Sorcerous rituals

Previously we exhumed and revived some mystic rituals, with the added details of where they might go wrong if performed by those not fully practised in their execution. This time we're going to look at sorcerous rituals, accompanied by an appropriate image:

Look at that face and tell me it wasn't done by AI

Mystic rituals produce reliable, specific results through complex procedures.

Less reliable (but more flexible) is the magic of sorcery: rituals of invocation, conjuration and binding. Practitioners are called “sorcerers” but possess no special power—beyond knowledge.

• Invocations bring forth a wisp of elemental power: a spell-spirit (see also AHPZ19)
• Conjurations summon elemental spirits of definite form, strong personality and great intelligence.
• Bindings enable the sorcerer to place contingencies on summoned entities, usually through a device and/or a command word
• Summonings are elaborate and highly specific rituals to conjure the most powerful spirits i.e. demons.
• Banishings return spirits to their realm of origin.

RITUAL OF INVOCATION

Invokes a mote of elemental power (6 turns)

PREPARATION

An altar or shrine is created or re-purposed and a circle drawn around it. Any offerings to the spirit are placed on the altar: the type and number of offerings impacts the outcome of the invocation (see correspondences).  

DONATION

In addition to the offerings placed inside the circle of invocation, the spell-spirit requires additional matter or energy in order to manifest. This can come directly from the sorcerer in the form of their spirit dice (cross off at least one spirit die) or their own blood (roll 1d6 damage against the sorcerer's HP). Alternatively, humans or animals can be sacrificed and their corpse placed on the altar, with a minimum of 1 HD required to complete the ritual of invocation.

Additional HD, HP or SD can be spent thus:

• Increase the number of spell-spirits invoked (1 per HD)
• Lengthen the incantation ( 6 words per HD, 1 per HP)
• Intensify or lengthen the spell effect (see AHPZ19)

INCANTATION 

The sorcerer sits outside the circle and invites the spirit to materialise. They then repeat a 6 word (or more, see above) instruction to the spell-spirit. 

MANIFESTATION 

Roll 2d6 on the spirit reaction to resolve the invocation, with these caveats: 

• Sorcerers cannot achieve acquiescence (9+) with fewer than 3 offerings, 4 to achieve or transcendence (12) 
• 5 or more offerings means the roll is made with approval (roll 3d6, keep the two highest)
• Sorcerers can always trade up to a higher result by incurring spiritual debt: roll 1d6 on the table overleaf

Venus_of_Laussel_plate_(1915) 

SPIRIT REACTION

• 2 Fury Spell-spirit materialises, inflicting the opposite of the spell's intent (this always causes the sorcerer problems, it cannot be "gamed). Once the effects are resolved, roll a mishap
• 3-5 Indifference the spirit ignores the request completely and passes on. 
• 6-8 Negotiation The spirit is willing to fulfil the request but at the cost of incurring one mishap
• 9-11 Acquiescence The request is fulfilled without comment, as best the spirit is able.
• 12 Transcendence The spirit exceeds expectations: the  request is fulfilled to a greater degree than anticipated.

MATERIAL CORRESPONDENCES

Here & Now patchouli, quickleaf, materials relevant to the spirit summoned (water, wood etc.)

Dawn dawn mushrooms, eggs, emerald, feathers, hawthorn, jade, music, rose, sandalwood  

Sun & Heavens desert rue, fire, frankincense/olibanum, myrrh, opal, vine

Dusk cactus buttons, complex mechanism, insect husk, live reptiles, sandalwood, storax

Death alcohol, blood, bone, frangipani, quickleaf, sorcerers sage, tobacco

The Moon chalk, jasmine, mercury, moonstone, silver, sleepflower, milk 

The Beyond diamond, dragon scale, gold, lightning, magnetite, starmetal

All materials offered are consumed by the ritual.

