What is a ring of sustenance worth to you?

[frankthedm]

Sustenance: This ring continually provides its wearer with life-sustaining nourishment. The ring also refreshes the body and mind, so that its wearer needs only sleep 2 hours per day to gain the benefit of 8 hours of sleep. The ring must be worn for a full week before it begins to work. If it is removed, the owner must wear it for another week to reattune it to himself.
Faint conjuration; CL 5th; Forge Ring, create food and water; Price 2,500 gp.

Ok, lets say you you are a resident of a fantasy world, not just a player with a blank character sheet awaiting. Just how much is adding 6 hours to each day of your life worth to you? Never having to worry about starving or dying of thirst? Not having to worry about going blind from tainted water or being poisoned at dinner by assasins or incompetent cooks? How about dropping you chance of being murdered in your sleep by 75%?

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

The biggest advantage I see is being able to travel, over a period of time through a place where sleeping a lot may be dangerous, and eating my not always be possible.

That and, often, in game, players forget that PCs need to eat.

 

[Hand of Evil]

While it sounds great, work increase, travel and income increase (save money not buying) people take pleasure in eating and drinking and is a custom of good manners, the breaking of bread, I just wonder if there would not be a bad side, lack of dreams (2 hours) may not get you into that REM sleep, makes me wonder if creativity would suffer?

Also, I would think that you still have to take time to eat the food. It is rather bland so I think you would also like a change of diet after a few weeks of it.

 

[MojoGM]

While it sounds great, work increase, travel and income increase (save money not buying) people take pleasure in eating and drinking and is a custom of good manners, the breaking of bread, I just wonder if there would not be a bad side, lack of dreams (2 hours) may not get you into that REM sleep, makes me wonder if creativity would suffer?

Also, I would think that you still have to take time to eat the food. It is rather bland so I think you would also like a change of diet after a few weeks of it.

I think the item implies that it magically provides the REM sleep you need, so you gain the full benefit of 8 hours of sleep with only 2. To me this would be the biggest benefit.

And like anything else, you don't NEED to eat and sleep, but you still can for pure enjoyment.

If there was one mundane magic item I'd most want to have in real life, this would be it (that and a ring of warmth, these Boston winters are brutal)

 

[Calico_Jack73]

It really depends on the setting. In your standard Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, or Dragonlance style campaign it wouldn't be worth much since food and clean water generally aren't much of a problem. In the Midnight setting it'd be worth a king's ransom or be seen as a great curse. Food and clean water are scarce so in that situation it would be a great boon but the Enemy can detect magic items at up to a mile away and it is illegal to own such an item and the penalty is death.
I'd imagine that in the Dark Sun setting it would also be worth a whole lot. It wouldn't prevent you from dying due to exposure to the elements but not needing water would be a great boon. Likewise, any seafaring campaign would also make it very valuable as freshwater is always at a premium.

The setting itself really determines the value of such an item.

 

[el-remmen]

Here is a version of a Ring of Sustenance I gave out in my "Out of the Frying Pan" game:

Lacan’s Demise

The ring is a simple thin gold band, with a finely cut rectangular green stone. This ring’s immediate benefit is a +4 enhancement bonus to a wearer’s Constitution score. Once worn for one full week the ring continually removes the need and desire for any nourishment. The wearer need not drink or eat, ever and only requires 2 hours of sleep each night (it being equal to 8 full hours).

If removed any hit points gained are lost and, it must be worn again for another week for the sustaining enchantment to come into effect again.

While under the effects of the sustenance enchantment the wearer gains no pleasure from eating, or drinking and feels no physical desire.

 

[Kalanyr]

Its very valuable for noncombat, but really compared to even a wand of fireball it ain't really up there on the save me from the evil monster front (which is why I guess its so cheap). IOW to someone who doesn't have to worry about death by dragon its probably almost invaluable. I know if I had one I wouldn't be selling it.

 

[Thanee]

A lot more than 2.5k, that's for sure...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Zerovoid]

Its one of the most common magic items I've seen in some campaigns. After a while playing under one of my DM's, all the players knew to get this item for their characters. Sleeping only 2 hours means that probably only one character will be asleep when the monsters attack in the middle of the night. And they WILL attack in the middle of the night.

 

[thundershot]

Almost every one of my players characters have one of these, because they don't want to deal with the bookkeeping. Personally, I don't mind, because even *I* tend to forget about them eating...

Though I'm considering having some sinister plot involving the rings, but it might just cause more problems down the road...


Chris