These Bygone Words (Ritual Magic for GLOG)

One of the most interesting features of Beyond the Wall is its magic system. Specifically, all magic in the game is divided into Cantrips (small and flexible, but risky), Spells (reliable, but limited), and Rituals (big, slow, and with potential side effects). Here is my attempt at adapting the latter for GLOG.

Mechanically, it draws heavily and combines elements from both Sam Sorensen's Ritual Elements in GLOG Magic and Xeno's Ritual Magic rules.

InkYami

What is a Ritual? 

A Ritual is a type of magic separate (but not too dissimilar) from a regular Spell. Rituals are defined by the following:

• They are slow to perform, requiring hours at a time to be completed, making them better suited for periods of downtime. 
• They are big, able to create long-lasting or even permanent effects, or affect a large area.
• They are powerful (which is different from just being big), having a higher [sum] on average and a lesser chance of Mishaps or Dooms if performed with more [dice].

Rituals cannot be performed using MD. Instead, they use Ritual Dice, or RD:

• Unlike MD, RD are d8s, and are always spent upon casting a ritual (since they don't belong to anyone in particular, more on that later).
• Like MD, RD can still cause Mishaps and Dooms*, which affect everyone who takes part in a Ritual.

* personally, I'd recommend using Practitioner's Backfires instead, appropriately scaled up for the Ritual

Note: Since RD are d8s and not d6s, the chance to roll doubles or triples is lower compared to MD. This should make the idea of performing a Ritual with more [dice] more enticing.  

Each Ritual requires certain Components to be performed at 1 RD. It is assumed that all listed Components are consumed by the Ritual unless stated otherwise, in which case the Component will have "(reusable)" next to it.

Additionally, each Ritual requires [dice] hours to be performed, and at least one person to conduct it. While multiple people may take part in a Ritual, only one of them is considered to be the main ritualist.

Note: These rules assume that anyone is able to perform a Ritual as long as they know it and have the required Components, whether they have spellcasting abilities or not. In fact, this can be the only type of magic available in a low-magic setting. On the other side of the spectrum, you may restrict conducting Rituals to only spellcasters, providing them with an extra tool at their disposal outside of MD.

Finally, while Rituals don't accept extra MD like Spells do, their power can be increased by completing certain ritual Preparations. 

Ritual Preparations

 For each of the following that's true, +1/2 RD may be added to the Ritual:

• A ritual participant has spellcaster templates** (+1/2 RD per template, applies for all participants)
• The ritual is conducted on hallowed or desecrated ground (e.g. temple, graveyard)
• The ritual is conducted under the light of a full moon, or the dark of a new moon
• The ritual is conducted at a significant natural landmark (e.g. mountaintop, heart of the forest)
• The ritual is performed as part of an important festival or holy day
• Candles, incense, or other ceremonial fires are lit and maintained around the ritual site
• Glyphs and runes are etched into the floor or drawn in chalk or charcoal
• At least 5 people other than the ritualist are present and take active part in the ritual
• At least 1 slot of silver arcane implements is set up (e.g. bell, dagger, mirror)
• At least 1 slot of mystically significant animal parts is set up (e.g. tiger skin, bat wings, newt eyes)
• At least 1 slot of ritually preserved body parts is set up (e.g. human skull, heart in a jar, severed hand)
• The ritualist dons purpose-made and elaborate ritual garb (e.g. robe, mask, ceremonial paint)

** to account for half-caster classes, let's consider any template that grants +1 MD a spellcaster template 

For each of the following that's true, +1 RD may be added to the Ritual:

• The ritual is conducted during a solstice, equinox, eclipse or other major astronomical event
• The ritual is conducted at a place of power, like a circle of standing stones
• A living animal of mystical significance is present (e.g. white raven, horned hare, three-eyed toad)
• At least one entire skeleton belonging to a human, monster, or large animal is set up
• A truly rare and genuine arcane implement is set up (e.g. crystal ball, scrying mirror, cast iron cauldron)
• At least 1 slot of unique natural material is set up (e.g. chunk of meteoric iron, ancient fossil) 
• At least 20 people other than the ritualist are present and take active part in the ritual
• The name of a powerful being you've established contact with before is invoked, like that of a demonic patron (the being might refuse to contribute unless an agreement is reached first)

Multiples of any specific Preparation don't count unless mentioned explicitly. A single ritual Preparation cannot count for multiple entries (e.g. a skeleton and its skull, a living animal and its parts).

