Rituals - A wizard can Raise Dead?

[Lord Sessadore]

My game requires that the ritual caster be trained in the key skill of the ritual being used. Most wizards will not be trained in Religion, so most cannot Raise Dead. Any Ritual Caster who feels the lack is one feat slot away from correcting it.

I feel it's not too much to ask that the guy trying to Raise Dead at least knows which gods he ought to be screaming at...

I feel compelled to object to this idea - not only for the reasons noted below, like how high level characters are as good as or better than 1st level characters at every skill, but also because of the number of rituals tied to each skill.

Seriously, take a look at the list. If you houserule that you must be trained in the ritual's key skill to use the ritual, you're severely gimping anyone who isn't trained in Arcana who takes Ritual Caster. Here's a breakdown of the rituals in the PHB:

• Arcana: 34 rituals
• Heal: 4 rituals (one of which is Raise Dead, meaning that clerics aren't even able to use it by default)
• Nature: 6 rituals
• Religion: 8 rituals

Now then, why would anyone who isn't trained in Arcana take Ritual Caster? It becomes a waste of a feat.

 

[Lord Sessadore]

• You put your left leg in
• You put your left leg out
• You put your left leg in
• And you shake it all about...

Also, this made me laugh. Thank you, sir.

 

[ProdigalTim]

Mhm

 

[Baumi]

The fact that Scrolls have no requisites makes them a great GM tool. Usually you cannot use Ritual if you haven't learned it or have not the minimum level, but what if you want them to be able to use a teleport or raise dead at low level? Now you can just hand them over a scroll and they can do it, just be sure that they are not to easily available.

The classical scene where you have to perform a Ritual while everyone else has to defend the Place is now possible without sending NPC's with the group.

 

[CapnZapp]

Yes, Ritual Scrolls is the designers' way of handing you an out, where none of the ritual rules apply.

I'm using that very sparingly, but I can see their use in a campaign where noone's interested in the details of rituals.