False Grand Rite
Illusion cantrip (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 hour Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, M (incense, chalk, candles, and at least one dramatic but non-magical prop worth 1 sp) Duration: Instantaneous
You perform an elaborate ritual designed to appear arcane and mysterious. For the duration of the casting and the spell, the area within range is filled with convincing illusory effects: crackling arcs of ghostly lightning, glowing sigils that rearrange themselves, flickering shadows, and a low, resonant chanting layered with whispers that you can never seem to quite make out. Overall, the ritual gives the unmistakable impression that a powerful eldritch rite is underway.
After the hour, the ritual culminates in a dramatic but harmless surge of illusory energy at the end of the casting. The spell produces no real magical effect beyond its illusion.
A creature that spends at least 1 minute carefully observing the ritual may attempt an Intelligence (Arcana) check to determine that the ritual is fraudulent. The DC equals your spell save DC. On a successful check, the creature realises the ritual is theatrical.
At Higher Levels. When you reach 5th level, the DC of the Intelligence (Arcana) check increases by 1. This increase happens again at 11th level and 17th level.
Ezrin's Notes
This spell is most often employed by fraudsters who never progressed beyond cantrips. I was strongly tempted not to include it at all.
That said, several warlocks have argued – convincingly – that simulated ritual has practical value when belief itself is the desired outcome. They referred to it as a “placebo.” I am therefore including it for completeness.
Under the text is scribbled a handwritten student note
We used this to buy time while figuring out what ritual we were supposed to be doing. – Kaz
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