Topic: LotFP: Ritual Magic
Yeah. I'm busy. Sorry. I don't mean to spam.
These rules are based on the Ritual Magic rules found in Ancient Auguries for Microlite74 and Hyborian Age D&D by Jason Vey, as well as some posts by Yakk on rpg.net. Credit where it's due because it's not all due to me.
These rules are for those other spellcasters. I could see it working for plot point style rituals. As well as spells pulled out of the depths of Conan d20, Call of Cthulhu d20 or the Black Libram of Natarus. Or Carcosa, for that matter.
It's unreliable and often ends poorly for the caster. Such is life. I mean, you wouldn't go performing heart surgery on yourself just because you had a book that showed you how. Would you?
My concerns are that it might be a little complex and a tad bit punitive. But I might be okay with that...
RITUAL MAGIC
Ritual Magic can be used by anyone with an 11+ in Wisdom (for Priestly magic) or Intelligence (for Arcane Magic). Wizards can research Arcane rituals from their spellbook, generally rolling equal to or below their INT mod on a d6. All other classes must use a library, scroll or a found spellbook -- generally needing to roll a 1/6. The DM can modify this roll up or down as he sees fit.
Ritual Magic: Material Costs
All spells have a material cost equal to their level(squared) * 50 gold pieces. This must be paid up front prior to casting the ritual. The materials spent cannot be recovered after the ritual is complete, even if the ritual fails. Some Rituals (defined by the DM) may cost more or less than this.
Ritual Magic: Casting Time
If the ritual is of a type and level that the caster can normally cast, the ritual takes 10 minutes to cast. If the ritual is not of a type (arcane/divine) the ritualist can cast or is higher than the highest level spell the caster can successfully cast, the ritual takes 10 minutes + 10 per level above the caster's max spell level.
Ritual Magic: Initial Hit Point loss
There is also a hit point cost for drawing the magical power to cast a Ritual…
Rituals that are less than or equal to the caster's highest level spell minus FIVE eat up 1 hit point.
Tanadark the Stormy is a 9th level magic-user who finds a DM-created ritual that will light up the location of a hidden ancient tomb on a huge underground fresco that maps the city above. The DM determines that this is equivalent to a 1st level spell -- considering that Indiana Jones could pull it off. Tanadark is hardly taxed by this trivial matter and only loses 1 hit point working the ritual.
Rituals that are less than of equal to the caster's highest level spell but aren't five levels under burn 1 hit point per level.
Sara Silvertoe is a 3rd level Elf who is casting Speak With Animals (a 2nd level Cleric spell) as a Ritual. She normally can't do things like this but she found a Scroll and you know what they say about giving an Elf a scroll… Casting the ritual will cost her 2 hit points.
Rituals that are higher than the caster's highest level spell but not three or more levels higher take up 1d4 hit points per level.
So Martin the Hedge Mage (a 0-Level NPC) wants to cast Augury, a 2nd Level Cleric spell as a Ritual. To do so he'd have to roll 2d4 and hope for a low roll because he only has 4 hit points! Time to take on an Apprentice!
Rituals that are three levels or more higher than the caster's highest level spell gobble up 1d6 hit points per level.
Tegwin the Ambitious is a 3rd level Specialist who is attempting to cast a 6th level ritual he found in a spellbook in a dungeon. He's truly ambitious because just casting that sucker will cost him 6d6 hit points! Prior to casting the spell, Tegwin decides to put some flyers up to bring in some of the local damsels for a few etiquette lessons. I suspect at least one of them won't be coming back...
Ritual Magic: Sites of Power
The die type of the hit point loss associated with the initial casting of the ritual can be lowered by one due to a variety of favorable circumstances such as being cast at a particular spot or under a particular phase of the moon or astrological event.
Ritual Magic: Sympathetic Magic
Effects can also be cast remotely using sympathetic magic. If a caster has an item belonging to the target, he can cast the ritual against the target from anywhere in the world by boosting the effective level of the ritual by one. The more important the item to the target, the easier it is to target him.
