The 9 Rings conversion

[Mjollnir]

This could be the conversion for the D&D 3rd Ed. d20 system of the 9 Rings that Sauron gave to the mortal men to corrupt them:

The Nine Men RINGS OF POWER

- Continuous Nondetection (wizard/sorcerer 3rd level) and Invisibility (wizard/sorcerer 2nd level) on self.
- Use of any Charm related spell at will.
- Unable to be stunned.
- It works as a Ring of Protection +3 and as a Cloak of Resistance +3.
- It works as a Ring of Wizardry (doubling the last wizard/sorcerer level caster domains)
- If user is human he must immediately make a one quarter Will opposed check to Sauron’s (who will count to a total of 180) per round wearing it or become slave to him and transformed into a Nazgûl. If user is from another race he will make only a half check.

Please, let me know what you think of it

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Nice work. A couple of comments, which aren't criticisms:

* I think the Nine, like the One, make the wearer turn invisible, by taking them into the spirit realm. We know the Nazgul were invisible, and had to wear their black clothes to be seen by and interact with beings not in the spirit world. They could be seen by someone wearing another ring of power - such as when Frodo put on the One at the Ford of Bruinen.

* I think I would make the transformation into a Nazgul take longer, maybe years. I would make the Will check necessary every day, and once the wearer is dominated by Sauron, the gradual process of turning into a Nazgul would begin. However, this is just a comment on how I would do it; your version is perfectly valid.

As i said, good work; simple yet powerful. Nice.

 

[Mjollnir]

Nice work. A couple of comments, which aren't criticisms:

* I think the Nine, like the One, make the wearer turn invisible, by taking them into the spirit realm. We know the Nazgul were invisible, and had to wear their black clothes to be seen by and interact with beings not in the spirit world. They could be seen by someone wearing another ring of power - such as when Frodo put on the One at the Ford of Bruinen.

* I think I would make the transformation into a Nazgul take longer, maybe years. I would make the Will check necessary every day, and once the wearer is dominated by Sauron, the gradual process of turning into a Nazgul would begin. However, this is just a comment on how I would do it; your version is perfectly valid.

As i said, good work; simple yet powerful. Nice.

Thank you very much, ColonelHardisson for your comments. I'll take them seriously. It's true your apreciation that when you are invisible wearing a Ring of Power you are quite visible in the "spiritual" realm.
On the other hand, I have considered that artifacts in ME must be quite powerful, That's a very personal conviction indeed. Thanks a lot again for answering so quick.

 

[Strider The Ranger]

I have only one thing to add...I think only the One ring allowed the wearer to become invisible...I can distinctly remember that was THE trait of the One ring. Galadriel's ring allowed her to communicate telepathically( i think) and the other rings each had their own traits....you might want to check on that...

 

[ColonelHardisson]

The Nazgul were invisible. Check the Witch-King's description, especially his confrontation with Gandalf at the gates of Minas Tirith. It seems easy to assume this invisibility was caused by the Nine Rings, which, like the One, would shift the wearer into the spirit world. These ten Rings were made by Sauron. The Elven rings were never touched by Sauron, so they have different abilities.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Invisibility seemed more like an attribute of the One, rather than the attribute. Its main attrribute seemed to be enhancing one's natural abilities, and ramping up the power one already has. After all, I doubt Sauron would really have placed the better part of his personal power, and all of his hopes, into a ring and simply gotten invisibility as a result.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I will say it is possible that the Wraiths became invisible as a result of becoming Nazgul, and that the Nine Rings of Men didn't convery invisibility. However, I think it is implied that they did.

 

[Akunin]

Agreed. The books seemed to suggest that in their transformation from man to wraith, their physical forms faded away into the spirit realm. I think they were more incorporeal (though they did not have the ability to pass through solid objects) than invisible.

 

[Corinth]

This could be the conversion for the D&D 3rd Ed. d20 system of the 9 Rings that Sauron gave to the mortal men to corrupt them:

The Nine Men RINGS OF POWER

- Continuous Nondetection (wizard/sorcerer 3rd level) and Invisibility (wizard/sorcerer 2nd level) on self.
- Use of any Charm related spell at will.
- Unable to be stunned.
- It works as a Ring of Protection +3 and as a Cloak of Resistance +3.
- It works as a Ring of Wizardry (doubling the last wizard/sorcerer level caster domains)
- If user is human he must immediately make a one quarter Will opposed check to Sauron’s (who will count to a total of 180) per round wearing it or become slave to him and transformed into a Nazgûl. If user is from another race he will make only a half check.

Please, let me know what you think of it

It's a damn good first draft.

You've got the theme of the Nine. These rings did allow their wears to realize their will to power by enhancing their ability to impose their will upon others--i.e. dominate their people--and thus feed their egos until hubris delivered them unto Sauron. It needs refinement, but you're definately on the right track.

 

[Corinth]

Nice work. A couple of comments, which aren't criticisms:

* I think the Nine, like the One, make the wearer turn invisible, by taking them into the spirit realm. We know the Nazgul were invisible, and had to wear their black clothes to be seen by and interact with beings not in the spirit world. They could be seen by someone wearing another ring of power - such as when Frodo put on the One at the Ford of Bruinen.

* I think I would make the transformation into a Nazgul take longer, maybe years. I would make the Will check necessary every day, and once the wearer is dominated by Sauron, the gradual process of turning into a Nazgul would begin. However, this is just a comment on how I would do it; your version is perfectly valid.

As i said, good work; simple yet powerful. Nice.

I don't know about imparting invisibility to the wearer, as neither the Three nor the Seven did this. (Note: Ever notice that Tolkien's spirit realm greatly resembles the Ethereal Plane? I had no clue until I checked my DMG for a trivia point while writing a review.) I'd default to not giving this power.

As for the transformation of the Nine Kings into the Nazgul, yes this took quite some time. The acknowledged timeline, which was used in ICE's products, has the Nine Wraiths appearing in SA 2250 which was long after the Nine Kings accepted their rings.