I had an idea to let my players stumble upon a ring that changes to look like whoever is holding it in hopes that it will entice one of them into putting it on.
The trick is that this is a cursed ring that you cannot take off, and it will open a channel of communication with a devil that will constantly try to urge but not force the character into doing bad things.
Question is this: What tricks or little things do you drop to try to "trick" your players into doing something while still leaving it up to them?
The question here shouldn't be "what should the DM do to trick the players", it should be "What would the the devil do to trick the PCs". And as a DM, I wouldn't make any plot points heavily depend on the PCs being tricked; you should just scatter enough plot seeds that it's okay if some of them get ignored.
The question here shouldn't be "what should the DM do to trick the players", it should be "What would the the devil do to trick the PCs". And as a DM, I wouldn't make any plot points heavily depend on the PCs being tricked; you should just scatter enough plot seeds that it's okay if some of them get ignored.
Alright, that's definitely how I'll go about it. I guess my modified question would be what are ways I can make it seem more benevolent and reduce suspicion of this ring?
The problem with targeting PCs with this sort of thing is that players are prone to not caring about cosmetics, so you can't just make it an attractive ring. Just making it detect as magical and have a minor beneficial effect that shows up when the PCs identify it or spend time with it should do the job, though. A Ring of Mind Shielding containing a devil isn't even a custom item.
With disguise self and Nystul‘s Magic Aura stored in it. 2 free slots, so when they try to cast Identify, the spell just gets stored in the ring instead of identifying it and showing the curse.
With disguise self and Nystul‘s Magic Aura stored in it. 2 free slots, so when they try to cast Identify, the spell just gets stored in the ring instead of identifying it and showing the curse.
Rather then just have them stumble on it have them read about it somewhere, or have them overhear an npc talking about a magical ring, or even tell them about it. Give it a history, a myth and a legend in your world. Nothing huge and obvious, scraps of information. The devil has put this story out there, had let it foster and grow ensuring that the ring is not passed by or ignored.
+1 for giving it minor abilities. I would give is a number of charges and several abilities which it can do if it is charged, and have the charges refill by performing acts at the behest of the devil. Make it start charged, so they get no communication. As soon as they use it (give it 7 charges, 5 charges can be used to cast fireball - that way it's going to get put on and used), and then the devil starts talking to them.
If they get into it (a neutral or already evil character who doesn't mind causing pain or stealing) then the devils requests can start to be linked to the plot. Perhaps they are asked to steal an item from a church, and later they find out that something killed everyone in the church because their "chalice of Shielding" was stolen the night before, so devils could get in. The ring is back at full charge, and the adventurer has been rewarded for their misdeed. The Devil later becomes a BBEG, with the "petty" crimes the PC was performing to charge the ring actually turning out to be key to the Devil's plots, taking away things in the material plane which were impeding its progress from the nine hells. When the devil is defeated, the ring becomes useless - though they might choose to serve the devil for more power - let the players decide!
I had an idea to let my players stumble upon a ring that changes to look like whoever is holding it in hopes that it will entice one of them into putting it on.
The trick is that this is a cursed ring that you cannot take off, and it will open a channel of communication with a devil that will constantly try to urge but not force the character into doing bad things.
Question is this: What tricks or little things do you drop to try to "trick" your players into doing something while still leaving it up to them?
The question here shouldn't be "what should the DM do to trick the players", it should be "What would the the devil do to trick the PCs". And as a DM, I wouldn't make any plot points heavily depend on the PCs being tricked; you should just scatter enough plot seeds that it's okay if some of them get ignored.
Alright, that's definitely how I'll go about it. I guess my modified question would be what are ways I can make it seem more benevolent and reduce suspicion of this ring?
The problem with targeting PCs with this sort of thing is that players are prone to not caring about cosmetics, so you can't just make it an attractive ring. Just making it detect as magical and have a minor beneficial effect that shows up when the PCs identify it or spend time with it should do the job, though. A Ring of Mind Shielding containing a devil isn't even a custom item.
Ring of spell storing
With disguise self and Nystul‘s Magic Aura stored in it. 2 free slots, so when they try to cast Identify, the spell just gets stored in the ring instead of identifying it and showing the curse.
Attack: [roll]3d20dl2+6[/roll] Damage: [roll](if([roll:-1:critical], =0, 1d8, 2{1d8}.expand()))+4[/roll] Sneakattack: [roll](if([roll:-2:critical], =0, 2d6, 2{2d6}.expand()))[/roll]Identify does not show if an item is cursed.
Rather then just have them stumble on it have them read about it somewhere, or have them overhear an npc talking about a magical ring, or even tell them about it. Give it a history, a myth and a legend in your world. Nothing huge and obvious, scraps of information. The devil has put this story out there, had let it foster and grow ensuring that the ring is not passed by or ignored.
+1 for giving it minor abilities. I would give is a number of charges and several abilities which it can do if it is charged, and have the charges refill by performing acts at the behest of the devil. Make it start charged, so they get no communication. As soon as they use it (give it 7 charges, 5 charges can be used to cast fireball - that way it's going to get put on and used), and then the devil starts talking to them.
If they get into it (a neutral or already evil character who doesn't mind causing pain or stealing) then the devils requests can start to be linked to the plot. Perhaps they are asked to steal an item from a church, and later they find out that something killed everyone in the church because their "chalice of Shielding" was stolen the night before, so devils could get in. The ring is back at full charge, and the adventurer has been rewarded for their misdeed. The Devil later becomes a BBEG, with the "petty" crimes the PC was performing to charge the ring actually turning out to be key to the Devil's plots, taking away things in the material plane which were impeding its progress from the nine hells. When the devil is defeated, the ring becomes useless - though they might choose to serve the devil for more power - let the players decide!
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