The Economy of Red Herrings

[Jkeown]

My sleep troubles forced me to nap a bit yesterday and this came to me whilst I was drifting in and out of consciousness. An Images Ring (OIF) with 10 active points is a 6 or 7 real point magic item.

 

Say you could program the image or a set of them, customizing it for each buyer. Thus, mercenaries put on a Sell Sword Ring when they're out of work, merchants can post basic price lists that follow them around, guides have Wayfinder Rings that produce light, rather than carry a lamp or torch at night. Runes floating above a character's head indicate all sorts of things, and most folks use them as public notice of one thing or another... I even imagine Just Married Rings, Baby on Board Rings for pregnant females and Looking For An Elvish Girlfriend Rings for some lonely guys with distinct taste in women.

 

The PCs will be immediately suspcious that I'm about to pull something. They'll be waiting for the rings to be revealed as mind control devices, power channels for evil wizards or something...

 

So the question is, what percentage of the population should have them to make a PC question them? I'm not going to do anything odd or dangerous with them, but I think I want to make the PCs crazy and paranoid.

[Cancer]

Re: The Economy of Red Herrings

 

Depends on how complete the PCs want to be. This is an exercise in sampling, when all is said and done.

[Tasha]

Re: The Economy of Red Herrings

 

The moment that the PC's think that a majority have said rings and that in hindsight said rings were adopted by the populace in a short time span. Like less than a month for a big city. Perhaps they notice that all of the Jewelery, and magic item vendors are selling the item.

 

You can up the suspicion by using semi-credible NPC's that refuse to do secret business while people are wearing the ring. Have the PCs hear a rumor that the Mages guild use the rings for scrying on the wearers of the rings. Things like that. Of course, when the trusted magical user spends time detecting the spells on the ring they get nothing but the images effect, but there is a set of numbers magically engraved within the ring's spells. etc.

 

It's quite fun making the PC's and their players paranoid.

[Querysphinx]

Re: The Economy of Red Herrings

 

My sleep troubles forced me to nap a bit yesterday and this came to me whilst I was drifting in and out of consciousness. An Images Ring (OIF) with 10 active points is a 6 or 7 real point magic item.

 

Say you could program the image or a set of them, customizing it for each buyer. Thus, mercenaries put on a Sell Sword Ring when they're out of work, merchants can post basic price lists that follow them around, guides have Wayfinder Rings that produce light, rather than carry a lamp or torch at night. Runes floating above a character's head indicate all sorts of things, and most folks use them as public notice of one thing or another... I even imagine Just Married Rings, Baby on Board Rings for pregnant females and Looking For An Elvish Girlfriend Rings for some lonely guys with distinct taste in women.

 

The PCs will be immediately suspcious that I'm about to pull something. They'll be waiting for the rings to be revealed as mind control devices, power channels for evil wizards or something...

 

So the question is, what percentage of the population should have them to make a PC question them? I'm not going to do anything odd or dangerous with them, but I think I want to make the PCs crazy and paranoid.

 

Cue a million OOC comments about looking for the guy with the "quest-giver" icon over his head.

 

Seriously, that was the first thing I thought of.

[Starcloud]

Re: The Economy of Red Herrings

 

I'd make it a fad for the "middle class" in a large city in your campaign. Poor people can't afford one, rich people will be asking for much more elaborate versions of the same.

Have it come down to a couple student mages who got hold of a cheap way to enchant a large number of rings, and just want to make some money, aided by a pretty darn good salesman.

Sometimes, the explanation really is a simple one.

[GoldenAge]

Re: The Economy of Red Herrings

 

My sleep troubles forced me to nap a bit yesterday and this came to me whilst I was drifting in and out of consciousness. An Images Ring (OIF) with 10 active points is a 6 or 7 real point magic item.

 

Say you could program the image or a set of them, customizing it for each buyer. Thus, mercenaries put on a Sell Sword Ring when they're out of work, merchants can post basic price lists that follow them around, guides have Wayfinder Rings that produce light, rather than carry a lamp or torch at night. Runes floating above a character's head indicate all sorts of things, and most folks use them as public notice of one thing or another... I even imagine Just Married Rings, Baby on Board Rings for pregnant females and Looking For An Elvish Girlfriend Rings for some lonely guys with distinct taste in women.

 

The PCs will be immediately suspcious that I'm about to pull something. They'll be waiting for the rings to be revealed as mind control devices, power channels for evil wizards or something...

 

So the question is, what percentage of the population should have them to make a PC question them? I'm not going to do anything odd or dangerous with them, but I think I want to make the PCs crazy and paranoid.

Sounds like you need more sleep!