and evil, he would ignore all damage resistance that is either cold iron, evil, or cold iron and evil. He does not ignore damage resistance such as 5/cold iron and good, or 5/adamantium and evil.

Brume of Broken Blades
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Reflex negates

Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can touch a target's armour or weapon. If successfully struck, a blood coloured haze surrounds it, eating away at the strength and integrity of the item. The wielder of the item gets a reflex save to resist. If he fails, the base damage or armour class of the item is reduced to zero. This effect lasts for 1 round per sacrificial hit dice.

Cadaver Column
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder calls to life the body of a dead foe, transforming it into a frightful pillar of labyrinthian flesh. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a swift action that requires touching the corpse of a creature, the ritual-wielder may create a Cadaver Column out of a corpse.

Death Ripple
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Fort negates

Death is a sympathetic force, and will try and snuff out all life around it. The ritual-wielder has learned to take advantage of that propensity, and uses it to create waves that roll over and engulf his enemies. Whenever the ritual-wielder creates a ritual with his Finishing Strike class feature, creatures within 10' of the killed creature must make a Fortitude saving throw versus 10 + the hit dice of the sacrifice (for Death Ripple) + his intelligence modifier or perish.

Disfiguring Death
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Fort negates; reflex half; see text

The ritual-wielder forces a vicious and unstoppable process upon a creature, watching its face churn in agony before dying in a spray of bone and bile. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a standard action that requires a melee touch attack that grants a Fortitude save vs 10 + hit dice of the sacrifice + ritual-wielder's intelligence modifier, he inflicts a terrible end upon the chosen creature. The touched creature's bones and organs grind and misshape themselves, killing the creature. Immediately afterwards, the dead creature's bones erupt in a visceral spray, dealing 1d4 damage per hit dice of the dead creature in a cone that is 5' long per hit dice of the creature. This has a reflex save for half equal to 10 + dead creature's hit dice. The cone originates at the creature killed, pointed directly away from the ritual-wielder.

Evacuating Touch
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Many is the time that had the ritual-wielder's target only been slightly weaker in his mental fortitude, he would have broken and run before the ritual-wielder's overwhelming prowess and fearsome appearance. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice as a standard action, the ritual-wielder can force base animal impulses into the creature touched, granting it a +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution, but causing a penalty to all saves equal to one-half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Fear Ward
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder's very appearance, covered in grime and matted with the blood of enemy and ally alike, strikes fear into those who come into close contact with him. Whenever a creature strikes the ritual-wielder in melee, the creature must make a will save vs 10 + the sacrifice's hit dice + the ritual-wielder's intelligence modifier or become shaken for one round. If a creature activates this ability more than once in a round, they advance to panicked and then cowering.

Feats of the Fallen
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder wrenches at the mind of the sacrifice, drawing forth knowledge of a specific ability that wretch has. For the duration of the ritual, he gains use of one feat that the sacrifice possessed. He does not need to meet the requirements of the feat.

Finality
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Fort negates

Whenever the ritual-wielder kills a creature and activates a ritual with his Finishing Strike class ability, one creature (within 5' per hit dice of the slain creature) must make a fortitude saving throw vs 10 + sacrifice hit dice (for Finality) + the ritual-wielder's intelligence modifier, or lose one half of its current hit points. If there is more than one legal target, the ritual-wielder chooses which must save.

Flesh Lance
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a standard action, the ritual-wielder can recall the flesh and bone that made up the carcass of the sacrifice, and project that in a vicious attack that deals 3d6 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice in a piercing line 10' long per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Flesh of the Fallen
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder walls himself within the flesh of the sacrifice, creating a thick barrier over his body that wards off some of the damage from mundane attacks. He gains DR 1/magic for every two hit dice of the sacrifice. In addition, he gains fast healing 1 for every two hit dice of the sacrifice, but it only affects him at or below one-half his full normal hit points.

Grasping Hands
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder forces a tiny piece of life back into a corpse, creating a pathetic mongrel that lies upon the ground in wait for foes. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a swift action that requires touching the corpse of a creature, he may create a Starving Carcass out of the corpse.

Halo Strike
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Whenever the ritual-wielder kills a creature and activates a ritual with his Finishing Strike class ability, all adjacent creatures to the target (within 5') take any damage in excess of that needed to kill the target. Thus, if he strikes a creature for 20 damage when 10 would kill it, all creatures adjacent to the killed creature take 10 damage.

Hematic Burst
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can touch a living target. That creature has blood burst from his body, causing two points of Constitution damage and 1d6 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Hematic Burst, Greater
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can touch a living target. That creature has blood burst from his body, causing three points of Constitution damage and 2d6 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Hematic Shield
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder's blood thickens and slows within his body, becoming harder than the flesh that surrounds it, forming a second set of bones within his body. He can no longer bleed to death below 0 hit points. Any physical or elemental damage he takes does not take effect until the end of his next turn, and the total amount is reduced by one half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Hematic Theft
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can melee touch attack a living target. That creature has blood burst from his body and fly into the ritual-wielder, damaging the target 1d6 per 2 hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of 1d6). The ritual-wielder gains these hit points as temporary hit points.

Impermeable Ward
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder has attuned himself to a single source of damage. He takes one–half less damage from a single chosen physical damage type (slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning).

Leeching Aura
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Any creature approaching the ritual-wielder, within 5' per hit dice of the creature sacrificed for this ritual, loses 1 hit point per hit dice of the sacrifice. These hitpoints are transferred to the ritual-wielder, who is healed the same amount. This loss occurs each time a creature enters the aura. The ritual-wielder can designate creatures that he does not leech from.

Lunging Cadaver
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder has learned that foes often run in fear when their allies rise and oppose their former friends. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice as an immediate action the ritual-wielder may touch a corpse, causing it to leap in front of a single blow that attempts to strike him. He must do this before the result of the attack roll is known.

Ritual-Held
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder has learned that even the dead and the dying can be briefly forced into action, as his mastery of souls shows itself in a new and terrifying way. Whenever he kills a creature in battle, instead of using it to fuel a ritual, he may instead force it to animate under his control for a number of rounds equal to one half the hit dice of the sacrifice (for Ritual-Held). The creature is healed to its full hit points, but any abilities that were expended remain so. It dies at the end of the duration, and cannot be used for any ritual magic abilities. Only a True Resurrection or Miracle spell will return it to life.

Rush of Blood
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The blood of the sacrifice sinks into the muscles of the ritual-wielder, granting him a 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice enhancement bonus to movement as it bolsters and strengths the connections, allowing him to move and recover far more quickly. This also grants the ritual-wielder the skill to charge without having to move in a straight line. He also gains a +1 bonus to initiative for every two hit dice of the sacrifice.

Rush of Blood, Greater
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

In addition to the benefits granted by Rush of Blood, the speed boost transfers to the ritual-wielder's arms, allowing him to make one extra attack during a full attack action at his highest attack bonus.

Scything Bane
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder has learned to wrap the ethereal remains of the sacrificed creature around him, granting a barrier that is unseen but deadly. Whenever he is struck in melee, all enemy creatures within 10' of him take 1d4 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice. This ability can be activated a number of times equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice, after which the ritual ends.

Seeping Spirit
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder has forced the sacrifice's soul to become a thief, a drain and a harm to all of those around him. All enemy creatures within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice of the ritual-wielder lose life equal to one half the hit dice of the sacrifice every round.

Siphon Spirit
Level: Ritual Warrior 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The soul of the sacrifice wraps itself around the hand of the ritual-wielder, allowing him to make a touch attack expending that life force. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can touch a living target. That creature takes one point of ability damage per 2 hit dice of the sacrifice to a single ability of the ritual-wielder's choice.

Size of the Fallen
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder marks himself with the blood of the sacrifice, his body shuddering and stretching to adjust himself to the size of the fallen creature. He gains all bonuses and penalties of that size. All of his gear adjusts with the change.

Skills of the Fallen
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Diving into the soul and blood, the ritual-wielder siphons off knowledge of how things are done, giving him the ability to make skill checks as if he possessed the sacrificed creature's skill ranks. He can choose to use his own ranks if they are higher.

Slithering Soul
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Will negates

Little can be more frightening for a foe than to be struck, and then see the creature that struck it disappear, invisible to its eyes. While this ritual is active, on the ritual-wielder's first successful strike in combat each round, the struck target must make a will save versus 10 + hit dice of the sacrifice + ritual warrior's intelligence modifier, or see the ritual-wielder disappear as per the cloud mind psionic power. This disappearance lasts for one round.

Soul Counter
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The spirit that he has taken from the sacrificed creature grants the ritual-wielder a greater insight into the openings that appear around him, allowing him to strike more decisively. He gains two attacks of opportunity per hit dice of the sacrifice, and can use these at a rate of one per round. He may only use attacks of opportunity from this source when he has expended all other uses of attacks of opportunity. This attack is made at the ritual-wielder's highest attack bonus and is otherwise treated normally.

Soul Siphon
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder reaches out, his hand sinking below the skin of the target, drawing out the very essence, gifting it to the ritual-wielder. Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can make a melee touch attack against a living target. That creature is level drained for one level per four sacrificial hit dice, and the ritual-wielder gains five temporary hitpoints for each level drained in this way. The levels remain lost for the duration of the ritual. When all uses have been expended, the ritual ends. If a creature is slain by the negative levels, it rises as a free-willed wight.

