[Magic Items]The Dark Sorcery of an Enslaved Mind

[Nikolai_II]

Now, I know continuous area was really powerful, so I turned down the power... but I guess automatic 3d6 damage is pretty powerful. I dunno whether to up the CL or lower the damage... Nah, I'll up the CL. Would 3 more CL and lessen the area to 5 ft. work well?

I'd suggest looking at the only area-death spells - "Circle of Death" (CL11) and "Wail of the Banshee" (CL17) for slightly inspiration and maybe better balance with death or unharmed as option. (Circle kills 0-8HD only)
The reduced area (10' or less) and reduced save-DC is still valid to keep costs down, since a constant death effect, much like a ring of invisibility, should carry a substantial cost increase unless nerfed, since it is so d*rn useful.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/circleofDeath.htm
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wailoftheBanshee.htm

Slay living as an action could be supplied by unnamed priests (I just got the impression from flavor text about labwork that he did all alone) and is a nice thing in a ring [img]devil-smiley-003.gif[/img]