Neither of the above lists is exhaustive and other ways to gain RD may exist in the world.

Conducting a Ritual

Firstly, the ritualist must have access to the Ritual itself, by either having it in written form or by learning it like you would a Spell. In fact, Rituals can be found in most places you'd expect to find a Spell, like dusty old grimoires and ancient clay tablets.

Then, all required Components must be gathered and desired Preparations made to determine the number of available RD (rounded down). It should then be decided how the available RD will be used.

Instead of adding RD directly to the Ritual, you may instead do the following per 1 RD left unused:

• Stabilize the Ritual, ignoring 1 potential Mishap (but never a Doom)
• Decrease the time required to perform the Ritual by 1 hour (to a minimum of 1 hour)

At last, once the Ritual is completed, all added RD are rolled like you would roll MD, determining [dice] and [sum] and causing Mishaps on doubles and Dooms on triples as usual.

If a Ritual is interrupted before completion, it harmlessly fizzles out, its Components still consumed. 

*** 

sarcoma 

Example Rituals

All of the below Rituals are adapted from Beyond the Wall.

Mage Armor
Components: blood of one tortoise, [dice] * 5 silver coins.
Protective runes are drawn upon a willing target's skin in tortoise blood and molten silver coins are poured on it, harmlessly evaporating into smoke upon contact. While the target remains unarmored, it has +[dice] * 2 AC for 1 month or until it takes [sum] total damage, whichever comes first.  

Gather Mists
Components: incense, the tail feather of a bird of prey.
As the incense is burned, the ritualist chants and performs elaborate gestures, completing the ritual by swallowing the feather. After that, dense, billowing fog rolls into the area of a [dice] mile radius centered at the ritual site. The mist obscures the vision of anyone caught inside, preventing them from seeing further than an arm's reach. This mist lasts for [sum] hours and is unaffected by weather.

Goodberry
Components: [dice]d4 fresh berries, pure spring water, unused leather pouch stitched by the ritualist.
The ritualist imbues the berries with powerful curative magic by washing them with pure water and storing them in the leather pouch. Anyone who eats one immediately heals 1 HP. If left uneaten, the berries spoil after [sum] days.

Staff of Might
Components: an ordinary cudgel/staff/walking stick, a length of oak, ram horn, mortar and pestle (reusable).
The ritualist crushes the horn with mortar and pestle, sprinkles the dust onto the provided piece of wooden equipment, blessing it with names of power. Then, a length of oak is burned, the smoke imbuing the weapon with the tree's strength. 

For the next [sum] days, the weapon gains a +[dice] to-hit, deals +1 damage, and counts as magical for all intents and purposes.

Steed of the Sorcerer
Components: never-before-used harness and saddle of black leather.
The ritualist repeatedly utters the name of the steed, beckoning it. At the end of the ritual, a ghostly 3 HD horse with a black coat and eyes like fire arrives at the ritual site, and is then equipped with the harness and saddle. 

The steed is faster than any ordinary horse, moves in complete silence, and is utterly fearless and loyal to the ritualist, allowing no other to ride it. It fades into the mist together with its harness and saddle after [dice] days or if it's brought to 0 HP, whichever comes first.

Unseen Servant
Components: a piece of wood/bundle of sticks/straw, pure spring water, ritual knife (reusable).
The ritualist crafts a small humanoid figure out of the provided material, etches runes into it with a knife, and then plunges it in pure spring water. Finally, the figure is consigned to the fire, and the servant is summoned. 

An unseen servant is an invisible and incorporeal spirit that mindlessly obeys the ritualist. It can lift and carry up to [dice] slots, open doors, and do simple menial tasks like cleaning. It cannot fight or move more than [sum] * 5 feet away from the ritualist, and disappears after [dice] days.