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A Warlock has chosen the Pact of the Tome feature. At level 5 the invocation chosen is Book of Ancient Secrets. The Warlock has now two 1st level spells that have the ritual tag written into the Book of Shadows. Along the way the Warlock inscribes two more rituals into the book by finding them in other spellbooks, and spending gold as described in the invocation. The Warlock now has four (4) rituals in the Book of Shadows.

The Warlock levels up to level 6 and decides to change invocations, replacing Book of Ancient Secrets with another invocation.

What happens to the rituals inscribed in the Book of Shadows?

Will they still be kept in the Book of Shadows, or does something happen to them as a result of replacing Book of Ancient Secrets with another invocation?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ "... appears to have chosen" or has actually chosen? \$\endgroup\$
    – Dale M
    Sep 6, 2016 at 20:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ Feel free to accept any answer that best addresses your query. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Feb 11, 2021 at 13:21

1 Answer 1

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Technically when you give up an invocation in favor of another you give up all the abilities that go with it.

However, the book is silent on what happens with the ones you may have scribed in the book while you still had the invocation so that would fall under the decision of your DM. Keeping in mind that the invocation itself is what allows you to utilize the rituals in your Book of Shadows whether your DM says they are still there would really only possibly benefit a Wizard or someone with the Ritual Casting feat to copy them. However, you obviously can no longer scribe anymore nor cast the rituals in the book upon replacing the invocation.

Ritual Caster feat seems a bit iffy as well to allow access to those already scribed since it is the Book of Ancient Secrets that allows you to cast from your Book of Shadows as rituals and not from a standard ritual book which is procured with the feat.

Not official but lends itself to that conclusion as well.

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    \$\begingroup\$ In PHB 108 where it is described the form of the book it alludes to the fact that you can write in it as you see fit. You put spells that seems that you might be able to cast (I assume that this is referred to the cantrips). If we take this in consideration it is really easy to link that you don't lose the spells, you just lose the capability of reading/understanding/casting them. I think that this would complete your answer better than making a new one, I mean, is a solid assumption, but an assumption non the less. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chepelink
    Sep 6, 2016 at 20:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ Not sure I understand. I have edited a bit but I suppose any book could potentially be written in but spellbooks are specially prepared thus the cost described. I thought I had covered the loss of the ability but have added clarifying verbiage thanks. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Sep 6, 2016 at 21:39
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    \$\begingroup\$ For flavor, it might be ruled that "you can never turn to the page that ritual was written on since you gave up that invocation." You could turn pages all day, and somehow, the ones with those spells never show up. Magic. \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Sep 6, 2016 at 21:56
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Slagmoth The cost are because of the ink and the cost of the experiments to understand the spell, at least for the wizard, dunno about the warlock. What I meant with my last comment is that, since the spells are already recorded these are not lost, the difference is that the warlock lose (obviously) the ability to cast them, and record more. Well, at least in theory... \$\endgroup\$
    – Chepelink
    Sep 6, 2016 at 22:06

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