Speed of the Fallen
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

As the geyser of blood from the dying sacrifice washes over him, the ritual-wielder's body changes and warps, taking on aspects of the dying creature, giving him access to all natural movement modes of the sacrifice. He moves exactly as if he were that creature, including any penalties in certain environments.

Striker's Gift
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Whenever the ritual-wielder kills a creature, for one minute his attacks deal 1d6 bonus damage for every two hit dice of the creature slain. The newest instance of Striker's Gift being activated takes precedence over preceding cases.

Sympathetic Pain
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Will negates

Even the mere appearance of the pain that the ritual-wielder can inflict causes repercussions among enemies. All enemy creatures within 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice of a creature struck by Cowing Prowess must make a will saving throw vs 10 + hit dice of the sacrifice + the ritual-wielder's intelligence modifier or be struck with wracking pains that act as if shaken. take damage equal to that of the creature struck.

Transfer Resistance
Level: Ritual Warrior 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

As the ritual-wielder performs the sacrifice, the vital fluids flow out of the sacrifice and into the ritual-wielder, toughening and strengthening his ability to shrug off damage. The ritual-wielder gains one damage reduction or energy resistance property of the sacrifice.

Transfer Resistance, Greater
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

As the ritual-wielder performs the sacrifice, the vital fluids flow out of the sacrifice and into the ritual-wielder, toughening and strengthening his ability to shrug off damage. The ritual-wielder gains all damage reduction and energy resistance properties of the sacrifice.

Vitality Leech
Level: Ritual Warrior 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

Whenever the ritual-wielder kills a creature and activates a ritual with his Finishing Strike class ability, he gains a number of temporary hit points equal to one half of the killed creature's total at full hit points.

Weapon of Blood
Level: Ritual Warrior 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The weapon the ritual-wielder uses to make the sacrifice glows a dull, sullen red as it is pulled from the sacrifice's body. For the duration of the ritual, whenever it damages an opponent, the ritual-wielder is healed 1 hit point per point of damage dealt, up to 1 hit point per hit dice of the sacrifice. He does not heal damage if his attack deals non-lethal damage, such as when attacking a creature that has the regeneration ability.

Withered Rose
Level: Ritual Warrior 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/hit dice of the sacrifice
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

The ritual-wielder's touch leaves a burning mark upon the body of his foe, a mark that disappears inside within a moment and begins to chew upon their innards. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, as a standard action that requires a melee touch attack that grants a Fortitude save vs 10 + hit dice of the sacrifice + the ritual-wielder's intelligence modifier, he may strike a creature with a blood curse. Each round that they are under the effect of the blood curse they take 2d6 damage. The blood curse lasts one round per hit dice of the sacrifice. For the first two rounds, they are sickened as the curse begins to work, and on the third round and every round thereafter, they are nauseated.

[Stratovarius]

Ritualist Rituals

Level 1 Rituals

• Bloodstone - Create grenade
• Boneform Item - Create basic items
• Brume of Broken Blades - Damage armour, weapons
• Dazzling Fetor - Dazzling mists
• Hematic Theft - Temp HP and damage
• Rush of Blood - Improve speed
• Sap Strength - Fatigue targets
• Shroud Self, Minor - Minor stat boosts
• Skills of the Fallen - Gain skills
• Streaked Countenance - Intimidate
• Tangle of Blood - Entangle, harm target
• Transfer Resistance - Gain resistance of sacrifice

Level 2 Rituals

• Blood Calls to Blood - Scrying
• Bloodforce, Lesser - Dominate Sacrifice
• Bloodseeking Blade - Keen, Wounding weapon
• Bloodspell - Draw spells from sacrified creature
• Bolstered Blood - Energy Resistance
• Hematic Burst - Con and HP Damage
• Linked Lifeforce - Temp HP
• Rotten Miasma - Sickening Cloud
• Speed of the Fallen - Gain movement modes
• Weapon of Blood - Lifesteal Weapon

Level 3 Rituals

• Barrier of Blood - Physical DR
• Bloodwalk - Teleport
• Boneform Gear - Create arms and armour
• Feats of the Fallen - Gain feat
• Flesh of the Fallen - Immune to disease and poison
• Fog of Lost Souls - Fear cloud
• Rush of Blood, Greater - Speed and extra attacks
• Sickness in the Body - Inflict diseases
• Siphon Spirit - Ability Damage
• Stolen Knowledge - Gain knowledge
• Stolen Spirit - Spell Turning

Level 4 Rituals

• Bloodforce - Dominate Sacrifice
• Bloodmist - Become deadly cloud
• Leeching Aura - Damage and temp HP
• Shattering Sphere - Remove damage resistance
• Shroud Self - Alter Self
• Size of the Fallen - Change size
• Soul Siphon - Level drain
• Subsume Essence - Gain SLA
• Transfer Resistance, Greater - Gain all resistances of sacrifice

Level 5 Rituals

• Barrier of Blood, Greater - Physical DR
• Blood Aflame - Fast Healing
• Blood Rain - Summon blood storm
• Bloodform Champion - Summon armour and weapons
• Bloodseeking Blade, Greater - Keen, wounding, coup de grace weapon
• Bloodspell, Greater - Draw spells from sacrified creature
• Extract Essence - Gain a temporary level
• Flood of Life - Gain temporary HP and Con
• Forgotten Heritage - Polymorph self
• Hematic Burst, Greater - Con and HP damage

Level 6 Rituals

• Blood Wall - Create wall
• Bloodforce, Mass - Create Swarms
• Body of Blood - Polymorph self
• Despoiling Miasma - Burning, acidic, cloud
• Frozen Terror - AoE Paralysis
• Rite of Immortality - Prevent aging
• Shatterspirit - Save or Die
• Silted Water - Poison area
• Stolen Knowledge, Greater - Gain knowledge
• Stolen Spirit, Greater - Greater Spell Turning

Level 7 Rituals

• Blooded Land - Sympathy spell
• Bloodforce, Greater - Dominate Sacrifice
• Damn the Soul - Send enemy to hell
• Fall of Lifeblood - Storm of negative energy
• Ingest Soul - Gain extraordinary quality
• Lifeblood Shield - Absorb, deal, damage
• Repel Kinfolk - Protect against creature type
• Rotten Flesh Fortress - Build fortress
• Soul Portal - Planar travel
• Storm of Silent Shadows - Level drain fog

[Stratovarius]

Ritualist Rituals

Please note that the Ritual Warrior also has access to some of these rituals, but they are duplicated in Ritual Warrior Rituals

Barrier of Blood
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

As the sacrifice ends, the blood of the victim whirls up and around the ritual-wielder, coating and protecting him from damage. The ritual-wielder gains DR X/- against all physical damage equal to one-half the sacrificial hit dice. As a standard action, the ritual-wielder can cause the blood to lash out, dealing 1d6 acid damage per sacrificial hit dice with a successful ranged touch attack. The affected creature must make a fortitude save or be sickened for one round. If the ritual-wielder attacks with the ritual, he loses the damage reduction provided until the beginning of the next turn. The range of the attack is 10' per sacrificial hit dice.

Barrier of Blood, Greater
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

As the sacrifice ends, the blood of the victim whirls up and around the ritual-wielder, coating and protecting him from damage. The ritual-wielder gains DR X/- against all physical damage equal to the sacrificial hit dice. As a standard action, the ritual-wielder can cause the blood to lash out, dealing 2d6 acid damage per sacrificial hit dice with a successful ranged touch attack. The affected creature must make a fortitude save or be nauseated for one round. If the ritual-wielder attacks with the ritual, he loses the damage reduction provided until the beginning of the next turn. The range of the attack is 10' per sacrificial hit dice.

Blood Aflame
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder feels his blood quicken, rushing to repair any injury that occurs, closing wounds that would kill a lesser man in mere minutes. The ritual-wielder gains fast healing equal to one-fourth the sacrificial hit dice, rounded down.

Blood Calls to Blood
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As the ritual-wielder performs the ritual, the blood spirals out of the victim's body, shaping itself into an ornate, red mirror. In that mirror the ritual-wielder can scry, as per the spell, any creature to whom the sacrifice was related by blood ties. The vision lasts for 1 minute per sacrificial hit dice, and then the mirror collapses to the ground. The ritual-wielder is considered familiar with the target. This can be performed once per day of the ritual, and the caster level of the spell is equal to the sacrificial hit dice.

Blood Rain
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 10 minutes/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Two mile radius
Saving Throw: None

Red clouds appear above ritual-wielder as a twister reaches down to touch the sacrifice, pulling his flesh and blood up into the clouds. One round after the sacrifice is carried off, the clouds spread out and begin pouring down a rain of blood, coating the ground and any creature within a two mile radius, centred on the ritual location. All creatures in the area are affected as if by the sleet storm spell, while those are coated in the blood for two consecutive rounds are afflicted with the shakes disease. This ritual lasts for 10 minutes per sacrificial hit dice.

