Usable by all classes. Normal characters can wear at most 2 magical rings for effect, one on each hand. By default, rings are usable by all classes. Rings that have a passive effect (i.e., those that don't involve actively invoking a spell-like power) exert their influence at all times when they are worn and have no burnout. Most rings with active powers have limited uses or specific restrictions on their use (such as the Ring of Shooting Stars).
Level variable.
This is a catchall category for rings with active powers that work like
existing spells (or prayers). A spell should be completely specified in
terms of all modifiers in effect. The level of the item should be roughly
similar to the level of the spell, but this depends on how often the ring
is usable or what burnout chance it has; a 5th or even 6th level spell
might be tolerable (level 4) on a 30% burnout or usable once per week,
while a Cleanse Spell Ring is probably a level 1 item even if the Cleanse
spell has 8 levels of extra range and is usable freely with no burnout.
To distinguish a spell-like effect from a related ring with a more
restricted operation, these rings should be called
Level N+1. This ring absorbs the stated number of hit points from every attack that does damage to the character. There is no burnout, and it is not cumulative with Armor of Absorbing Hit Points. The ring absorbs all forms of damage, without exception. A Ring of Absorbing 1 Hit Point is a level 2 item; a Ring of Absorbing 3 Hit Points is about as strong as should be given out in the convention. Even if all of the damage from an attack is absorbed, the wearer still suffers distraction.
Level N/2. This ring increases the wearer's mental save by 5N%. This ring is treated as a Ring of Protection +N for purposes of cumulative effects with other items.
Level 4. Cursed-20. This ring reverses the wearer's personality and goals; he will attempt to accomplish everything he would normally most detest. This ring is not recommended for use at PrinceCon due to the obnoxiousness of the roleplaying restrictions involved; players come to the convention in order to play their characters, not to play some GM's rigged item masquerading as a character.
Level 2. Like the Hit Point rings, this ring absorbs damage from incoming damage-doing attacks. It can completely absorb one attack of up to 20 h.p. damage, or reduce any larger attack by 20 points. Once it deflects one attack, it shatters and is lost; the wearer therefore must declare whether he wishes it to absorb any given attack, although doing so is not an action. The wearer is not distracted by the deflected attack unless some actual damage is done.
Level 3. This ring automatically absorbs the damage of incoming attacks; it tries to absorb every attack that affects the character. It has a chance of burning out on every attack, equal to 5% times the number of points of damage in the attack. If an attack hits for more than 20 points damage, the ring automatically shatters and the remaining damage in excess of 20 affects the wearer. The ring does still absorb damage from the attack that burns it out. The wearer is not distracted by the deflected attack unless he actually takes damage.
Level 1. Cursed-12. This ring appears and detects as a beneficial ring, usually a relatively nonobvious one such as Protection, Hit Points, Regeneration, etc. However, any benefits gained from it are illusory. Once its true nature is revealed it becomes unremovable without a Remove Curse, as versus a 12th level.
Level 4. The ring gives the wearer command over a djinni. The djinni can fight for the wearer; it is AC 5, HD7+1, flies at 24", strikes for 2D8, and may become invisible or gaseous at will. As an alternative mode of combat it may form a whirlwind that does 1D6 damage to all beings vulnerable to nonmagical weapons in a 10 foot radius, each round they remain. The djinni is larger than man-sized and can carry up to 600 pounds of weight at its flight speed. (Assume 40 m.p.h. for long-distance travel times.) The djinni can create mundane objects of any type, up to 100 pounds per day; metallic objects so created will fade away after 6 hours, but soft substances (such as fabric or food) are real and lasting. The djinni has a 30% default chance, after completing any one service of the above types, of completing the term of its indenture and departing forever; alternatively, if the wearer of the ring has been a kind and polite master, the GM may roleplay negotiations for the djinni to accompany the wearer as a friendly NPC. (In either case, destroy the item card, and the djinni goes its own way after the scenario.) If the djinni is killed the ring is destroyed. The djinni appears instantly when summoned.
