Rites are far more engaging versions of Rituals that require multiple participants. They are not Prepared as spells are, nor are they executed the same way. This section will cover the details for Learning a Rite and Performing them.
Only a Character with the Ritual Caster Class Tag can Learn a rite. Unless a Feature grants a Character knowledge of a rite, they must either find an Instruction Manual or someone to teach you that specific rite.
A Character can Learn rites during play, from a teacher who already knows the specific rite the Character is seeking to Learn, one way is to Learn a new rite during Downtime, for more details please see the Downtime Chapter.
The other method is Learning them during extended time periods during sessions, such as in the Travelling Phase (see the Travel Section of the Exploration & Travel Chapter), if the travelling will take multiple days. The Character would require the teaching materials (be they the Instruction Manual or a Teacher) to learn from and sufficient time to focus, we would advise at least 3 Hours during a Day. If this happens, during the next sleep period the Character can make a Trait Test for the chosen rite. The Trait Test will be a Knowledge (Magical Lore) Test for Cosmic Magic or Psionics, an Intuition (Faith) Test for Eternal Magic, or an Intuition (Nature) for Primordial Magic. The TG equals 15 - the number of Hours spent Studying that day.
On a failed Test, the Character does not progress their learning, but they can add half the number of Hours they spent that day Studying, to the Hours spent Studying the next time they take a Trait Test to Learn that rite.
On a successful Test, roll a d100 adding their Spellcasting/Manifesting Trait to the result of the roll, noting down the total result as Study Progress for that rite. If they already have some Study Progress for that rite, they instead add the d100 result plus their Spellcasting/Manifesting Trait to that rite’s Study Progress. Once Study Progress for any rite is over 100 then the Character has Learnt that rite and can now Lead the rite.
There are no limits to the number of rites a Character can learn, though with the exception of the Arcanist Class, a Character can only Learn Rites which match the kind of magic they can cast/manifest; Cosmic Magic, Eternal Magic, Primordial Magic, or Psionics. A Character should refer to their Class Tags as to the kind of rites they can Learn.
Any Character who knows a rite can choose to teach another Character that rite. When this happens follow the rules for Learning from a Teacher however the Character doubles the time taken for the teaching, when setting their Trait Test's TG. The teacher also makes the same Trait Test as the student adding the result of that Test as additional Study Progress for the student.
To perform a rite, first a Character must choose a rite they have Learnt to perform. For this rite they will be the rite’s Leader, it is the Character who will be in charge of channelling the group’s power and who will suffer the primary consequences of Failure.
Once they have decided the rite to perform, they must assemble the participants, these will be the entties joining the Character in performing the Party Challenge.
Once the participants have been declared, the Leader must offer power for the Rite as well as Material Components listed in the rite’s description. This can come from donating spells or psionics, it may come from offering Magic Items, gaining/taking power from the land, or other sources. These other sources may depend on roleplaying or specific Class Features.
A certain Prerequisite Level of Power must be provided for the rite to start as stated in the rite’s description. If you do not provide the requisite Material Components, then a Penalty in additional Prerequisite Power is applied. This is stated in the description of each Material Component in the rite’s description.
For each point of power above the Prerequisite Level provided reduces the number of Successes required to complete the rite by 1 to a minimum of 3.
If you donate a spell or psionic power to power a rite, the amount of power given depends on the Spell Slot’s/Soul Point's Circle or Power Grade of Psi Points provided. Note each entity participating may provide multiple Spell Slots, Spell Circles worth of Soul Points, or Power Grades worth of Psi Points to help fuel the rite. The Rite Power provided for a given Spell Circle or Power Grade are shown in the Table below.
| Donated Spell Circle/ Power Grade | Rite Power Provided |
|---|---|
| 1, 2, or 3 | 1 |
| 4, 5, or 6 | 2 |
| 7, 8, or 9 | 3 |
| 10 | 4 |
The Leader, followed by each participant should the leader accept them, may elect to offer up one or more Magic Items to help fuel the rite. Sentient Magic Items would come under Other Sources of Power, and Magic Items with the Parasite or Cursed Item Tags cannot be used for this effect.
The Item may either be Drained or Consumed as part of this effect, if it is Drained it only provides half as much Rite Power as a Consumed Item but instead of being destroyed, it loses its magical effect a number of Days equal to the Order of the rite.
If the Item is Consumed, then the Item grants an amount of Rite Power determined by its Item Grade as shown in the Table below.
| Item Grade | Rite Power Provided |
|---|---|
| 0, 1, or 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 7 |
| 6 | 10 |
The Leader may decide to if they have either the World Speaker or Realmwalker Class Tags to request power from the land, this will require an Intuition (Nature) Test to request the power and then manipulate it, with its difficulty being dependant on how much power is requested.