Blood Wall
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: 100 ft./sacrificial hit dice
Saving Throw: Will negates

The ritual-wielder creates a wall out of the flesh and blood of the sacrifice. For every sacrificial hit dice, a ten foot wide, one foot thick, and ten foot tall section of wall is formed. Each five foot square of the wall has seventy hit points per foot of thickness and hardness five. A section of wall whose hit points drop to zero is breached. Any who approach within ten feet of the wall are affected as if by a symbol of insanity spell, at a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice.

Blooded Land
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: Will negates

As the ritual-wielder performs the sacrifice, the blood spirals out, forming a design on the ground before fading into the earth. This blood symbol acts as per the sympathy spell, except that any creature matching the alignment of the sacrifice is attracted.

Bloodforce
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls the life force out of the victim, twisting and turning it to work to his will, a creature of pure malevolent blood. This ritual transforms the sacrifice into a willing slave under your control. The sacrifice acquires the hematic template and remains under the ritual-wielder's control for 1 day per sacrificial hit dice, after which time the sacrifice dies. This ritual cannot affect a creature with hit dice greater than ten.

Bloodforce, Greater
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

As per Bloodforce, except that the ritual can be used on creatures of any hit dice.

Bloodforce, Lesser
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

As per Bloodforce, except that the ritual can be used on creatures of five hit dice or less.

Bloodforce, Mass
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Sacrifice
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls tiny motes of blood out of the sacrifice, giving each and every one a malevolent purpose. This ritual creates one hemic swarm per four sacrificial hit dice. The spawn die at the conclusion of the ritual's duration, as do the parents. If any spawn are created, they are under the ritual-wielder's control, just as their parents.

Bloodform Champion
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder clothes himself in armour and weapons formed from the blood of the sacrifice. These items continually bleed, giving anyone trying to track the ritual-wielder a +10 bonus on their checks, except in rain or another condition that would wipe the trail clean. He gains proficiency with all martial weapons and all armours. When this ritual is completed, he must choose 1 suit of armour and either 1 two handed weapon, or a one handed weapon and shield. If it is a ranged weapon, it creates an unlimited supply of ammo. All items have a +1 Enhancement bonus to Armour Class, or Attack and Damage, for every 3 hit dice of the sacrifice. The ritual-wielder increases his size category by one (his gear growing to match), as well as increasing his BAB to match his character level. Finally, the ritual-wielder gains fast healing equal to half the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Bloodmist
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: Fog spreads in 10-ft. radius, 10-ft. high
Saving Throw: Fortitude half

Much like the vampires, the ritual-wielder finds solace as a vampiric cloud, siphoning the life from all of those inside. The ritual-wielder reshapes himself into a reddened mist that acts in all ways other than those described here like the gaseous form spell with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice. All enemy creatures within the cloud take damage equal to the sacrificial hit dice for each round they are within the cloud, with a fortitude save for half, and the ritual-wielder heals one-half the amount of damage dealt. Non-living creatures are unaffected. The ritual-wielder can return to his normal form (or to mist form) as a full-round action at any point during the ritual's duration.

Bloodseeking Blade
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The weapon the ritual-wielder uses to make the sacrifice drips blood after it is pulled from the sacrifice's body, and continues to do so for the duration of the ritual. That weapons becomes keen (or other appropriate property that doubles the threat range), and gains the wounding enhancement. Each time it strikes causes a fountain of blood to spray from the wound.

Bloodseeking Blade, Greater
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The weapon the ritual-wielder uses to make the sacrifice drips blood after it is pulled from the sacrifice's body, and continues to do so for the duration of the ritual. That weapons becomes keen (or other appropriate property that doubles the threat range), and gains both the wounding and Coup De Grace enhancements. Each time it strikes causes a fountain of blood to spray from the wound.

Bloodspell
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder siphons knowledge from the sacrificed creature, gaining the ability to wield magic. If the sacrifice had levels in a spellcasting class, the ritual-wielder can choose one spell of a level equal to or lower than his highest ritual known. That spell must have been prepared and unused or known (for spontaneous casters) by the sacrificed caster at the time of death. He can then cast that spell once per day of the ritual's duration as a spell-like ability at a caster level equal to the sacrificed creature's.

Bloodspell, Greater
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder siphons knowledge from the sacrificed creature, gaining the ability to wield magic. If the sacrifice had levels in a spellcasting class, the ritual-wielder can choose one spell of each level equal to or lower than his highest ritual known. That spell must have been prepared and unused or known (for spontaneous casters) by the sacrificed caster at the time of death. He can then cast these spells once per day of the ritual's duration as a spell-like ability at a caster level equal to the sacrificed creature's.

Bloodstone
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal; see text
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder reaches in and pulls a small, hard stone out of the sacrifice's body, formed of minerals taken from their blood. This can be used in two ways: thrown as a grenade that deals 1d6 damage per sacrificial hit dice in a burst 5' wide per two sacrificial hit dice, ending the ritual, or it can be used as a phial of transference, lesser, but if used in this way, it lasts only one day per sacrificial hit dice.

Bloodwalk
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: Instantaneous
Range: See text
Saving Throw: None

Blood can step between, calling out to another crimson source. The ritual-wielder merely knows how to link those two together. He lists the direction and distance that he wants to travel, and steps into the sacrifice as a final blow, killing it. The sacrifice must be his size or greater for this to work. The ritual-wielder arrives within a 1d20 mile radius of his stated destination, stepping out of a single living creature of his size or greater (if there are none in the area, this ritual fails) and appearing next to it. The creature is surprised but otherwise unharmed. This does not allow him to cross planar boundaries.

Body of Blood
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder clothes himself in the body and blood of the sacrifice, taking on that creature's supernatural abilities, natural weapons, BAB and physical ability statistics. He appears as a member of that race, but crimson in colour. Any gear that cannot be wielded by the new form merges into the ritual-wielder's body and is inoperative until the ritual's effects are ended. This cannot increase his BAB above his character level.

Bolstered Blood
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder becomes more able to shrug off the effects of spells and heavy blows. If the sacrifice has 1–3 hit dice, he gains light fortification, moderate for 4–6 hit dice, and heavy for 7+ hit dice. He also gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws for every two hit dice of the sacrifice.

Boneform Item
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: One object
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls the skeletal structure out of the sacrifice, forcing the bones into a small, easily held shape. With a standard action, he can command the bones to reshape themselves into one non-magical, non-consumable item. The item cannot be of a size greater than the creature from which it came. The bones can be reshaped once per sacrificial hit dice. When the ritual-wielder attempts to shape them for the last time, the bones crumble into dust. If they reach the end of the ritual duration, the bones crumble into dust.

Boneform Gear
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls the skeletal structure out of the sacrifice, warping and altering the bones to create a set of gear. When this ritual is completed, the ritual-wielder must choose 1 suit of armour and either 1 two handed weapon, or a one handed weapon and shield, or two light one–handed weapons. If it is a ranged weapon, it comes with 1d6 rounds of ammunition per hit dice of the sacrifice. All items have a +1 Enhancement bonus to Armour Class, or Attack and Damage, for every 3 hit dice of the sacrifice. The ritual-wielder is automatically proficient in the weapon, but only the boneform weapon, not every weapon of the type.

Brume of Broken Blades
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Touch
Target: One weapon
Saving Throw: Reflex negates

Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can touch a target's armour or weapon. If successfully struck, a blood coloured haze surrounds it, eating away at the strength and integrity of the item. The wielder of the item gets a reflex save to resist. If he fails, the base damage or armour class of the item is reduced to zero. This effect lasts for 1 round per sacrificial hit dice.

Damn the Soul
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

The ritual-wielder curses the soul of the sacrifice, using it as a weapon to judge his enemies, finding them guilty and banishing their lifeforce. Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can touch a target. That target must make a fortitude save or be cursed with Damnation, as per the epic spell, except that the creature can return from banishment as soon as possible, and the save DC is as normal for a ritual.

Dazzling Fetor
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal; see text
Effect: Fog spreads in area; see text
Saving Throw: None

Light sparkles as it passes through the mists that bleed outward from the ritual-wielder, a thin tint of blood catching the light and springing it free into rainbow colours. The fetor acts as per the Obscuring Mist spell with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice, except as follows. Any creature within the area of the fetor must succeed at a fortitude save each round that he is in the cloud or become dazzled for one round. If dispersed, the cloud reforms after one hour.

Despoiling Miasma
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: Fog spreads in area; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude half

A thick, dark fog follows the ritual-wielder, a cloud that rolls along the ground around him, eating at the ground and anything in it. The miasma is 5' per sacrificial hit dice in radius, and the same in height. In addition to slowing creatures down and obscuring sight as per Solid Fog, the miasma eats at the ground and the flesh of anyone but the ritual-wielder, dealing them 2d6 acid and 2d6 fire damage per round as the burning acid grasps and rips at the flesh of those caught within. A fortitude save halves the damage.

Extract Essence
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder pulls the very soul out of a creature, ingesting it and gaining strength from the slain sacrifice. The ritual-wielder gains one bonus hit dice (d6), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the ritual-wielder’s constitution modifier, if any), a +1 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus to his ritual-wielder level for every two hit dice of the sacrifice. The bonus hit dice count as regular hit dice for determining the effect of spells or abilities that are hit dice dependant.

