Rituals : What We Know And What We Hope

[Andur]

Been stated several times, no negative XP anything in 4E, abilities, feats, magic item creation, calling the DM names...

 

[ppaladin123]

I could see there being a few "buff" rituals. In the later 3.5e books there are plenty of "ceremony feats" that allow you to essentially perform a ritual and expend resources to give your party members 24 hours of protection against something. There is one where, if I recall correctly, you burn a +1 shield and make a balm with the ashes and then apply it to the skin of each party member while chanting something: everyone got a +X bonus to natural armor for the day. In another each person adds a drop of their blood to a mixture and then applies it to their ears: everyone can communicate telepathically for the day and no one can be flanked unless all are flanked.

Those feats could easily serve as the basis for "buff" rituals

 

[FourthBear]

My hope is that there are very few ritual examples in the Player's Handbook, if any. I also hope that the rules for the creation of rituals is firmly kept in the DMG. The magic spells and powers given in the PH can be the default that players can have reasonable expectations of. Beyond that, it's up to the DM (and campaign guides and the like) to decide what rituals are appropriate for the campaign world in question. Some DMs may have no issues with powers like teleport, etherealness and the like, while others hate it. I'm hoping that they avoid strict guidelines as to what should and shouldn't be allowed as rituals.

I'd love it if rituals were suggested to be very specific for tasks. I would prefer it if they avoided rituals like Teleport Without Error to Anywhere and Summon Any Specified Outsider. I would much prefer specific rituals that would allow you to create a portal to the Valley of the Ancients or a ritual to summon the Maruki, the Winged Servant of Set. I think this would help set a more fantastic tone for many worlds and lessen the cheapening and abuse that always occurs when you give broadly defined powers.

And, as always, I am hoping that non-spellcasters will have the ability to use some rituals, as I think it will open a lot of plot possibilities.

 

[small pumpkin man]

What I find most interesting (and bothersome, actually) is that the capacity to use Rituals is listed on the character sheet of the sample Wizard from DDXP but is missing from the character sheet of the sample Cleric and Warlock.

So then, will resurrection be a ritual or not? Is the ability to cast rituals obtainable via feat, and who can get it if so?

The Cleric did have Ritual casting, although the Warlock and and the Paladin did not.

 

[FourthBear]

What I find most interesting (and bothersome, actually) is that the capacity to use Rituals is listed on the character sheet of the sample Wizard from DDXP but is missing from the character sheet of the sample Cleric and Warlock.

I don't think this is correct for the cleric. I'm looking at the sheet for Erais the Sunlord, the cleric character from DDXP and he clearly has Ritual Casting under Race and Class Features. It's been speculated that rituals require being trained in the Arcana skill.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

There are divine rituals. I'm sure the races and classes book mentioned them.

Fitz

 

[Lizard]

My hope? Rituals will be things which have to be found/discovered, not easily available to anyone.

I actually like the way magic is split up in 4e; you've got the basic 'mastery of magic' stuff (at will powers), "spells" (encounter and daily powers) and rituals to cover all the Cool . If rituals consume a resource -- maybe you can only ever learn one per point of Int, or one every level, or whatever -- so much the better. I like characters to be forced to make hard choices and to be defined by their abilities as well as their personalities.

 

[Ipissimus]

At the moment, here's how I think/hope they'll work based on what I've read.

They will require the Ritualist feat to access. If could be that Clerics and Wizards get the feat for free at 1st level, while other classes have to buy the capability from their allotment of feats.

Rituals will encompass 'utility' spells (teleport, etc.) from the old lists, spells with strange effects (Polymorph any Object, etc), Item creation, summoning/binding demons, creating undead or blowing up the world (maybe Armageddon, level 30 ritual).

Rituals will require money to cast, generally in the form of special ingrediants. Rituals may also have specific requirements to cast (eg specific alignment, hard to get 'quest' ingrediants like the blood of a silver dragon, etc.). Time will also be a major factor depending on the effect you desire.

Rituals will be divided up into lists depending on either power source or class as well as level. Hopefully power source. I also hope there will be general rituals available to anyone as well as martial rituals.

Rituals won't be granted to a PC for reaching a certain level: you'll have to find the formulae or a mentor who can impart their secrets to you.

Anyone will be able to take the Ritualist feat to gain access to Item Creation at the very least.

Now, I don't know if any of the above is true or not, or if things will change in the meantime, but this is where I hope they go with it.

 

[Aloïsius]

There were rules for ritual in unearthed arcana. I liked them a lot. I somewhat hope the new rituals will be akin to those : skill checks, specific non combat effects, cool flavor and open to every classes (but more easy for spellcasters, of course..)

 

[Kunimatyu]

I hope you're right, Ip

It would be awesome if you could roll up a Fighter with secret knowledge of arcane rituals, by giving him the Arcane skill and the Ritualist feat.

It would also seriously help out "low magic" games -- allow only the four Martial classes, but have rituals and maybe some of the feats that let you get a bit of magical class training and you're ready to rock.