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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 9386311" data-attributes="member: 58172">Split spells and rituals into separate design spaces.Rituals can do anything, require anything. Some rituals are powerful game changers, some are routine conveniences, some are just weird, quirky, or ultra specific. It depends on the particular ritual. Some rituals have requirements that intentionally help the DM narratively regulate access, such as specific astronomical timing or rare exotic ingredient. The only consistent characteristic of rituals is a level prereq for an effective that is powerful. Follow the recipe, make a skill check, see if it succeeds − or crits or fumbles. If it fumbles, the ritual magic goes horribly wrong. Some rituals are dangerous. Rituals are the stuff of most folklore magic concepts, and most fantasy genre. Rituals are like magic items − find the recipe do it if one wishes. Some book treasures (tome, manual) work this way.Any character should be able to attempt any ritual, assuming the prereqs are met. Roll a skill check to determine success. However, a caster class should be able to optionally spend a slot to guarantee a standard success (but not a crit).There are a number of core spells that are a trap, a bad idea to prepare for slot casting, but that would make fantastic rituals waiting in a book or scroll until it happens to be useful for that one specific occasion. These spells belong in the ritual design space, not the slot casting design space.A ritual typically requires an amount of time to perform, either 10 minutes or an hour. Albeit some unique rituals might require days of elaborate activity and groups of people.Many rituals require Material components as part of their recipe to perform. By contrast, slot spells depend entirely on the class. Each class has its own method to cast a spell. A Bard might cast a spell by Verbal alone. A Wizard might cast a spell by a Wand, alone. A Cleric a meaningful cultural symbol. A Psion by thought alone. A spell should never require a Material component − it depends on the class.The ritual design spaces makes magic feel more magical. Each ritual is unique. It invites the character to "participate" in its magic. There is no routine. Rituals deserve to be their own thing.</blockquote>

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