User:Sanapet/Ring of Binding (3.5e Equipment)

Summary
A Minor artifact that allows the owner and wearer of the ring (the Master) to almost completely control whoever (the slave) is wearing the other half.

History
The creation of the first Ring of Binding (also commonly known as the Binding Set) has been lost but the methods still remain even today. A simple set of a ring and a collar made of any metal, even occasionally made of wood. The ring sets on the finger of one person, man, woman, elf, dwarf, even children. Any sentient creature can wear the ring of the set, just as any sentient creature can wear the collar.

Experimentation and Distribution
Qilraemaice Baenvirr. A name lost in history, all but the oldest scrolls and tomes have forgone crediting him with his contribution to history. This forgotten drow produced perhaps the cruelest, most inhumane of all magical items. In dark caves, removed from the main society of the underdark cities of the Drow, this cruel, twisted dark elf experimented with captive Drey, Aquatic Drow, Spiderlings, Vupdrax, and the odd traveler he was able to capture. The casualties of his experiments ranged from a slight loss of intelligence to complete dependency on someone wearing the other half of the set, to mental bonds that affected the wearer negatively.

The magical creation of slaves wasn't his only experiment but definitely the most profitable. He also created horrid mutations of crossbreeds in an effort to create a subservient species. The cave Qilraemaice worked in, when found by other Drow after he'd abandoned it, was littered with horribly malformed bodies and unidentifiable skeletons. It's thought that Qilraemaice used the earliest forms of the ring of binding to force a mating between different species.

A personal account from Qilraemaice puts the beginning of his experiments around his twentieth year and the perfection of his device around his 50th year. In his 100th year, Qilraemaice began selling his completed device to interested Drow slave holders that had a fancy for collecting 'exotic pets.' It was in Qilraemaice's 120th year that he took his invention to the surface. He has since vanished and his current state is now unknown.

Creation
Today, the set can be anything from matching rings, to a ring to a bracelet, to a necklace to an actual piece of armor for a slave used as a body guard. The method has been modified slightly so that instead of creating both items from magical energies, the enchantment can simply be cast on already existing items. Some unsavory characters actually request that the enchantment be unnoticeable to the victim of the spell. The development of this particular technique is widely frowned on but none-the-less has lead to a great increase in the number of slaves.

Creating a set of Ring of Binding requires two masterworked metal items that are able to be worn, an amulet instead of a chain, for example wouldn't work, neither would a leather belt, it would need to be a chain-linked belt or something similar. Both items need to circle the wearer in some fashion, weather a collar around the neck, a ring around the finger, or a belt around the waist.

The item requires that the slave be wearing one item, the caster must have prepared the spells Dominate Person, Geas/Quest, and Demand. The material components are the cost in gold of both items to be enchanted, an additional 1500 pg, and a pair of gems of exactly equal value, size, quality, and the type of stone do not matter.

Differences
As referenced above, there are several different variations of the Ring of Binding(for reference, in this section the one who's behavior is altered will be known as the slave, while the one who imposes his/her orders will be referred to as the Master.

There's the classical Ring/Collar combination that simply forces the slave to act as directed by the Master, a close cousin to the classic form is the double ring set that unnoticed by the slave, alters their behavior to fit the Masters spoken wishes.

Then the 'Binding Desire' which alters the slaves very mindset to wish to please the Master. This doesn't inspired actual dedication to the wearer, simply the one who is currently wearing the ring. This item is very popular in the seedier, more unsavory brothels.

The Binding of Pain is a set in which the Master can inflict pain at will, whether or not the slave has disobeyed. If the slave does disobey they are subjected to crippling pain until they make a conscious decision to obey the order and make an effort despite the pain to complete the order, the closer they come to completing the order the greater the pain will be reduced.

These are the most popular forms of the Ring of Binding in circulation at the time, but there are innumerable variations that exist in almost every shape and form imaginable.

Statistics
The Ring of Binding in all it's forms conveys very few useful effects other than the obedience of the slave to the Master. The Master merely has to state something in the form of a directive to garner the slaves compliance. Something as simple as 'get this item for me' will force the slave to find the fastest, most expedient method to retrieve the item.

The slave still retains their own personality when not actively serving their Master and as long as the Binding Desire is not the items. In such instances, the slaves every thought is of pleasing their Masters.

Balance
This item contains elements mixed and matched of: the 8th lvl Sorcerer/Wizard Spell Demand, the 6th lvl Sorcerer/Wizard Spell Geas/Quest, the 5th lvl Sorcerer/Wizard Spell Dominate Person.

For each order the slave realizes is an order and that may cause physical harm to the slave, the slave may attempt a will save (-2 moral bonus per month spent serving the current Master) vs DC 15+CL/HD of the Master. Each transfer to a new Master gives the slave a new will save to escape domination (DC 15+CL/HD of Master), each order after the slave has beat the DC of a new Master requires a new will save with the same DC to stay freewilled.

(Brackets[] enclose divergences from the original spell entry, only the effects listed are used, not the entirety of the spell)

As the 8th lvl spell Demand, the Master can give the target one order of 25 words or less [per point of slaves int mod (min 1)] to be carried out. [But the target must have enough intelligence to understand the order and must be within hearing distance. The pair does not have a telepathic connection of any form. The exception for the number of orders that can be given is open ended orders. ("Guard this." "Stay here." "Never do this...") Open ended orders count three per one point of slaves int mod.]

As the 6th lvl spell Geas/Quest, If the subject is prevented from carrying out the instructions, he/she suffers 3d6 [nonleathal] damage each day (no save) & is Sickened (FortNeg). The effects end after a full day of obeying the instructions.

As the 5th lvl spell Dominate Person, control one [intelligent] Humanoid, if the [Master] & the [slave] do not share a language, control is limited. The Master knows what the target is experiencing & as a Standard Action, can actually receive full sensory input. The Master can change his/her orders with a Move Action. Once the [slave] has instructions, he/she will continue trying to carry them out until the orders are [complete or another order is given to cease], pausing only to sleep & eat as needed.

[The effects of the ring are] not effected by Dispel Magic or Break Enchantment, though [they] can be [temporarily] ended by Limited Wish, Miracle, or Wish[a length of time less than 1 month must be specified]. [To be permanently removed, the collar must be removed from the slave. DC 35 Craft(Magical Enchantment) or DC 40 Str check for third party to break and a DC 18 Fort check by the slave to escape death when the collar is removed in this fashion.]

PC Master and PC Slave
In the cases of player characters being respective halves of the same Ring of Binding set, both players should still play normally only the slave showing difference and obedience to the Master. This will probably be difficult to roleplay effectively so usually only one PC if any should be allowed to participate in this type of bond.

Alignment
I would also like to point out that Thomas Jefferson was recognized as a decent, all around good person and yet he still owned slaves. Being the Master in this type of bond doesn't necessarily dictate being neutral or evil. Maybe you just need someone to help you out and to be a companion of sorts on your travels, so you buy a slave, probably saving them from a far worse fate in the process, and allow them to adventure with you, while they help you do pretty much anything you need and in return you take good care of them, providing them with food, shelter, clothing, and a generally safe environment, and protection when the environment isn't so safe.