Fall of Lifeblood
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 10 minutes/sacrificial hit dice
Range: 1 mile radius/sacrificial hit dice
Saving Throw: None

Clouds darken and dull, turning a thick red as they fill with dirty, putrid lifeblood. One round after the sacrifice is completed, the clouds spread out and begin pouring down a rain of blood, coating the ground and any creature within 1 mile per sacrificial hit dice, centred on the ritual location. Each creature is affect as if by the Sleet Storm spell, with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice, while those coated in the blood for two consecutive rounds are drained for one negative level for every two sacrificial hit dice. This drain only happens once to each creature affected by the ritual. Creatures that die from the energy drain rise as permanent self–controlled wights. This ritual lasts for 10 minutes per sacrificial hit dice.

Feats of the Fallen
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder wrenches at the mind of the sacrifice, drawing forth knowledge of a specific ability that wretch has. For the duration of the ritual, he gains use of one feat that the sacrifice possessed. He does not need to meet the requirements of the feat.

Flesh of the Fallen
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder walls himself within the flesh of the sacrifice, creating a thick barrier over his body that wards off some of the damage from mundane attacks. He gains DR 1/magic for every two hit dice of the sacrifice. In addition, he gains fast healing 1 for every two hit dice of the sacrifice, but it only affects him at or below one-half his full normal hit points.

Flood of Life
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder sucks the blood from the dying sacrifice, imbibing its vitality and lifeforce. The ritual-wielder gains temporary hit points equal to the sacrifice's maximum hit points (what it would have when fully healthy), and gains the sacrifice's constitution score, if greater than the ritual-wielder's.

Fog of Lost Souls
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: Fog spreads in area; see text
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text

A red fog spreads out from the ritual-wielder in an area that is 5' per sacrificial hit dice in width, and the same in height. It follows him as he moves about, and whispers and fleeting shapes are seen and heard within it, tearing at the minds of those who enter. In addition to acting as per the Solid Fog spell, each round a creature is within the fog, it must make a Will save or be afflicted by fear. The affected creatures are shaken. The fear is permanent while inside the fog, and lasts for one round per sacrificial hit dice after they exit the cloud. The ritual-wielder is immune to the effects of this ritual, but his allies are not. The fear generated by this ritual stacks with itself if creatures continue to fail will saves.

Forgotten Heritage
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder so completely subsumes himself into the lifeblood of the sacrifice that he becomes that creature. All gear stops functioning and merges into the body of the ritual-wielder. Spells and rituals continue to function as normal. For the duration of the ritual, treat the ritual-wielder as if he is the sacrifice's monster manual (or other appropriate source) entry, as he fully becomes that creature, except that he retains his own mental scores. He cannot perform rituals while in this form.

Frozen Terror
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Area: 5-ft.-radius per sacrificial hit dice emanation
Saving Throw: Will negates

The soul of the sacrifice wraps itself around the ritual-wielder, screaming out its anguish at any creature that comes close. Any creature that comes within 5' per hit dice of the ritual-wielder must make a will save or be paralysed for one round per sacrificial hit dice. Each round that they are paralysed, creatures receive a new save to try and break free. Creatures immune to mind effects are immune to the paralysis. If a creature remains within the area, they must continue to make will saves.

Hematic Burst
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can touch a living target. That creature has blood burst from his body, causing two points of Constitution damage and 1d6 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Hematic Burst, Greater
Level: Ritualist 5
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can touch a living target. That creature has blood burst from his body, causing three points of Constitution damage and 2d6 damage per hit dice of the sacrifice.

Hematic Theft
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can melee touch attack a living target. That creature has blood burst from his body and fly into the ritual-wielder, damaging the target 1d6 per 2 hit dice of the sacrifice (minimum of 1d6). The ritual-wielder gains these hit points as temporary hit points.

Ingest Soul
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The very core of the sacrifice drains into the ritual-wielder, granting him one extraordinary quality from the deceased creature.

Leeching Aura
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Area: 5-ft.-radius per sacrificial hit dice emanation
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

Any creature approaching the ritual-wielder, within 5' per sacrificial hit dice, loses one hit point per sacrificial hit dice. These hitpoints are transferred to the ritual-wielder, who is healed the same amount. All creatures affected by this aura are granted a fortitude save to negate the damage. This loss occurs each time a creature enters the area. The ritual-wielder can designate creatures that are unaffected as a free action.

Lifeblood Shield
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The body and soul of the sacrifice wrap around the ritual-wielder, protecting and absorbing any damage, keeping the energy fresh and ready to use against another target. Once a ritual-wielder has created this ritual, he or she can absorb, store, and redirect the energy contained in any physical attack. The ritual-wielder absorbs (and does not take) two points per sacrificial hit dice of each separate slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing attack made against him or her, saving it for later. A ritual-wielder can absorb up to twenty points per sacrificial hit dice points of damage in this fashion; however, if the stored damage is not discharged prior to reaching the limit, the ritual automatically discharges, dealing all the stored damage to the character. The ritual-wielder keeps track of the number of points of damage he or she has absorbed (the ritual-wielder doesn’t have to keep track of the type of damage). At any time during the ritual's duration, the ritual-wielder can make a melee touch attack against another creature or object. If successful, the ritual-wielder deals the target some or all (ritual-wielder's choice) of the points of damage he or she has stored. The damage delivered is considered bludgeoning damage. A ritual-wielder can absorb and discharge damage any number of times during the ritual's duration, so long as the ritual-wielder doesn’t absorb more than twenty points per sacrificial hit dice points at a time. When the ritual expires, any stored damage the ritual-wielder has not redirected is discharged into the ritual-wielder .

Linked Lifeforce
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder binds his lifeforce to that of the sacrifice, siphoning all existing life out of the creature. The ritual-wielder gains temporary hit points equal to the creatures maximum hit points.

Repel Kinfolk
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The lifeblood of the sacrifice creates a barrier against all kin of the sacrifice. The ritual-wielder surrounds himself with a ward against the creature type of the sacrifice. Any creature of the specified type cannot attack, cast spells at, or touch the warded ritual-wielder. The protection ends if the warded ritual-wielder makes an attack against or intentionally moves to within 5' of a creature of the specified type.

Rite of Immortality
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As the sacrifice is killed at the end of the ritual and the ritual-wielder anoints himself, the lifeblood of the sacrifice flows into the ritual-wielder. The ritual-wielder becomes immune to any effect that would change his age category. As a swift action, he may become invulnerable to all damage or effects for one round. He may do this a total number of rounds equal to the hit dice of the sacrifice.

Rotten Flesh Fortress
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: One building
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

This ritual creates a small fortress at the location of the sacrifice. The structure has a square base of 120 ft. per side, and is 25 ft. tall. The ritual-wielder can choose to arrange the interior in whatever manner he chooses. All of the walls are made from the flesh of the sacrifice, its body distending and grossly expanding to fit the needs of the building. Each five foot square of the wall has seventy hit points per foot of thickness and hardness five. Any enemy who looks upon the fortress must succeed at a Fortitude save or be nauseated for one round per sacrificial hit dice. Succeeding negates the need to roll again against this fortress. If an enemy is within the fortress, they must make this saving throw every round, regardless of success or failure.

Rotten Miasma
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: Fog spreads in area; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

A dull light mist follows the ritual-wielder, and out of it comes the sickly sweet smell of rotting corpses and decaying flesh. The miasma acts as per the Fog Cloud spell with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice, except as follows. Any creature within the area of the miasma must succeed at a fortitude save each round that he is in the cloud or become sickened for one round. If dispersed, the cloud reforms after one hour.

Rush of Blood
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The blood of the sacrifice sinks into the muscles of the ritual-wielder, granting him a 5' per hit dice of the sacrifice enhancement bonus to movement as it bolsters and strengths the connections, allowing him to move and recover far more quickly. This also grants the ritual-wielder the skill to charge without having to move in a straight line. He also gains a +1 bonus to initiative for every two hit dice of the sacrifice.

Rush of Blood, Greater
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

In addition to the benefits granted by Rush of Blood, the speed boost transfers to the ritual-wielder's arms, allowing him to make one extra attack during a full attack action at his highest attack bonus.

Sap Strength
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Area: 5-ft.-radius per sacrificial hit dice emanation
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

Any enemy creature entering the radius of the emanation must make a fortitude saving through or become fatigued for one round for each hit dice sacrificed. Any creature who makes the save becomes immune to this effect for 1 hour.

Shattering Sphere
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 round/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Area: 5-ft.-radius per sacrificial hit dice emanation
Saving Throw: None

The soul of the sacrifice carves a path through the resistance of foes, opening them up to wounds and injuries. All enemy creatures within 5' per sacrificial hit dice of the ritual-wielder lose one point of damage reduction and spell resistance per sacrificial hit dice. As soon as they leave the area, the damage reduction and spell resistance returns to normal.

Shatterspirit
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

The very soul of the sacrifice wraps itself around the hand of the ritual-wielder, allowing him to make a melee touch attack expending that life force. Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can make a melee touch attack against a living target. That target must make a fortitude save or die from the impact of another lifeforce striking it. When all uses have been expended, the ritual ends.

