Ritual Revamp... thoughts?

[McTreble]

Ok, so I am a HUGE fan of Rituals. I like to see them used more, and with greater flexibility. I also dig alchemy, even though I think 4e hasn't done enough with it.

Rituals: Anyone who begins with or takes Ritual Caster as a feat may do the following:

1) Reduce PURCHASE OF RITUAL cost in half, but not materials cost used at the time of casting. (keep reading to find out why)

2) Materials are treated like ammo for specific weapons. In this analogy, each ritual skill (Arcane, Divine, Healing, Nature) requires a separate accounting of purchases. It sounds complicated, but it's not. (again, keep reading)

3) The KICK ASS PART: Rituals may now be cast and held in the ready until the user unleashes it. This includes combat as well.

Here's how it works: Let's say Jim Cockprawn the hermaphrodite Wizard goes to the town shoppe and picks up a Comprehend Languages ritual. He pays 25 gp for the actual vellium parchment (1/2 of the normal 50 gp.) He wants to cast it 5 times, so he buys 50 gold worth of Arcane components. These components can be used for any arcane ritual, but not for any other type.

PREPARATION:

Ritual Casters may memorize 1 ritual per level. This includes multiple copies of the same ritual. Provided they can spend the casting time for the rituals, they may be used until an Extended Rest is taken.

So Jim is level 3. He is about to go out for the day and he wants to prepare his rituals. He tallies up the total casting time of his 3 rituals for the day, and if he can spare that time and materials cost, they are committed to memory, just like older edition Wizards. During a short rest mid-dungeon, Jim might be able to only prepare one.

USE:

Very simple. The stored Ritual is expended instantaneously. A new relevant skill check may be made to maintain discretion, as Rituals tend to be loud and flashy when used this way.

In combat, a Ritual requires a Standard, Move, and Minor action to cast; essentially your entire turn. However, expending a Ritual may also be something that's done with an Action Point. (seems more cinematic that way)

Of course, this does not replace the current Ritual rules, so they may always be cast the standard way as well.

 

[Stalker0]

With the magic circle ritual you can imprison any monster you fight, no save, no check. A 16th level wizard with a decent arcana bonus could imprison the tarrasque without much problem.

I'm all for making rituals better, but allowing easy in combat use creates a lot of potential headaches.

 

[McTreble]

Looks like I'll have to go in and examine each one for potential game breaking effects like this one.

 

[buddhafrog]

I like the concept, minus the rituals that would then become over-powered.

I allow PC's to harvest parts of their magical enemies to make into ritual components. I first gave a value too high, but then quickly learned and scaled it back quite a bit. For example, after killing a troll, the PC cut off the troll's nose. Why nose? It's no more magical than the left toe, but it is an essential part of the troll. When they recently killed the hobgoblin sorcerer, they took part of his staff for their components.

This has led to fun roleplaying, more immediate/tangible rewards, and a greater awareness of rituals. And it's a whole lot more fun than buying materials (which can still be done).

 

[Daern]

Here's a little house rule I just wrote inspired by yesterday's neogrognard.com post.

Ritual Rules: Sacrifice of 1 Healing Surge pays for for 10gp/level of Component Costs. Doubling costs divides casting time by 10.

So if a 5th level Wizard cast Mindshape Warwing Drake, a 1 hour ritual that cost 100gp, he could spend two healing surges to cast it without components, or 4 surges(200gp) to cast it in 6 minutes with out components. A further 400gp worth of components (or 8 total surges) could be spent to cast the ritual in 6 seconds, or one combat round.

I haven't tried it yet, and I understand that some rituals may be problematic in combat, but I would simply rule that these rituals are very delicate in combat. Thus, one could not mindshape a drake out from under its rider, or even while it was attacking. It would first be necessary for the drake to be calmed for the ritual to work. Similarly with Magic Circle, it seems that the physical inscribing of the circle would inhibit using the the ritual in an offense manor.

I guess I would say that, Rituals would be explicitly problematic for use during combat, requiring DM approval in each case.

Anyways, food for thought.

 

[Fredrik Svanberg]

I don't know many rituals that would be useful in combat (magic circle is the obvious exception), but I'm sure they are out there.

How about making ritual casting in combat into a skill challenge? If you absolutely positively have to capture that demon in a magical circle instead of simply killing it, make the players work for it. Three or five or however many Arcana check successes you think it should require, over the course of the battle, to make the ritual work faster. It seems like something that would be fun and challenging, and different from the usual grindy fight. Maybe they have to position the monster in the right spot as well, to make it even more complicated.

 

[TarionzCousin]

It's not perfect, apparently. But I like it. It looks like you spent some time working it out. Nicely done.

Can you give more details of what you meant by a new skill check made to maintain discretion? If the check is passed, is the ritual spellcast not noticed?