Using the ring is exhausting, causing the wearer 1 point of Constitution damage per minute after the first 10 minutes of use in a single day. The ring must be used in 1-minute increments.
So could four people use it for 40 minutes? Or on the eleventh minute whomever is wearing it takes the Constitution damage?
And how are 4 people's fingers going to fit in one ring at the same time?
Otherwise, it's like any other item - whomever uses it gets the benefit, and no one else. And I think the toll is on the individual - you keep a running tally of how many 1-minute increments they've used the ring for, and after they reach ten, they start taking damage.
I think Harmor is thinking about Arlo the elf Fighter uses the ring for 9 minutes and takes it off and then passes it to his friend Chandra the Human Cleric who uses it for nine or ten minutes and then takes it off and passes it to Robby the Gnome Rogue who uses it for a while and then takes it off and hands it to Sulieman the Half-Elf Sorcerer.
Contributor
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I would rule that when taking the ring off and sharing it among several people, the 10-minute counter would apply to each person individually. But I would treat it like a spell each wearer voluntarily chooses to dismiss before suffering any negative consequences.
Thus, to use cwslyclgh's example, if Arlo wears the ring for 9 minutes or less, then takes it off and passes it to Chandra, he has chosen to forego the use of the ring for the rest of that day. He can put it back on, later, but he will have to wait until the next day to get more time out of the ring.
Thus, you limit how much "extra" time you can get out of a single item, and there's still a consequence for dodging the Constitution damage.
I would rule that when taking the ring off and sharing it among several people, the 10-minute counter would apply to each person individually. But I would treat it like a spell each wearer voluntarily chooses to dismiss before suffering any negative consequences.
Thus, to use cwslyclgh's example, if Arlo wears the ring for 9 minutes or less, then takes it off and passes it to Chandra, he has chosen to forego the use of the ring for the rest of that day. He can put it back on, later, but he will have to wait until the next day to get more time out of the ring.
Thus, you limit how much "extra" time you can get out of a single item, and there's still a consequence for dodging the Constitution damage.
The ring doesn't say that it can't be used again once it's taken off, and more importantly it doesn't say ten minutes of consecutive use.
So I would say that RAW, yes, each member of the party can pass it around and use it for 9 minutes each, but then if any member of the party uses it for another minute any time during the rest of the day, they take the CON damage.
The ring doesn't say that it can't be used again once it's taken off, and more importantly it doesn't say ten minutes of consecutive use.So I would say that RAW, yes, each member of the party can pass it around and use it for 9 minutes each, but then if any member of the party uses it for another minute any time during the rest of the day, they take the CON damage.
I'd likely rule something to this effect as well (although I think you get 10 free minutes and start taking con damage the 11th, would have to check again to be sure though).
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Contributor
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The ring doesn't say that it can't be used again once it's taken off, and more importantly it doesn't say ten minutes of consecutive use.
So I would say that RAW, yes, each member of the party can pass it around and use it for 9 minutes each, but then if any member of the party uses it for another minute any time during the rest of the day, they take the CON damage.
You're right. I should have specified that my ruling would be for a long-running home game (with my explanation below).
If the GM allows party members to share the ring, then the right answer is to keep a running tally of how many minutes each character has used the ring each day, so that the CON damage would still apply after the PC had used it for 10 cumulative (not consecutive) minutes per day.
I realize that the CON damage is a pretty big limitation on the item. An average character isn't going to get much more than 20 minutes of use out of the ring in a single day.
That means the party gets to multiply the use of a single item by the number of party members. Some GMs might not have an issue with that, so your RAW interpretation is perfectly valid.
The other problem is keeping that running tally can require even more book-keeping. My suggestion was a way for a GM to limit the use of the ring and the record-keeping involved with an interpretation that would be consistent with other applications of magic within the rules.
Still, if this ever came up in Society play or some other official situation, your RAW approach is probably the right way to go.