Magic in Dungeons & Dragons universe is a vast and powerful source of power, but many spellcasters are limited in their abilities by resources like spell slots. Ritual spells are different, however, as they don't expend the limited spell slots that a character has. If your character has the time to spend on casting ritual spells and performing the one-hour rituals, they can benefit from their useful effects without burning through their resources.RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Best Concentration SpellsFive classes have access to the ritual casting feature: artificers, bards, clerics, druids, and wizards. But, other classes, even non-spellcasters, can gain access to these spells by choosing the Ritual Caster feat. Since your ability to cast these spells is only limited by the time you have in-game, choosing which spells to learn and prepare is the most important aspect to consider for your character.

10 Comprehend Languages

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There are many languages in D&D, and although each character can usually learn two or three languages, there will be still many languages that no one in your party can understand. The easiest and fastest way that you can translate strange writings on the walls of ruins, or understand the language of rare species, is Comprehend Languages.

The spell allows you to understand the literal meaning of any spoken language, or read any text by touching the surface, for one hour. Although the spell doesn't decode secret messages or arcane glyphs, it is still very useful for learning about the world and the creatures that you encounter during your adventures.

9 Detect Magic

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Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft art by Zuzanna Wuzyk

You might come upon many magical items and effects in your adventures, and they can be infused into the most mundane items or in the most unexpected location. So without a way to detect the presence of magic, it's easy to miss such items.

Detect Magic is one of the most accessible and useful ritual spells, and its function is pretty self-explanatory. While concentrating on the spell for up to ten minutes, the caster can sense the presence of magic in a 30-foot radius and learn the school of magic.

8 Identify

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Artwork via Wizards of the Coast

Sensing sources of magic is half the issue, and the other half is identifying what the magic actually does. This is where Identify comes in. This ritual spell is so popular and useful that min-maxed groups will often make sure that at least one member has access to it.

To cast the spell, you need a pearl worth at least 100 gold pieces. However, the spell doesn't consume the material component, so you only need to buy the pearl once. By using this spell on an enchanted magical item or a creature that is under the effects of a spell, you learn the properties of the magical effect.

7 Find Familiar

Dungeons & Dragons an elf wizard and her owl familiar
Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook Art by Wizards of the Coast

When it comes to utility and function, familiars are one of the best companions for any D&D party. They can scout ahead of the party, spy in places that are hard to reach for other characters, and even help in combat. There are many forms that you familiar can take, and each can be useful in certain situations

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By casting this spell only once, and using ten gold pieces worth of material components, you can summon a familiar. You won't need to cast the spell again unless your familiar dies.

6 Leomund's Tiny Hut

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Art via Wizards of the Coast

Traveling can be dangerous in the world of D&D, and resting on the road can be interrupted by wild beasts, bandits, or monsters. There are many ways to ensure the party's safety on the road, but one of the easiest ways to do so is the third-level ritual spell, Leomund's Tiny Hut.

The spell creates a protective dome with a ten-foot radius, which can house up to nine medium or smaller creatures. No other creature can enter the dome, and magical effects can't travel through it. The dome also provides a warm and dry environment for resting, regardless of the weather outside.

5 Water Breathing

Dungeons & Dragons A Boat Attacked By Sea Monsters

Underwater adventures introduce many unique challenges for the players, but the most immediate issue is always breathing. Thankfully, you can overcome this challenge by using this third-level ritual spell, Water Breathing.

The best thing about this spell is that it allows up to ten creatures to breathe underwater for 24 hours, so you can easily cast this spell at the start of any adventuring day that you suspect might involve underwater exploration.

4 Divination

Prosper, Tomb-Bound by Yongjae Choi
Prosper, Tomb-Bound by Yongjae Choi

Deities have a strong presence in the D&D universe, and their chosen heroes can gain many boons and benefits from them. They are invaluable sources of information if you have the tools to communicate with them, and the fourth-level ritual spell Divination is one of the best spells for this purpose.

For 25 gold pieces worth of material components, you can ask a single question from your chosen patron. This question can be about an activity or course of events happening in the next seven days. Through this spell, your diety will provide you with a truthful answer.

3 Commune

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Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything by Magali Villeneuve

Another great spell for communicating with deities and divine beings is the fifth-level spell Commune. There are different restrictions to this spell than Divination, but both have certain advantages and can be useful in different situations.

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Unlike Divination, Commune doesn't require expensive material components. By casting this spell, you get to ask three yes or no questions from your chosen patron, and they can answer those questions with yes, no, or unclear.

2 Rary's Telepathic Bond

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Tales From The Yawning Portal by Tyler Jacobson

Most D&D players would say that splitting up the party is always a bad decision. You would split the party's strength and be more vulnerable to enemies, but the worst part of splitting up the party is that you usually can't communicate with each other anymore. But, if you're in a situation where you have to split the party, Rary's Telepathic Bond can at least take care of the communication problem.

This spell will link up to eight willing creatures psychically, allowing you to telepathically talk over any distance, as long as you are in the same plane of existence. There's also an added advantage of being able to communicate regardless of the languages that the creatures know, so in a pinch, this spell can also work for translating conversations between creatures that don't share a language.

1 Forbiddance

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The Sundering art by Tyler Jacobson

There's a lot that this spell can do, and considering that Forbiddance is the highest level ritual spell, you get a lot of value from casting it without using your very limited sixth-level slots. The spell requires 1,000 gold pieces worth of material components, but it doesn't consume the materials. If you cast the spell in the same area for 30 days, it will then consume the materials and become a permanent effect.

By casting this spell, you create a ward against magical travel that protects up to 40,000 square feet of floor space to a height of 30 feet above the floor. This will stop any form of magical transportation in and out of your designated area. In addition, you can choose one type of creature, such as undead, celestial, elementals, fey, or fiends, and creatures of the chosen type will take 5d10 damage when they enter the spell's area.

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