Excellent idea. I like the actual description of the ring and could use that alone. It is very powerful and, perhaps to make it easier to use in a campaing, I would pick and choose of all the described powers. Great idea with tons of options. Go to Comment
Well, it does emanate some of its power even when it is not worn by anyone, so I'd be careful even of wearing it around.
And yes, it is intended to be powerful, and unique... and bringing many, many complications with it. :) So be careful if you use it, and have the means prepared for getting rid of it. Worst case, you can still use it as a legend and tease your players with it's existence. ;) Go to Comment
Personally, I see it as a godly artifact, a symbol of nature that doesn't need to be recharged in any way. But... if all things are balanced out, there will be less life somewhere else. You could create massive changes in the natural world, just by moving the ring. Go to Comment
Perhaps a jungle, forest, oasis, whatever suddenly sprang out of nowhere, where nothing of the sort had any right to be. Many people would be very curious about it... Go to Comment
i know i am just typing my thoughts but this will be very useful for a npc i have given a uncurable condition that is slowly killing him. .....where am I? who are you? the shnoz berries taste like shnoz berries. Go to Comment
A ring to keep on a cord around your neck when not in use then...(you might even be able to wear it as a bracelet, if it can strech that well)
I like the item, although it might be a bit too potents to let the PCs loose with it. (although you could have so much fun with the challenges it creates!!) Go to Comment
I like the description of the item, and it sparked many thoughts for my campaign.
An additive thought on an alternate creation.
To Create/recharge it, it sucks the life-force from everything within miles, creating dead-zones, with small magically protected circles of life in the center.
This can be especially useful for a necromancer, or any evil villain wishing to start his own empire of abundance by destroying the neighboring empire to feed his. Like an Fantastic A-bomb of death and life. Use it against your enemy's armies. and bolster your crops.
Plot Hook - Zones of death have been appearing through out the countryside like crop circles. Nothing remains alive. Go to Comment
This could wreck untold amounts of havoc on desert communities and those not used to a lush and verdant wilderness. A fun artifact to add if you wish to shake up your world a bit and change around the topography unexpectedly,
I like this plot. It is not the typical hack-n-slash. Plus it is the perfect route to start "empire building" for a group of players. The best way for the PCs to ensure that the peasants are never used again so harshly would be to carve out a piece of wilderness for the peasants and then lightly govern it for the peasants benefits. The PCs will then have a strong base of support of wealthy & loyal peasants from which to start building a nation. Just defending their small holdings could keep PCs busy for a long time. Go to Comment
"If you helped the Grazuul Tribe, others require similar help. The reward is bigger, as the risks." "So much gold could only worsen the situation. Someone will come and take it, and all get even more taxed. Unless... unless there come some heroes to help!"
If the PC's did help the Grazuul, maby the scorn they get for helping lowly orcs is just what the townsfolk here are looking for . . . proof of heroes with some true measure of character. The townsfolk had the money all along but were afraid of hiring mecenaries because the mercenaries might well just make off with the loot instead of helping them move away from an abusive ruler. They want to hire the PCs when their reputation finds its way to their town, but the messenger sent to hire the PC's (Jonas) is attacked and dies at he PC's feet before he gets his message across.
Its up to the PC's to uncover the mystery of the man that died at their feet and make their way to his village. His personal effect can give clues. Perhaps they can have the chance to track and capture the man that killed Johnas, interogating him for information.
Since the gold in the well is to purchase lands for their own independence, and the villagers feel they can trust the heroes, they have the motivation for a non-standard reward. The non-standard reward could be:
1) Town Craftsmen offer to make them special weapons or armor, give them horses and cattle, anything but the actual gold they need for themselves.
2) They offer the PC's marriage to some of the towns-maidens. In feudal cultures arrianged marriages were not uncommon. What a nice coincidence that their are some particlarly well suited virgins come of age just now. Beside a marriage to a capable, heroic, healthy PC is a greater honor than any of them could normaly hope for. This is especially true if some PC's have titles from their background or other adventures. If you like this option but the PCs don't, subterfuge can go along way-- towns folk who get the PC's druged or intocicated and married in a quick ceremony. For those honorable character they now have a dilema, especially if they can't remember what happened on their "wedding night". If a PC's is looking for a follower this is a way to give them more than they bargained for when their new bride shows interest and aptitide in adverture. As a follower she could have skills as a savy thief, studied magician, or trained in the sword by a father concerned for her virtue (irony is wonderful). All kinds of possible twists here.
3)The townsfolk might trust the PC's enough to aks them to be their new rulers and defenders. The PC's as a group would be a council based multi-person government. The townsfolk offer this reward when the heroes prove themselves in the Exodus instead other rewarde previously offered. great for PC desireing a kindom as mentioned before.
i would like to know how a peasant becomes a freeman for i have been doing this topic ay school and i would be more than happy to find out how Go to Comment
Actually, peasants were a general catagorization that included freeman and villeins. The villeins were basically the serfs.
Serfs owed servitude to the Lord for the use of the land and were also under the sole jurisdiction of the Lord. When you look at freemen, pretty much the same could be said of them. They still owed the Lord labor or rent but it was much less and they were exempt of many other taxes.
Point of it all is that anybody could leave the Lord, freeman or villein (serf). It is a matter of money. A "chevage" was paid to the Lord by the serf for the ability to live 'off' the estate. It was suppose to be yearly and then they could do as they wished. Freemen could just leave.
When it comes down to it, the idea of a tax collector is the most out of place. Payments were almost always made in labor and only the wealthy peasants were able to pay their way out of the physical labor with money. You owe so much for the land you use: work to pay it off -or- pay cash the equal of the work owed for it. The Lords counted on a lot of work and if most of the peasants paid instead of worked, they would have to hire them to do the work anyway. If there was a tax collector it was often times a respected person of the village that was given the responsibility by the Lord and only had limited power.
But then again this is a fantasy so anything is possible :-) Go to Comment
Taxes can come in various guises. Part of the reason the collector is so greedy, is he only collects food or wool or whatever they produce, never gets actual cash. If a lords lands are particularly large, not all peasants have to work, but all pay taxes in some way.
An uncaring lord may well give that responsibility to someone the village not trusts.
And if you don't like it, replace him with anyone else. Greed is not limited to tax collectors... ;-) Go to Comment
From http://sinclair.quarterman.org/glossary/glossary.html
A freeman is not a noble and not a serf. A freeman was usually a tradesman or craftsman such as a fisherman, bargeman, fishmonger, leather worker, miller, or the like. A serf could become a freeman by serving as an apprentice to a freeman; by buying his freedom, or by being the son of a freeman.
There can be easily other conditions, such as serving in the army for some time, being the tenth child of a serf, being granted freeman status after some exceptional deed, and so on. Google for more data on history pages. Go to Comment
Items (Jewelry) (Magical)