D&D 5E Preview 3: Rings

[KarinsDad]

It's huge for the warlock because of they way he plays. Warlocks are all about using the same spells over and over again. You could load fireball or blight or blindness or hellish rebuke or hex into this ring and basically increase your casting power by 50% if you are less than level 11 (and by 33% if you are levels 11 to 17. It actually lets you cast more spells in a day every time you short rest, whereas it only helps normal casters port a few spells over from the previous day. Of course, it prolly helps none casters the most. It is also one of the only ways to get multiple concentration buffs going. Allowing the great weapon master to concentrate on his own bless spell is awesome.

Sorry, but it rarely increases the Warlocks casting power by 50%. It typically only does that in one encounter days (assuming the player knows it is a one encounter day and is not saving one or more slots for later encounters), or in days with one encounter in the morning and one many hours later (where multiple short rests can be taken in between) and it only does it when the Warlock is using up all of his spell slots and his ring before each set of multiple short rests.

In normal adventuring days (like in a dungeon), the lower level Warlock would need to cast all 3 spells (the ring spell and his 2 spell slot spells) in the first set of encounters, followed by two short rests, followed by doing the same in the next set of encounters, followed by two more short rests, etc. to get to the 50% rate. I don't see that happening too often in too many groups.


Warlocks are all about using the same spells over and over again, not same spell over and over again.

If the Warlock puts Fireball into the ring and Fireball isn't applicable in a given encounter (or group of encounters), then neither is the ring.


And how does a short rest help? If after the first encounter of the day, the Warlock uses up both of his spell slots and his ring slot, then he takes a short rest. He only gets back his normal spell slots, not the ring slot.

It is only in scenarios where he does not use up all of his spells slots and he has one remaining at the start of a short rest where he can go fill up the ring (or in cases where he is able to talk the party into doing two back to back short rests).


At most, this is one or two extra spells per day (three on a great day). In the big scheme of things, one or two extra spells per day is not huge when in 5 encounters with two short rests, the lower level Warlock is already casting about 6 spell slot spells per day. It's a 16% to 33% increase in number of spells cast per day assuming that the spell put into the ring each time is the one needed. At levels 11+, it's 1 or 2 extra spells per day when in 5 encounters, the Warlock is casting maybe 9 spell slot spells per day, or 11% to 22% increase.


If the spell in the ring is the one needed, the Warlock should always cast out of the ring instead of using up one of his slots. But 1, 2, or maybe even 3 spells per day when the Warlock is already casting upwards of 9 or so spell slot spells plus many other magical effects each day is helpful. Helpful, but not huge since the Warlocks only source of spells is not just his spell slots. We're talking less than 10% of the overall magical effects that he does in a given day. In a few encounters, it does give the Warlock an additional spell, but it won't be every encounter.

It'll tend to be 1 or 2 extra spells per day since the Warlock will rarely have the chance pre-short rest to fill up the ring (because if the PCs are taking a short rest, the Warlock will rarely have a spell slot available to fill the ring up with).

 

[stinkomandx]

It'll tend to be 1 or 2 extra spells per day since the Warlock will rarely have the chance pre-short rest to fill up the ring (because if the PCs are taking a short rest, the Warlock will rarely have a spell slot available to fill the ring up with).

It's definitely not going to demonstrably increase Warlock power in most adventuring days, but the ability to "roll over" an unused spell slot if the party pushes for a short rest probably feels nice for the thoughtful Warlock who's managed to keep one in the bank. (In more of "Bonus!" way than a Char Op way)

 

[Scorpio616]

Nothing wrong with that of course; I just hope those same people don't start threads complaining how the barbarian is way overpowered because with a ring of spell storing with shield spells stored in make up the difference for things like reckless attack. (just an example off the top of my head; I'm sure someone can figure out a combination more game breaking than that).

Oh, if Spell storing rings are purchasable, requiring the spells not be "only cast on self" spells might be a good idea.

 

[KarinsDad]

It's definitely not going to demonstrably increase Warlock power in most adventuring days, but the ability to "roll over" an unused spell slot if the party pushes for a short rest probably feels nice for the thoughtful Warlock who's managed to keep one in the bank. (In more of "Bonus!" way than a Char Op way)

Agreed.

 

[barasawa]

I'm a bit sad about all of them requiring attunement, especially with the limit of 3 attuned items.
Sure, magic rings have been limited to 2 since forever, but since it now seriously eats into the remaining items, it bothers me.
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It seemed from their earlier writings that things requiring attument would be things that required more control or power, not just always on basic things. So a Ring of Shooting Stars, yes. A Ring of Protection, why? A suit of +1 Armor, of course not. Armor of Flight, probably.
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I have to wonder what their actual guidelines and ideas are for when something requires attunement or not.
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As to the people debating the whole Warlock using a Ring of Spell Storing, so what. It's little more than a more convenient form of magic scrolls. The difference being that once you have the ring by some means, it's cheaper and faster to store the spells than to make the scrolls, but only allows for 5 levels of spell slots total, where the actual scrolls can be stacked to a stupid level if you have the time and money. (Our 5th level group already has a wizard walking around with about 14 levels of spells via scrolls.)

 

[GX.Sigma]

I'm a bit sad about all of them requiring attunement, especially with the limit of 3 attuned items.
Sure, magic rings have been limited to 2 since forever, but since it now seriously eats into the remaining items, it bothers me.
.
It seemed from their earlier writings that things requiring attument would be things that required more control or power, not just always on basic things. So a Ring of Shooting Stars, yes. A Ring of Protection, why? A suit of +1 Armor, of course not. Armor of Flight, probably.
.
I have to wonder what their actual guidelines and ideas are for when something requires attunement or not.

Every magic item that is not inherently limited requires attunement.

Armor doesn't require attunement, because you can only wear one armor at a time. If rings of protection didn't require attunement, you could wear 20 of them and be untouchable.

 

[KarinsDad]

Every magic item that is not inherently limited requires attunement.

Armor doesn't require attunement, because you can only wear one armor at a time. If rings of protection didn't require attunement, you could wear 20 of them and be untouchable.

I think that it might be fun to wear three rings now that the attunement rules are there (assuming that the two ring rule is no longer there).

 

[Joe Liker]

Warlocks are all about using the same spells over and over again, not same spell over and over again.

If the spell in the ring is the one needed

I can't imaging a warlock ever not wanting hex.

If you're lucky enough to get the opportunity to store a second spell before the hex runs out, scorching ray is a pretty sure bet, shatter or vampiric touch if you aren't a hell-lock. Or just put another hex in and feel free to use up the rest of your slots.

Every argument you've made applies to all magic-users, not just warlocks. But it's a bigger deal for warlocks because, of all the classes that rely on magic, they are the most likely to run out of slots. The extra freedom afforded by this ring makes far more of a difference to them, even if it turns out they can't recharge it at every rest. (And if there's another spellcaster in the party, that's far less likely to be a problem.)

It's OK if you don't believe me, though. I'm getting the impression that you don't play a warlock, so you don't need to understand.

 

[Paraxis]

I can't imaging a warlock ever not wanting hex.

Yeah Hex is pretty much a must cast for warlocks, especially once they hit 5th level, at that point you have two attacks with eldritch blast per turn for a potential +1d6 on each and the duration is 8 hours.

 

[Runny]

Paraxis and Joe Liker get it. The ring is much, much better for a warlock. The ring is not limited by daily uses, only by spell slots. Warlocks renew spell slots on a short rest. That means you get to use the ring again after every short rest. That is a fifty percent spell casting boost before level 11.