A significant portion of rpg gamers today are older (dare I say middle-aged?) and many of us are married, some with children. Whether or not your significant other shares your love of rpgs, if you are like me and often host the game, then you are all too familiar with the game day Pre-game Cleaning Ritual. For some of the lucky ones, this ritual is short, sweet and not very complicated. But for my family (all of which are gamers, btw), this is a much loathed, lengthy and draining procedure. A necessary evil that, according to my wife, must be successfully cast before the guests show up. Or else.
(She is so gonna kill me when she reads this)

So in honor of our little ritual, I decided to write-up this little 4E Ritual. Enjoy.

Pre-game Cleaning Ritual
You toil endlessly, or so it seems, with numerous components and implements to create a virtually sterile and presentable environment for your gaming guests.
Level: 1                                     Component Cost: varies
Category: Exploration, Deception   Market Price: special*
Time: 2-4 Hours                          Key Skill: Perception
Duration: Permanent, until next gaming session

The casting of the Pre-game Cleaning Ritual is always instigated by the matron of the household, but usually requires more than one set of hands to perform properly. This ritual allows for the use of more than the usual maximum of four assistants, but you will be hard pressed to locate any willing participants without the use of bribes, threats or compensation.

Once the meticulous somatic gestures are completed and components expended, you must make a Perception check. Unlike most rituals, the skill DC for this ritual is determined by the matron herself. This target number is usually set by the individual matron’s personal standards plus any additional modifiers, such as the results of last time the ritual was cast, the quantity of components expended, the apparent enthusiasm/willingness of all assistants involved, her general mood at the time of casting, etc.

A successful skill check means the matron is pleased with the results and you can go back to preparing the day’s adventure, going over your notes from the last gaming session, looking over your character or whatever you usually do just before your fellow gamers come knocking on your door. A failed skill check does not mean the whole ritual is wasted, just that it is not yet completed. This adds more to the required casting time and additional components consumed, which in turn adds to the ritual’s over all cost.

*To most gamers the Market value is minimal, but to the matron, it is near priceless.