Shroud Self
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

When the ritual-wielder performs this sacrificial rite, his form twists and changes, taking on aspects of the sacrificed creature. He gains the benefits of the creature's three physical statistics, as well having his BAB increase to the sacrifice's (if this would grant an increase), and gaining all of the victim's natural attacks, if it possesses any. This cannot increase the ritual-wielder's BAB above his character level.

Shroud Self, Minor
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

When the ritual-wielder performs this sacrificial rite, his form twists and changes, taking on aspects of the sacrificed creature. He gains the benefits of one of the creature's three physical statistics, and the victim's primary natural attack.

Sickness in the Body
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

The ritual-wielder force a series of diseases into the afflicted creature's body, cursing him with sickness and ill health. Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder may make a melee touch attack against a creature, causing its body to shake and crumble. If the struck creature fails a fortitude save, it is nauseated and staggered, and takes a penalty on all fortitude and reflex saves of -1 per two hit dice of the sacrifice.

Silted Water
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 week/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Area: See text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

The sacrifice bleeds from every pore, his blood draining down into the land, seeking out the nearby water sources and infecting them. Anyone drinking the affected water is afflicted with blinding sickness. The saving throw to resist this disease is as per normal for a ritual. This ritual affects one square mile per sacrificial hit dice and lasts for one week per sacrificial hit dice. It can be countered by casting one Neutralize Poison spell per square mile affected. These spells must be cast at the original location of the ritual.

Siphon Spirit
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The soul of the sacrifice wraps itself around the hand of the ritual-wielder, allowing him to make a touch attack expending that life force. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice, the ritual-wielder can touch a living target. That creature takes one point of ability damage per 2 hit dice of the sacrifice to a single ability of the ritual-wielder's choice.

Size of the Fallen
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder marks himself with the blood of the sacrifice, his body shuddering and stretching to adjust himself to the size of the fallen creature. He gains all bonuses and penalties of that size. All of the ritual-wielder's gear adjusts with the change.

Skills of the Fallen
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

Diving into the soul and blood, the ritual-wielder siphons off knowledge of how things are done, giving him the ability to make skill checks as if he possessed the sacrificed creature's skill ranks. He can choose to use his own ranks if they are higher.

Soul Portal
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 hour/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: One planar gate
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

This ritual tears open a portal (functionally equivalent to the planar travel ability of the Gate spell, except where stated here) to a plane linked to the sacrifice. The plane and the sacrifice must share the same alignment traits, or be considered the home plane of the creature. This portal is held open for one hour per sacrificial hit dice, and cannot be closed by any normal means. The ritual-wielder can end the ritual as normal, however, thus closing the gate.

Soul Siphon
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder reaches out, his hand sinking below the skin of the target, drawing out the very essence, gifting it to the ritual-wielder. Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can make a melee touch attack against a living target. That creature is level drained for one level per four sacrificial hit dice, and the ritual-wielder gains five temporary hitpoints for each level drained in this way. The levels remain lost for the duration of the ritual. When all uses have been expended, the ritual ends. If a creature is slain by the negative levels, it rises as a free-willed wight.

Speed of the Fallen
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As the geyser of blood from the dying sacrifice washes over him, the ritual-wielder's body changes and warps, taking on aspects of the dying creature, giving him access to all inherent movement modes of the sacrifice. He moves exactly as if he were that creature, including any penalties in certain environments.

Stolen Knowledge
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder searches the mind of the sacrifice as it dies, divesting it of its entire life history, and storing that knowledge in a corner of his mind. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice as a full round action, the ritual-wielder can target a single creature that he can see, and determine its name, race, alignment, and character class, and general estimate of its level or Hit Dice: low (5 HD or lower), medium (6 to 11 HD), high (12 to 20 HD), very high (21 HD to 40 HD), or deific (41 HD or higher).

Stolen Knowledge, Greater
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder searches the mind of the sacrifice as it dies, divesting it of its entire life history, and storing that knowledge in a corner of his mind. Once per hit dice of the sacrifice as a ten minute action, the ritual-wielder can target a single creature that he has met before, and determine its name, race, alignment, and character class, a general estimate of its level or Hit Dice: low (5 HD or lower), medium (6 to 11 HD), high (12 to 20 HD), very high (21 HD to 40 HD), or deific (41 HD or higher) and its location (including place of residence, town, country, world, and plane of existence).

Stolen Spirit
Level: Ritualist 3
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder is surrounded by a shield made from the blood and spirit of the sacrifice. This spirit acts as Spell Turning, except it affects two spell levels per sacrificial hit dice. Once all sacrificial hit dice have been expended absorbing spell levels, this ritual ends.

Stolen Spirit, Greater
Level: Ritualist 6
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The ritual-wielder is surrounded by a shield made from the blood and spirit of the sacrifice. This spirit acts as Spell Turning, except it affects four spell levels per sacrificial hit dice. Once all sacrificial hit dice have been expended absorbing spell levels, this ritual ends.

Storm of Silent Shadows
Level: Ritualist 7
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Effect: Fog spreads in area; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; see text

A dull red fog spreads out from the ritual-wielder in an area that is 100' per sacrificial hit dice in radius, and the same in height. It pulses with the beating of his heart, glowing brighter red as it pumps. It follows him as he moves. The cloud is silent but for the droplets of blood that continually fall from it, leaving the ground over which it has passed red and wet. Creatures within the cloud feel diminished, as if the story and power of their life retreats away from them, pulled toward the centre of the cloud. In addition to acting as per a Solid Fog spell with a caster level equal to the sacrificial hit dice, each round a creature other than the ritual-wielder is within the fog, it must make a fortitude save or be energy drained for one level. Each failed save causes them to lose another level. If a creature is slain by the negative levels, it rises as a free-willed wight.

Streaked Countenance
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: See text

The ritual-wielder marks himself with leavings taken from the body of the sacrifice, strange whorls that cover his face. He gains a +1 bonus to intimidate for each sacrificial hit dice. He may choose to expend the ritual in a single attack against a foe. If the total sacrificial hit dice is six or below, this creates a Fear spell that affects a single creature. If the total sacrificial hit dice is seven or above, this creates a Phantasmal Killer spell. The caster level for these spells is equal to the sacrificial hit dice. Using this effect ends the ritual.

Subsume Essence
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

The writhing tentacles of sacrificial blood the ritual-wielder draws on himself imbue him with a power stolen from the creature whose blood he wears. He gains one spell-like ability that the sacrificed creature possessed, and can use it as many times per day as the creature could. The spell level of the spell-like ability cannot be higher than the highest ritual level the ritual-wielder knows, nor can it be greater in level than the sacrificial hit dice.

Tangle of Blood
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal; see text
Saving Throw: Reflex negates

Once per sacrificial hit dice, the ritual-wielder can make a touch attack against an opponent. If successful, the target is entangled for one round for each hit dice sacrificed. They also take 1d4 points of damage per round, as the entangling blood slowly rasps against their form.

Transfer Resistance
Level: Ritualist 1
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As the ritual-wielder performs the sacrifice, the vital fluids flow out of the sacrifice and into the ritual-wielder, toughening and strengthening his ability to shrug off damage. The ritual-wielder gains one damage reduction or energy resistance property of the sacrifice.

Transfer Resistance, Greater
Level: Ritualist 4
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Personal
Saving Throw: None

As the ritual-wielder performs the sacrifice, the vital fluids flow out of the sacrifice and into the ritual-wielder, toughening and strengthening his ability to shrug off damage. The ritual-wielder gains all damage reduction and energy resistance properties of the sacrifice.

Weapon of Blood
Level: Ritualist 2
Ritual Duration: 1 day/sacrificial hit dice
Range: Touch
Target: One weapon
Saving Throw: None

The weapon the ritual-wielder uses to make the sacrifice glows a dull, sullen red as it is pulled from the sacrifice's body. For the duration of the ritual, whenever it damages an opponent, the ritual-wielder is healed 1 hit point per point of damage dealt, up to 1 hit point per hit dice of the sacrifice. He does not heal damage if his attack deals non-lethal damage, such as when attacking a creature that has the regeneration ability.

[Stratovarius]

Feats

Where gold is mentioned, it is in relation to the variant Monetary Sacrifice

Ritual Feats

Blood and Blade [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Ritual Weapon
Benefit: When you successfully complete a ritual using a ritual weapon, you gain a bonus equal to one half the ritual's level to attack and damage if wielding the weapon used to complete the ritual. The bonuses last for the duration of the ritual. If you let go of the weapon for any reason, those benefits are lost.

Burn Essence [Ritual]
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: Instead of sacrificing a creature to perform a ritual, the ritual-wielder may instead burn one point of Constitution per hit dice required for the ritual. The ability burn cannot be magically or magically healed – it goes away only through natural healing.

Chosen Sacrifice [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use 2nd level rituals.
Benefit: You have chosen a single creature type as suitable for sacrifice, and use them as your chosen victims. Pick a single creature type (such as aberrations or monstrous humanoids). When sacrificing a creature of the chosen type, treat it as one hit dice higher than it actually is. This allows a creature with 2 hit dice to be sacrificed in a 3rd level Ritual, but all costs are treated as if the creature was 3 hit dice. All other creature types are treated as one hit dice lower than they actually are.

