Do You Prepare Ritual Spells? A Comprehensive Guide to Ritual Casting in D&D 5e
The question of whether you need to prepare ritual spells in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e) is a common point of confusion, particularly for new players. The short answer is: it depends on your class. Not all spellcasters treat ritual casting the same way. Some classes require that a ritual spell be prepared before it can be cast as a ritual, while others do not. Let’s delve into the details and clarify the nuances surrounding ritual spell preparation.
Ritual Casting: The Basics
First, let’s establish what ritual casting actually means. In 5e, some spells have the ritual tag. These spells can be cast using their normal casting time and a spell slot like any other spell, or, they can be cast as a ritual. Casting a spell as a ritual takes an additional ten minutes beyond its normal casting time. The key benefit? You don’t expend a spell slot when casting a spell as a ritual. This allows you to use powerful utility spells like Identify or Detect Magic without depleting your precious spell resources. Importantly, a spell cast as a ritual requires concentration for its entire duration, even if the spell’s normal duration doesn’t require it.
The Class Divide: Preparation vs. Access
The core of the “prepare or not” question boils down to the difference between how various classes handle their spell lists. Classes generally fall into two categories in this context: prepared casters and known casters.
Prepared Casters and Rituals
Prepared casters, such as Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Artificers, must actively choose the spells they have available each day from their class’s larger spell list during a long rest. These classes must have a ritual spell prepared in order to cast it as a ritual. If you have Detect Magic on your cleric’s spell list, but it’s not one of the spells you’ve prepared for the day, you cannot cast it as a ritual. You would need to use a spell slot to cast it normally.
Known Casters and Rituals
Known casters, like Sorcerers and Rangers, do not prepare spells each day. Instead, they have a smaller, fixed selection of spells known. For a Known caster to cast a spell as a ritual it needs to be a spell that is known. If it has the ritual tag then it can be cast as a ritual.
The Wizard Exception
Wizards are the exception to both of these rules. Wizards uniquely maintain a spellbook containing all the spells they’ve learned. Wizards can cast any ritual spell in their spellbook as a ritual without having it prepared for the day. The only requirement is that it has the ritual tag and is within the wizard’s spellbook. This makes Wizards incredibly versatile in terms of accessing ritual spells since they don’t need to have it actively prepared. This benefit is a powerful perk of the wizard class.
Other Classes
Some classes, such as the Eldritch Knight Fighter and Paladin, do not have the ritual casting feature built in. They can learn ritual spells using other means, such as the Ritual Caster feat, but cannot use these as rituals unless they have the feat and the spell is written in their ritual book. Otherwise, they can only cast ritual spells as normal spells by using a spell slot. Warlocks have a specific ability to add rituals to their Book of Shadows. They can cast spells in their Book of Shadows as rituals but not through any other means.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ritual Spells
Let’s address some of the common questions that arise regarding ritual spells and their preparation:
1. Can I cast a ritual spell at a higher level?
No. When cast as a ritual, spells cannot be cast at a higher level. They are always cast at their base level. This is a key distinction from using spell slots where upcasting is an option.
2. Do all spells have a ritual casting option?
No, only spells with the ritual tag can be cast as rituals. Not every spell in the game has this option.
3. Can any character cast ritual spells?
No, not all characters can cast rituals. The ability to cast ritual spells as rituals is class-dependent. Even if a class has spells on its list with the ritual tag, it doesn’t necessarily mean it has the ability to cast it as a ritual. For example, Rangers and Paladins can learn ritual spells, but they cannot cast them as rituals unless they have another feature that allows this like the ritual caster feat.
4. What is the purpose of a ritual spell?
Ritual spells allow for spellcasting outside of combat with additional time as an offset, without expending valuable spell slots. This makes them incredibly useful for utility and support spells.
5. Do I need a spell component pouch or focus for ritual casting?
Yes, if the ritual spell has a material component, you need to meet that requirement when casting it as a ritual, just as when casting it with a spell slot. This means having a spell component pouch or arcane focus (if allowed).
6. How long does it take to cast a ritual spell?
It takes the spell’s normal casting time plus an additional ten minutes. This makes it unsuitable for combat but excellent for exploration, problem-solving, and other out-of-combat situations.
7. Can you cast a ritual spell during a long rest?
Yes, you can. Casting a ritual spell does not interrupt a long rest, as long as it doesn’t last more than an hour and you aren’t engaged in strenuous activities. This allows for the use of beneficial utility spells during downtime.
8. Does casting a ritual spell take away my concentration from another spell?
Yes, ritual spells require concentration for their entire duration. This means that you cannot be concentrating on another spell while casting or maintaining a ritual spell.
9. Is “Longstrider” a ritual spell?
Yes, Longstrider is a ritual spell, often utilized for its convenience. It can be cast outside of combat, and its effects last until death or a long rest.
10. Does using a ritual spell require a spell slot in Baldur’s Gate 3?
No, similar to tabletop 5e, ritual spells in Baldur’s Gate 3 do not require a spell slot.
11. Are there any class features or feats that affect ritual casting?
Yes, the Ritual Caster feat allows any character to learn ritual spells and cast them as rituals. Additionally, some subclasses offer features that alter how rituals are used or acquired. Warlocks also have the Pact of the Tome which allows learning rituals and adding them to the Book of Shadows.
12. Can I add other ritual spells to my Book of Shadows as a Warlock?
Yes. Through adventures, you can find and add ritual spells to your Book of Shadows, expanding your ritual spellcasting capabilities.
13. How do I learn ritual spells as a wizard?
Wizards learn spells by transcribing them into their spellbook from scrolls, spellbooks found during adventures, or when they gain a new level. Any spell with the ritual tag can be cast as a ritual once transcribed.
14. Is identifying magic items always a ritual spell?
Not all methods of identifying magic items are rituals. Some methods involve spell slots, while the Identify spell itself, which is the most common method, can be cast as either a regular spell or a ritual if it has the ritual tag.
15. Do cantrips need to be prepared?
No, cantrips do not need to be prepared. They can be cast at will without expending spell slots and without being prepared in advance. Cantrips are always considered to be accessible.
Conclusion
Understanding the nuances of ritual casting, especially the differences in preparation requirements between classes, is vital to effective gameplay in D&D 5e. While the need to prepare ritual spells varies based on your class, the strategic use of rituals can greatly enhance the capabilities of any spellcasting party. Remember, wizards enjoy the unique flexibility of casting rituals directly from their spellbook without daily preparation, while clerics, druids, and artificers must be more strategic in their daily preparations to fully take advantage of their ritual options. The ability to cast rituals efficiently offers a great advantage, especially for classes which require more resources to function effectively.