Ritual Magic

Although the manifesting of Spells typically requires the associated Caster Level, Rituals are a special method of bypassing this restriction, provided that the Ritual practitioner is capable of investing time, materials, and is sufficiently skilled in magical theory. Through the usage of Rituals, characters without Caster Levels may duplicate magical effects, and create certain unique effects of their own. Note that for the purpose of Rituals, your ranks in the Spellcraft skill determine the Caster Level at which the Ritual's effect manifests.

To perform a Ritual, first select the desired Spell effect you wish to produce. The spell's Tier determines the difficulty of conducting the Ritual, as well as other facets, as shown in the table below.

After selecting the Spell which you wish to reproduce, choose a location to prepare the Ritual. The Spell's normal range is considered the range from the Ritual site in which the spell may be produced. However, line of sight is not considered in this equation, meaning a Ritual site may be easily hidden in most locations. If the Spell's range is Personal, then the subject must be placed in the center of the Ritual site.

The size of the Ritual site is determined by the chosen spell effect. Multiply the Spell Tier by five to determine the number of five foot squares which the Ritual site occupies. The squares may lay in any shape you desire, though they must all be connected to one another.

Secondly, the Ritual must be prepared. This involves spending hours of downtime equal to the Hours Required column in the Ritual Requirements Table, and the TU in Components (the Components are not consumed until the Ritual is performed). At the end of this period, make the Spellcraft check as shown in the Spellcraft DC column. Failure of this check results in a mishap.

Optionally, you may make the Spellcraft check twice - once at the beginning of the Ritual, and once at the end of the ritual. Making the Spellcraft check at the beginning allows you to reduce the time required to produce the Ritual's effect; for every 10 points by which you exceed the Spellcraft DC of the Ritual, the time required is reduced by one quarter, to a minimum preparation time of one hour.

• Assistants: Optionally, you may leverage assistants in the conducting of the Ritual. You may have a number of assistants up to twice the Spell Tier to be produced. For example, if you are producing a Tier 7 Spell Ritual, you may have up to 14 assistants. Such helpers may use the Aid Another action to assist you with the Spellcraft check, provided that they are trained in the skill.
• Components: Normally, a Ritual utilizes Magic Crafting Components. However, you may instead leverage Esoteric Components, at an increasing risk of an Anomaly. To determine this, calculate the percentage of the total components for the Ritual which you are using Esoteric components for - this determines your chance of an Anomaly occurring when the Ritual is performed. For example, if conducting a Tier 6 Ritual, and using 189 Esoteric Components and 161 Magic Components, this comprises a 54% Anomaly chance.
• Sacrifices: It is well known that souls are valuable things, and they are equally of use for ritualistic purposes. For every Hit Die which the sacrificed creature possessed in life, 10 TU in Components are accounted for. To make use of this, you must possess the souls of the creatures in physical form, such as in a soul gem, or kill them upon the Ritual site when making the Ritual's final Spellcraft check.
• Special Restrictions: Imposing special restrictions upon when the Ritual is capable of being performed relaxes the Spellcraft DC of the Ritual. Select a restriction, and determine with the GM how much of an adjustment to the Spellcraft DC this provides. Examples typically include a Full Moon (-5), a Lunar or Solar Eclipse (-10), or a particular Season (-7).

Ideally, the preparations involved in a Ritual prevent unusual occurrences. However, this is occasionally an inevitability. A failed Spellcraft check, the usage of Esoteric Components, or other interruptions to the Ritual may cause such events. When a Mishap or Anomaly occurs, the GM rolls on the appropriate table, and then reveals the results.