Ritual Economy

[Mostlyjoe]

I've cross posted this at rpg.net but I was curious what the Enworld folks thought about the subject. Thanks.

I've been thinking about what I call 'fluff' magic from earlier editions of D&D. The lion share of which have been handed over to ritual casting. One of the biggest issues I have with rituals is the actual GP cost to cast many of them. It in effect acts as a ritual tax on characters that develop ritual casting as a feat (or get it as a class benefit.). The problem is in earlier editions many of these spells didn't have a defined cost, you could just do them X number times a day. Or the material cost was so negligable that it didn't bother the caster to carry around cheep tools to cast them.

I was trying to come up with elagent in-system ways to giving some cost savings back to ritual casters w/out invalidating the balance and enconmy of the D&D game and I think I have a solution.

2 feats:

Frugal Caster - Requirement: Ritual Casting feat.

Benefit: A reduction to material costs of all Ritual Casting by 10 GP per level.

Reason: As a feat it's minor but adds a huge benefit in those first few levels where 10GP matters most. It opens up a lot of early rituals to casting and makes them very 'useful' without damaging the overall cost of the bigger and more powerful later rituals.

Ritual Specialist - Requirement: Ritual Casting Feat.

Benefit: You gain the ability to cast 1 ritual at your level or lower once a day at no cost.

Special: Rituals with variable costs are not allowed to be chosen with this feat. Ritual foci costs are not reduced only the individual casting.

Reason: It works like the class feature that Druid, Bard, and Invoker get in PB2. Which honestly I think Wizard and Cleric should also be given in errata. For the cost of a feat you can train in and out of an existing ritual as you level. Limiting out variable cost and foci keeps people from having free divinations and raise dead. Etc.

As far as I know nothing like this has hit a book, but I could go back and re-read DDI to make sure I'm not covering something that's already been addressed. These are just raw ideas and I'm honestly looking for a logical house rule(s) or rulings. Any ideas on the subject?

I already house rule the Ritual cost for Clerics and Wizards for their 1 free ritual at 1st level.

What are your thoughts on Ritual casting and the cost to the party at large? Do you withold a 10% value of treasure parcels? Grant an extra parcel of ritual components? Not charge PC's for some rituals?

 

[evilbob]

We basically use a communal ritual casting money pot for these same reasons.

 

[Starfox]

I like the idea, but think the feats might be too frugal - one ritual is not much, and 10 gp/level is nothing past level 10 or so.

 

[BobTheNob]

Yea, I dont think this idea is out of line at all (though perhaps better posted in the house rules forum)

The one per day is a good one, but the 10 gold less is a little stingy, I would caveat a proportional approach, something like "Better of 10gp per level or 50%".

 

[chronoplasm]

I actually homebrewed up 'Ritual Facilities' for this purpose.
"Library of Divination"
"Forge of Creation"
etc.

These are a kind of wondrous item that has to be assembled in a fixed location where they stay.
Ritual Facilities allow you to perform rituals of a certain type at a 50% discount, and they often come with other features as well.

Ritual Facilities can be found set up in dungeons, and players can contruct their own when they have their own base of operations.
Ritual Facilities can also be built into vehicles large enough to hold them (like the Airship).

 

[fuzzlewump]

Consider giving out ritual components, either by replacing some monetary treasure or by giving more on top of the standard monetary treasure. It removes the ambivalent "Well, is 100 gp really worth it for this ritual? We can probably do without it and I need to save for that ____."

 

[Regicide]

If the DM wants the players to use more rituals, he'll give them more GP.

 

[Saeviomagy]

If the DM wants the players to use more rituals, he'll give them more GP.

Except there's no guarantee that they'll get used on rituals, and a lot of players are going to be hoarders, holding onto the cash for their next big magic item upgrade.

Personally I like the idea of just handing out ritual components: killed a dragon? X gp of arcana-tied ritual components. Killed a treant? X gp of nature-tied ritual components.

You can even add in more specificity, like the components from that red dragon count double when used in a fire-related ritual (control fire, craft a flaming weapon, create alchemist's fire etc).

 

[Ryujin]

Mostlyjoe I like your idea but I would even expand on it a bit, based on the Bard's model. Bards get to cast any one Bard ritual (2 at Paragon and 3 at Epic) a day, with no cost other than the required foci. Perhaps allowing a ritualist to cast one ritual of a specific category (chosen when the feat is taken) per day would be reasonable. This could also scale with tier.

 

[chronoplasm]

You can even add in more specificity, like the components from that red dragon count double when used in a fire-related ritual (control fire, craft a flaming weapon, create alchemist's fire etc).

Draconomicon has some good suggestions for things like this.
Personally, I actually prefer non-monetary rewards.