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Thread: Need Chronicle help/ideas about Lesser Ring (long)

  1. #1

    Smile Need Chronicle help/ideas about Lesser Ring (long)

    I wish to introduce a Lesser Ring into my late 3rd Age chronicle. It takes place 10 years before the War of the Ring. The PC found a "dwarven puzzle box" long ago but couldn't decipher it. After chasing down a group of Greenway Bandits that stole from Bree's mayor, she found the box in their stash. Basically it was a steel box decorated in dwarven runes that acts as a Tolkienesque rubik's cube. It requires a Games TN of 20 to open. I put some backround into it, saying they were treasured pieces of artwork and were only given to the most wealthy and powerful lords of the dwarves. Once the puzzle is solved, a gift of rare beauty and wonder lay inside as a present to the dwarf in question.
    Eventually she will run into a dwarf who has the skill to open the box, but when she opens it she'll find a simple mithril band, decorated in elvish runes. A lesser ring.
    I wanted the lesser ring to have the powers of being able to detect precious metals such as gold, silver, and mithril if they existed within 100' of the wearer of the ring. Is this too powerful for a lesser ring? It's history would simply be as an elvish token of friendship to the dwarves, given to them to help in their mining. The Elves never knew that Sauron's corrupting influence was upon it of course. It would be it's only power, but the longer one wore it and used it for this purpose the more corruption they'd gain, along with the Grasping flaw. The adventure will start when her and her companions are traveling through Mirkwood and a Nazgul begins to hunt them down, drawn to the ring. They might seek to return the ring to it's dwarven owner, but the dwarves are already looking for it-and when they realise what it is they will become greedily drawn to it. Is this ring's magic appropriate for Tolkien's world or is it too powerful an item? That's my main concerns, questions/critiques welcome. Thanks!

  2. #2

    Ack Double post :( Plz Delete (nt)

    nt

  3. #3
    I'm no Tolkien Scholar, but it sounds like a great idea to me. If you are concerned about the power of the ring, you can throttle it's ability abit by giving the PC wearing it limited knowledge of it's effects.

    Instead of saying: "You detect precious metals" you might try something like: "You feel a desire to dig at this spot; as if something precious is hidden there."

    Of course the PCs will soon discover the basic nature of the power, but they would have to work a little for it. Discerning the specifics of the power like it's range and the specific materials it can detect, might be very difficult in fact. Perhaps it only detects True Silver or perhaps it detects metals but not gemstones for instance.

  4. #4
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    I like the ring's powers. However, I'm confused on how Sauron's influence got on it if it's a gift from the Elves to the Dwarves. How did Sauron get his hands on it?

  5. #5
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    Originally posted by Ineti
    I like the ring's powers. However, I'm confused on how Sauron's influence got on it if it's a gift from the Elves to the Dwarves. How did Sauron get his hands on it?
    Well, I might be wrong here, so be kind if I'm off on this

    My understanding is that ALL of the rings of power created after Sauron (as Annatar) imparted his knowledge to the Elves would be tainted by his influence. The only rings directly spoken of that are not corrupted are The Three.

  6. #6
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    Re: Need Chronicle help/ideas about Lesser Ring (long)

    Originally posted by Alathriel
    Is this ring's magic appropriate for Tolkien's world or is it too powerful an item? That's my main concerns, questions/critiques welcome. Thanks!
    I'd say your ring sounds a lot like the Dwarven rings of power. They both give the grasping flaw, and they both "use subtle magic" to increase the wearers wealth (the hoard edge). Now your ring is also adding corruption as you go, so thats one difference (along with the missing bonus to willpower tests).

    Here's a neat idea for your "lesser ring": make it one of the early (failed) experiments of the elves to create what would later become the seven dwarven rings of power. Of course, as a wanna-be greater ring, your ring could possess some other nasty side effects like giving any dwarf who sees it the grasping flaw directed toward the ring (any dwarf you encounter would rob or murder to get it).

    In my opinion, if you want a true lesser ring designed as a gift to aid the dwarves in their mining would be a simple ring with a +2 to Stonecraft (Mining) tests. Something like that.

  7. #7

    Thanks for the feedback, what are your thoughts on this?

    I want this ring to be the central complication of the campaign, so perhaps I should make it one of The Seven? My only question now is, what happened to the four that were consumed by dragons? Does Tolkien say when and where this happened? I don't want to break away from canon too much, so if the rings were destroyed in an earlier period I won't use them.
    I like the thoughts CorpBoy had..
    But as far as a Lesser Ring (perhaps a prototype for the 7)
    How's this sound-
    (It would be a lesser ring forged after Sauron imparted knowledge to the Elves)
    What follows is verbatim from FBWM
    Mortals who wish to be rid of it it must make TN 2o Willpower test
    TN 5 Will to avoid striking/fleeing from anyone who asks to see/hold it
    If taken by force, the bearer must make TN 15 Will or be driven mad by desire for it
    Ok, and here's my own touches:
    The ring grants the wearer +2 Stonecraft (Mining) and +2 Appraise (Mithril). In addition, it subtlely increases a chance of the wearer to find Mithril. That is, if mithril ore is present within the area the bearer is mining at, the bearer will have a greater chance of finding it. So assign the miner a +4 Stonecraft(Mining) bonus if Mithril is present in the vicinity.
    My focus now is to have the ring be like a Mithril Magnet.. not as intense as one of the 7 rings, but powerful enough to provide a miner with amazing skill in finding Mithril.

  8. #8
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    Re: Thanks for the feedback, what are your thoughts on this?

    Originally posted by Alathriel
    I want this ring to be the central complication of the campaign, so perhaps I should make it one of The Seven? My only question now is, what happened to the four that were consumed by dragons?
    I used this piece of the Encyclopedia of Arda web site (which if you did not know is GREAT for researching stuff like this) to fuel the back-story of my dwarf character (who is in search of the last Dwarven Ring of Power):

    There was a tradition among the Dwarves of Durin's Folk that Celebrimbor had already given them one of the Rings of Power before Sauron attacked. At this time, Durin's Folk still lived in their ancient home of Khazad-dûm, neighbouring Eregion to the east, and there was great friendship between the Elves and the Dwarves. According to the Dwarves, Celebrimbor gave a Ring as a gift to the then King of Khazad-dûm, Durin III. Hence, Sauron would have recovered fifteen of the Rings, not all sixteen.
    I take this as meaning that Durin's Ring may still be out there somewhere. You could use this yourself, or adapt it as you see fit.

  9. #9
    Thank you! I am very aware of The Encyclopedia of Arda.. I will try and do more research on this supposed missing ring that no one destroyed or claimed.

  10. #10
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    Problem with the 'Mithril Magnet' is that mitrhil is only found in Moria (Gandalf says so) or arguably also in Numenor.
    So the players would have to be in Moria to find mithril ore.
    Perhaps the players think it is 'true-silver' but it is merely silver?

  11. #11
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    I would not limit it to mithril, but precious metals is probably good.

    Also some of the general "ring of power" pluses would be good as well, probably not invisibilty but perhaps a plus to perception in general, at least of magic and elvish things and a limited extension of life span/vitality.

    Also an ability to see the Nazgul's real form ~ there's been an arguement here previously as to if they are actually wearing their rings, but either way all ring bearers seem to be able to detect one another, which would be true I think even with a small ring, just a trifle that Sauron fancies....

    (Which brings to mind another thing, the PC might be made to THINK that the ring is much more powerful and important than it really is, which could be fun).
    TK

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