Ritual Magic: Assistants
The hit point drain of ritual magic can be shared by any number of willing ritual assistants but each assistant is cumulatively only half as effective as the last. So 2 of an assistant's hit points count towards 1 point of the cost. 4 of a second assistant's hit points count towards 1 point of the cost. 8 of a third assistant's… and so on.
The order of assistantship is determined first by spellcasting ability, then by the applicable attribute (Wisdom/Intelligence) to the spell being cast. So there's no ability to "stack" the assistantship by the number of hit points a potential assistant has. They'll fall into the progression by these criteria.
If an assistant falls unconscious or dies, it will not upset the ritual. As long as the primary caster remains viable, the ritual may continue.
Martin the Hedge Mage realizes that Augury is a bit out of his league. So he takes on an apprentice, Selby, who is a bright-faced, if socially awkward, boy who most likely doesn't know he may potentially die. Martin rolls his 2d4 and gets a 5! Lucky for him Selby is there. Unluckily for Selby he only had 4 hit points. Still healthy for an apprentice, though. Selby falls unconscious and Martin is left with one meager hit point. Hopefully both were paid well.
Ritual Magic: Sacrifices
Oh, you know we had to go there...
Beings of a non-Chaotic alignment with human or better Intelligence can be offered as sacrifices during the Ritual. Each sacrifice adds an additional 10 minutes on the casting time. A sacrifice will result in a pool of hit points equal to 10 plus the creature's level of hit dice. These hit points are drained by the ritual cost before any hit points are lost by the caster or his assistants. A sacrifice that is a female virgin (of the Sword & Sorcery variety) increases this pool by 3. A sacrifice that is willing increases it by another 3. So a nubile zero-level virgin that willingly offers herself to sacrifice nets 16 hp. The equivalent of an 6th level character!
No wonder they're in such high demand.
Multiple sacrifices may be offered. But each (as with assistants) is only half as effective as the last. So TWO zero-level virgins nets a hit point pool of 24 hit points (16 + 8). Not 32. And three would give 28, not 48. Any hit points in this pool that are not used up by the hit point cost are lost.
Tegwin the Ambitious abducts a young damsel under his tutelage and takes her away to the ritual site. He drugs her, binds her with rope and offers her as a sacrifice. Fortunately for him, his nubile offering had no barbarian boyfriends in tow. Also fortunately for him, he is casting from a site of power which drops the die he will roll for hit points down one. Unfortunately for him he rolled a 23 on his 6d4. Tegwin takes a non-trivial 7 hit points in damage (23-16=7). The young virgin, however, is dead.
Ritual Magic: We Have a Caster Down
If the hit point cost is high enough that it renders the caster unconscious or dead, a mishap of the worst variety occurs -- equivalent to something very nasty at an equivalent spell level to the spell being attempted.
If Martin's apprentice, Selby, had only had 2 hit points, the 4 left over would have dropped Martin to 0 hp and unconsciousness. And Martin would have had to roll on the Mishap table. This is why most 0-level casters hang out in the 1st level range.
But hey, you ask, couldn't Martin have squeezed a little more hp out of Selby? Sure, up to -3, in fact. But I would consider pushing an Assistant to negative hit points to be tantamount to a conscious act of murder. Wouldn't you?
And then Martin would have had to answer to Selby's family and clan. Or the townsfolk. Or the authorities. Or would just plain never get a decent apprentice again.
Ritual Magic: The Final Save
If the caster survives the hit point drain, he must roll a save vs. Magic. If successful, the spell is cast. If the roll is a 20, then extra oomph is given to the spell -- something beneficial and unexpected happens as a result of the casting. If the roll is a 1, a miscast is automatic.
If the roll fails, the caster can attempt to force the spell into being by taking a permanent step down the modifier ladder in CON. So from a +1 CON bonus to a 0 (or a 14 to a 12 CON). If this drops the caster to 0 CON, he dies. But the ritual is successful.