Pottery of Middle Jōmon hunter-gatherers, Japan

SPIRITUAL DEBT 

Roll 1d6 for spell-spirits, 1d12 for conjurations

1. A plain thank you is all that is required. If it doesn’t already, the spirit now favours you.
2. Share your rations with the ground — or any germane part of the landscape.
3. Make a simple shrine to the spirit within the next week. Leave a basic offering.
4. Spill your own blood before the next sunset.
5. Sacrifice a small mammal or bird in honour of the spirit within one day.
6. Gather a special flower/mushroom/mineral from a remote area before the month is out.
7. The spirit will return one month with a new request. Roll again at that time (roll 2d12, pick highest).
8. Leave a valued tool or weapon at the first shrine you encounter on your subsequent travels.
9. As ‘3’ but return in another month. Add something valuable to the shrine.
10. Before a week has passed, remove (1d6): 1 toe, 2-3 finger, 4-5 eye, 6 hand
11. Sacrifice a valued pack animal. Alternatively track down a fierce beast and steal its skin.
12. Seek out the spirit’s rival and destroy it before the next full moon.

MISHAPS

1. Skin changes colour to an unusual hue (turquoise, lime green, crimson etc.) for 1d6 hours.
2. Hair loss—all of the sorcerer's body hair falls out immediately. It grows back at the ordinary rate.
3. Horrid smell emanates from the altar, a predator is attracted in 1d6 turns
4. Mutation—sorcerer develops a randomly determined mutation (see AHPZ16). Effects are permanent. 
5. Bleeding wounds open across the sorcerer's flesh for 1d8 HP damage. If reduced to 0 HP, save vs death or die.
6. Blinding flash causes all within 15' of the sorcerer to lose sight for 1 round, save vs shock or blinded 1d6 hours
7. Explosion blast of heat and light causes all within 15' of the sorcerer 2d6 damage (save vs shock for half)
8. Mutagenic cloud envelopes all within 15' of the sorcerer: save vs [spirit's realm] or receive random mutation

By Viktor Vasnetsov - wikimedia

RITUAL OF CONJURATION

Conjures an intelligent elemental spirit (9 turns)

The sorcerer performs a conjuration ritual identically to one of invocation:however, the "donation" (sacrificial spirit or hit dice) is greater. Between 3 and 5 SD are sacrificed by the sorcerer, corresponding to the power of the elemental conjured (between 3 and 5 HD).

Additionally, where sorcerers bargain with the conjured spirit and incur spiritual debt, they roll 1d12 on the table instead of 1d6.

Conjured spirits can be issued complex instructions with multiple contingencies. The constraint is that the sorcerer must be able to utter it in one breath. However, spirits alway seeking loopholes—particularly if it enables them to inflict suffering on sorcerer.

The elemental remains in the sorcerer’s service until: 

• their task is completed or
• a day has passed since their conjuration or
• the sorcerer is killed 

If any of these come to pass it returns to its own realm.

The elemental  spirit can use these generic stats if more specific information is not prepared:

CONJURED ELEMENTAL SPIRIT
 

HD 3d10 

Def -4* 

Att +5, 1d10 or spell** 

MV 60’ (by type)

ML 12

SAVES†: Death 11 Dusk 11 Moon 11 Sun 11 Dawn 11

* Immune to mundane damage except metal

** May invoke 1 spell-spirit per HD per encounter

† Add +1 per HD to saves against own realm (e.g. 4HD Dawn Spirit saves 7 vs Dawn)

FORM

Here & Now relevant animal, plant or elemental

Dawn elfin humanoid, glowing orb, myconid, satyr

Sun & Heavens phoenix, bronze titan, fiery angel

Dusk lotus-priest, reptilian humanoid, arachnid

Death ghoulish wight or shadowy wraith

The Moon giant owl or moth, silvery spectral human

The Beyond "biblical" angel, grey alien, human porcupine

Ain Ghazal Statues, pre-pottery Neolithic statuary from Jordan

Rituals of binding

Bind an invocation or conjured spirit to something else

Binding rituals trap a spirit in an object or living thing, enabling the sorcerer to later reproduce a magical effect.

