I found a list of things rituals and practices do a while back and saved it but not sure where I got it.
Acquire Skill
Bind a Soul
Break and Enter
Change Environment
Change Objects
Change Treasure
Clean
Communicate
Copy Text
Create Consumables
Create Objects
Create Security/Alarms
Create Servants
Detain/Restrain
Detect Creatures
Disguise
Distribute Healing Surges
Eavesdrop
Entertain
Fake Objects
Foil Communication
Foil Defiling
Foil Eavesdropping
Foil Illusions
Foil Invisibility
Foil Pursuit
Foil Stealth
Foil Teleportation
Hide Information
Improve Capabilities
Improve Teamwork
Influence Beasts
Influence Monsters
Influence People
Interrogate
Investigate
Learn
Light
Mislead
Move Longterm
Navigate
Overcome Obstacles
Preserve Corpse
Preserve Objects
Protect
Record Information
Repair Objects
Rest
Resurrect
Search
Share Senses
Shelter
Sneak
Strengthen Objects
Survive
Teleport
Track
Transport Objects
Trap
Travel Between Planes
Treat Lasting Effects
Weaken Enemies
Weaken Objects
OK, so, then, lets see what 'dramatic functional categories' we can come up with, and then which thing goes in which one.
1. Transition from one scene to another - Things like teleport, but also strategic flight, guidance through an obstacle or overcoming of an obstacle, etc. Anything that produces a scene transition. Some of these may not even be travel-related potentially.
2. Initiate a conflict - @
Manbearcat has examples like "enter someone's dream and defeat a nightmare" etc, but I'm wondering if this is entirely distinct from the first category. It is after all a NEW SCENE, and that's what would happen after ANY transition, this is just a category of non-travel transitions (actually it may even involve travel, but perhaps in a more metaphorical sense).
3. Produce a guaranteed result by allowing the spending of resources to achieve it - Is this actually DISTINCT FROM 1/2? They don't seem to be mutually exclusive categories. However I think there's a reasonable point here of what the primary goal is. If you're using a ritual to make sure you can read the secret language, that's one thing. If its so you can jump the chasm without fail, then isn't it also 1/2? Honestly ALMOST all practices/rituals work in the transition sense (jump the chasm, advance to the scene on the other side). Admittedly most rituals can ALSO work WITHIN a scene, but is that actually a valid way to categorize them?
4. Define and limit consequences - Again, thinking about it, is this distinct from #3? I mean, a guaranteed result is limiting consequences, presumably. It certainly isn't limiting SUCCESSES...
So, maybe these are all at least non-exclusive possibilities. Sorry, I started out to make a list and instead I seem to have DESTROYED a list! lol. Still, we could apply specific attributes to all rituals/practices and insist that each of them fall into one or more of several categories, and then analyze the distribution and effectiveness of one type over the other to produce a balanced set. That would probably help produce rituals and practices that are, if not exactly equivalent, at least opening up the same sorts of capabilities to each type of character.