Ritual Magic
Casters CAN exceed their known spell levels/schools/Domains within the spells allowed by class or access spells greater than 3rd level. Rituals can be considered advanced rules and largely a DM tool to up the variety of spells in play without altering the basics of E6 play.
It also allows relatively low level casters perform all the acts normally associated with evil spell slingers without all needing to be levels 7+. Ritual magic is lengthy, complicated and dangerous. Players wishing to look into ritual magic can look at the rules separately.
A caster is considered adept at level 1 – not an apprentice - first level being the earliest level that ritual magic can be used. An apprenticeship often includes not only training in learning how to cast and use spells but learning multiple rituals that can provide even a hedge wizard with power beyond their abilities.
High level spells can be learned irrespective of level IF the caster makes the right DC on a spell craft check. Clerics, Druids and Sorcerers need to study spells above 3rd level - they are not automatically known - for ritual purposes unless there is some third party agency that teaches them the spell.(ie Angel via a Dream etc).
Rituals themselves can be considered treasure as much as knowledge of spells can be and are eagerly sought, and jealously guarded.
DM Part
Rituals can be created by others that includes metamagic feats that can then be used by others who may not have the feat. Only those who know the metamagic feat can choose to add to a ritual that does not have it or voluntarily remove it from a pre-learned ritual otherwise its cannot be altered.
The caster has to know the spell first (High level spells can be learned as a low level caster), then generate the magical energy needed to power it, including any metamagical formulae built into the spell.
The caster first determines the spell he wants to cast, then the level they want to cast it at, finally any metamagical increases he wants to use. The caster then designs a ritual. It takes a full month and 1000 gp per spell level to design the spell and a spell craft roll of 20+the spell level – the caster cannot take 20. For every month less than this amount 1 is added to the DC, for every month more 1 is removed from the DC. If the roll fails, the caster can try again in a month time. Casters can attempt one off rituals on the fly but at a +20 to the difficulty level.
To perform a ritual the caster needs time and ritual materials (covered below). He uses one of his own spells to generate the initial power. The caster can then use some of their own power or some other methods to generate additional power. All casters can use ritual magic.
Building artificial methods into the Ritual (ie so that they are required rather than optional) reduces the DC by 1 for every category, though the research may involve additional “wastage”.
-Assistants-
Others can assist the ritual by lending their power. For each 3 levels of spells expended by the assistants one spell level can be added. The maximum levels added being that equal to the level of the caster themselves. Assistants must be familiar either with the Ritual or know the spell being cast.
-Sacrifice-
The caster can choose to use death or emotional sacrifices (such as religious ecstasy, sex or torture) to power rituals. Such sacrifices are generally (depending on the cause of religious ecstasy) considered dark magic and generate an aura appropriate to the alignment, as well as of magic.
For death sacrifices, the caster gains one level for every 3 hit dice of non intelligent creatures (such as animals) sacrificed. Sentient creatures, such as humans and demi humans grant 1 level for every 2 hit dice and magical creatures (like unicorn or spell casters) giving a bonus of 1 per hit dice. The sacrifice is a specific and deliberate act.
Emotional sacrifices require a group of creatures involved in the background of the ritual, building up power through their energy. Mass religious ceremonies, orgies or large torture sessions (which may also result in the death of the victims) are generally used. 20 participants can generate +1 level of benefit. The surviving participants all lose 4 temporary constitution points for a day, leaving them drained.
Death and Emotional sacrifices can be stacked together with Religious Sacrifices. The maximum bonus from each category is equal to the level of the caster though certain specialized ceremonies may exist that are not so limited.
-Sponsorship-
A powerful magical being or outsider can be summoned (voluntarily or involuntarily) to provide power for a ritual. For each hit dice the creature sacrifices for a period of one moon, the caster can receive an additional two levels up to the level of the caster. As these sort of beings generally have enemies or rivals such sponsorship comes at a cost of favours, gifts or sacrifices – and such beings may force its own underlings to make such sacrifices on its behalf rather than pay itself. It would be a powerful caster who could force such compliance from beings able to fuel ritual magic. Due to the bond between a caster and his familiar, a familiar can willingly choose to add their force to the ceremony though the rate is one level for one hit dice. Those casters whose familiar has died receive a one level penalty for any rituals the 30 days after the event.
-Ritual costs-
Spell Writing/Ritual Materials
Level Cost Level Cost
0 5 gp 5 250 gp
1 10 gp 6 360 gp
2 40 gp 7 490 gp
3 90 gp 8 640 gp
4 160 gp 9 810 gp
While Spell writing costs are fixed to the actual level of the spell caster scribing the spell, ritual costs are tied to what would be the effective level of the caster required to cast the spell or the actual level of the spell, whichever is higher.
-Expensive Ritual Materials-
Increasing the spend in materials can provide benefits. To generate +1 to the spell level use the next levels material cost, with each additional +1 adding using the next level up the chart. Level 10 represents anything beyond 9th level casting and comes at 1000gp. Magic Items can be sacrificed as well to make up part of this figure, though unless the intent is to use exactly the same magic item (ie potion of speed) each and every time, its best to leave magic items out and go for generic ritual materials such as rare incense etc.
Example: A 4th level spell would require 160 gold in materials, To cast a level 4 spell requires a 7th level casting ability, or 490 gold. As this is the more expensive of the two, the higher number is used. A level 6 ritual caster would need to provide 640 gold of additional materials to give the ritual enough power to compensate for his short fall but as the effective level . To gain another +1 (for meta magic or duration/effect benefits) the ritual caster would need another 810 gold, for a total of 1450 gold… an expensive ritual.
-Time in Ritual-
Rituals take 1 hour per spell level. Doubling the time adds 1 to caster level. Each hour removed removes one caster level from the ritual. Time cannot be reduced to less than 1 turn. Rituals taking longer than 8 hours require DC 15 Fortitude Save for every hour until the ritual is completed. Ritual users can build a Protection from Evil or similar spell as part of the ritual by taking the required time before the spell is completed.
-Failed Rituals-
Rituals are the equivalent of stored energy, that is directed and released. If interrupted (a failed concentration check) then the energy is released all at once… often with violent results. Generally 1D6 force damage for every level casting level of the spell, though acid, cold or fire may also apply instead. Summoned creatures are summoned and freed if the ritual is interrupted in the final hour of the spell.
