Why all the ritual hate?

[Dausuul]

My gut instinct is that the primary reason Rituals don't get used is that they cost money, and players are greedy bastards who are loathe to spend money ever if they can finagle a way to solve the problem for free (which, using skills, they usually can), and would much rather hoard their resources to buy magic items.

...

If you want Rituals to be used more, just houserule a ritual point system, and I guarantee they'll be used. Players like using powers. If they have the option to use a ritual once a day for free or something, they'll take it.

Or, do what I do and just don't let players buy magic items (or residuum). Works like a charm.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

every time I've played with rituals in a game that dealtn with their cost RAW, they've seen little to no use.

snip

I think it really is that simple. Rituals are never essential, and they cost money, and players generally don't spend money on non-essential things because they want to buy cool stuff that will make them more powerful.

If you want Rituals to be used more, just houserule a ritual point system, and I guarantee they'll be used. Players like using powers. If they have the option to use a ritual once a day for free or something, they'll take it.

Well here comes the counter anecdote a group I DM for occasionally (we get to meet a couple of times a year) just finished Rescue at Rivenroar and when they cleared out the Lords of Rivenroar Audience Chamber the two wizards decided to use Tenser's Floating disk to levitate the two thrones and they competed the adventure riding around on the thrones (ala Rygel in Farscape) using Ghost Sound to play the Imperial March as they progressed.

I though it was pretty cool so I let them at it and they kept it up until they reached Brindol with the rescued prisoners.

Everyone was suitably impressed.