Homebrewed Rituals?

Anyone have any interesting homebrewed rituals that they would like to share?

I'm compiling all my campaign-specific rituals in preparation of printing them out and adding them to my magic items and paragon paths in a big bound document (it's currently a good inch thick).

I'll start with a couple; obviously I cannot take credit for all of them, as most are conversions of previous-edition spells or effects, but they are handy to have available nonetheless!

Dimensional Lock
With this ritual, you create a large and long-lasting zone that impedes teleportation.
Level: 24 ; Component Cost: 25,000 gp
Category: Warding; Market Price: 105,000 gp
Time: 24 hours; Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Special

You create a zone that makes teleportation very difficult. While this ritual's effects last, to successfully teleport into, out of or within the zone, a creature must make an Arcana check with a DC equal to the check you make when you perform this ritual. Failure wastes the action, but not the power, and the teleportation fails to take effect. The exact maximum size and duration of the zone is determined by your Arcana check. When you perform this ritual, you can choose to affect a smaller size than maximum, even excluding some areas from this ritual's effect, or for the ritual to have a duration shorter than its maximum; however, once you have made these choices, they are set and may not be revised without re-casting the ritual.

Arcana Check --- Maximum Size and Duration of Zone
9 or lower --- 100 x 100 squares; 1 day
10-19 --- 200 x 200 squares; 1 week
20-29 --- 500 x 500 squares; 1 month
30-39 --- 1000 x 1000 squares; 4 months
40 or higher --- 2000 x 2000 squares; 1 year

Feet to Fins
As you chant, the subjects' bodies start to change, adapting to life in the water.
Level: 4; Component Cost: 25 gp
Category: Exploration; Market Price: 175 gp
Time: 1 hour ; Key Skill: Nature (no check)
Duration: 24 hours

You cause up to six willing creatures that have a land speed but no swim speed to change, polymorphing into a form more suitable for aquatic travel. Your feet and legs become fins and flukes. Each subject's land speed becomes 1 (clumsy), but each subject gains a swim speed equal to its previous land speed. Note that this ritual does not confer water breathing.

Moon Rune
You scribe runes that will only be visible under a specified condition, such as under the light of the moon.
Level: 9 ; Component Cost: 150 gp, plus special
Category: Deception; Market Price: 840 gp
Time: 10 minutes ; Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: Special

Using this ritual, you scribe a message hidden by illusion. You choose whether the surface upon which the message is scriven appears blank or bears another (false) message or image. However, under conditions that you specify, the true message appears. This ritual is often used by druids, fey or other long-lived creatures to leave clues or riddles to long-lasting mysteries or secrets that should be hidden until the time is right.

The conditions you specify may include references to time (including a specific date and time, the seasons, etc), light (including specific types or intensity of light), prophecies or symbols, but may not refer to creatures.

The message you write can be up to 20 words long. You may write a longer message by spending an additional 50 gp for each extra five words. You can choose what surface to scribe the message on and what size the moon runes are, up to filling one square of surface.

A creature that is trained in Arcana that makes an easy check can detect the presence of some sort of magical script. A trained creature that makes a moderate Arcana check can identify the moon runes, and a hard Arcana check can identify the conditions that must be met in order to read the moon runes. A creature can attempt to decipher the moon runes by succeeding at 3 Arcana checks with a DC equal to the check you make when performing the ritual. Each such Arcana check requires a day, and if the character fails three times before succeeding three times, she cannot decipher the runes.

Weighty Chest
The chest upon which you work this ritual becomes warded so that it is very difficult to move.
Level: 3 ; Component Cost: 50 gp
Category: Warding ; Market Price: 125 gp
Time: 10 minutes ; Key Skill: Arcana
Duration: 24 hours

When you perform this ritual, you ward a single chest of up to medium size so that it becomes extremely heavy whenever a creature other than you attempts to move it. A creature can move the chest at half speed by making an Athletics check with a DC equal to the Arcana check you make when performing this ritual as a move action.

Word Lock
This ritual creates a lock that can only be opened by speaking (or singing) the proper word or phrase.
Level: 20 ; Component Cost: 5,000 gp, plus a healing surge
Category: Warding; Market Price: 25,000 gp
Time: 10 minutes; Key Skill: Arcana (plus see text)
Duration: Permanent

This wards a door, window, portal, book, lock, chest or other object that closes so that it is virtually impossible to open without speaking the proper word or phrase while touching it. Even you must speak the password or phrase in order to open the object. The Thievery or Strength DC to open a word locked item is equal to your Arcana check +20.

