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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Player Core / Chapter 7: Spells / Rituals / Casting Rituals

Checks

Source Player Core pg. 389 2.0
At the ritual's culmination, you must attempt the skill check listed in the Primary Check entry to determine the ritual's outcome. Primary checks usually have a very hard DC for a level that's twice the ritual's spell rank. As with other downtime activities, fortune and misfortune effects can't modify your checks for the ritual, nor can bonuses or penalties that aren't active throughout the process.

The GM can adjust the DCs of rituals, add or change primary or secondary checks, or even waive requirements to fit specific circumstances. For example, performing a ritual in a location where ley lines converge on the night of a new moon might make a normally difficult ritual drastically easier.

Secondary Checks

Source Player Core pg. 389 2.0
Often, a ritual requires secondary checks to represent aspects of its casting, usually with a standard DC for a level twice the ritual's spell rank. A different secondary caster must attempt each secondary check. If there are more secondary casters than checks, the others don't attempt any.

Secondary casters attempt their checks before you attempt the primary check; no matter their results, the ritual proceeds to the primary check. Secondary checks affect the primary check depending on their results.
Critical Success You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to the primary check.
Success No bonus or penalty.
Failure You take a –4 circumstance penalty to the primary check.
Critical Failure As failure, and you reduce the degree of success of the primary skill check by one step.