Level N/2. This ring increases the wearer's spiritual save by 5N%. This ring is treated as a Ring of Protection +N for purposes of cumulative effects with other items.
Level variable. This item absorbs damage from attacks that would otherwise injure the user. The ring has a number of hit points which fully recharge every 24 hours. All damage to the wearer is scored first against the ring's hit points as long as the ring has points remaining. Using up all the ring's hit points does no damage to the ring, it just ends its protective value for the day. The level of the item depends on the number of hit points it provides: up to +3 h.p. is a level 1 item, up to +5 h.p. is a level 2 item, up to +10 h.p. is a level 3 item. It is difficult for an item of this sort to be a level 5 (forbidden) item, but rings stronger than +20 h.p. are probably excessive. Each ring has its own supply of hit points, which must be monitored independently of who wears the ring; if A wears a 5 point ring, it absorbs 3 points of damage, and A then passes it to B, B has 2 points worth of absorption left in the ring until it recharges. If a character wears 2 of these rings, the larger absorbs damage first, then the smaller, then the character. As a less powerful variant, a ring could be given a 20% burnout each time its last point of absorption is taken; or it could automatically be destroyed if its absorption for the day is exceeded, which would be a trivial item for 1-5 points of absorption and probably level 1 up to at least 10 h.p. Even if a Hit Point Ring has enough capacity to completely absorb the damage from an attack, the damage still distracts the wearer from casting.
Level 3. This ring renders the wearer completely invisible to normal vision, infravision, and Second Sight. Ultraviolet vision, for those creatures that have it, is also fooled. See Invisible and True Sight spot the character, as does any natural ability to detect invisible objects. Anything worn, including armor, backpacks, etc., becomes invisible with the character; anything carried in the hands remains visible. (A sheathed weapon would be invisible and become visible while drawn.) The invisibility enchantment functions automatically as long as the ring is on a finger. None of the actions described as breaking the Invisibility spell make the character visible, but note that most of them will betray the invisible character's location. The invisible character is -20% to be hit in combat and +20% to hit if attacking unarmed or with an invisible weapon, but he attacks normally with ordinary, visible weapons. VARIANTS: A ring with a significant flaw in its invisibility (e.g., character still casts a shadow; character can be seen in a mirror; character can be seen by beings of level 11+) is a level 2 item. A ring that makes hand-carried objects also invisible is level 4. The typical defective version drops from the wearer's finger at the worst possible moment.
Level 4. This is a catchall category for multifunction rings. A typical ring at this power level has 2-6 functions, any one of which can be used at a time. While this would typically be a Spell Ring with several different spells available for casting (instead of the usual one-spell-only type), there is no reason such a ring might not be switchable between, say, Protection +3, Water Walking, Invisibility, and 50% Spell Turning. Of course, all of the available functions must be specified in the individual item description. A ring could include 2-3 level 3 functions or 4-6 level 2 functions.
Level variable. The wearer of the ring acts as 1 or 2 levels higher than his actual level for all purposes whatever, including hit points and spell/prayer point costs and availability. A +1 level ring is a level 3 item, a +2 level ring is level 4. The hit points gained are the average amount. The user cannot cast spells that he would not be normally able to cast; he does not gain new spell lists.
Level N. A Ring of Protection adds its bonus to the wearer's armor class and to all saving throws; that is, a ring +N increases the wearer's chance of saving by 5N% and decreases his chance of being hit by any attack by 5N%. Protection rings are not cumulative; a character wearing two protection rings uses the larger bonus, not the sum of the two. Protection rings are also not cumulative with magical armor or other protection items; again, the larger bonus applies.
Level 2. One specific type of being (vampires, orcs, hobbits, etc.) is listed for this ring; as long as the ring is worn, no creature of that type can approach within 10 feet of the wearer. The ring emanates no protection while not worn. A being of the type protected against will, however, find it impossible to put on the ring. There is no restriction against using ranged abilities, magical or mundane, against the wearer. MORE POWERFUL VARIANTS: A ring that protected against a more general category (e.g., undead, elementals, demons, humanoids, etc.) would be at least a level 3 item; anything more encompassing than such categories would be level 5.
