First Apotheosis
TransmutationTransmutation spells change the properties of some creature, thing, or condition.
[ EvilSpells that draw upon evil powers or conjure creatures from evil-aligned planes or with the evil subtype should have the evil descriptor.]
Ritual Level 4
- Casting Time
- 4 hoursRituals take far longer than spells to perform — typically 10 minutes per ritual level, and sometimes hours or days. The ritual fails if its casting is interrupted.Spell rule: Casting Time ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
- Components
- V, S, M (exotic incense worth 500 gp)V (Verbal): Spoken incantations, often chanted by all participants throughout the casting.S (Somatic): Precise ritual gestures performed during the casting.M (Material): Physical substances consumed by the ritual. Costly components are listed with their price.Spell rule: Components ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
- Range
- personalHow far the ritual's effect reaches from the primary caster, measured like a spell's range.Spell rule: Range ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
- Target
- casterHow the ritual is aimed: a Target (specific creatures or objects), an Effect it creates, or an Area it covers. "Target or Area" means the ritual uses either, at the casters' choice.Spell rule: Aiming a Spell ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
- Duration
- instantaneousHow long the ritual's effect lasts once completed — from instantaneous to permanent. A trailing "(D)" means the primary caster can dismiss it.Spell rule: Duration ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
- Saving Throw
- noneIf the ritual allows a save, this lists which save and its effect. A ritual's save DC is usually fixed by the ritual rather than derived from a caster's ability.Spell rule: Saving Throw ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
- Spell Resistance
- noWhether a creature's spell resistance can block the ritual's effect (Yes/No).Spell rule: Spell Resistance ↗Casting Occult Rituals ↗
Skill ChecksThe heart of a ritual: during the casting the primary caster (and sometimes assistants) must succeed at the listed skill checks. Each entry gives the skill, its DC, and how many successes are required. Failing a check can trigger the ritual's Failure entry.Casting Occult Rituals ↗
| Skill | DC | Successes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intimidate Intimidate You can use this skill to frighten an opponent or to get them to act in a way that benefits you. This skill includes verbal threats and displays of prowess. View on Archives of Nethys ↗ | 18 | 2 | ||
Choose one:
|
18 | 2 |
BacklashHarm or strain the casters suffer simply from performing the ritual, regardless of whether it ultimately succeeds.Casting Occult Rituals ↗
The caster takes 4d6 points of damage and is exhausted.
FailureWhat goes wrong if the ritual's skill checks fail — often dangerous, ranging from wasted effort to summoning a hostile creature or worse.Casting Occult Rituals ↗
The caster is rendered unconscious for 2d4 hours and must wait 1 year before attempting the first apotheosis again.
Description
The first ritual is the simplest and requires nothing more than for the caster’s alignment to become lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil (depending on the type of fiend the user wishes to transform into). To prepare for this ritual, the caster must undertake acts of a vile and destructive nature over the course of a year. The caster consigns her soul to Abaddon, the Abyss, or Hell even if she never finishes the subsequent rituals. The caster must select a powerful fiend at this point to serve as a demonic patron. The acts the caster must undertake can vary, but they should be of a nature that represents and honors the areas of interest of her chosen demonic patron—these acts are intended to attract the patron’s attention, after all. Even casters who begin the transformation ritual with an evil alignment must undergo this stage of the ritual, if only to select a fiendish patron.On the day precisely 1 year after she began these evil acts, she must perform the 4-hour first apotheosis ritual to properly devote her previous year in the name of her chosen patron. Once she successfully completes the first apotheosis, she becomes eligible to undertake the second apotheosis.