What Stories Will You Tell?

Ritual is an upcoming high fantasy tabletop role playing game inspired by animist beliefs, real world practices of magic, and world folklore. The system encourages creative solutions, supports non-violent encounter resolution, and seeks to decolonize traditional fantasy narratives. With a player driven campaign story seed and session 0, players are much more invested and interested in the tales they have set up for themselves with the help of the Lore Weaver - Ritual's game master. Creativity is at the heart of Ritual's system and gives players the tools to help shape the narrative aspects of the world. Our team has been amazed at the creativity of the playtesters in a system where they have the support to imagine and dream.

Creating An Original Fantasy Setting with a Unique Perspective

Our design team of two consists of Joel Salda and Abbey Rideout. Together the two have created the world of Avosthal where magic is accessible to all people and creatures. The land of Avosthal has 8 regions that developed 8 schools of magic. While there are 64 different lineages of people in the book, players are easily able to make another with the help of their Lore Weaver. Adventurers in Avosthal work toward an ideal version of society while striving to find solutions for those who are working against their efforts.

The problems of this world have not disappeared just because everyone has magic. The creatures of the land are not violence mongering villains but animals looking to survive and have often had their lives disrupted. The villains of a Ritual story are rarely truly evil but rather believe that what they are doing is right and have taken their aspirations too far. The land is harsh and unforgiving at times but full of wonder and resources if adventurers can be creative in their search. The world of Avosthal is rich and vast with stories to be discovered. The choices are rarely black and white.

Unique Mechanics with Consequences

Ritual uses a simple three dice system that rewards players for keeping their adventurer in top condition. The resolution system came about as a solution for Abbey's dyscalculia, which gives them problems doing math on the fly. Players will feel the effects of losing health and strive to find non-violent solutions. The casting of a spell is referred to as a ritual. A ritual is a combination of three components - three dice - all brought by the caster:

• Their Health - This is a d10 unless their Health has been harmed. An adventurer has 3 health and each health lost reduces their health die by one die level. Their health is covered by a protective shroud that is quicker to recover.

• Their Spirit - This is a d10 unless they have curses or hexes that are given to them by creatures. Adventurers get curses and hexes when they slay a creature. These negative effects often have a narrative or mechanical detriment as well as reduces their spirit die by one die level.

• Their Intent - This is the wild card that can make or break a spell. This is always the Die Level of the approach or the School of Magic being used.

The dice are all graded against a complexity - a number that ranges from 3 to 10 - that each die needs to meet or exceed. Complexity can also be met by rolling the max value of the die. The results are as follows:

• If two or more dice meet complexity, the adventurer's action is a success!

• If one die meets complexity, the adventurer's action is a success but with some complication or additional problem.

• If no dice meet complexity, the adventurer's action fails and a consequence could occur.

Spells in Ritual are listed as a series of things that an adventurer could do. If the adventurer wants to do something outside but adjacent within the scope of the spell level, the Lore Weaver should allow it. However if the adventurer wants to do something outside the scope of the spell level they know, the Lore Weaver will add to complexity to the roll.

Ritual in the Media

Our team got the chance to sit down with Nerdarchy to talk about Ritual's early stages. Once Version 2 is released keep an eye out for more Ritual content.

The beta version of Ritual can be downloaded for free on The Big Tabletop itch page. Version 2 with a lot of updates coming soon!