advice on homebrewed artifact

[lhilas]

Hey everyone, recently a player in my dnd group (i'm the DM) have found an epic ring that I have put in my fictional world with the power to grant those who wear it exceptional strength and durability, at the cost of being possesed by it from time to time. The lore of the ring is that it was sent to the human world by Asmudeus himself hundreds of years ago in order to plant evil among the humans. I made it so that once the ring is put on one's finger he needs to succeeded in a will save of 40 or else he is possesed (can act normally with some minor bonuses from the ring, but sometimes get controlled by it completely and go on a rampage doing stuff for the devils).
The problem is that the player who found the ring has an extremely high will save of 32, and he managed to make the save. Now he expects to get some huge buffs from the ring with no cost, but I can't see how that will be healthy at the table at all.

The player who found the ring is a wizard, and probably the most vetern player at my table, giving him this buff will most likely result in a bad gaming experience to the rest of the group, and so I ask you, my playground's fellows, how should I procceeded the story? Should I have devils chase him in order to retrieve the ring? Should I still give him so big buff? Should the ring possess him even though he made the save?

P.S.
here's some background story on the group : The group is almost entirely evil, the wizard is a part of an assassins' organization who wish to overthrow most of the civilized world's leaders and take their place, we have a rogue and a fighter, both seek to gain more power, both physical and political, we have a netural crusader who care only about her family's sake and a shugenja who want to destroy her father's evil heritage (which is connected in some way to the bloodline of the chromatic dragons).
Right now the wizard is a double agent who is in the drow's service in order to overthrow them some day, the fighter and the rogue are both in the Night Masks oraganization (a HUGE evil assassins organization) and the crusader + shugenja are working on their own.
We also have a elf druid who is new in the table and his backstory is yet to be revealed to him (he has amnesia) but it is also related to the drow storyline.

Love to hear your replies guys, and thanks in advance.

[ATHATH]

This should be in the Hombrew subforum.

[lhilas]

I didn't knew there was such a thing. It is within the dnd 3.5 rules though...
Is there any way to put it there after it was posted?

[Gildedragon]

Well my first question is: why didn't you see this coming?
It is an artifact: the benefits ought be sizeable.
Is the ring intelligent? If so it can pick who gets its boons. Using the ring might not be as easy as putting it on: it might require making a pact with fiends: pledging allegiance perhaps? Or pledging allegiance to the ring (which is inhabited and powered by a friend bound into the band).

The ring's powers might be tiered. The first is for anyone in particular who wears it. The second tier is for folk that are either L or E. Third tier is for folk that are LE (Oooor the ring vanishes when the character becomes LE, having corrupted them enough); if the character is LE the band can't be worn.

Also if someone is out to get the band: it is probably demons who don't like the other side's artifact floating around.

Do not possess them if they made the save though.

[Gildedragon]

I didn't knew there was such a thing. It is within the dnd 3.5 rules though...
Is there any way to put it there after it was posted?
You click on the triangle on the side of the post. Though I don't think you're so much asking for advice on homered as advice on how to deal with artifact-player interaction: maybe you ought change the title to reflect that.

[Red Fel]

Bottom line? You done goofed.

You promised the PCs a mechanical advantage (stat buffs) if they were willing to subject themselves to a mechanical disadvantage (save versus possession). A PC was willing to face the disadvantage, and has a very good chance of overcoming it.

If you change the rules now - either by taking away the advantage or making the disadvantage worse - you're cheating the PCs of something they earned.

The lesson: Never place loot in front of the PCs unless you're prepared for them to take it. Never place an NPC in front of them unless you're prepared for them to kill it. And never place an obstacle in front of them unless you're prepared for them to overcome it.

They overcame the challenge. They should get the benefit.

Now, that said.


The player who found the ring is a wizard, and probably the most vetern player at my table, giving him this buff will most likely result in a bad gaming experience to the rest of the group, and so I ask you, my playground's fellows, how should I procceeded the story?

First off - do you know that the table will be unhappy with this? If the other players are fine with it, then be fine with it. If, on the other hand, the other players are not happy, then it's time for creative solutions. Speaking of...


Should I have devils chase him in order to retrieve the ring?

This is not a bad idea. But wait. Let him use it a few times. Once the Devils realize that the ring isn't performing its intended purpose, then yes, it's appropriate for them to want to come back and repossess it. Not immediately, but eventually.


Should I still give him so big buff? Should the ring possess him even though he made the save?

These, on the other hand, are not good ideas. Now, if the buff was never defined, sure, you can reduce it, but keep in mind that if it's too low the PCs will feel cheated. But do not override his save simply because you didn't expect him to succeed; that's dirty pool.

And in the future? When dealing with evil influence, don't bother with mechanics. Use fluff. It's a lot more effective.

[Gallowglass]

If you were asking for a critique of your homebrewed ring or just showing it off, it would certainly belong in the homebrew forum. But you are asking a general "how do I DM this" question, which could be asked in, really, any forum.

The easiest solution seems to be tied with how you described the ring. They only get the epic level boosts IF they are possessed. If they made the save, they cannot be possessed, so they get some minor buff from the ring but can't access the epic level boosts unless they make a deal with the ring to drop their will save and let the ring have its way. Until then, the ring is the safest place it can be. On the finger of the powerful PC who can overcome the ring's influence and keep it from falling into the hands of someone weaker.

If I was the ring and I have any influence, I'd be trying to engineer a way to get off this PC and to a weaker willed pawn. Shining especially brightly and looking like a tempting pickpocket target.

[Telonius]

Regarding the devils repossessing it - this sounds like the perfect time for a Deal. First off, what flavor Evil is the Wizard? If he isn't Lawful, the retrieving Devil is going to want to turn him (and his friends) there as soon as possible.

"Now, as you can see, the ring's power is only fully activated once it possesses the user. You're made of much sterner stuff than most of its former owners. But here's what I'll do for you. I have another ring here that works a bit better than yours does right now, as well as this nice set of arms and armor for you esteemed colleagues. All yours, in exchange for that ring, as well as one favor each (the nature of which to be determined). Or, you could keep your depowered ring, and have your companions less defended."

[lhilas]

ok, nice ideas so far.
As for the questions - the wizard is lawful evil. We have a tradition that every time we finish a campaign we play the next one a few dozens of years into the future of the same world. That way the PC's get some mentions about their former characters and allies/enemies. This player was possesed by this ring about a year ago (IRL) when he played a low willed Ranger, this campaign he tried his best to find the ring again, starting from where he lost it last campaign, after 2 sessions, he did find it, and the person who had it gave it to him after he threatened to kill him. I should mention the player is really open minded about making pacts with devils and alike in order to get the full benefit of the ring, he just wants full control of it while the buff last, and that is exactly the problem - if the story will continue according to his plan, he will be very very powerful comparing to his companions (the other PC's) and even compared to some of the villians in the story :smallfrown: .

I 100% agree that this issue should be solved with role playing mostly and not with strict mechanical buffs "if you do x, you get y" , but i'm just not entirely sure what direction should the story head to first. The shugenja haven't been getting alot of time in the spotlight lately, any way to combine his story with her? (her father is the emperor of a small kingdom in the north, connected to the dragon bloodline, and enslaving nearby settlements, she wants to kill him).