Ring Me Up
Hello, and welcome back to Magic Market. This week, there’s a special on everyone’s favorite piece of jewelry: the ring. Small and compact for easy transport (or easy concealment), and always a symbol of wealth or status, no adventurer should be without a magic ring, or, better yet, one for each finger, to really show how accomplished you are! Take a look at our selection, drawn from treasure hordes the world over. You’ll find rings that allow you to harness the power of the elements to attack foes from afar, and rings that increase the power of your spells. You’ll find rings fit for true lords and leaders, which can bind your subjects to your will, and also rings that protect your mind from intrusion and prevent others from masquerading in your place.
Branding Ring
These rings are typically made from iron or steel, and usually are adorned with the owner’s personal seal, although in rare cases they have gems, instead. The ring is always faintly warm to the touch, but its true power becomes apparent when the wearer swings his fist in anger: a creature wearing a branding ring deals an additional 1 point of fire damage any time it hits with an unarmed attack or a claw or slam natural attack. This bonus does not stack, so a character wearing two branding rings will still only deal 1 point of fire damage.
If the ring bears a personal seal, then whenever the wearer deals fire damage with the ring, the target suffers a brand in the form of that seal. This brand lasts for 1d6 days before fading, and has no mechanical effect, but may serve as a source of shame or embarrassment.
Energy Ring
Each energy ring is aligned with a specific energy type, either acid, cold, electricity, or fire. They typically consist of a brass or copper band, with a small gem set into it. Energy rings aligned with acid usually have emeralds or turquoise stones, while those associated with cold often have sapphires or small diamonds, those associated with electricity often have amber or amethyst, and those associated with fire tend to use rubies.
At will, the wearer can fire a ray of energy from the gem in the ring. Treat this as a ranged touch attack that deals 1d6 points of damage of the appropriate energy type on a successful hit. If the target has spell resistance, it applies to this attack.
Finally, at the wearer’s command, the ring can release all the energy trapped within it in an explosion. This deals 5d6 points of damage of the appropriate energy type to each creature besides the wearer in a 20-foot-radius area. A successful Reflex save (DC 14) halves the damage. Doing this completely destroys the energy ring.
Ring of Identity
Each of these rings is specially made for a single individual, and a drop of that individual’s blood is mixed in with the metal when the ring is forged. They are almost universally signet rings, bearing the owner’s personal seal. If the ring is ever worn by anyone other than that individual, the ring glows a bright red, and emits a piercing alarm noise that is clearly audible for up to 200 feet.
In addition to serving as a way to prove one’s identity, such rings also protect the wearer from attempts at mental control. As long as the ring is worn, it grants complete immunity to all spells of the compulsion subschool. This immunity applies even if the spell is cast from a magic item (such as a wand or scroll), or is cast as a spell-like, or even supernatural ability. It does not protect against extraordinary abilities that mimic such spells.
Ring of Lordly Command
These rings are nearly always made of gold, although in rare cases they are instead made of even more valuable metals. They always bear a single, large gem, typically disproportionately sized in relation to the rest of the ring. The gem is always of the highest quality, and sparkles in any light conditions.
The ring grants its wearer a +5 competence bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks. Additionally, any time a creature willingly kisses the ring and then swears an oath to the ring’s wearer, that oath is enforced as though by the spell geas/quest.
Ring of Spellpower
These rings are highly valued by mages, and many mage academies and arcane universities give the less powerful versions of this ring to their graduates, engraved with the school’s seal. As long as the ring is worn, the wearer gains a bonus to his caster level for all spells he casts. This bonus ranges from 1 to 5, depending on the power of the ring’s enchantment. This bonus does not stack with any other bonuses to the wearer’s caster level.