This ritual is even more potent in the hands of a bard. A bard may choose to key the word lock to a song up to one minute in length. In this case, opening the enclosure requires that a creature perform the song as well as the bard did when performing the ritual. This is determined via a Diplomacy check made by the bard when performing the ritual. To open the enclosure with the song, a creature must equal or exceed the bard's Diplomacy check while singing the correct song.

Attempts to determine the password, phrase or song using rituals or powers of lower than 24th level automatically fail.

I wrote up a Reincarnation ritual based on the 3e spell, 4e's raise dead, and a little personal flair...let me dig it up...


Erm, so to speak

Reincarnate
You open a spiritual path for the soul of the deceased to advance on the Great Wheel of Life...hopefully.
Level: 10
Category: Restoration
Component Cost: 7,000 (paragon) or special
Time: 8 hours
Key Skill: Heal (no check)
Duration: instantaneous, or special

To perform Reincarnate, you must know the deceased's name and have some remnant of their corpse (ashes or a lock of hair will do) no older than 30 days (unless preserved). Certain rare components, such as a Phoenix's gem or feather, may be allowed instead of the gold piece cost.
The target returns to life in a new adult body, their new race determined either by a random roll (%) or player/DM consensus. They retain memories and all other abilities of their former life. However, until they reach 3 milestones, the target only has two death saves per encounter (not the usual three).
Some Druids are believed to be able to cast Reincarnate with a delayed trigger or even to reincarnate a soul as a child with no memories. Whether this is unique to Druidic beliefs or another (more powerful) ritual altogether is unknown.

I compiled all the 4th Edition rituals into one single document in the PHB format. I can give you a copy so you can add your own one into it if you wish.

See post #901 in my Orcus Conversion for more info.

/Myrhdraak

Myrhdraak said:

See post #901 in my Orcus Conversion for more info.

/Myrhdraak

Click to expand...

What forum is that in? Didnt see it in this one. Can you provide a link?

I made a Scribe Scroll ritual, for use with encounter powers. One is a longer version, but has more detail and a bit more complexity, the other is shorter and less complex, but not as interesting in role-playing (IMO), but I'll post them here!

First up, the long version:

SCRIBE SCROLL (ENCOUNTER)Arcane words of power flare, burning themselves into the paper. You know that when the words are read again, the same arcane power will incinerate the paper, leaving nothing but the smell of burning parchment and the thrill of magic as it courses through your veins.
Level: 3 ComponentCost: Special
Category: Creation MarketPrice: 100 gp
Time: 2 hrs for heroic, 3 hrs forparagon, 4 hrs for epic Key Skill: Arcana, Religion (no check)
Duration: Permanent until used Special: Must be an arcane or divine caster

NOTE: You do not need this ritual to be able to read a scroll (see below for details), just to write your own.

You perform this ritual to create a scroll that contains an arcane or divine encounter spell that you can personally cast (so the spell must be of your class, and your level or lower). No skill check is necessary to scribe the scroll, but you must be trained in the appropriate skill, know the language associated, and pay the component costs in Residuum.

You may attempt to read scrolls of the same class as you, or a different class altogether. Reading a scroll takes the action from the spell description, plus a minor action to retrieve it from where it is stored (unless you had the scroll in hand already). It also helps to know the language in which the scroll is written. If you do not know the language, then a moderate Arcana or Religion check is needed to decipher the scroll before it can be read. Using the skill check in this way is a free action, but if you do not succeed, then you cannot attempt to read the scroll until you have taken a short rest. You may decipher a scroll outside of combat also, during a short or extended rest. The skill check needed to decipher outside of combat is merely an easy difficulty. Doing so negates the need to decipher the scroll in the heat of combat.

You may read a scroll of a different class than your own, or some that are of a higher level than you are. Arcane and Divine are the referenced "categories" in this description. The easiest scrolls to use are those with spells of your own class. This type of casting will be referred to as Type I. More difficult than those basic spells are spells of a different class, but still the same category (arcane caster casting from a different arcane class, for example). This type of casting will be referred to as Type II. The most difficult scrolls to read are those that are from opposing categories (divine caster casting any arcane spell, for example). This type ofcasting will be referred to as Type III. Several things have to be in your favor for Type III casting to be possible, as described below. If a caster is a multi-class or hybrid with two of the affected classes, they are considered to be a member of both classes for all benefits.

