Ring of Mettle

[Joker]

Would a ring that bestows the Mettle ability upon the creature wearing it cost the same as a ring of evasion? If not, what do you think would be a reasonable price?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Would a ring that bestows the Mettle ability upon the creature wearing it cost the same as a ring of evasion? If not, what do you think would be a reasonable price?

I probably wouldn't give out a Ring of Mettle because it is a Prestige Class ability, rather than a 2nd-level base class ability. If I did, I would warily make it cost 3 times as much as the Ring of Evasion (warily because there is a Frenzied Berserker PC in my campaign who is currently only ever slain by that 5d6 damage Fort partial from Disintegrate after succeeding on the Fort save); it makes it very easy for someone to min/max a character with high saves, pick up Rings of Evasion and Mettle, and then stroll around 95% immune to the effects of an astounding array of spells.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would never use it (not even as a prestige class ability). "Fort save for reduced effect" spells were never designed with the potential for them to be "evaded" included and I think it shows. As Rystil says it would make it too easy to become virtually immune to too many spells.

Just a personal opinion, mind.

If I *were* going to do it I'd price it at least four times the cost - evasion is a relatively cheap class skill appearing in several places (rogue, monk, ranger) while 'mettle' basically doesn't appear anywhere except in a supplement (which almost by definition has recieved less playtesting BTW). It should be priced to reflect its relative rarity.

Cheers

 

[Ferrix]

Hexblade's get it as a 3rd level class ability, and despite not being one of the PHB classes, it is one of the base classes.

I'd probably say twice as much since it applies to both Will and Fortitude saves, but as there are less spells/effects with Will and Fortitude saves for half than there are Reflex saves for half, I don't think I would price it more than that.

 

[ARandomGod]

Hexblade's get it as a 3rd level class ability, and despite not being one of the PHB classes, it is one of the base classes.

I'd probably say twice as much since it applies to both Will and Fortitude saves, but as there are less spells/effects with Will and Fortitude saves for half than there are Reflex saves for half, I don't think I would price it more than that.

I think twice as much seems pretty reasonable. Three times as much is too much IMO, as I think that evasion is going to see a lot more use than mettle, during the course of an average campaign. I was initially tempted to say 1.5 times the price of evasion... but I think that might be too low.

 

[Rystil Arden]

I initially picked 3 times for the following reasons: x1.5 for difficulty of gaining ability naturally, x2 for working on two saves, whether or not the current batch of spells has less partials for those two = total x3.

 

[Ferrix]

I initially picked 3 times for the following reasons: x1.5 for difficulty of gaining ability naturally, x2 for working on two saves, whether or not the current batch of spells has less partials for those two = total x3.

Your first multiplier is really campaign dependent, in a campaign with no monks but with hexblades, it's almost just as easy for a character to gain evasion as mettle. I'd stick with the x2, additionally, if you went by the way multipliers worked in 3rd edition, it'd be x2.5 since multipliers don't multiply together.

 

[the Jester]

Hmm, how would you price a ring that gave evasion and mettle?

 

[Shadeus]

Virtually immune? No way. Monks and rangers are the only two core classes that have both good Ref and Fort saves. They are also giving up a valuable ring slot to take up this little-used ability. It's not like its even all Fort. saves.

Poison saves, death effects, petrification, nauseating affects, energy drain, and a plethora of other magic effects do not have a secondary effect if you save. Sure, there's horrid wilting, destruction, slay living, finger of death, and the inflict X wounds spells. But that's not enough in my estimation to make it worth-while.

I would have it cost the same as a ring of evasion.

 

[the Jester]

Yeah, it's important to remember that most Fort and Will save effects are save negates. But the ones that aren't are pretty sweet. (The high-level cleric imc is really fond of destruction.)