Inspired by @SwivelDiscourse ...

This is just a rough idea at this point. Ritual magic is basically an Assisted Magic sill check. You take the best Magic skill from the casters, and the best associated characteristic. But the casting takes time (one maneuver for each participant).

The benefits:
* Nobody suffers strain
* The spell lasts for a number of turns equal to all participants before requiring the concentrate maneuver

Here's what I posted in the thread:

Quote

Ritual Casting functions the same as a group skill check, highest INT pairs with Highest Arcane Skill for the roll, with Boost Dice for each additional caster. Now, strain is divided equally among all the casters, with any leftover targeting the one with the lowest Will(weakest link)

The spell roll is an action made by each character in a structured narrative, but the roll and the spell only happen on the turn of a caster caster with the lowest initiative slot.

Blood Magic is the same, except only boost die are granted, and the strain damage only targets the sacrifices, not the single caster.

However, I talked it over with a friend, and he argues that the Lowest Will makes any "All-caster party" automatically have a punching bag who takes the worst of it. Instead, he suggests a Will Roll among all the casters to decide how remaining strain/wounds are applied.

I thought about it a bit, and ultimately decided that ritual magic is largely going to stay in the narrative realm (for me, for now). If my caster player really wants to perform some ritual, I'll let him reduce the strain cost by `1 for each hour of casting time he spends on the ritual.

13 minutes ago, Direach said:

I thought about it a bit, and ultimately decided that ritual magic is largely going to stay in the narrative realm (for me, for now). If my caster player really wants to perform some ritual, I'll let him reduce the strain cost by `1 for each hour of casting time he spends on the ritual.

Perhaps Ritual Casting is the wrong term them for what we're going for. Group Casting would be more accurate.

That seems pretty situational, but doable. Maybe just have everyone participating take 1 Strain, and otherwise treat it like an assisted roll?

38 minutes ago, Direach said:

If my caster player really wants to perform some ritual,

The way I’m looking at things, ritual magic (or blood magic, or whatever else) isn’t an additional option tacked onto the standard magic system but a world building option that the gm can decide to use. It’s not an option that a PC who knows the default magic system can use (oh, we’ve got the time, I’ll cast this spell as a ritual) but a different system of magic altogether (you’ve finally found the cultists’ lair, they are performing some type of magic you’ve never seen before).

@Forgottenlore Exactly. The idea came to me from something @Tom Cruise said about Eberron, being thematically designed around the mechanics of 3.5. This was me taking "If Strain is the resource by which magic power is used, then the ability to withstand the most strain makes for the most valuable caster" to the next step, having Casters share strain or use another person's strain/wounds as a resource in casting. It makes for a good mechanical explanation on Blood Magic, and exactly how to handle multiple casters working together makes sense. Blood Magic lets the caster use someone else as the sacrifice for the spell, so they don't worry, or don't care about the disadvantages rolled or the strain costs since they can always grab another sacrifice.(I'd also rule that Blood Magic does straight wounds damage, no strain) Makes for good moral/amoral character arcs and window dressing.

Yeah, I agree with @Forgotten Lore , it's a narrative or world-based option. It fits my setting, so I'd allow it for my player sorcerer, but not to just cast whatever spell, only if it made sense (like if they wanted to try to scry a target or location in a distant city, or enact a curse on a target in another country). I've already modified the magic system pretty extensively to suit my setting (a greater Strain cost to cast spells, restricted spells, the risk of Corruption, blood magic to augment your casting, being able to kill another sorcerer and steal Strain from them), and found the rules system to be quite adaptable for all those purposes.

For me it could be as simple as:

• Use the best stat/skill from the participants.
• Add one boost per additional member (or something like +1 boost for the first three and +1 per each 3, idk
• Increase the duration (days, week, scenes, idk).

With a booster, would be easier to cast, and with possibility to receive advantages to restore strain, but it comes with a price: it'll take longer to be cast and the fact that a lot of caster will be occupied doing this.

It's also possible to create a talent to get an additional boost die when casting with help.

This could work with any number of caster, even just a couple casting something or a big group casting a powerful spell.