Not all classes use scrolls. The most common arcane classes are Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer, and Bard. The most common Divine classes are Cleric, Paladin, Invoker, and Avenger. All builds of these classes are capable of using this ritual and spell scrolls. Spell scrolls are written in a specific language. Some classes are more closely tied to a language than others. Fluency in this language will give a bonus to the skill check to read the scroll.
Following are the classes and their associated languages:
Wizard/Sorcerer: Draconic
Warlock: Primordial
Bard: See below
Divine Classes: Supernal
If a Bard is casting a Bard spell from ascroll, he uses his native language to activate the scroll, using the guidelines below for a Type I casting. If another caster class is attempting to cast a bard spell, an initial moderate difficulty Arcana check is required to decipher the scroll.

Casting a divine spell from a scroll requires a religion skill check; casting an arcane spell from a scroll requires an arcana skill check. If you know the associated language, you get a +3 to this skill check. If you are attempting a Type I casting of your level or lower, the difficulty is moderate. For a higher level Type I spell, the difficulty is moderate with an additional +1 to the DC for every level higher the spell is above your own level. If you are attempting a Type II casting of your level or lower, the difficulty is hard. For a higher level spell, the difficulty is hard with an additional +1 to the DC for every level higher the spell is above your own level. A Type III casting is only possible with spells lower than your level. All Type III castings are attempted with a hard difficulty, with an additional +2 to the DC also. If you fail the skill check, the scroll does not function. You cannot make another attempt until you have taken an extended rest. If you fail the skill check by 5 or more, the energy of the scroll backfires, destroying the scroll and dealing 1d8 arcane damage per tier to the caster.

The cost for a spell scroll, and the component cost to create is 10% of a permanent magic item of the same level as the spell. So, a level 2 encounter utility spell would cost 52 gp for components to write, and the same amount to buy from a seller.

deleted...but can't delete!

And, the short version, which basically takes out the language component of the longer version:SCRIBE SCROLL (ENCOUNTER)Arcane words of power flare, burning themselves into the paper. You know that when the words are read again, the same arcane power will incinerate the paper, leaving nothing but the smell of burning parchment and the thrill of magic as it courses through your veins.
Level: 3 Component Cost: Special
Category: Creation MarketPrice: 100 gp
Time: 2 hrs for heroic, 3 hrs for paragon, 4 hrs for epic Key Skill: Arcana, Religion (no check)
Duration: Permanent until used Special: Must be an arcane or divine caster

NOTE: You do not need this ritual to be able to read a scroll (see below for details), just to write your own.

This is a shortened version of the ritual, making it less complicated to use, but at the same time, taking away some of the role-playing aspects of the longer version.

You perform this ritual to create a scroll that contains an arcane or divine encounter spell that you can personally cast (so the spell must be of your class, and your level or lower). No skill check is necessary to scribe the scroll, but you must be trained in the appropriate skill, and pay the component costs in Residuum.

You may attempt to read scrolls of the same class as you, or a different class altogether. Reading a scroll takes the action from the spell description, plus a minor action to retrieve it from where it is stored (unless you had the scroll in hand already).

If a caster is a multi-class or hybrid with two of the affected classes, they are considered to be a member of both classes for all benefits.

Not all classes use scrolls. The most common arcane classes are Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer, and Bard. The most common Divine classes are Cleric, Paladin, Invoker, and Avenger. All builds of these classes are capable of using this ritual and spell scrolls.

Casting a divine spell from a scroll requires a religion skill check; casting an arcane spell from a scroll requires an arcana skill check. If you are attempting a casting of your level or lower, the difficulty is moderate. For a higher level spell, the difficulty is moderate with an additional +1 to the DC for every level higher the spell is above your own level. If you fail the skill check, the scroll does not function. You cannot make another attempt until you have taken an extended rest. If you fail the skill check by 5or more, the energy of the scroll backfires, destroying the scroll and dealing 1d8 arcane damage per tier to the caster.

The cost for a spell scroll, and the component cost to create is 10% of a permanent magic item of the same level as the spell. So, a level 2 encounter utility spell would cost 52 gp for components to write, and the same amount to buy from a seller.

Yikes, that's hard to read.

Would you mind changing the font color back to default (or at least to something that shows up better against a black background)?

Not sure what you mean...I haven't changed anything FROM the default. If it's black lettering, it wouldn't really work too well on a black background, would it? Or am I missing something entirely?