Should rings be able to function for low level characters?

[FrantzX]

Most humans have 10 fingers but in D&D can only wear 2 rings. Wasn't that rule just as arbitrary?

 

[Zelster]

I voted "No Restrictions" but finding out that there is an 11th level restriction doesn't matter to me at all. Lets face it, rings are pretty badass and would seem to be harder to sunder/steal than a magical Fez (from a common sense if not mechanical standpoint). I don't have a problem with restrictions, and the up side is that rings will certainly posses even more amazing and outlandish magical abilities than the other wearable items will likely be capable of.

 

[Lord Fyre]

Um, you can only wear 2 rings? 1 item in each slot?

That is different though.

That restriction dates back to 1st edition D&D (not just AD&D btw), where characters would not be having so many complex "item slots" (another MMO term). Aside from the reason Gygax gave in the original rules (that the auras would conflict) it was not so blatantly arbitrary. (. . . like Clerics being unable to use edged/pointed weapons.)

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Where's the "I don't care, because I can easily rationalize such things if I need to" option?

here as well.

 

[Lord Fyre]

At that is the real problem.

I would have no objection to items being classed by tier, just as characters are.

So, to use an earlier example, if that 3rd level Paladin were to find a +5 Holy Avenger sword, I would have no problem with the character not being powerful enough to use the item.

My problem is that idea that items are restricted by Slot seems very much like an MMO idea - from World of Warcraft specifically. It seems both arbitrary and pointlessly so.

In any event, these kinds of silly restrictions are likely be a "deal breaker" for me.

 

[Cadfan]

I voted "yes," on the assumption that they will in some way justify the restriction.

If rings do things like grant +5 to jump checks, then I doubt any logical restriction on rings that prohibits their use below level 11 will be possible.

But lets say rings are noticeably more powerful magical items than normal gear, that they have a logical explanation for why lower level characters can't handle their power, and rather than lower level characters just being too dumb to get a ring on their finger, there's an actual explanation like "You can put the ring on, sure, but it gives you a horrible migraine and you can't use it. Wear it too long and it may burn your finger off." Then I'm fine with it.

 

[JohnSnow]

"There are many magic rings in this world, and none of them are to be worn lightly."

I vote for rings as items for high-level characters. Basically, all rings are like legacy items that trigger at 11th-level. And then that's all the magic you can handle there until you're epic, at which point you can manage two of them.

That works fine for me. I like the notion of one type of item being restricted to high-level characters. And rings fit the bill.

 

[The Little Raven]

That is different though.

Only when viewed through rose-colored glassed, I'd say.

That restriction dates back to 1st edition D&D (not just AD&D btw), where characters would not be having so many complex "item slots" (another MMO term). Aside from the reason Gygax gave in the original rules (that the auras would conflict) it was not so blatantly arbitrary. (. . . like Clerics being unable to use edged/pointed weapons.)

"You can only use two magic rings, despite having 10 fingers, because the auras conflict" is not blatantly arbitrary, but using the "one cannot use the rings unless they already have some considerable amount of power" explanation is blatantly arbitrary? I think not.

If the latter if arbitrary, then the former is equally arbitrary.

 

[Incenjucar]

Overall, I'm going to just reserve judgement for this.

There's just way too little information to adequately judge the rings and orbitals right now. I just hope they're not hard to balance out since my homebrew tends to require larger magic items, since the effects are often physical rather than strictly mystical.

 

[GAAAHHH]

One ring to rule them all...