Level 4. The wearer of this ring regenerates damage at the rate of 1 h.p. per melee round. Damage from fire or acid does not regenerate. Damage already on the character when the ring was donned regenerates, but only if the character is alive. Before putting the ring on, the character must have at least one finger still connected to his body in order to benefit from the ring, so cutting off both hands prevents a character from using a Ring of Regeneration. However, once the ring is worn, damage regenerates even after death or total severing. If the hand with the ring is severed, the character regenerates from the hand---a new body grows from the wrist (or finger stump if only the finger was severed) at 1 h.p. per melee round. The new body is inert until regrowth is complete, at which time the character's consciousness (if the original body is still alive) transfers and the remnants of the original body fall dead. In general, severed body parts cannot be re-attached, but regrow from the portion of the body that wears the ring. In cases of fatal damage (or any severing that disconnects the head from the ring) the regenerating body is alive as soon as positive hit points are regained, but unconscious until all hit points are restored.
Level 1. One ring of this type exists for every Resist prayer in the clerical lists, although Rings of Resist Cure Wounds are in little demand. The ring provides the wearer with the relevant resistance as long as it is worn; there is no burnout.
Level 2. This ring acts as a Ring of Resistance, but the wearer can set the type of resistance to whatever standard resistance type is desired. Changing the resistance must be declared at the beginning of a round and counts as an action, in combat.
Level 4. This ring simultaneously grants resistance to Acid, Cause Wounds, Cold, Crushing, Fire, Lightning, and Poison, as per the respective clerical prayers. The protection is provided as long as the ring is worn.
Level 3. This ring functions only at night and under an open sky (i.e., outdoors and not in dense cover.) It also requires that the sky not be completely overcast; at least one patch of nighttime sky with stars must be visible. While these conditions are met, the wearer may invoke any of the following powers: (1) create light, equal to very bright moonlight, in a 2" radius at 24" range; (2) shoot a magical missile of solid light, striking any target as though AC 9, doing 12 points of damage on a successful hit, capable of hitting any target regardless of invulnerability to weapons, 24" range; (3) throw a Fireball, 24" range, layered damage of 12/8/4 hit points (layering as per the spell), save to half. All of these powers take effect in the item phase. The light lasts until the following sunrise unless dispelled (Dispel Magic automatically succeeds). Multiple areas of light may be created. All powers are usable freely without burnout provided the ring is working at all.
Level variable M. This ring provides up to N spell points to the wearer; these can be used exactly like his "natural" supply. The ring recharges fully every 24 hours regardless of the recovery or lack thereof of the wearer. If more detail is needed, each point in the ring (if it has more than one) comes back 24 hours after it was used; e.g., if Freddy has a 4 point ring and uses one point at noon, two more at 3 p.m. and the last at 8 p.m., the ring recharges one point next noon, two more at 3 p.m., etc. A one or two point ring is a level 2 item; a 3 or 4 point ring is level 3; a 5 or 6 point ring is level 4.
Level variable C. Except for providing spiritual power to clerics rather than magical power to mages, this ring functions exactly like the Ring of Spell Points +N above.
Level 2*N M. This ring can hold N spells indefinitely. To store a spell in the ring, a mage must wear the ring and cast the spell into the ring. All stored spells are instantly lost if the wearer removes the ring for any reason. There is no limit on the level of stored spells. A stored spell may be released in the item phase as the character's action; release of a stored spell, unlike regular casting, is not interrupted by damage. Several defective variants of this ring exist. One simply "loses" spells that are stored in it (50% chance per day per spell). Another has a 50% chance it fails to "catch" the spell cast into it, causing the caster in effect to cast the spell on his own hand. A third randomly sets off the spells it is storing, at zero range (1 in 6 chance per hour per spell). Some truly cheapskate rings combine two or all three of these flaws. Such rings are usually not Cursed in the sense of needing Remove Curse to discard, but only the most expert of examination will detect the flaw in the spell storing enchantment. Any such variant must be explicitly described in the item list. This item is somewhat difficult to level in that, unlike most other items, its power grows with the power of the caster. A two spell ring would not necessarily be devastating in the hands of a low level caster. Just be careful.
