Knicks & Knacks

Ingredients, Actions, and...Some Other Third Thing?

Let me break it down for you.

A Ritual

A ritual is a combination of three things - ingredients, actions, and this problematic third thing.

See, here's how it works.

Ingredients

Every ritual requires some kind of offering. Whether it be clean cloth, ash, wax, or some other thing, something (or somethings) must be offered to the Heavens in order for them to aid the practitioner. A minor effect often requires little by way of gift; a major effect often demands much. Think of each ingredient as part of the "meal" for the Heavens.

Actions

There is a proper procedure for every single ritual. These are the patterns of the cosmos which, when followed, signify to the Heavens what is being asked of them. A muddled procedure is like someone speaking gibberish - it makes no sense and provides no clarity. Only when followed correctly do the Heavens know what is being asked of them. Think of the actions as "setting the table" with the ingredients for the Heavens.

All good so far, yeah? You use the thing, do the thing, and bada-bing, bada-boom, right?

Wrong.

Some Other Third Thing

You do the stuff, do the song and dance, but that doesn't mean jack if you are not given power from on high. This is where something like "Faith" or "Conviction" would come in - you do the thing in faith believing and the Heavens respond affirmatively by bringing about the desired effect. But here's the kicker: anyone can have faith or conviction regarding this. Anyone can bring the thing, do the motions, and believe good enough to earn the favor of the Heavens to bring about the effect of the ritual.

Now, from the game mechanic side of things, there is a simple solution: lock it behind a class, like a Priest or Cleric. Only those guys can do the ritual thing.

But in-game, that makes no sense. Follow me here. You, a faithless mongrel, see a priest take a common item, do a few movements, and then a literal miracle occurs in front of you. How, in-game, would your character not "come to faith" so as to perform the same action? What keeps anyone from performing miracles? Beyond this, if the Priest or Cleric is supposed to be limited in their ability to do these things, how on earth would constant affirmation weaken that faith so that it depletes throughout the course of a day?

You say, "Just remove the third thing altogether." And what? Make the divine a grandiose vending machine? Turn deity to machine - repulsive! It wouldn't fit the setting nor time period. And also I hate that idea. Those in the Heavens are not robots.

You say, "They'd have to spend time learning the correct ingredients and movements first." True! Well said! How long would that take? A few hours? A week? How long do you have to spend repeating motions before they are memorized? People can learn to backflip in an afternoon by constant repetition! And that without a teacher! Even small children can learn the hand motions to the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" in a matter of minutes!

You say, "It's exhausting work, so the Priest/Cleric cannot continually do it." But it is not the Priest, Cleric, or whomever whose power is used - it divine power which channels through them. They merely arrange things so as to be used, not to produce the effect from within themselves. All the wire in the world, laid perfectly, would never generate a lick of electricity without something else generating the electricity and sending it through the line!

As I finish this post, some ideas bubble up in my mind, but I must wrestle with them. Perhaps my hip will come out of socket, but at least I will be blessed.

Example Rituals

If you've made it this far, here's your reward - two rituals. These are only examples; they don't even conform perfectly to the above explanation and they assume the used of Magic Dice. All of this is subject to change, but it gives you an idea.

Water [Ritual]

Ingredients: Clean bowl, fresh water

Steps:

  1. Dig a hole large enough for the bowl, such that it's edge is level with the ground.
  2. Fill the bowl with fresh water.
  3. Flip the bowl over and break it.

Effect:

Restore [Ritual]

Ingredients: Clean cloth, salt, olive oil

Steps:

  1. Soak the cloth in the olive oil.
  2. Remove it from the olive oil and sprinkle salt on the cloth.
  3. Tie the cloth around the object to be restored.

Effect: