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18th Century, Ancient Folklore, evocation, folk magic, fortune telling, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothick, Historical Gaming, Medieval Folklore, Medieval Magic, occult, Occultsploitation, Romantic Horror, traditional magic
This is the sixth part in the series of random Generator Tables for Magical Rituals in the Ghastly Affair RPG. See The Ghastly Magical Ritual Generator | Part 1: Rituals of Evocation for more instructions on how to use the tables. See The Ghastly Magical Ritual Generator | Part 3: Rituals of Malediction for a discussion on how to adapt these tables for use with your favorite RPG.
Some Example Rituals of Divination, Made Using the Generator Tables
A Ritual of Augury
A 2nd Level Ritual, created by rolling a d8 on each Table.
The Ritual lasts just a minute, and is to be performed between sundown and midnight by a Ritualist who is under the open sky, wearing a multi-colored garland of flowers, while they burn an inscribed candle and consider the movements of a pendulum, as they say apparent nonsense. As a Drawback, the Ritual causes 1d6 points of Lethal Damage to a Ritualist.
A Ritual to Locate Object
A 3rd Level Ritual, created by rolling a d10 on each Table.
The Ritual lasts 10 minutes, and is to be performed between midnight and dawn by a Ritualist who is in flickering candlelight, wearing a prayer to God inscribed on a parchment scroll, while they trace signs in the air with a forked branch of hazel wood and consider the shapes made by melted lead poured into water, as they say a strange poem. As a Drawback, the Ritual causes 1d3 points of Lethal Damage to a Ritualist.
A Ritual to Discover Treasure
A 5th Level Ritual, created by rolling a d20 on each Table.
The Ritual lasts 10 minutes, and is to be performed during a waxing moon by a Ritualist who is underground, wearing no clothes, while they put a penny under their tongue and examine the entrails of a dove, as they say a prayer to the god Mercury. As a Drawback, the Ritual causes a Ritualist’s dwelling to be infested with vermin for a week.
Divination Ritual Generator
- A Magical Ritual’s Level is is the same as that of the equivalent Pact or Preternatural Power, whichever is higher.
- For a 0 Level Ritual, roll a d4 on each table.
- For a 1st Level Ritual, roll a d6 on each table.
- For a 2nd Level Ritual, roll a d8 on each table.
- For a 3rd Level Ritual, roll a d10 on each table.
- For a 4th Level Ritual, roll a d12 on each table.
- For a 5th Level (or higher) Ritual, roll a d20 on each table.
|
Die Result |
The Ritual lasts… |
|
1 – 6 |
just a minute,… |
|
7 – 8 |
10 minutes,… |
|
9 – 10 |
20 minutes,… |
|
11 – 12 |
30 minutes,… |
|
13 – 16 |
40 minutes,… |
|
17 – 19 |
50 minutes,… |
|
20 |
1 hour,… |
|
Die Result |
..and is to be performed… |
|
1 – 3 |
whenever desired… |
|
4 |
any time at night… |
|
5 |
any time during the day… |
|
6 |
between dawn and noon… |
|
7 |
between sundown and midnight… |
|
8 |
between midnight and dawn… |
|
9 |
during a waxing moon… |
|
10 |
during a waxing moon… |
|
11 |
in twilight (either dawn or sundown)… |
|
12 – 13 |
at dawn… |
|
14 – 15 |
at sundown… |
|
16 |
at midnight… |
|
17 |
on an even-numbered day of the month… |
|
18 |
on a Wednesday… |
|
19 |
during a full moon… |
|
20 |
during a dark moon… |
|
Die Result |
…by a Ritualist who is… |
|
1 – 3 |
in flickering candlelight,… |
|
4 – 6 |
standing in front of a mirror,… |
|
7 – 8 |
under the open sky,… |
|
9 |
in a dark chamber,… |
|
10 |
in a brightly lit chamber,… |
|
11 |
by a river,… |
|
12 |
next to a lake or pond,… |
|
13 |
on the seashore,… |
|
14 |
underground,… |
|
15 – 16 |
standing atop a mountain or hill,… |
|
17 – 18 |
in a graveyard,… |
|
19 – 20 |
in a tomb or catacombs,… |
|
Die Result |
…wearing… |
|
1 – 3 |
nothing in particular,… |
|
4 |
a specially inscribed parchment around their neck,… |
|
5 – 6 |
a prayer to God inscribed on a parchment scroll,… |
|
7 – 8 |
a multi-colored garland of flowers,… |
|
9 – 10 |
any article of parti-colored clothing,… |
|
11 – 12 |
a medal of Saint Mark the Evangelist,… |
|
13 – 14 |
a brass crown,… |
|
15 – 17 |
a parti-colored chasuble or robe,… |
|
18 – 19 |
no clothes,… |
|
20 |
an opal,… |
|