Conjoined Ritual [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Two ritual feats.
Benefit: The ritual-wielder can choose to perform two rituals at the same time, using a single creature as the sacrifice. He must take the full time required for each. The ritual-wielder then receives the full benefit of both rituals, except that the duration of both rituals created with this feat is cut in half.
Special: He must pay the full gold cost for both rituals if using Monetary Sacrifice.

Elaborate Ritual [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use 3rd level rituals.
Benefit: If the ritual-wielder chooses to do so, he may double the DC of the spellcraft check as well as the time taken to perform it. In return the duration of the ritual is treated as if the creature sacrificed had 4 more hit dice than it does. All other effects of the ritual are treated as if the creature sacrificed had 2 less hit dice than it does. If this does not meet the minimum necessary, the ritual fails.
Special: He must pay double the gold cost if using Monetary Sacrifice.

Exclusive Sacrifice [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Chosen Sacrifice in the chosen creature type.
Benefit: All other creatures have fallen by the wayside as you focus in on that one creature type that drives your rituals. Creatures of the chosen type are treated as if they are two hit dice higher than they actually are, while all other types are treated as if they are two hit dice lower. This allows a creature with 2 hit dice to be sacrificed in a 4th level Ritual, but all costs are treated as if the creature was 4 hit dice.

Executioner's Dance [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Weapon focus in a two-handed weapon, power attack, skilled executioner.
Benefit: You fight in a style benefited by your use of ritual magic, and enhanced by the slayings. Whenever you use power attack, you get a profane bonus on damage equal to the number of rituals affecting you. You gain this same bonus to the roll to confirm critical hits.

Expert Executioner [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Skilled Executioner, able to use 3rd level Rituals.
Benefit: You have enhanced your natural affinity for ritual slayings with skill and practice. You gain a +6 bonus on spellcraft checks made during the course of a ritual. Also, all rituals take 2 minute less per level of the Ritual (Effectively, 3 minutes per ritual level instead of 5). This does not stack with any bonuses from Skilled Executioner.

Extended Grasp [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Grasp the lifeblood class feature.
Benefit: Whenever the ritualist uses his grasp the lifeblood or hematic seizure abilities, the ritualist can target one more creature, who must be within 10' of all the others. The range at which the ability can be used doubles as well, as his focused will can grasp at lifeblood farther away.

Focused Ritual [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Knowledge of the chosen ritual.
Benefit: You have focused your use of Ritual magic on specific rituals that hold an inherent appeal to you. You have achieved some level of mastery with one of those rituals, making you treat the chosen ritual as if creatures used for it had one more hit dice than they actually do. The affected ritual still requires a creature that meets the hit dice requirement. This hit dice increase does not alter the cost of the ritual in any way.

Hurried Ritual [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use 2nd level rituals.
Benefit: The ritual-wielder may perform a ritual at a hurried pace, taking 5 rounds per level of the ritual as opposed to 5 minutes, but because of the hurried and incomplete nature of the performance, the ritual-wielder only gains half of the normal numerical benefit, and the duration length is reduced by half, due to the poor connection forged with the sacrifice.

Invest Lifeblood [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use fifth level rituals, any two ritual feats.
Benefit: Years of knowledge and expertise has allowed the ritual-wielder to pare down the requirements of some rituals to just a few drops of blood. When performing any first level ritual, instead of using a sacrifice the ritual-wielder may cut himself, taking five points of damage. Treat that ritual as if it had one sacrificial hit dice of a creature with no special qualities or attacks. All other costs and requirements remain as normal.

Lifeblood Adept [Ritual]
Prerequisites: 2 ritual feats, able to use 3rd level rituals, knowledge of at least one shape altering ritual.
Benefit: Your ability to alter your shape through your rituals has given rise to new and unusual opportunities.
Unnatural Anatomy: Whenever you are attacked by a creature that has a bonus against the creature type your rituals have changed you into, your attacker instead treats that bonus as a penalty. Thus, a ranger with a +1 bonus from favoured enemy against orcs, while you are under the effects of a ritual that turns you into an orc, would instead take a -1 penalty.
Hidden Bloodlines: Whenever you affect an opponent with a supernatural, extraordinary, or spell-like ability granted via a ritual, you treat them as flat-footed for the remainder of the round if your form is not the same creature type as gave you the ability.
Blood Dance: The blood of your opponents shines through their skins, making it easier to strike at a foe. Whenever you are under the effects of a ritual that grants you an ability or shape of a creature type, you gain a +4 bonus to confirm criticals against that creature type.

Morphic Ritual [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Int 13.
Benefit: You may change the effect of any one active ritual to that of another ritual. The new ritual must have the same duration and ritual level as the prior ritual, and the Ritualist must have knowledge of the new ritual. Once a ritual has been changed once, it cannot be changed again. The character may do this once per day. This feat can be selected multiple times. Each extra time grants one more use per day of this ability. Changing a ritual in this way takes five minutes.

Opened Soul [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Con 13.
Benefit: Your soul is highly susceptible to the effects of rituals, and magnifies their effects upon you. This effect is not without its drawbacks. Any ritual created upon you lasts one time period longer (rounds become minutes, minutes become hours, up to a maximum of days). As a result of taking this feat, you take a -2 penalty to all saves.

Resilient Essence [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Burn Essence
Benefit: You heal ability damage and ability burn damage more quickly than normal. You heal a number of ability points per day equal to 1 + your unmodified Constitution bonus (before taking any increases or damage/burn into effect).
Normal: You heal ability damage and ability burn at a rate of 1 per day.

Ritual Knowledge [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Ritual-wielder level 3
Benefit: Add to your rituals known one additional ritual of any level up to one level lower than the highest-level ritual you can create. You may only choose rituals from a list you already have access to.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time, you learn one new ritual at any level up to one less than the highest-level ritual you can create.

Ritual Mastery [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Focused Ritual in the chosen ritual.
Benefit: Long practice and many uses have made you utterly familiar with a single ritual, allowing you to perform it with such skill that the duration is doubled. The hit dice cost of the ritual remains the same.
Special: He pays half the gold cost if using Monetary Sacrifice.

Ritual Weapon [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Knowledge of at least one ritual.
Benefit: You mark a single weapon type as the one with which you are intimately familiar for rituals. You gain a +3 bonus on spellcraft checks per feat in the chosen weapon. Also, whenever you wield this weapon, you gain a +1 bonus to attack if under the effect of a ritual.

Sacrificial Virtuoso [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use sixth level rituals, any two ritual feats.
Benefit: The ritual-wielder's practice of ritual magic has granted him an innate knowledge of the basic components and gestures, allowing him to perform the movements with unthinking grace. Rituals of levels one to three no longer require a spellcraft check when performing them. Any ritual affected by spread the lifeblood still requires a spellcraft check, due to its inherently different nature.
Special: The ritual-wielder can take this feat a second time. When he does so, rituals from level four to six no longer require spellcraft checks.

Skilled Executioner [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use 1st level rituals.
Benefit: You have a natural affinity for ritual slayings. You gain a +3 bonus on spellcraft checks made during the course of a ritual. Also, all rituals take 1 minute less per level of the Ritual (Effectively, 4 minutes per ritual level instead of 5).

Slaying Strike [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Knowledge of two first level rituals, base attack bonus +2.
Benefit: Three times per day, as a standard action, the ritual-wielder may attempt to kill a creature in a single blow and gain the benefits of a chosen ritual. He gains a bonus on the attack roll equal to his charisma modifier and a bonus on the damage roll equal to the maximum ritual level he can perform. If the target dies from the blow, the ritual-wielder gains the full effects of the chosen ritual. No other feat can be used to affect the chosen ritual. The ritual-wielder does not need to make any spellcraft checks for this ritual ritual. This ability can only be used with a ritual whose level is equal to or lower than the ritual-wielder's character level divided by three, with a minimum of 1.
Special: He does not pay the gold cost if using Monetary Sacrifice.

Soul Pouch [Ritual]
Prerequisites: Able to use third level rituals.
Benefit: Sometimes it is best to hold onto the soul of a powerful creature, rather than expend it right away. The ritual-wielder may store a single creature's soul within his body, as per a phial of transference, for up to one week. The creature's hit dice must be less than or equal to his own.
Special: The ritual-wielder can take this feat a second time. When he does so, he may hold a second creature's soul.

Subsume Lifeblood [Ritual]
Prerequisites: One ritual feat, constitution 13, knowledge of at least one ritual using a melee touch attack.
Benefit: At the end of each round in which the ritual-wielder successfully strikes with a ritual that requires a melee touch attack, he heals a number of hit points equal to the ritual's level as he siphons off a little of the vitality of the struck creature.

Swift Spirit [Ritual]
Prerequisites: 2 ritual feats, able to use 2nd level rituals, base attack bonus +3.
Benefit: You have melded your rituals into your combat style, and the blend offers you new options in combat.
Many and One: Whenever you take a full attack action, one of those attacks may be a touch attack ritual. You must declare which attack will be the touch attack before you roll.
Spirit's Riposte: Whenever you have the chance to take an attack of opportunity, you may instead attack that creature with a touch attack ritual. This still uses up your attack of opportunity for the round.
Soul's Warning: Dodging attacks is gifted by your ritual abilities, and you gain a bonus against touch attacks equal to the number of rituals affecting you.