On a successful Test, a small amount of power will be provided, the amount of power will be dependent on the number of flora and fauna that reside in the nearby area as well as any other unusual sources, like portals to other Realms that can have their power tapped. The power provided will never be enough to harm or alter the area and the flora and fauna that reside there.
On a failed Test, no negative effects occur.
The Leader may decide to, if they do not have the above Class Tags, to forcibly draw power from the land, this may require a Magical Lore Skill Roll, with its difficulty being dependant on how much power is requested.
On a failed Test, the Leader takes Xd12 Cosmic damage, where X equals the amount of power requested.
On a successful Test, the power requested is provided, though the amount of power may be limited based on the number of Flora and Animals that reside in the nearby area as well as any other unusual sources, like portals to other Realms that can have their power tapped.
Starting from the location of the rite, for each level of Rite Power drawn a 5m Radius Sphere around the rite has all Flora within it perish, Flora and Animals with Stat Blocks within it must succeed on an Endurance test against the Leader's Spell/Power TG.
On a failed Test, the effect kills the Animal/Flora, and the Rite Power increases by a quarter of their CR (minimum of 1).
On a successful Test, the entity does not die, and no Rite Power is gained from them, but they gain a Degree of Exhaustion and lose all their unused Hit Die.
The GG may also declare that due to the size of the area effected the environment and climate of the area is permanently changed.
Some Class Features or situations may have entities offer their power, the Feature may state how much power is provided if used or the GG can declare how much power is provided by the other source.
At this point the Leader, followed by each participant, may invoke any Concepts to the rite without requiring a Mark of Fate, the Concept must be in some way tied to the effects or goal of the rite. This grants the invoker one free Advantage to use on any Trait Test made as part of the rite for each Concept Invoked alongside providing 4 Rite Power.
If a Magic Item offered has sympathetic themes or effects to that of the rite, their Rite Power bonus is doubled.
The final step is to look at the number of Successes required for a successful rite and Failures required for a failed rite, applying modifiers from the above sections. If the rite’s Order is greater than the largest Circle of Spell Slot the rite’s Leader has available or the Power Grade of their psi limit, then the number of failures allowed before the Party Challenge of the rite has failed decreases by double the difference between the two (to a minimum of 1 Failure allowed), in the event of a failed Rite the Rite’s Leader has two applications of Disadvantage on their Focus Skill Roll.
Once this has been declared this rite operates as a Party Challenge from the General Play Chapter. The first person to make a roll amongst the Party’s members is always the rite’s Leader.
Upon reaching the minimum number of Successes stated the rite’s description before meeting the minimum number of Failures, the rite is considered successful, and the stated rite effect occurs.
If the rite has Degrees of Success, then upon the rite reaching its minimum number of Successes stated in the rite’s description, then any rite participant can call the rite to an end. From here the rite’s effect occurs at the level stated for the number of Successes achieved. This declaration though must occur before the Character rolls any dice, once dice are rolled the rite must continue to the next person. If this occurs it should be noted that even if the Party has achieved the minimum number of Successes, as they are trying for a better result with more Successes, if they hit the Failure Threshold the rite is considered failed.
Upon reaching the minimum number of Failures stated the rite’s description before meeting the minimum number of Successes, the rite is considered failed, and the stated rite effect does not occur.
At this point the rite’s Leader must try to control the unstable energy they have gathered. They must make a Focus Skill Roll using their Spellcasting/Manifesting Trait, only one other enity may aid them per the Aid action, this can be done without using an action or reaction. The TG of the Test equals the Rites Order + the power provided + the difference between the number of Successes achieved verses the minimum number required to Succeed on the rite.
On a failed Test, the Leader takes Xd12 Cosmic damage where X equals double the difference between their TTV and the TG. If another entity aided the Leader on the Focus Skill Roll, the total damage is equally split between the two. On the roll of a 1 on the d20, the energy explodes each entity within 5m (Near) of the rites location must make an Agility Test. Taking 2Xd12 cosmic damage on a failed Test and half as much on a successful one.
On a successful Test, the Leader takes half as much damage from the conditions above. On an Inspired Event they successfully control the power, and no damage is dealt.
There may be times when Characters want to perform a rite they haven’t Learnt or that does not exist. This should be allowed, though the Party should work with the GG to facilitate this.
If the rite already exists and they do not know it, so long as it is from a kind of magic they can cast/manifest, double the Prerequisite Rite Power needed to perform it.
If the rite is not one that exists, look at current rites to determine a rough Order and then double the Rite Power common amongst rites of that Order for its Prerequisite Rite Power.