D&D Setting Advice: Planet with Rings

[Dragonhelm]

Is there a ring around Uranus?

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings, IIRC. I believe that Uranus' rings appear sideways, as Uranus rotates sideways (top to bottom, not left to right). You might check the NASA site for more info.

I want to say that rings are made up of both rock and ice. So technically, a Saturn-style ring could not exist near an earth-like planet.

That being said, this is fantasy and not reality, and that's just a cool visual! I think connecting it to magic is a neat idea. Maybe the rings are made of crystals, and when pieces of the crystal falls, they can become magical stones. Great source idea for gem magic.

Likewise, maybe take a page from the bible, so to speak, and say that the rings are a promise from an ancient god that he will not destroy the world again (think rainbows here).

Just some thoughts.

 

[ssampier]

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings, IIRC. I believe that Uranus' rings appear sideways, as Uranus rotates sideways (top to bottom, not left to right). You might check the NASA site for more info.

I want to say that rings are made up of both rock and ice. So technically, a Saturn-style ring could not exist near an earth-like planet.

Good information. I think I will bend science a little and still have massive Saturn-like rings, but the number to around three visible rings. In my caffeine fueled enthusiasm, I came up with the follow delineation:

Red: god of birth, marriage, and rebirth (LG?)

Gold: god of death (LN)

Silver: goddess of magic and mystery (LE)

I toyed with the idea of giving some bonuses to divine magic when their ring was most visible. Red clerics would be the most beneficiary, since it is the largest, most visible ring.

That being said, this is fantasy and not reality, and that's just a cool visual! I think connecting it to magic is a neat idea. Maybe the rings are made of crystals, and when pieces of the crystal falls, they can become magical stones. Great source idea for gem magic.

Interesting idea; I really like the idea of one ice shard falling to earth and making one mountain peak perpetually frozen. The magic gem idea could be interesting, as other shards are much smaller and make impact craters across the planet surface. There could be a class of treasure seekers trying to determine magic crystal from ordinary stone.

Likewise, maybe take a page from the bible, so to speak, and say that the rings are a promise from an ancient god that he will not destroy the world again (think rainbows here).

Just some thoughts.

I like that idea. I really like the earlier idea about the rings holding up the heavens. Maybe I am able to combine the two? For instance, ancient catastrophe, such as literally the sky was falling, so the gods sent up rings to stabilize the planet or something similar.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Each of the larger rocks (say, city block sized or larger) could each have it's own atmosphere, own magical laws, own creatures of various sizes.

Or take a tip from real science ...

Give the entire ring system its own atmosphere!

 

[DragonTurtle]

great ideas everyone! Lots of hooks off of one astological feature I have always taken for granted.

Hmm... Celestrial creatures have to come from some place, I wonder if the glowing ring can be all those creatures running about....

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Perhaps the rings are the planes, with the Astral or Ethereal being the means to transit to or between them. Gives you an alternate cosmology.

Or you can tweak mythology to match your rings. Perhaps there is one each for the nine alignments, or the four elements, or something like that.

Or there are 9 human rings, 7 dwarven rings, 3 elven rings, and one ...

 

[ssampier]

Perhaps the rings are the planes, with the Astral or Ethereal being the means to transit to or between them. Gives you an alternate cosmology.

Neat!

Or you can tweak mythology to match your rings. Perhaps there is one each for the nine alignments, or the four elements, or something like that.

Cool. How about rings or shards with natural biomes, such as forest, water desert, or tundra (I already have the forest biome with my furry friends, now I just need a blackguard with a breathing problem...).

Or there are 9 human rings, 7 dwarven rings, 3 elven rings, and one ...

Umm, one Planetary ring to rule them all? And in the umbra bind them?

 

[ssampier]

Or take a tip from real science ...

Give the entire ring system its own atmosphere!

Yes! Gangs-war of astral beholders and astral drow, here we come!

 

[Hypersmurf]

Cool. How about rings or shards with natural biomes, such as forest, water desert, or tundra?

"Every moon of Mongo is a kingdom. My father keeps them fighting each other constantly. It's a really... brilliant... strategy."

-Hyp.

 

[Von Ether]

"Every moon of Mongo is a kingdom. My father keeps them fighting each other constantly. It's a really... brilliant... strategy."

-Hyp.

My suggestion ...

Imagine that you live on a planet with these rings and you have no idea of "science." Your sitting around the campfire and some young'n asks you "what are those?"

Give an answer that out does yourself and then run with that.

In rpgs, if I have to choose between myth and science, myth wins every time.

 

[Pbartender]

Another option is to take a page from Norse mythology... the Rings are a Celestial Bridge to the Heavens.

To add to it... Night time is the time that undead and other unnatural creatures roam about, because the bridge is broken/drawn up (as the planet's shadow intersects it). During the day, the break is restored, and spirits may cross back over the bridge to where they belong. You could link the occurance and intesity of lycathropy, vampirism and hauntings to the occasional appearance and size of the planet's shadow across the ring.