BINDING TO A DEVICE

A device is a spirit-bound object, inanimate prior to its binding. Before an invocation or conjuration begins, the object is placed in the ritual circle’s center. The sorcerer must invest additional spirit dice to successfully intone their six word binding rite: "to this [device] I bind thee", on top of any spirit dice used in the invocation or conjuring rite. Additional dice can be invested to lengthen the binding rite i.e. add contingencies.

The binding is automatically successful for a spell-spirit: conjured spirits may make a defence roll (a kind-of save vs. the Here & Now) to resist, attacking the sorcerer if successful. Multiple spirits may be bound to one device (the charges of a wand, for example) but the spirits must be of the same realm.

BINDING TO A LIVING VESSEL

A spell-spirit or conjuration bound can be bound to a living vessel, usually an animal or a Nameless One. Doing so requires they remain (conscious) in the invocation circle for the initial ritual’s duration: otherwise this is identical to binding to a device, except the vessel also makes a saving throw vs [spirit's realm] to resist the binding. 

A living vessel bound to a spell-spirit becomes the sorcerer’s obedient servant—responding to 6 word commands as an invoked spell-spirit. Destroying the vessel breaks the bond and the spell-spirit immediately returns to their realm. A conjuration bound to a vessel acts as an obedient and intelligent servant of the sorcerer with all the powers of an elemental. They view their new body as a prison and uses every spare moment plotting to subtly undermine their magical gaoler. 

Sorcerers can bind a spell-spirit to themselves and gain the ability to spontaneously cast spells (AHPZ19). They follow the process of binding a spirit to a device but place themselves in the centre of the invocation circle.

Copyright English Heritage or Getty Images fair use etc.

RITUALS OF BANISHING

Return a spirit to its realm of origin.

BANISHING SPELL-SPIRITS

Rituals to banish spell-spirits are most commonly employed to rid someone (or something) of a minor curse, cleanse an infected wound,  or dispel some otherwise debilitating magical effect. 

The sorcerer must first coax the spirit out of its host or vessel in a rite identical to an invocation, placing the vessel at the centre of an invocation circle. It is necessary to divine the troublesome spirit's realm of origin in order to bait it with the correct components. A new vessel is placed beside the old, of a material that can later be crushed, consumed, shattered or burned. 

The sorcerer then binds the spirit to the new vessel, once suitably coaxed, then destroys this vessel. The spirit returns to its realm of origin: spirits of the Here & Now return to their parent spirit (a lake, the North Wind, the genius loci etc.).

BANISHING CONJURATIONS & ELEMENTALS

A conjuration bound to a living host (a Nameless One, or the possessed) or a corpse (as an undead servant) or an animated object (articulated statues, animated constructs etc.) lingers in the Here & Now even if their vessel is destroyed. It is necessary to enchant a weapon or device that can expel them from both the vessel and the Here & Now. 

An existing weapon is placed in a circle of invocation, surrounded by 5 or more components anathema to the spirit: creativity is necessary, as the spirit realms do not form a neat circle of dominance. The weapon and components must be drenched in the blood of sufficiently powerful creature (equal to the spirit's HD or greater) and allowed to cure for one hour at a time of day opposed to the spirit (again employing creativity).   

The elements aside from the weapon are then destroyed, buried or cast to the bottom of a lake. On a successful hit, the weapon immediately returns its target spirit to its home realm before disintegrating.

~

This post represents most of AHPZ21 RITUALS, one of the 23 zinis included with the Complete Pariah Sandbox collection. More modules are added each month. Available for download here, new community copies available at the start of each month:

https://atelier-hwei.itch.io/complete-pariah-zini

Links

Mystic rituals and when they go wrong
https://aloneinthelabyrinth.blogspot.com/2025/02/ritualsincluding-when-they-go-wrong.html

Jomon Pottery, ancient Japan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_pottery

Viktor Vasnetsov painting
http://www.picture.art-catalog.ru/picture.php?id_picture=3317, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3148835

Complete PARIAH Sandbox ( a zini collection)
https://atelier-hwei.itch.io/complete-pariah-zini