Rod of Security and unwilling wielder

[Pizza Lord]

Rod of Security:

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This item creates a nondimensional space, a pocket paradise. There the rod's possessor and as many as 199 other creatures can stay in complete safety for a period of time, up to 200 days divided by the number of creatures affected. All fractions are rounded down. In this pocket paradise, creatures don't age, and natural healing takes place at twice the normal rate. Fresh water and food (fruits and vegetables only) are in abundance. The climate is comfortable for all creatures involved.

Activating the rod (a standard action) causes the wielder and all creatures touching the rod to be transported instantaneously to the paradise. Members of large groups can hold hands or otherwise maintain physical contact, allowing all connected creatures in a circle or a chain to be affected by the rod. Unwilling creatures get a DC 17 Will save to negate the effect. If such a creature succeeds on its save, other creatures beyond that point in a chain can still be affected by the rod.

When the rod's effect expires, is dismissed, or is dispelled, all the affected creatures instantly reappear in the location they occupied when the rod was activated. If something else occupies the space that a traveler would be returning to, then his body is displaced a sufficient distance to provide the space required for reentry. The rod's possessor can dismiss the effect whenever he wishes before the maximum time period expires, but the rod can only be activated once per week.
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Can the rod's wielder make the Will Save to not be sent into the pocket paradise or is the implication/writing/intention that the unwilling parameter is only for additional creatures?

For instance, could a trickster or secret enemy of the PCs trick them into touching him or the rod so they can all rest in a safe place (even letting them identify the rod so they know it isn't a trick) only to resist the transport himself, basically locking a 4-person party in a pocket paradise for 50 days or so (barring them being able to dispel it, since he has the rod and they can't dismiss the spell themselves.)?

[wraithstrike]

The road has to be activated intentionally. Just touching(free action) it does not activate it.

The weilder of the rod is also the one who controls it so once it would come into the hands of the PC's they would be the new owners.

If you are the GM then you can have a modified or cursed version.

[dragonhunterq]

There is nothing I am aware of stopping the wielder from resisting the effect, but it feels counter-intuitive, so I'm not sure I'd allow it.

What is the end goal? Do you really want your players out of commission for 50 days? or more dangerously (and maybe even less fun) split?

[Pizza Lord]

I am making a cursed rod that doesn't go to a paradise, but I want to know how the actual rod works so when I am typing up the cursed version I dot all the Is and cross all the Ts.

As usual, with many cursed items you need to consider how they could be abused, so I need to ponder if an enemy (or the PCs) discovered the items true nature how easily they could use it to trick others into being basically imprisoned for a couple months.

Like Wraithstrike, I tend to feel it's counter-intuitive for the wielder to count as being unwilling in the case of the Rod of Security, (also less abusable) but I needed arms-length ruling or insight from a few others. Some opinion is fine too, even though this is rules, since I can clearly tell there's no clear indication.

[Pizza Lord]

wraithstrike wrote:

The road has to be activated intentionally. Just touching(free action) it does not activate it.

I know that touching it doesn't activate, query is more along the lines of a wielder saying 'Let's all go rest in a safe place' and everyone touching as he activates it is effective (as usual, since they have no reason to resist) but the wielder themselves making a Will save and basically staying in place with the rod and the others (it's pointed out that a person resisting does not affect the others) go to the pocket dimension. So basically, they would be out the way for a period of time and the only theoretical way they could get out is dispelling the effect from inside or something.