Level variable M. This item functions as the Ring of Spell Storing, above, but the maximum storable spell level is X; more powerful spells cannot be stored. This maximum refers to the final spell level including all modifiers. The suggested item level is as per the full Spell Storing ring if X is 4 or more; level N for X=3; level N-1 for X=2; and level N/2 for X=1.
Level N+1 C. This ring works exactly like the Ring of Spell Storing, but for clerical prayers.
Level variable C. This ring functions like a Ring of Limited Spell Storing, but for clerical prayers.
Level N/2. This ring increases the wearer's physical save by 5N%. This ring is treated as a Ring of Protection +N for purposes of cumulative effects with other items.
Level variable. Any ring of this sort has a percentile rating which is its chance of deflecting any spell (or prayer, or spell-like item effect, but NOT breath or gaze weapons unless they are defined as having the effect of some specific spell) harmlessly from the caster. This works for spells of any level, and deflects that portion of an area effect spell which would otherwise affect the wearer (anyone else in the area is affected normally). Rings of 20% or less are level 1; of 21-40% are level 2; 41-60%, level 3; 61-80%, level 4. VARIANTS: A less powerful ring suffers a 5% penalty to the deflect chance for each level of the spell's caster above 1; set the item level based on the deflection chance for a 7th level caster. A more powerful version reflects the spell effect back at the caster; increase the item level by 1.
Level "1 or 2". The level 1 version of this ring allows the wearer to move in or under water without the usual penalties; he suffers no modifiers to combat abilities and has a swimming speed equal to his land movement rate. The level 2 version also incorporates Water Breathing enchantment, which the level 1 does not.
Level 1. The wearer can breathe water as though it were air while wearing this ring, similar to the effect of the mage spell Water Breathing. This does not interfere with the ability to breathe air. A natural water breather wearing the ring can breathe air as though it were water.
Level 1. The wearer can walk on water as though it were solid. No part of the wearer's body can penetrate the water surface or even get wet, although the water surface will have a little bit of springy "give" to it if probed forcefully. This magic does not keep the wearer from being wetted by rain, spray, or other types of water that are not resting on the ground, but he can walk dry-footed across any puddles on the ground. Any fluid that contains appreciable amounts of water can be walked over with this enchantment, and any normal effects of contact with the surface (wetting, corrosion, etc.) are not incurred. Pure oil, pure alcohol, and other nonaqueous fluids cannot be walked on with this ring. A fall onto water while wearing this ring is as damaging as a fall onto soft ground. This effect functions at all times while the ring is worn; there is no burnout.
Level 3. Cursed-12. The wearer's strength drops to 3. All of the wearer's rolls to hit, to save, etc. have half the usual chance of success. This applies as long as the ring is worn. A successful Remove Curse as vs. a 12th level is required to get the ring off.
Level 3. Somewhat misnamed, this ring allows the wearer to see at will through walls or barriers with an aggregate thickness of up to 1 foot. If there are multiple layers (e.g., several thin walls) the wearer can see through all of them, though the existence of the walls is still obvious. The appearance of things beyond the walls is normal. Light is required for the wearer to see unless Second Sight is in use. To resolve visibility questions, regard the wearer as being able to treat all obstacles up to the limiting thickness as though they were made of glass. Metal counts 10 times its real thickness, and lead is always opaque. VARIANTS: More powerful rings can see through a greater thickness; less powerful rings may see only through certain materials. SPECIAL NOTE: A character wearing an "X-ray" ring can see through his own closed eyelids, or any nonlead blindfold, at will.
Last Modified on September 25,1995.
ammulder@princeton.edu