Trapped Rings

[aaronpark]

I know that you can use magic aura to hide the effects of a magic item and I will be giving my party rings that have effects they don't know about. Is it possible to have an effect on a ring where someone else can activate a hold person or dominate mind on whoever is wearing it because that is what I really want to do with it

[Claxon]

I will tell you that this is a straight up terrible idea and not to do.

You are setting up a game for PVP and I would honestly walk out of the game if the GM allowed this to happen. There is an implicit level of trust required to make this game work at all, and it basically requires everyone just agree to trust one another despite the logic that says you shouldn't ever be around these other dangerous people. What you're talking about is a fast way to get yourself uninvited from games.

[Tharken]

As far as I can see, there's nothing about the description of 'Command Word' Activation that necessarily restricts the command word to the wielder. It's just that most items do it that way.

If you make a custom magic item, I guess there's nothing to stop you from allowing anyone to say the Command Word for it. But it would have to be a slotless item.

[Orfamay Quest]

Yes, it's possible. To know that a ring is magical at all requires a spell or a high skill check; to know the specifics of the the magic are even harder. Of course, what you describe is a custom magic item and you'd need to get the GM's blessing.

But this is actually a standard trick for the villain; give the PCs objects of usefulness that also act as cursed objects under the right circumstances. If you're the GM yourself, go for it.

For you to do that as a player to another player is indeed somewhat dick-ish. Even for you to do that to a non-player character would be questionable; I'd definitely strip a paladin of her special status for such a deceptive and dishonorable act.

[aaronpark]

Claxon, the item is being given to them by someone early on, in the game I am DMing. This person later betrays them as part of the plot.

I guess, since the items are being made by a high level lich, it can be allowed that the hidden abilities could be customized

[Orfamay Quest]

That's a very standard fantasy trope.

[aaronpark]

Orfamay, thanks. Yeah, they are being given rings of communication by a person they think is an ally who later turns on them. It is a pretty standard trope but I'm changing it up because the NPC giving them this was one a good PC in a previous game

[Tharken]

Also, just so your players don't stab you during the reveal, keep the "Identifying Cursed Items" rule in mind. The PCs will only see the hidden effects on a very high Spellcraft check, beating the normal identification DC by 10+. So that's something like DC 15 + Lich Caster level + 10.

[aaronpark]

Would that be considered a cursed item? I thought cursed items could only be made unintentionally

[Orfamay Quest]

They're "almost never made intentionally," which suggests to me that they can indeed be made intentionally, but few people do.

From a strategic point of view, they're not very good; the only real use is to betray an ally, and it leaves lots of evidence around if the party is any good. ("Hmm, I wonder why Abraxas the Evil gave us a Ring of Always Fail Saving Throws. Do you think he might be.... Evil? I wonder if he's planning something....")

So it's a standard fantasy trope for the good-but-dumb facing the evil-but-even-dumber. Fortunately, that's a fairly standard fantasy universe as well.

[Tharken]

aaronpark wrote:

Would that be considered a cursed item? I thought cursed items could only be made unintentionally

It sounds like the most convenient option for your villain. He could use a permanent magic aura instead, but that gives a will save instead of a boost to Spellcraft DC, and can be vulnerable to a stray dispel.