General Feats

A Sip of Life
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +4, Finishing Strike class feature.
Benefit: You have learned to draw a small amount of life into you when you slay a creature. Whenever you successfully create a ritual with a finishing strike, you heal two hit points per level of the ritual.

Bloodbreaker
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, you cannot have the ability to use rituals or have a ritual magic template or feat.
Benefit: You have studied long and hard the weaknesses and flaws of those who use ritual magic. Any weapon you wield gains the ritual bane item property.

Bloodbreaker, Greater
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6, Bloodbreaker.
Benefit: Your hatred of ritual users is so great that it can deny even the blood-soaked defences they shroud themselves in. You have a 50% chance to ignore all ritual effects, including those targeted at you, or defensive ones affecting your target.

Bloodsong
Prerequisites: Bardic music class feature, able to use 1st level rituals.
Benefit: By expending one of your daily uses of bardic music as a standard action that requires concentration, you cause the blood to sing out to all of those most attuned to it, bolstering their ability to strike enemies. To be affected, a creature must have the ritual subtype and must be able to hear you sing. The effect lasts for as long as the creature hears you singing. An affected creature receives a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, +2 morale bonus on weapon damage rolls, and a +1 bonus to confirm critical hits for every 10 points of your perform check.

Consumptive Fetish
Prerequisites: Must have consumed a sentient creature (Intelligence score of 3 or greater) fully, living or dead.
Benefit: You have a taste for the forbidden flesh of the living, eating their bodies, sometimes dead, but often as it squirms in your grasp. Whenever you eat a sentient creature, you gain 1d4 temporary hit points and a +2 bonus to Strength. Additionally, your effective caster or ritualist level goes up by +1. These benefits last for one hour. If the creature was alive at the beginning of the consumption, the benefits are doubled. It takes one minute to consume a medium sized creature.

Finishing Shot
Prerequisites: Finishing Strike class feature.
Benefit: You have learned to extend the range of your siphoning, drawing souls out of their slain bodies over short distances. You may use your finishing strike class feature on any ranged attack up to 30 feet away.

Greater Ritual Study
Prerequisites: Knowledge of two 1st level rituals, character level 5.
Benefit: You have progressed beyond dabbling with ritual magic, understanding its precepts and becoming more acquainted to the gestures and practices. You learn a single second level ritual. In all other respects, treat this as per Ritual Study.

Reflexive Retribution
Prerequisites: Reversing strike class feature.
Benefit: Many blows have been struck against your personage, and you have mastered transferring them back upon their creator. Whenever you are struck by an attack for more than 10 damage, you may create a ritual by sacrificing a number of hit points equal to the damage taken. If you do so, you may affect the creature that struck you with the ritual as a free action. Each use of reflexive retribution counts as a use of your attack of opportunity for the round. If creating a ritual in this way would cause you to exceed the maximum allowable, it fails.

Ritual Study
Prerequisites: None.
Benefit: You have dabbled in ritual magic, learning a few basic techniques that can be used to enhance your abilities. You learn to use a single first level ritual. If it is a Martyr ritual, it follows the rules of the Martyr class. If it is a Ritualist or Ritual Warrior ritual, it follows the rules of the appropriate class. In all cases, treat your ritual-wielder level as 1.
Special: You can take this feat a total of three times. Each time you gain knowledge of a new ritual.

Racial Feats

Breath the Sky
Prerequisites: Niwl race
Benefit: Niwl are so used to living within noxious environments that they now ignore all effects and penalties from inhaled poisons, diseases, and cloud spells.

Commander's Might
Prerequisites: Hastro race
Benefit: Having long specialized in slaying ritual creatures, the Hastro now gain a +2 bonus to attack and a +6 bonus to damage against the Caeth, and all [Ritual] creatures.

Fighting the Cloud
Prerequisites: Niwl race
Benefit: Niwl with this feat ignore all miss chances provided by fogs, mists, or clouds, and reduce all other concealment types by one step.

Lifedrinker's Bite
Prerequisites: Helfarch race
Benefit: All constitution damage done by the Helfarch's Draining Bite is doubled.

Mastery of Purpose
Prerequisites: Caeth race
Benefit: Created to be sacrificed, the Caeth have learned to take that curse and use it to their advantage. As part of creating a Martyr ritual, the Caeth may treat it as if it had one more hit dice in it than was actually sacrificed. He may do this a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier. He may not use this to break any cap on total or individual ritual hit dice.

[Stratovarius]

Skills

Knowledge (Rituals)
Like the Craft and Profession skills, Knowledge actually encompasses a number of unrelated skills. This entry specifically relates to the body of lore dealing with the phenomena of rituals in all its many locations.

Knowledge (Rituals) covers ancient mysteries, ritual traditions, ritualistic symbols, ancient phrases, ritual creatures, and ritualistic races and classes. You can use this skill to identify ritual monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities.

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Rituals), you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Religion) checks. If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Rituals), you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Arcana) checks.

If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Religion), you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Rituals) checks. If you have 5 or more ranks in Knowledge (Arcana), you get a +2 bonus on Knowledge (Rituals) checks.

Untrained: An untrained Knowledge (Rituals) check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, you know only common knowledge (DC 10 or lower).

[Stratovarius]

Caeth

Caeth are a race of beings who were bred over many centuries by the Hastro to be used in ritual magic as subservient slaves and sacrifices, a good strong fodder stock when experimenting. Eventually, they were able to win their freedom, in large part via intelligent use of their inbred capacity, for with most Caeth able to mount at least a small amount of magical energy to their own defence, they slowly overwhelmed the Hastro and made their escape.

Personality
An individual Caeth is usually fairly quiet, and not all that outgoing. Still a young race in the scheme of things, their racial heritage is one of being betrayed, and they carry that legacy with them, even when outside of the group from which they came. They can be friendly when approached properly, but are almost always reserved.

Physical Description
Strong and hearty, Caeth are possessed of a fine physique almost without effort. Built in much the same way as dwarves, and possibly created from dwarven stock, they are completely hairless from head to foot, and are possessed of a slightly enlongated neck that is out of proportion with the rest of their body. They have the odd trait of veins that are a visible red under the surface of their skin, while arteries are a deep brown.

Relations
Caeth are universally distrusting of other races until their good will can be established, although they have taken to enjoying the company of the gnomes and halflings, sensing in those races something of an inability to do meaningful harm. As a general rule, they are on very poor terms with orcs and goblinoids, being all too familiar with oppression and cruelty. They absolutely despise the Hastro, and will kill them on sight.

Religion
Possessed of a more philosophical than religious bent, most Caeth believe more in good deeds and a well lived life than any direct god, although they occasionally pray to most of the good aligned deities.

Language
Caeth speak Common.

Adventurers
Caeth occasionally are struck by the urge to leave their tightly knit, overly protective societies and venture outwards, although they often find themselves enmeshed in another strong group of friends shortly afterwards. Those few who commit crimes grevious enough to be expelled from Caeth society almost always become adventurers, putting their natural talents to use.

Caeth Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Caeth have been bred over generations for servitude, and they have not yet lost the aftereffects.
Medium: As Medium creatures, caeth have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Caeth base land speed is 30 feet.
Inherent Knowledge: A Caeth gains knowledge of a single first level ritual. If he is of good alignment, it comes from the Martyr list. If evil, Ritualist. Neutral Caeth can choose between the two. If he does not have the appropriate ritual-using class, he creates this ritual as a 1st level user of the appropriate class. Otherwise, it is an additional ritual known for the proper class. This ability does not count towards prerequisites that require knowledge of 1st level rituals.
Crafted Soul: Born and bred to be used as sacrifices, whenever a Caeth is slain as part of a ritual, his hit dice count as 1 higher than their actual.
Inbred Mastery: Attuned to the nature of ritual magic, the Caeth gain a +2 bonus on Use Rope checks, and on Spellcraft checks made to create rituals.
Automatic Languages: Common, Hastren, Caetan. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Gnome, Halfling, TBD (Arhosa)
Favoured Class: Martyr.

[Stratovarius]

Hastro

Master manipulators of ritual magic, and perhaps the race that discovered the technique in the first place, the Hastro have the history of ritual magic running through their veins. Over the years they have created many beings, although the most successful of those are the Caeth, one of the few races they were able to make that was true breeding. The Caeth rebelled, and since that time the Hastro and the Caeth have been embroiled in a heavy war, with the Hastro breeding and creating many creatures in order to combat the inherent magic of the Caeth.

Personality
Brash, outspoken, domineering, a Hastro is all of these, often in copious amounts. Their failure to control the Caeth has done nothing to dampen their overarching and controlling natures, and they still act as a master race capable of creating all forms of life, despite the failure of their experiments.

Physical Description
Dramatic in build, but slow and clumsy in their nature, they have a tall, regal prescence, overarching almost any other race that they would deal with on a daily basis. Standing over 7 feet tall, even for the women, the Hastro use their height to peer down on the lesser races. Equipped with grim and ugly faces, their hands end in hooked claws where others would have fingers.

