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Old 02-22-2014, 10:46 AM   #1
PTTG
 
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Default Path/Book Magic: Spells into Rituals

In the interest of expanding Path and Books thematic and entertaining spells, I'm reading through the spellbook and creating rituals that provide more variety. I don't intend to provide all of these in the same game and certainly not on the same path, but many of them are potentially useful for game design.

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Air Charm
Suggested paths: Elements -2, Protection -2, Seafairing or other -4

The mage effectively enchants a piece of loose cloth, ideally gauze, silk, or some other light material. After the ritual is complete, the cloth is notably lighter. If this cloth is used to cover one's nose and mouth, it acts as a Purify or Create Air spell, allowing one to breath as if you had a snorkel. Note that it does not protect against vacuum, crushing pressure, or acidic environments.

The cloth does not need to fully "seal" against one's face; so long as it's present as a sort of veil, it works.

If you are simply purifying air of dust, allergens and so on, then you may use the cloth for an entire day's work. If you are filtering any kind of toxin, then it will only work for fifteen minutes. If you are using it in an airless environment, then it becomes powerless in 50+3d seconds (GM rolls secretly).

Finally, the if the cloth has not yet been used, you may bunch it up and throw it at a target, in which case it works like a targeted create air spell, creating a small blast of air.

You may perform this ritual at -1 by using paper or extremely coarse cloth, and at -3 if casting it on your own hand. Regardless of its actual quality, there is no penalty when you're using the best-quality "cloth" your culture has available (I.E., papyrus mats work OK if that's all you've got.)

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Soul Training
Suggested paths: Farming -5, Nature -4, Animal -3...

This ritual must be performed in the presence of the target animal as well as the client. Once completed, a bond is formed between the client and the animal such that, when the client speaks a specific word (or performs a gesture) in the presence of the animal, that animal will act as though it has been trained for life to follow a preset command, regardless of that animal's intelligence. For instance, a snake may be trained to respond to the word "Hunpherci" by attacking whomever appears most threatening to the subject, or by circling the client and gripping the tip of its tail in his mouth.

The target animal will only respond in this way for the subject, and only for the duration of the spell. If the animal is a dog or other intelligent, pliable animal, this spell may speed permanent training.

The only limitation to the behavior the spell creates is the ability of the animal to percieve the context of the spell; you cannot train the animal to attack the wealthiest person in a room, or to find the key to whatever locked container you're holding.

More to come!

Last edited by PTTG; 02-22-2014 at 11:04 AM.
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Old 02-22-2014, 12:28 PM   #2
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Default Re: Path/Book Magic: Spells into Rituals

Animal Command
Suggested paths: Nature -3, Animal -2...

For the duration of this effect, the subject may hold a beast motionless and quiet while he maintains eye contact with the creature. It is similar to the Master spell. This effect applies to only one creature at a time, but the subject may change targets freely. This spell requires no special materials.

While most creatures are completely entranced, if it is a particularly powerful creature, it may attempt to break free with a will roll... once, the first time the subject blinks while holding it entranced. The GM may call for HT or will rolls by the subject to avoid blinking...

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Lure
Suggested paths: Nature -2, Animal -1

The ritual takes effect immediately upon completion. The caster selects a named type of creature as the target (if multiple targets are selected, they must be of the same type), and must provide both a relevant lure material and an appropriate emblem of the target creature; a piece of carrion and a charcoal drawing of a crow would be sufficient to summon a raven. The GM may provide +1 or +2 for especially appropriate materials; inappropriate materials simply won't work at all. On a critical success, such materials will call some other creature, and on a critical failure a different creature will arrive in a dangerous mood.

Otherwise, the ritual has effect similar to Beast Summoning.

Last edited by PTTG; 02-23-2014 at 11:37 AM.
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Old 02-23-2014, 11:05 PM   #3
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Default Re: Path/Book Magic: Spells into Rituals

Call of Destiny
Suggested paths: Fortune -6 or more, other mystical paths

This spell ensures that someone with a Destiny to resolve a crisis will arrive, and often in a mood to be helpful. It is prone to unpredictability and outright failure due to the nature of fate...

This ritual should take some time to achieve, and inevitably drains the caster. On anything but a critical success, the caster's total CP decreases by 20 by losing advantages and attributes, and gaining new disadvantages and limitations.

