Return of The King (GLoG Class: Ring-Bearer)

The new LoTR set for Magic: The Gathering just came out, and—considering that the silly card game has had me in a chokehold for the last few months—it's no surprise that this whipped me into an inspiration frenzy.

Be your very own Sauron. Play a Frodo-type, and risk your personhood being stripped away. Maybe play this in a Modern setting, and have your little buddy be the bard who follows around Terry Crews in White Chicks. That's the fun of OSR: it promotes doing whatever you'd like!

Just have fun. Enjoy!

God, He's So Cool
Art by Anna Podedworna

THE RING-BEARER

+1 Attack per template

Starting Skill: 1) Metalsmithing 2) Disguise 3) Pyrokinesis 4) Battle-Planning

Starting Items: The Ring, Chain, A Newly-Forged tool (Medium, 1d8 damage), A Collection Of Old Things, Hate.

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A – One To Bind, Corruption

B –  +1 CD, +1 Temptation, Mouth of Awe

C – +1 CD, +1 Temptation, One To Rule

D – Subjugation

One To Bind

You have crafted The Ring: a lone object of incredible power, of which you are its true wielder. Only you gain benefits from wearing The Ring, and only so long as you have Ring-Bearer Templates; other creatures who wear The Ring vanish into The Ethereal Plane for 1d4 minutes.

The Ring is a part of you. It can never be destroyed except by being submerged in the fire of its creation, and you are always aware of its general location. You know if someone else possesses The Ring and can communicate with them telepathically from any distance.

Corruption

You have a pool of Corruption Dice, or CD. These work much like MD, returning to you on a 1-3 and expiring on a 4-6. Unlike normal magic, you cannot regain Corruption Dice by taking a rest, instead regain one Corruption Die whenever you kill a sapient creature with at least 1 HD. You can only have as many Corruption Dice as you have Ring-Bearer Templates.

You can use your CD to power a Temptation of your choice, or expend it as a reaction to reduce the damage of a non-magical attack targeting you by [templates] + [sum]. Should you ever remove The Ring from your person, you temporarily lose access to your Temptations until it is returned to you.

Mouth to Awe

You have acquired the skills of a talented retainer—an orator and skald—who wishes only for glory in your name. With your permission, this skald will travel from place to place, using any acquired or gifted wealth to recruit hirelings, request lodgings, and otherwise support your journey (and are undoubtedly qualified for the task). They are otherwise a loyal, helpful assistant, and speak goodwill to your name on any occasion.

The Movie Version Looks Cooler IMO, But He's Drippy Too
Art by Alex Brock for MTG

One To Rule

Great power flows through you and only grows stronger with time. You deal +1 damage with weapon attacks for each unexpended CD you possess. 

Subjugation

Your hunger has overgrown even yourself, and with such hunger comes a desire for more. By spending a week of downtime and sacrificing one of your CD you may construct a ring of power. A creature wearing one of these rings can communicate with you telepathically from any distance and gains a single CD, which they can use to cast a Temptation of your choice. 

So long as it is being worn, a creature wearing a ring of power counts as an unexpended CD for your Own to Rule ability.

Once per month, per person, you may use the Dominate Temptation on a creature wearing a ring of power without expending CD. You do not need to see the target to use this ability, and can do so from any distance. The target cannot save.

Me And The Boys
Art by Anato Finnstark

Temptations

1. DOMINATE
• Command another to do your bidding. Bend the wills of man to consciously follow your words. Target follows [dice]-word order as per Command, but cannot directly harm themself. +1 target per CD expended. Targets can Save to resist.
  
  
2. MASQUERADE
• Appear to be who you are not. Look trustworthy from the outside. You gain the appearance of a non-existent person [sum] hours, including a different voice, but your clothing and equipment remain the same. 3+ CD transforms your equipment as well.
  
  
3. OBFUSCATE
• Become formless. Peek into the world beyond. You become invisible for [sum] minutes. With 1-2 CD, you can see wraiths, ghosts, and other things in The Ethereal Plane. 3+ CD allows you to interact and speak with them.
  
  
4. ANNIHILATE
• Return to dust. Per CD, one non-magical sword-sized object you can see within 30 feet of you disintegrates. With 2+ CD, destroy an additional object for each additional die. Alternatively, target creature takes [sum] damage thrice over three rounds, and you must concentrate on this effect. You cannot take other actions while using this effect.
  
  
5. MANIPULATE
• Shape the world. [CD*5]-foot square of unworked material shifts, bends or moves to your design. Fire warps, water separates, and the earth becomes a pit. If material would directly cause harm, strike deals [sum] damage. With 2+ CD, you can hold its new position for [sum] rounds, or until you lose concentration. With 3+ CD, cause machinery to act without their controls.
  
  
6. RECUPERATE
• Fill wounds. You regain [sum] hit points. With 3+ CD, you can survive an otherwise fatal spell or injury as a reaction, returning to 1 hit point. 

Mishaps

1. CD only return to your pool on a roll of 1-2 for 24 hrs.
2. You take 1d6 damage.
3. You lose 1d6 Stability.
4. You lose control and disappear into The Ethereal Plane for 10 minutes. Something notes your presence.
5. You cannot receive beneficial magic for 1d6 hrs.
6. The nearest NPC to you becomes aware of The Ring's power and begins to covet it.

Dooms

1. The Ring tests you. It disappears from your finger to a random location within a day's travel of your current location.
2. The Ring tempts you. You cannot remove The Ring for any reason, even through magic or threat of death, and constantly fear that others may take it from you. Should the ring ever be removed at this point, you would do anything to get it back.
3. The Ring consumes you. Your body becomes warped and wraith-like, and your heart becomes inconsolable. You cannot love, nor care and look to others with kindness, for all of your desires lie with The Ring. Should you die, or your form be separated from The Ring, your soul shall finally be corrupted and your physical form shaped into incoherence. Your only reason for existing shall be subjugation, destruction, and control. You are not yourself.