Die Result |
…while they… |
|
1 – 2 |
burn an inscribed candle… |
|
3 |
rhythmically clap their hands… |
|
4 |
trace signs in the air with a forked branch of hazel wood… |
|
5 |
make strange signs with their hands… |
|
6 |
put a penny under their tongue… |
|
7 |
manipulate a loop of string into intricate patterns… |
|
8 |
drink a full goblet of wine… |
|
9 |
drink an herbal concoction… |
|
10 |
beat a drum… |
|
11 |
sprinkle holy water… |
|
12 |
write a magical sigil on their body in ink… |
|
13 |
draw a design on parchment in blood… |
|
14 |
drink holy water… |
|
15 |
pour holy water on their head… |
|
16 |
hold an inscribed wax tablet… |
|
17 |
drink grave dust dissolved in water… |
|
18 |
flog themselves… |
|
19 |
hold a human skull… |
|
20 |
sacrifice a magpie… |
|
Die Result |
…and… |
|
1 |
examine the leaves left behind after drinking a cup of tea,… |
|
2 |
consider the results of thrown dice,… |
|
3 |
consider the movements of a pendulum,… |
|
4 |
look at the patterns made by oil poured on a cup water,… |
|
5 |
consider the results of randomly drawn Tarot cards,… |
|
6 |
gaze intently into a flame,… |
|
7 |
consider the shapes made by melted lead poured into water,… |
|
8 |
gaze intently at the palm of their (or the Recipient’s) hand. |
|
9 |
consider the shapes made by a smoky fire,… |
|
10 |
gaze into an orb of flawless crystal,… |
|
11 – 12 |
calculate a horoscope,…
Ritual requires an additional hour, and access to an ephemeris (a book that details the positions of planets and constellations for a particular location). |
|
13 |
watch how a rooster chooses to eat grain scattered on the ground. |
|
14 |
look through a “Hag Stone” (a rock with a naturally occurring hole through it). |
|
15 |
anoint themselves with an unguent made from psychoactive herbs and fat,… |
|
16 |
examine the entrails of a dove,… |
|
17 |
examine the entrails of a toad,… |
|
18 |
examine the entrails of a cat,… |
|
19 |
examine the entrails of a chicken,… |
|
20 |
examine the entrails of a lamb,… |
|
Die Result |
…as they say… |
|
1 |
absolutely nothing (and must remain absolutely silent). |
|
2 – 3 |
apparent nonsense. |
|
4 |
a prayer to God in corrupted medieval Latin. |
|
5 |
a prayer to God in corrupted Greek. |
|
6 |
a prayer to God in corrupted Hebrew. |
|
7 |
their desire eight times. |
|
8 |
an apparent prayer to God in a language that cannot be identified. |
|
9 |
a strange poem. |
|
10 |
a strange poem in Old Norse. |
|
11 – 12 |
a prayer to a Planetary Angel of Mercury. |
|
13 – 14 |
a prayer to the god Mercury. |
|
15 |
a prayer to the god Wotan. |
|
16 |
a prayer to Pan. |
|
17 |
a prayer to the god Thoth. |
|
18 |
a prayer to the goddess Fortuna. |
|
19 |
a prayer to the Arch-devil Mammon. |
|
20 |
a prayer to Satan. |
|
Die Result |
As a Drawback, the Ritual causes… |
|
1 |
a Ritualist to suffer 1 point of temporary Strength damage. |
|
2 |
a Ritualist to suffer 1 point of temporary Constitution damage. |
|
3 |
a Ritualist to suffer 1 point of temporary Dexterity damage. |
|
4 |
a Ritualist’s Perversity to increase by 1 point. |
|
5 – 6 |
1d3 points of Lethal Damage to a Ritualist. |
|
7 |
1d6 points of Lethal Damage to a Ritualist. |
|
8 |
a Ritualist’s Perversity to increase by 2 points. |
|
9 |
a Ritualist to suffer 2 point of temporary Strength damage. |
|
10 |
a Ritualist to suffer 2 points of temporary Constitution damage. |
|
11 |
a Ritualist to suffer 2 points of temporary Dexterity damage. |
|
12 |
a Ritualist to make all Saving Throws with a 1 Point Penalty for a month. |
|
13 |
a Ritualist to lose their sense of smell for a week. |
|
14 |
a Ritualist to lose their sense of taste for a week |
|
15 |
a Ritualist to lose all pleasure from sex for a month. |
|
16 |
a Ritualist’s dwelling to be infested with vermin for a week.
If the Ritualist’s house is already infested with vermin (as is likely in the Ghastly Age) the infestation becomes so bad that it disrupts their sleep. |
|
17 |
horses to bolt from a Ritualist for one month. |
|
18 |
dogs to hate and become aggressive to a Ritualist for one month. |
|
19 |
a Ritualist to attract the attention of a zealous Demon Hunter or Inquisitor. |
|
20 |
a Ritualist to suffer a randomly determined Affliction for a week. |
The Engine of Oracles 