The target is, in essence, a crisis of some kind which the caster can identify with a short phrase, such as "The drought created by Dark Lord Malthian's machinations" or "The kidnapping of Princess Moonlight" or "The incipient merger of Astralcom and Globomage, inc., which will bring about a magitech monopoly." If successfully cast, an individual "fated" to resolve this crisis will arrive at the conclusion of the ritual. This is not magical teleportation; the magic in fact retroactively brings about events leading to the arrival of the hero. Still, fate is a fickle thing, and regardless of higher reasons, this spell can only manipulate the probable; if it is impossible for the hero to complete some other task or travel the distance in a reasonable time, the spell may fail. On behalf of fate, the GM may rule that the spell worked, but circumstances result in the hero taking more time to arrive, or possibly that this hero will arrive where he needs to be, rather than where the caster is.

Though Destiny (positive or negative) will often be a feature of the hero in question, such a trait is not needed. Blessed, Higher Purpose, Obessions, and mundane Skills appropriate to the goal in mind are also quite common. Very importantly, these Destinies are just like other Destinies in that they can be unclear; someone with Destiny: "Restore the True King to the Throne" might discover that the Imperial Pretender is in fact a royal scion with the right to rule.

On a critical failure, a hero with a destiny opposing the goals of the caster will be put into play, although this destiny may appear to all observers normal (for instance, he may lead a rebellion against a corrupt governor only to crown himself emperor...)

This ritual is mainly meant for GM characters, but a PC wizard may find it an interesting way to get other PCs involved in a campaign.

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Second Body
Suggested Paths: Anything tribal or body-control related, often at low penalties.

Completing this ritual successfully requires a doll which contains some physical part of the targeted person; hair, dry blood, or other debris is sufficient; wet blood is excellent. The doll is permanent, but may only be used for the duration of the ritual's effects. It may be re-used in a new casting of the ritual.

This doll may be used to produce several effects (which simulate several low-level Body Control spells).

Tapping the skin of the doll with the tip of silver needle is identical to casting Itch.
Pressing the doll with the head of a silver needle is akin to casting Touch.
Stabbing the doll with a silver needle causes Spasm
Stop Spasm may be cast using a silver thimble.
Tickle may be cast with a feather.
Pain is cast using any glowing ember, from a cigarette, still-smoking match, or car cigarette lighter.

Each time the doll is used in such a way, the spell may fail. After each use, roll against your skill using the same modifiers you had when initially casting the spell. If you fail, the ritual effect ends and the doll becomes inert.

For each time after the first a doll is used in one day, such rolls are at a cumulative -1 penalty.

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Revery
Suggested paths: Mental of almost any kind, moderate penalties.

The target receives a vision of some previous, alternate, or future life. This ritual need only be completed in the subject's presence; preparation may occur beforehand without special knowledge of who the subject may be.

To complete the ritual, a tea or other (mostly) harmless beverage is "enhanced" by the caster. (Strong liquors, frog extracts, and stranger things are often used; at the GM's option, if the consumable is especially appropriate to your traditions, you may receive a +1 bonus to initial casting.) The beverage must not cause HP damage or other lasting harm.

The target must be exposed to the beverage, but need not drink all of it; being splashed in the eye is enough to trigger the effects, although calmly drinking the potable in full will make the effects more potent; in ideal circumstances, the GM may provide up to +5. This ritual has no duration; it must be triggered while the beverage is still fresh (warm, cool, and/or carbonated as relevant).

The afflicted character may choose to resist with will, opposed by the margin of success.

For a number of seconds equal to 1 + the margin of success, the subject enters a trance; they may balance in place, or may slowly collapse to the floor, but will never harm themselves in any obvious way; there's a small amount of automatic self-preservation still running while their conscious mind is still in thought. Each second (as experience by the target's body, not mind), the target may attempt to break free with will as before.

Most importantly, the subjective time experienced is much longer! The character experiences (1 + margin of success)^2 minutes of new memories. For example, if the caster succeeds by 4 after all modifiers, the victim will, from an external perspective enter a trance for 5 seconds. The victim's mind, however, will experience 16 minutes of... something else...

If this vision is brief (less than subjective 8 minutes), the target will exit the trance mentally stunned but otherwise unaffected. If it is longer, the target will be more deeply effected.

[Insert table for kinds of memories]
[Basically, about half are sufficiently distracting or confusing to cause additional negative effects, and about half provide insight, enlightenment, or perspective, possibly even skills, that are useful to the subject.]
[More work is needed here, because there's room for a lot of fun witch-doctor themed boons and interesting attacks.]
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