a key part of the magic system. Rituals replaced many non-combat spells and had no limitation on how often they could be cast except for time and material resources. "The instructions have to be written down" and could not be cast from memory. Artificers, bards, clerics, druids, invokers, psions, and wizards had ritual casting as a class feature, while other character classes could become ritual casters by selecting the corresponding feat. In 5th edition, rituals continued to be a key part of spell casting. Some spells have the ritual tag which means that the "spell can be cast following the normal rules for spellcasting, or the spell can be cast as a ritual. The ritual version of a spell takes 10 minutes longer to cast than normal. It also doesn't expend a spell slot, which means the ritual version of a spell can't be cast at a higher level". Similar to 4th edition, some character classes, such as the cleric, druid, and wizard classes, were automatically ritual casters. Other characters could become ritual casters by picking up a specific feat or subclass feature. Unlike 4th edition, the caster must "have the spell prepared [on their] list of spells known, unless the character's ritual feature specifies otherwise, as the wizard's does". Components The casting of spells within Dungeons & Dragons often requires the mage to do, say, or use something in order for the spell to work. Spells may require a verbal, somatic, or material component or a magical focus. These actions are performed by the fictional character in the game, not by the player in the real world. The player may simply state what the character does, or may embellish with sound effects or gestures to enhance the theatrics of the game. In 4th edition, spell components were eliminated as a mechanic. Flavor text for some spells and prayers mention words, gestures or objects, however this is purely cosmetic. Although 4th edition eliminated the component mechanic for spells, most rituals require material components, some rituals require foci and many spells and prayers benefit from magical implements. In 5th edition, spells may require a verbal, somatic, or material component. Sample spells The following is a sampling of the most iconic spells featured in every Dungeons & Dragons iteration, and is not a full list by any means. Arcane spells Color Spray: A vivid cone of clashing colors springs forth from the