DFA Ritual Home | Constructs, Links, Catalysts, Complications, Ritual Failure
Creating Potions, Enchanting, Ward-Crafting | Reference: Rituals from the Books
Using a Magic Construct
In DFA Rituals v2.0, a Construct is the form or vessel that gives a ritual its structure — the “container” that holds, focuses, and releases the magical energy. Without a Construct, the spell has no shape, no boundary, and no reliable effect.
Constructs can be physical, symbolic, or evanescent, but they must always exist within the fiction and be acknowledged in the ritual’s design.
What Is a Construct?
A Construct is the framework that holds the magic. It may be:
- A traditional magic circle, drawn or inscribed
- A potion bottle into which the effect is distilled
- An item, weapon, or artifact that receives enchantment
- A binding sigil painted on a wall or engraved in flesh
- A ritual phrase, chanted and released at a precise moment
- A spatial layout (e.g., aligned stones, a doorway, a trap design)
- Even a living body, if it’s meant to receive or carry the effect
Why Is a Construct Required?
- It shapes the magic and tells it where to go
- It contains the effect during buildup
- It defines the space, object, or moment where the ritual is anchored
- It allows for narrative vulnerability — if the construct is flawed or disrupted, the magic may collapse or explode
Types of Constructs
- Circle (Traditional): Chalk, blood, salt, rune-inscribed — often used for summoning, warding, or containment
- Infused Object: Potion bottle, charm, blade, coin — used for delayed or portable effects
- Symbolic Anchor: Diagram, word, sigil — used for rituals where the casting site *is not* the effect site
- Incantation Constructs: When the entire ritual is carried in voice and focus — fragile but fast
- Biological Constructs: The caster’s body, a marked animal, a vessel-person — risky but potent
Disruption
Constructs are interruptible unless otherwise protected.
- A scuffed circle breaks containment
- A shattered potion bottle releases raw energy
- A disrupted chant causes the spell to misfire
- A stolen or damaged object loses its charge
- A warded location defiled or corrupted may cause magical backlash
Construct and Scale
Larger or more powerful rituals may require bigger or more elaborate constructs:
- Scene-scale effect → Basic circle or object may suffice
- Domain-scale effect → Complex geometry, multi-part construction, or linked constructs
- Global-scale effect → Ritual architecture, ley-line alignment, multi-ritual coordination
Invoke/Compel Examples
- Invoke: “The diagram is flawless. The energy flows perfectly into the binding stone.”
- Compel: “The chalk line smears — the construct collapses. The ritual destabilizes immediately.”
Construct: Shaping the Spell
The Construct is what gives a ritual its form — the mold into which magical energy is poured. Without it, magic has no boundary or control. It is one of the three non-optional components of ritual casting (alongside Link and Catalyst).
| Construct Type | Example Uses | Vulnerabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Circle | Summoning, warding, containment | Physical disruption (scuffed, broken, breached) |
| Potion or Object | Bottled effects, delayed-use magic | Can be shattered, stolen, or sabotaged |
| Symbolic Diagram | Projected effects, area rituals | Incomplete or misdrawn symbols |
| Spoken Construct | Spoken command or phrase with power | Interruption, mispronunciation, noise |
| Living Vessel | Embedding magic in self or others | Wounds, corruption, or unintended consequences |
| Architectural Construct | Large-scale rituals (buildings, stones) | Structural weakness, location shift |
Notes
- The Construct defines where the magic goes — physically, symbolically, or spiritually.
- It is always required, even if only abstractly described.
- More powerful effects demand larger, more stable, or more symbolic constructs.
- GMs may offer compels for flawed constructs, or require full scenes to create complex ones.
GM Reminder
- If the Construct is broken, the magic doesn’t just fail — it may turn volatile.