D&D 5E Should Rituals Have a Cost?

[Falling Icicle]

In 4e, and in earlier playtest packets, rituals used to cost money in the form of expensive components to cast. Later, this cost was removed. While I greatly disliked the (IMO) outrageous cost of many of the rituals in 4e, I have been wondering if rituals should at least cost something (like maybe 25gp per spell level, or something similar). Right now, the only cost to using a ritual is the +10 minute casting time. However, rituals allow you to cast spells without using spell slots. It seems like the intelligent thing to do is to use these spells in their ritual form whenever possible, so that you can cast them for free. Is that a problem, or is the increased casting time enough of a cost?

What do you think? Should rituals cost money?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Rituals right now cover every type of spell. Each would need its own component cost for when it's being used as a ritual.

If 4e is any guide, paying permanent costs (wealth is a permanent cost) for a one-time effect is really unpopular.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Rituals right now cover every type of spell. Each would need its own component cost for when it's being used as a ritual.

What do you mean? Couldn't you just have X gp worth of components in your pouch and leave it up to the imagination what exactly those components are?

If 4e is any guide, paying permanent costs (wealth is a permanent cost) for a one-time effect is really unpopular.

That is true, and as I said I disliked the component costs in 4e myself, but that was because they increased exponentially and become so expensive that it was ridiculous, such as having to pay tens of thousands of gp to scry on a creature for up to 30 seconds. If the cost were much more reasonable, like a cheap potion or scroll, I don't think people would mind as much. But I could be wrong, that's why I'm asking.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

What do you mean? Couldn't you just have X gp worth of components in your pouch and leave it up to the imagination what exactly those components are?

I mean each spell would need a specifically graduated cost (even if they all come from a common pool of components). Kind of like how each ritual in 4e had its own price.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I mean each spell would need a specifically graduated cost (even if they all come from a common pool of components). Kind of like how each ritual in 4e had its own price.

The cost could be based on the spell's level.

 

[Warbringer]

This is a tough one and on par with keeping track of ammunition unless their is a real in game cost, and small amounts of gold doesn't do it.

Maybe if the ritual actually takes up 10 times as many pages in a sell book, or the ritual version of the spell costan additional spell slot? Maybe resource costs is hit dice pool spent by whole party (rituals like seances in their approach, everyone participates)... Something that is a controlled in game costs and not something a dm can screw up through treasure allocation

 

[n00bdragon]

Martial practices in 4e got it right by making them cost healing surges. It was a non-permanent cost but it still had a tangible effect on your adventuring day. Making spells cost healing surges wouldn't be a bad idea except they nixed those.

 

[Warbringer]

[MENTION=6689371]n00bdragon[/MENTION]

Healing dice are still in the playtest... Same idea, if less of them

 

[Li Shenron]

I'm not sure what kind of cost they should better have, or if increased casting time is enough.

But I have the feeling that a lot of people (including designers) haven't realized yet that 5e rituals are in fact at-will, since they don't cost a slot. They have to be really careful when making a spell castable as a ritual, and assess the consequences of each such spells one by one. Because there will be 9th level rituals too, and that will mean there will be some at-will 9th level spells. 3ed was probably overly careful against at-will spells, and getting the ability to cast one e.g. 3rd-level spell at will usually required to spend a feat (for one spell) or have a unique class feature.

It all depends on the spell, but 10 minutes casting time can for some spells be an irrelevant cost, in fact the instinct of the designers is to make rituals out of spells which are already by their nature used outside of combat! This can have a huge effect on adventures, and depending on gamestyle having out-of-combat spells available at-will can be anything between a very good game feature and a game-destroying feature.

Because of this, I personally prefer that rituals do have an additional cost built-in the core game (tho I don't know yet what kind of cost/limit would be best), and eventually a label saying "Optional" for those who are just fine with at-will rituals.

 

[Falling Icicle]

But I have the feeling that a lot of people (including designers) haven't realized yet that 5e rituals are in fact at-will, since they don't cost a slot.

This is exactly what concerns me. For things like detect magic, it's not a big deal. But for spells like regenerate, it's a game-changing ability. Thanks to the regenerate ritual, parties of 13th+ level have unlimited out-of-combat healing.