What Is Ritual Magic?

All magic is, in one way or another, the manipulation, blending and direction of magical energies, also known as 'essentia'. This can be done via chanelling through a focus, through the mixing of potent ingredients, or through natural abilities associated with ones species. Another such method, however, is via Ritual Magic.

Rituals are when multiple individuals capable of sensing and manipulating magical energies work together to control and manipulate those energies on a larger scale. It is an imprecise art at the best of times, but can also produce results that are difficult to achieve by any other means.

What Do I Need To Perform A Ritual?

1. A Ritual Focus

The leader of a ritual is referred to as it's 'focus'. To prevent the energy being drawn to the ritual location from becoming uncontrolled, it must be directed primarily by a single entity. A good way to envision this is that it is far easier to direct a large amount of water through a funnel (a single focus) than it is through a sieve (multiple focuses). This individual must be clear and precise in their actions, as if a ritual were to go wrong, they would receive most of the force of it's misfiring...

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2. A Ritual Target
This can be a person, creature, or even an item. Rituals must be targeted upon something so the directed energies have a destination. If this final destination is unclear, the energies from within the ritual may become unstable.

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3. Ritual Contributors

When a ritual has contributors, this increases the power level of the ritual, the control over that power, and the potential outcomes. There are a lot of factors at play here (the contributors areas of specialism, their magical prowess, their racial traits, their actions during the ritual) which need to be considered when choosing contributors.

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How Long Do Rituals Take?

At their shortest, a ritual should take no less than five minutes, as any lower is likely to produce absolutely no effect. It is recommended that no ritual be longer than ten minutes in length, as past this point the amassed energy levels of the ritual will start to become difficult to manage, and risks becoming uncontrollable.

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What Can I Achieve With Rituals?

It is difficult to say, as the very nature of ritual magic is vast. However, we know that rituals can achieve the following:

- Imbue a target with temporary powers

- Dispel magic from an area

- Increase the area of effect for a spell

- Increase the duration of a spell

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Other rituals would need to be researched.