Relations
Possessing a dominating relationship with almost any other race that they deal with, there tends to be those who are subservient to the Hastro and those who are in some form of conflict with the Hastro. Races and relations are tools to be used for further advancement of the Hastro, and so they are often distrusted due to their frequently turning the tables on their own friends for the benefit of the Hastro. They do prefer conference with the more evil races, but will deal with anyone.

Religion
While Hastro acknowledge the prescence of gods, and will traffic with them if it is to their benefit, they do not hold deities in high regard as do other races, feeling that Hastro are equal to any god, for each can create life. They will deal equally with demons and devils, should it grant them power.

Language
Hastro speak Common, but their frequent dealings with the races from below has given them knowledge of many things.

Adventurers
Adventurers among the Hastro are most often those in search of new forms of knowledge or creatures that can be used within their experiments to gain or create new and powerful forms of magic. They are common enough, but usually return to their homes after completing a successful journey in order to study what they have acquired.

Hastro Racial Traits
-2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma: Hastro are tall and slightly ungainly, but their presence and appearance demands notice.
Monstrous Humanoid.
Medium: As Medium creatures, Hastro have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Hastro base land speed is 30 feet.
Bonus Feat - The Hastro gain a single bonus [Ritual] feat.
Inherent Command - The Hastro are long time masters of the applications of ritual magic, and have bred many creatures to their purposes, some of which have succeeded, while others have not. Their most successful creation was the Caeth, who have since rebelled, and are now in a bitter war with their former masters. Hastro gain a +1 bonus to attacks against Caeth, and against any creature with the [Ritual] descriptor.
Natural Attacks - The Hastro are possessed of two claw attacks, that do 1d4 each as a medium creature.
Resistant - Due to their long and continued exposure to ritual magic, Hastro have developed a strong ability to ignore the penalties of working with it, and have a +2 bonus on all saving throws against ritual magic.
Automatic Languages: Common, Hastren. Bonus Languages: Infernal, Abyssal, Ignan, TBD (Arhosa)
Favoured Class: Ritualist.

[Stratovarius]

Helfarch

The second creation of the Hastro, the Helfarch are a large and powerful race, imbued with ritual magic both as a blessing, but as a curse as well, to ensure their compliance, as was not done with the Caeth. A side effect of the breeding was a partial boost to the mental acuity of the Helfarchs, but they have so far been kept in check by the Hastro and are used as guardians to protect their most precious treasures. There have been stirrings within groups of Helfarch, and some have fled or been forced to escape, but so far the Helfarch as a race remain loyal.

Personality
Unlikely to talk, the Helfarch relies on the Hastro master to be the leader in almost all conversations and encounters, and often continues that when with groups of people aside from the Hastro. When he is forced to speak, a low, growling noise issues from their throat, barely understandable as common. Despite their very clipped facade, Helfarch are quite intelligent and understand much of what is going on around them. They just choose not to make it apparent to others that they know. Some few Helfarch have even become information brokers within their community.

Physical Description
Quadrupedal and tall, the Helfarch has a vicious lower jaw, one that it uses to bite its foes with, often disregarding its weapons, while bone blades extend from the lower hand of the Helfarch, replacing the last two fingers on each hand. Muscles ripple under the scaly skin, the arms attached lower down the torso, while their feet are mostly bone stumps on which they stride. Hairless but cover in dull scales, their colour changes rapidly with their mod unless suppressed.

Relations
While Helfarch are sometimes spotted alone, their relations tend to resemble those of the Hastro for whom they slave, although there are many who are secretly sympathetic to and envious of the Caeth, who have managed to escape from the command of the Hastro. On their own, Helfarch are usually friendly to those whom they meet, but their horrific appearance often results in angry returns.

Religion
Helfarch worship few gods, but most of them are bestial and often cruel in nature.

Language
Helfarch speak Common, as well as any they are taught by their Hastro masters.

Adventurers
Most of the adventurers from the Helfarch are either guards of the Hastro, or those who have fled or been forced out, and have since begun a wandering lifestyle, forced out from place after place due to their appearance and form. Those who do adventure often head down the path of the ritual warrior, leveraging some of their natural talents to assist in their combative role in life. Fearsome in combat, Helfarch adventurers love to charge from fight to fight, using their natural talents to strike foes down.

Helfarch Racial Traits
+4 Strength, +2 Constitution, +4 Wisdom: The size and strength of the Helfarch is augmented by a strongly developed mind.
Aberration.
Racial Hit Dice: 3 aberration hit dice
Large
Helfarch base land speed is 40 feet.
Natural Attacks: Claw 1d6, Claw 1d6, Bite 1d8
Draining Bite: Every successful bite attack deals 1 point of constitution damage, 2 damage on a critical hit, unless the target succeeds at a fortitude save of 10 + 1/2 character level + Constitution modifier. If the Helfarch successfully deals constitution damage, he gains 5 temporary hit points for each point of constitution damage.
Resistant Form: Helfarch are naturally very sturdy in their own form. Any type of shapeshifting effect has only a 50% chance of working, even if it would be beneficial.
Bloodtheft Claws: When charging, the Helfarch can deliver a touch attack ritual at the end of the charge, instead of attack the target. He still receives the +2 bonus to hit.
Natural Pounce: The Helfarch may make a single attack with each natural attack at the end of a charge. He may replace any one of these attacks with a use of Bloodtheft Claws.
Consumptive Gift: Whenever the Helfarch kills a creature, it must spend 1 round per hit dice of the killed creature to consume it, gaining the effects of one ritual that only affects the caster. There is no gold or spellcraft check required. It cannot dismiss that ritual normally, nor can it use Consumptive Gift again until that ritual is gone. It will only overcome the compulsion to feed when already affected by a ritual or when in serious danger, at which time it will defend itself or run. The ritual is randomly chosen from the highest level he could cast if he treated all class levels as ritualist levels, and cannot exceed his hit dice cap. If it does, he must dismiss an existing ritual. Every day that the Helfarch is not affected by Consumptive Gift, it must make a Will save versus 15 + the number of weeks without using Consumptive Gift or go into a frenzy, seeking out the nearest living creature, slaying and eating it.
Automatic Languages: Common, Hastren. Bonus Languages: Infernal, Abyssal, Ignan, TBD (Arhosa)
Favoured Class: Ritual Warrior.
Level Adjustment: +1.

[Stratovarius]

Niwl

Living in a harsh land full of smog and often barren, Niwl find themselves in the places that none other desire to live. They have tried to use ritual magic to better their lives, but it is thought that many of the heavy and thick fogs and storms that sit over their homes are the result of their experiments with ritual magic, enhancing and worsening their conclusion rather than making it better. Either way, they have adapted to the heavy clouds, and now prefer to live there, finding clean air contains too much oxygen for their breathing systems.

Personality
Quiet and unassuming, Niwl hide themselves inside long robes and often try and pass themselves off as a disfigured gnome or halfling, rather than informing the world of the presence of their race except where necessary. Among themselves, they are friendly and outgoing, and once they open up to friends who are accepting of who they are, Niwl will often play practical jokes or contribute to the ongoing conversations, but are just as often comfortable ahead of the party, scouting on their own.

Physical Description
Humanoid in form, they have no mouth as normally constituted, instead possessed of a series of thin flesh membranes through which they exchange air, and a skin that is capable of adapting to a series of harsh environments, they have overly long arms for their size, meaning that they walk in an almost apelike manner. Due to their unappealing form, most tend to wear loose, heavy clothing that covers their unsightly features.

Relations
Small and somewhat unobtrusive, the Niwl’s fairly ugly form makes them usually unwelcome wherever they might be, although they do get along better with the smaller races, who are less threatening and less willing to use their height as a reason to abuse the Niwl. Their remote and unwelcoming home means that they are often unknown among the general populace of a place.

Religion
Of a somewhat elemental nature, Niwl most commonly worship the gods of air and earth, but each may have his own specific veneration.

Language
Niwl speak Common, but they have strong relations with the other small races, and often speak their languages.

Adventurers
Many among the Niwl venture outward, more to escape their rough and bitter home than in search of any higher purpose. It is considered that any Niwl who has not experienced the heavy clouds and fogs of home has lost his roots, and so all do tend to return there for a time, in order to refresh and renew their connection and heritage.

Niwl Racial Traits
-2 Intelligence: Niwl adaptations have stunted their mental capacity.
Aberration.
Small.
Niwl base land speed is 20 feet.
Breath of Ash: Well accustomed to life in toxic clouds, and with a breathing system adjusted to cope, the Niwl reduce all effects and penalties from inhaled poisons, diseases, and cloud spells by 50%. Also, any fog, mist, or cloud that would penalize their movement does not do so.
Misted Outlines: Once per day, as a caster of their character level, the Niwl can create a Gaseous Form effect.
Smog Fighting: Whenever they are inside a fog, mist or cloud, or under the effects of a Gaseous Form (or similar) spell, the Niwl gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +3 bonus to damage rolls.
Automatic Languages: Common, Niwlen. Bonus Languages: Air, Halfling, Gnome, TBD (Arhosa)
Favoured Class: Rogue. Gallant, in Arhosa.