Casting Rituals

Rituals are complex magical ceremonies that allow for the production of intricate and lasting magical effects. Rituals can take minutes to hours to complete, and have effects that can last from phases, to days, or even indefinitely. In order to cast a ritual, you must have a Ritual Casting Rank equal to or greater than the Rank of the Ritual and have a written copy of the ritual (such as a book or scroll) from which you can prepare (either of your own or borrowed from someone else). Many rituals have additional prerequisites, such as Eldritch or Divine Rank that limit their usage.

There are several aspects to Rituals, many that are similar to those of cast powers, but some that are slightly different. The following describes the unique aspects of rituals and how they function.

Components

Like some Spells and Prayers, most rituals have material components. These components are consumed in the casting of the ritual and cannot be reused.

Focus

Some Rituals have a Focus, which typically represents a item that is used to channel or direct the Ritual's magic. A Focus may be used over and over again, for multiple castings of a ritual. Unless otherwise indicated, a single Focus may only be used for one instance of a ritual at a time. Often times, a Focus must be worn or held by the creature that it will effect. If the focus is ever destroyed, the ritual typically ends.

Cost

Most Rituals have an energy cost, usually in the form of Energy Burn or Energy Allocation since they have such persistent effects. Some powerful rituals even cost Karma to invoke. Unless otherwise stated, all energy costs are paid at the completion of the ritual's Cast Time.

Prep Time

Many Rituals have a Prep Time which indicates the amount of time it takes to prepare the ritual components. This often involves some sort of procedure or ceremony (boiling ingredients, meditation, etc). Unlike Casting Times, Prep Times are Extended Actions and do not require a creature's complete Concentration, and therefore are not subject to Disruption (though certain elements of preparation may be disturbed, such as a concoction that must boil for one hour left on the heat too long). Additionally, once prepared, the casting of the ritual may be completed at any time, provided that the preparation is not disturbed and is used within one day.

Sometimes, you may find it beneficial to prepare multiple instances of the same ritual concurrently. This may be done a number of times equal to half your Mental Rank, although you must have enough components and foci for each. You may not prepare different rituals simultaneously.

Cast Time

As with powers, the Cast Time of a ritual represents a time of extreme focus and concentration, usually involving the speaking of incantations. The Cast Time of a ritual is a Cast Action and must be completed without Interruption or the ritual will fail. In most cases this indicates that the incantation must simply be cast anew before the ritual can take effect, but in the case of certain rituals disruption can cause the destruction of materials or worse.