Ring of Sorcery (New Item)

[Eccles]

A ring of Wizardry doubles the wizard's number of spells per day, at a cost of 20, 40, 80 or 100 thousand gp.

How much would you charge for a Ring of Sorcery, which allows the use of a specific spell as long as it was worn the night before?

(ie. a Ring of Sorcerous Fireball would allow a sorceror to use his 3rd level slots to power a Fireball if he didn't already know the spell, or let a wizard memorize it but not write it into his or her book).

1,000 for 0 level
5,000 for 1st
10,000 for 2nd
20,000 for 3rd
40,000 for 4th level spells?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I think that's a really difficult item to call!

For a wizard - it's value is not particularly significant - they could simply buy and scribe a scroll of the spell in question... although that would take them a little time.

For a sorceror it equates to at least an extra feat - extra spell known from Tome and Blood - and that only let you pick up a spell a caster level below your highest... I'm not really sure how to price it - it's such a good item that many sorceror players I've seen would spend most of their money on such items... then more on unslotted versions of the same.

I think it's really 'powerful' if the PC in question gets to pick what spells they want at any time. If it's used to provide a few interesting utility spells, then it's not earth shattering...

As a GM, if I was going to drop them into a game, I'd probably make them minor artefacts - secret of constructing them long lost. And I'd keep close control over which spells could be found... just play it by ear, I guess.

 

[Darklone]

I think it's a bad idea... but many sorcererwhiners around here who think the class is sooo weak will disagree.

Btw: Do you guys allow a sorcerer to double his spells/day with a ring of wizardry? I had it once... and won't do it anymore

 

[Thanee]

Btw: Do you guys allow a sorcerer to double his spells/day with a ring of wizardry?

Of course. It's what the ring does for a sorcerer.

And considering the cost, the ring of wizardry is extremely underpowered as is.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Plane Sailing]

How much would you charge for a Ring of Sorcery, which allows the use of a specific spell as long as it was worn the night before?

(ie. a Ring of Sorcerous Fireball would allow a sorceror to use his 3rd level slots to power a Fireball if he didn't already know the spell, or let a wizard memorize it but not write it into his or her book).

It sounds almost like a "virtual spell" - it adds it to your repetoire as long as you have the ring/item.

An interesting comparison could be done with staffs - imagine a staff of fireballs... you now have an item with 50 charges that allows someone who doesn't know fireball to cast a fireball at either 8th caster level or their own caster level (whichever is higher) and with a DC set by their casting attribute.

Very similar in effect; both will allow you to use a spell which you don't know with your own caster level setting the DC and caster level of the effects. The ring has the pro that it never runs out and the con that you have to use up your own spell slots. The staff has the pro that it's charges are independent of your spells/day, and it has a minimum caster level for the spell, but the con that it won't last for ever.

So try and price up a staff for a given spell and see what that costs like. It would give you an interesting ballpark figure.

Cheers

 

[Eccles]

So try and price up a staff for a given spell and see what that costs like. It would give you an interesting ballpark figure.

I'd just had the same thought, although my PC crashed just moments before I was able to get the SRD up...

Using wands, rather than staves, the prices are:

Level 0 - 375
Level 1 - 750
Level 2 - 4500
Level 3 - 11,250
Level 4 - 21000

Which means that my suggested pricing goes from 6.6 times the wand price at 1st level, almost instantly to twice the price at 2d, 3rd and 4th.

This system would suggest that they're too costly at 1st and second level. However I think 1500 would be too cheap. I might drop 2st level spells to 3,000, but raise the 3nd, 3rd and 4th level spells by about 50% (from my original pricings).

My intention is to state that this is a "ring only" item, although my players aren't often very adventurous with making things for other slots.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Using wands, rather than staves, the prices are:

Wands are not a good comparison because they have a fixed caster level. I suggested staves because their caster level (and key attribute for DC setting) is taken from the wielder if it is better than the default value. This seems a better fit with the effect of a virtual spell slot.

(I'm assuming that the staff of 1x4th level spell works out more expensive than a wand of 1x4th level spell but haven't looked to check)

Cheers

 

[Jander Rivenwild]

Sean K Reynolds (along with some others - it's on the site) created this item:

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/magicitems/headbandsorcknowledge.html

I think it is what you are looking for but in headband format. I would allow making it into a ring instead just change Craft Wondrous Item to Craft Ring.

 

[Eccles]

Sean K Reynolds (along with some others - it's on the site) created this item:

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/magicitems/headbandsorcknowledge.html

I think it is what you are looking for but in headband format. I would allow making it into a ring instead just change Craft Wondrous Item to Craft Ring.

My word. That item makes my equivalent look hideously expensive!

It does what I'm driving at, but I get the feeling that it's probably too cheap, and I don't think I'd allow the higher level spells, either. Mind you the 'level squared x 1000' mechanic has the simplicity I was looking for. I'd probably treble it or something.

And the minimum Creator Level of 17 seems a bit harsh if you want to make an item to replicate a 0 level spell!

 

[apsuman]

I think that's a really difficult item to call!

...

For a sorceror it equates to at least an extra feat - extra spell known from Tome and Blood - and that only let you pick up a spell a caster level below your highest... I'm not really sure how to price it - it's such a good item that many sorceror players I've seen would spend most of their money on such items... then more on unslotted versions of the same.

...

But, doesn't the ring of wizardry essentially give the wearer the additional feat extra spell slot also from Tome and Blood?

I know that not all feats are created equal, but I see no reason this item shouldn't be as available as Rings of Wizardry.

After all, if it were a ring he could use at most two of them, precluding him from using other magic rings. For this he gets, what? Two extra spells he can cast?

So, instead of having a ring of invisibility, he has a sorcererous ring of invisibility.

Instead of having a ring of protection +4 he has a Sorcererous Ring of Mage Armor.

Heck, depending upon the spells he would be likely to put in such a ring, it might just be better to buy the other rings outrights and switch back and forth between them.