Rituals

The instructions on the ritual include the components, phrases, or symbols the player must use while casting the ritual. The instructions may also call for “ritualistic roleplay,” which can be chanting, gesturing, dancing, drawing symbols, or anything else a player feels is appropriate for their character. Players are welcome and encouraged to bring their own personal flair to the casting, as long as they stay within the instructions of the ritual. No two ritualists will cast a ritual in exactly the same way, and this can be a great opportunity to showcase the unique way that your character understands their magic.

Each faction has their own set of rituals, which can only be used by ritualists with the correct energy type (such as Gnosis, Vitae, or Pathos). Casting a ritual requires at least one level of the Rituals skill, and higher levels of the Ritual skill are needed for more complicated rituals. Purchasing the first level of the Ritual skill allows the player to choose a sigil for their PC, which is a symbol the PC uses to cast some rituals.

Rituals come in three levels of rarity: common, uncommon, and rare. The rarer the ritual, the more powerful its effect and, generally, the more difficult it is to obtain and cast. Uncommon and rare rituals often also take longer to cast and have more permanent effects. The general guidelines for what the rarity levels reflect in game is described below, although their exact significance may vary by faction.

There are many common rituals, which are well known within a faction. Common rituals can be purchased at character creation and are often available from merchants in each faction. These rituals represent knowledge that is not especially secret, or are so intuitive that some ritualists could have created them on their own (which is one explanation for coming in with them at character creation). There is little social impact to having one of these rituals. Click here for a description of common rituals that are available to players.

Uncommon rituals represent specialized knowledge, which is often closely guarded by particular subfactions or groups. These rituals are not shared as freely as common rituals. If an outsider obtains a copy of an uncommon ritual, it is generally because they have a good relationship with that group who made it, or they were given it for a specific purpose. Uncommon rituals are occasionally available for sale from merchants but sold only with great discretion. Some characters or NPCs may take offense or react with violence if they discover someone holding an uncommon ritual that they deem inappropriate for them to have.

Rare rituals represent the most secret knowledge and powers of the world. They are closely guarded, either because they are dangerous or their effects are too powerful for others to know about. The very existence of these rituals is often a closely guarded secret. These rituals are often not sold but rather might be loaned with an expectation of their return. A rare ritual in the wrong hands is almost certainly grounds for violence. Rare rituals are usually only obtainable as a result of long-term roleplay, and each one has a specific story for why it is in game.

The full rules for using rituals may be found on page 30 of the rulebook.