This is a hefty price for a reason. Rituals are capricious and bad for one's health. It's like smoking. With Cthulhu. Don't do it around children and pregnant women. And, for God's sake, open a window when you're done.
If the caster is unwilling to do this, then roll a d20, add the level of the ritual and consult the Mishap table below.
Tegwin the Ambitious has jumped the first hurdle. Although I'm pretty sure someone's going to come burning down his "etiquette school" in the near future. Now he must roll a Save vs. Magic to control the energy he's accumulated and pass it through the spell. His Save vs. Magic is 14 (he's a third-level Specialist). He rolls a 10. That's simply not good enough. Now he can either drop his CON mod from 0 to -1 (with the requisite attribute score drop) or choose to roll a mishap.
Turns out Tegwin isn't so "ambitious" after all.
So Tegwin the Formerly Ambitious and Now Dastardly Murderer rolls on the Mishap Table. He rolls a 17. Which may not seem so bad at first, until we add the spell level to it to get a 23. Tegwin transforms into a monster, rampages through the village for 6d4 rounds and then polymorphs back. Fortunately, Tegwin makes his save to preserve his attributes when he changes back. Unfortunately for him, he is naked and cornered by angry and horrified villagers when he regains consciousness. I think it might be time to roll up a new character...
Ritual Magic: Miscast Table (roll 1d20+Ritual Level)
1. Spell fizzles, no effect
2. Spell fizzles, no effect
3. Spell fizzles, no effect
4. Spell fizzles, no effect
5. Spell fizzles, no effect
6. Spell fizzles, no effect
7. Spell fizzles, no effect
8. Spell fizzles, no effect
9. Spell fizzles, no effect
10. Spell fizzles, no effect
11. Spell appears to fizzle. But instead goes off in 1d3 rounds with double effect against random target.
12. Spellcaster stunned, loses next turn. Spell goes off in 1d3 rounds.
13. Spellcaster stunned, loses next turn
14. Random ally stunned, loses next turn
15. Random lower level spell is cast. Determine target at random.
16. Lose number of spell slots equal to ritual level or can't cast spells for rest of day
17. Everyone loses LVL hit points. Caster loses next turn as well.
18. All non-Chaotic combatants are stunned and lose their next turn
19. Drop one point in random attribute
20. Random same level spell affects random target
21. Random monster of LVL hit dice is summoned. Remains in area for LVLd4 rounds.
22. Drop one mod in random attribute
23. Caster polymorphed into monster of LVL+1d3 hit dice for LVLd4 rounds. Roll magic save or returns from polymorph with random attribute dropped one mod
24. Lost in Time and Space for LVLd4 rounds
25. Swarm of tiny aberrant flies or creatures appears and viciously attacks everyone in Lvl x 10' radius of caster. Roll save vs. magic or lose LVLd4 hit points. Swarm lasts for LVL rounds. Roll save each round.
26. Drop one mod in random attribute
27. Random monster of LVLx3 hit dice summoned. There for good. Deal.
28. LVL/2 of random party members roll vs. magic or are Lost in Space and Time forever
29. Spellcaster goes boom. Everyone in LVLx10' area takes total damage equal to all levels of the spellcaster's remaining spell slots added plus the level of the ritual in damage. Roll save vs. Breath Weapon to take 1/2 damage.
30. Catastrophe. A huge cataclysm. Crops die. Fire rains from the sky. The dead rise from the graves. Roughly equal to LVLd6 damage to everyone.
How to Use the Miscast Table
Roll a d20 and add the failed Ritual's level. Adjudicate results and mark off that option. The next time that result is rolled, use the next result higher instead. Continue until all the spell fizzles between 5 and 11 are filled in. Don't worry about the others, mark them off as they are rolled. Then erase all of them and start again.
Don't let the players in on what you're doing. Just let them think there is this incredibly complicated random table behind the screen that they must fear.
* - Where LVL is indicated on the Mishap Table, use the Level of the Ritual being cast.