Rituals

[Mort_Q]

I wonder if many DMs will houserule Identify back into the game as a ritual?

Well, if the discussion that followed the posting of that excerpt is any indication, some will.

Many saw this new rule as a boon, some saw it as a nerf.

Personally, I like it, and it still allows the DM the option to make some items more mysterious if they so choose.

 

[malraux]

On ritual components: Remember that this is exception based design. Sure knock can give you an advantage to opening most doors. But to open the door of the Banewarrens, you need to first find a bone from Danar Rotansin, the cleric who originally sealed the chambers.

 

[Baka no Hentai]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080516a

Excellent, thank you very much Mort.

 

[Sir Brennen]

One of the things I really like is that residium can be used as a substitute for the other components. Now you can recycle those extra +1 swords to fuel rituals!

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

With regards to the time it takes to complete a ritual, if there isn't some rule for it in the PHB, I may create a house rule that allows a caster to perform a ritual hastily with a significant penalty to the effect roll; maybe something like a -2 for each minute shaved off and a minimum of 1 minute to perform.

"I can here them coming, you need to finish that Cure Disease on me now!"
"OK, but its going to hurt, and it might even kill you."
"We're dead anyway if you don't finish it."

 

[Engilbrand]

When it comes to residuum, I like the idea of using it as pure magical energy. I always tried to get the same thing done in Eberron games.
You get a special sort of gem. As you drain off a magical item, the gem changes colors and intensity. When you use it later for something, it dulls again.
This also opens up the idea of residuum being used in trade or as treasure. It also opens the door for forgeries and stuff.
That's how I'm going to do it.

 

[Wolfwood2]

A few comments.

1. I'm guessing that there will be some discussion in the DMG on limiting specific rituals to specific power sources, even though that isn't the default rules. The designers know perfectly well that a lot of DMs don't want wizards casting Raise Dead or clerics Floating Disk, so might as well write a couple of paragraphs discussing the issue.

2. Given the 'open design' of the rest of the system, I hope the DMG has some guidelines on designing new rituals. I'm seeing this in terms of what abilties are appropriate for PCs at what levels.

3. Following up on 2, this could be used to give D&D a minor "dynamic magic" system. A character could try to create a new ritual "on the fly", though without all the development work the relevant skill roll would be at a significant penalty.

4. In addition, there's a lot of design room in playing around with material components. Take the idea of "ley lines" and "places of power". There could be locations that allow some rituals to be performed without material components, making them especially valuable.

5. Obviously rituals are ripe for splatbook expansion. Only a limited number could be included in the PHB, but any number could be created.

6. I didn't see any ritual on the heroic tier list for "Summon/Create creature to do my bidding". (Arguably Animal Messanger and Phantom Steed, but those are very specific effects rather than open-ended minion summoning.) However, "Binding" is specifically listed as a ritual category that includes such things. Reserved for paragon tier and above?

7. Anybody want to bet that Undead Creation exists as a ritual... in the DMG? I'm betting that a lot of the "reserved for evil characters" stuff has migrated there, as demonstrated by how evil gods were handled.

 

[SuperGnome]

Detecting secret doors 10 minutes t cast.. and 25 gp to do.. and then only find an door in line of sight? Hate it if you have big rooms with many walls..

I dont think this will be an ritual that wont be used much..

PLUS it's a ritual called Detect Secret Doors that doesn't really do that. It gives you a bonus to Perception which happens to only be good for looking for doors in this case. Why not just have a ritual for Enhance Perception? Also, instantaneous? Give me a break!

I would hazard a guess part of their design is to make sure secret doors are never required to advance, (which I do agree with). They should be extra tasty nuggets in a not quite as tasty bowl of Dungeon Stew.

But still, as written this is a waste and needlessly lame. It should simply do as it says (detect doors) or be named differently. In any case, it shouldnt' take TEN minutes to cast something so simply, and then have it instantaneous? Is it TEN minutes simply because it's a ritual and should take some amount of time?

I'd say it's a 1 minute ritual, still costs 25gp, actually detects secret doors, and is instantaneous.

If it's going to give you a generic bonus to perception, make it take ONE minute, cost 25gp, and last ONE minute. (could last just an instant I suppose since it'd have a broad use)

 

[Cadfan]

See, I really like the fact that it boosts perception instead of just finding the door automatically. I think that's a major fix, not a bug.

It means that the ritual synergizes with your existing skills, rather than replacing them.

 

[AllisterH]

But still, as written this is a waste and needlessly lame. It should simply do as it says (detect doors) or be named differently. In any case, it shouldnt' take TEN minutes to cast something so simply, and then have it instantaneous? Is it TEN minutes simply because it's a ritual and should take some amount of time?

I'd say it's a 1 minute ritual, still costs 25gp, actually detects secret doors, and is instantaneous.

If it's going to give you a generic bonus to perception, make it take ONE minute, cost 25gp, and last ONE minute. (could last just an instant I suppose since it'd have a broad use)

Be very careful about this. Reading the excerpt and the implication of the wealth chart, the ritual system is designed so that it isn't "cheap" to use magic and thus, devalue the worth of skills.

This was one of the big problems with magic in previous editions that it quickly became cheap and easy to use magic thus, skills pretty much became worthless.