Ring of Spell Turning

[GRWelsh]

In my last game, I had the players roll randomly to see what some magic items were. Ray got lucky and rolled a ring of spell turning. I've never had one in my game before, and when I read the description it was a little confusing. It looks like it will take some adjudication on my part to fully make sense of it. Do you guys have any experience with this magic item?

[Scott]

I never gave one out in my campaign. I think I may have placed one and the PCs never got it. It's simpler than the description makes it seem, except for the saves when a save normally wouldn't be allowed. I DM with my laptop nearby and have several files open and for quick access. One for magic items the PCs have. For this I would write up something like
Ring of Spell Turning
Spell effects turned in 10% increments
Damage split by percentage

For spells that normally allow save: +1 to save for each 10% below 100% received for both parties.

For spells that normally do not allow saves:
% turned and saving throw for target/caster
0 - 9: no effect
10: 20/12
11 - 19: 20/13
20: 19/13
21 - 29: 19/14
30: 18/14
31 - 39: 18/15
40; 17/15
41 - 49: 17/16
50: 16/16
51 - 59: 16/17
60: 15/17
61 - 69: 15/18
70: 14/18
71 - 79: 14/19
80: 13/19
81 - 89: 13/20
90: 12/20
91 - 100: no effect

[GRWelsh]

Thanks Scott -- that chart is helpful. Maybe it will also help if I outline a few scenarios with some of my questions to see how you would adjudicate it.

POLYMORPH OTHER: This is the example in the magic item description (DMG p. 131) so is probably the most straightforward. A caster targets a character wearing a ring of spell turning and % dice is rolled and rounded to the closest decimal. If the target rolls a 05 or less the spell goes off normally (i.e. no part of it is turned back on the caster). However, if the target rolls a 06 that means 90% of the spell makes it to the target and 10% of the spell is reflected back on the caster. Both must save versus the spell effect with a +9 bonus. If the target had rolled a 94, both would have to save but with a +1 bonus. If the target rolled a 95 or higher, 100% of the spell is turned back and the caster must make a normal saving throw versus the spell effect.

MAGIC MISSILE: A magic-user targets a character with a magic missile spell, which would normally do 10 points of damage. If the target rolls a 15, 20% of the damage or 2 points are reflected back on the caster and the character takes 8 points of damage. However, since this spell doesn't normally allow a save, both the caster and target get saves. Should that be a separate % dice roll? If either the caster or the target saves, should they take half damage which seems to be the conventional rule of thumb for other damage spells, or should it be no damage?

FIREBALL: If the target is only in the area of effect, but not specifically targeted, the spell goes off normally. If the character was specifically targeted, then % dice are rolled to see how much of the spell is turned back on the caster. Would this would affect others in the area of effect, and if turned back on the caster make him a new center of an area of effect for a second fireball, possibly affecting others around him?

[Scott]

The way I interpret it wold be that each save modifier is based on the percentage each party is subject to. In your polymorph other example, the original target takes 90% of the magic, so the save for him would be +1. Only 10% of the magic rebounds back at the caster, so his save would be +9.

Magic Missile: (15 would be 10%) 16 = 20%. The save is based on the percentage of magic each target takes, so no separate % rolls. My reading of the description would be half damage, so the character would take 8 points, or 4 if he rolled a 20; the caster would take 2, or 1 if he made a saving throw roll of 13 or better.

Fireball: I would consider this an area of effect spell and would not have any of it turned.

[GRWelsh]

Nov 26, 2022 14:02:36 GMT -5 Scott said:

The way I interpret it wold be that each save modifier is based on the percentage each party is subject to. In your polymorph other example, the original target takes 90% of the magic, so the save for him would be +1. Only 10% of the magic rebounds back at the caster, so his save would be +9.

Ah, that makes much more sense. Thanks!

Magic Missile: (15 would be 10%) 16 = 20%. The save is based on the percentage of magic each target takes, so no separate % rolls. My reading of the description would be half damage, so the character would take 8 points, or 4 if he rolled a 20; the caster would take 2, or 1 if he made a saving throw roll of 13 or better.

The way the increments are arranged keeps throwing me off. I just have to remember there are possibilities from 0% to 100% not just from 10% to 100%.

Fireball: I would consider this an area of effect spell and would not have any of it turned.

Would you have this apply to any spell with an area of effect that is more than "creature targeted"? What about something like lightning bolt, that seems to be aimed at target, yet can have an area of effect based on length and width?

[Scott]

It's one of those 1E things where the DM will have to make the call. Technically lightning bolt is an area of effect spell, but consistency was never something you could count on in 1E, and as is so often the case, the wording is not clear "Spells which affect an area, and which are not cast directly at the ring wearer, are not turned by the ring." The 'and' in there makes it much less cut and dry. And what about spells like magic missile where the caster can select multiple targets; say a 10th level magic-user casts magic missile and breaks it up so only 3 of the 5 available missiles target the ring wearer?

[grodog]

Gary, this may also be useful too: www.thebluebard.com/post/d20-shattered-the-ring-of-spell-turning

Allan.