The force rings can only harm by using their magic; the Warden swords can be used just as swords without adding the extra powers on.  Their enhanced sharpness is part of their construction, not a magical effect, so that doesn't count, but the extra abilities may; ask your GM or make your own decision on it of that's you.

In terms of a familiar that shares/confers abilities to the character, you'd only need to use Item Of Power for the abilities it gives rather than all of the abilities it has.  So you'd need to stat the familiar out like an NPC to begin with (whatever you do with it) and figure out any conferrals later.

Okay, here are the thaumaturgy rituals my character has used so far in our game.  He has something of a "hand-made playing card with magical sigils on" theme going on to supplement the magic taught to him by a more traditional magical group who tend to do a lot of chanting in Old English.

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Camden Ward - Named after the road where the character's safe house is.

• Complexity 8 anti-magic ward - does not stop physical intrusion, only shields against spells
• Cast in the morning so lasts until next sunrise; duration = "one day" then increased two steps to "one week"
• Simple condition - carrying a hand-drawn playing card inscribed with sigils allows entry without setting a magical alarm off

Total Complexity: 12

Lore: Great (+4)

Declarations:

• Other sigil-cards mark the limits of the ward; Cards Mark The Border (Lore)
• It was a long night last night; Grumpy From Lack Of Sleep (Minor Social Consequence)
• Hold tightly to a mental image of the house layout; Visualise The Rooms (Discipline)
• Check the immediate area for lines of sight, patterns of repetition, the Golden Ratio in the geometry of the roads and buildings, and so on; Find The Mystic Patterns (Investigation)

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Capture Essence - find the impression/aura/traces/signature/whatever of certain supernatural beings from the inside of an old flint tower and capture them in a specially prepared crystal.

• GM set base complexity at 10
• I increased it to 13 just in case more power/effort was needed as it was a very delicate working; the mystery creatures had been seen last night and this spell was being cast the following day

Total Complexity: 13

Lore: Great (+4) + Divination complexity bonus (+1)

Declarations:

• Locate the mystical centre of the tower; Finding The Focal Point (Lore)
• Cleansing the crystal with meditation and special ritual powders; Prepare The Crystal (Lore)
• Recite a long chant that resonates in the circular tower; Echoing Old English Chant (Discipline)
• Establish a bond with the tower by cutting palms on sharp flint walls; Hands Cut By Flint (Minor Physical Consequence)

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Essence Tracking - spell to use the previously captured essence as the symbolic link for a tracking spell.  The spell almost went BANG! after a bad roll on the last Control attempt but fortunately my final Fate Point was there to save the day; the fact that my character was using a method taught by the magical order he used to be a member of (as specified by the GM!) meant I could use the aspect for it to get a re-roll.

• GM set base complexity at 8 as it was harder than a regular tracking spell due to the fragility of the essence that has been captured

Total Complexity: 8

Lore: Great (+4) + Divination complexity bonus (+1)

Declarations:

• Skipped dinner for this one; Focus Past My Hunger (Discipline)
• Tore up the living room carpet and daubed mystical markings on the walls and a circle on the bare floorboards; Jury Rig A Ritual Space (Lore)

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Poker Clairvoyance - This spell has only been designed and not used so far.  It is a spell cast on someone that enables them to see what cards other players at the table have (and what's being dealt next) using manoeuvres; multiple manoeuvres allow multiple free tags, as specified in the rules.  The only thing I am unsure on is whether or not the deck being used would be required as a symbolic link or not.  I don't think it is would be required, and indeed I'd hope not - getting the correct deck that would be used in the game (or linking to every deck in the casino) would be almost impossible!

• Base duration is a scene the length of about half a fairly serious poker game - "a few hours" - boosted up one step to "an afternoon" or approximately six to seven hours
• Manoeuvre - Card Counting Made Easy
• Manoeuvre - Looking Over Your Shoulder
• Manoeuvre - I Know What Cards You Have
• Manoeuvre - I Know Who's Bluffing
• Manoeuvre - I Can See What Will Be Dealt Next

Total Complexity: 11

Lore: Great (+4) + Divination complexity bonus (+1)

Declarations:

• Practice with my own deck of cards; Experiment With Clairvoyance (Deceit? the character has a Card Tricks stunt based off Deceit)
• Hold the image of the cards and suites in your mind; Visualise The Deck (Discipline)
• Set the cards out in mystical patterns to focus the spell; Clock Face Of Cards (Lore)

What's the oddest group of characters you've ever seen in a DF game?

In the game I'm in, we have a con-man/gambler who has learnt thaumaturgy; a fake psychic whose "pretend powers" actually do exist; a dodgy dealer of a male sylph changeling from Morocco or Tunisia (who is confused because every other sylph seems to be female); and...   a Second World War naval captain who was lost in battle in the middle of the war and found himself on a beach in the 21st century, who has no powers but may be haunted by his crew.

Got anything weirder?

So, what's your way of making a character a gambler, card shark, whatever?

It looks like it definitely falls under the Deceit skill, but would you insist on the use of a stunt to add an extra trapping for it?  Or would a "+2 to Deceit when playing cards" stunt be enough?  Could that +2 cover just bluffing or cheating alone, or a combination of bluffing and cheating?  Maybe, +1 on each, from the one stunt? Or is that two separate stunts, one for each 'ability'?

I'm trying to work out a way to do it without going stunt-crazy.  I appreciate any suggestions y'all might have.

Yes, a runestone or a rune inscribed on a surface (Explosive Rune, anyone?) would be appropriate names for that kind of theme.

I'm leaning more towards 'telsem' or 'cipher' myself.

"These aren't the Droids you're looking for."

"Move along."

He totally mind controlled that guy.  Obi gets snicker-snacked.  Good thing he doesn't actually have to worry about the Laws, then...