Greenlisted Magic Items

[Dark Ass4ssin 1]

So in 5e. magic items are a rare treat for the player, usually not sold like candy. My dilemma is that when players earn magic items in this edition I would like them to have a say in what they get.

However, some items are ridiculously broken, while others look good, but are straight garbage. So I would like a list of magic items that won't breal the game, with the level range in which they won't be broken.(or underpowered)
Ex.
Levels 1-5: x, y, z
Levels 6-9:x, y, z

[PoeticDwarf]

A magic weapon is basic, begin with the first +1 weapon around level 5 and the last one in the party (strongest) can get it some levels later. Beginning with level 11-13 you can give +2 weapons to the weakest player(s).
Potions don't break the game, of course. You can just use them once. A ring of resistance or water walking is always fun to have.

There is a Sentinel Shield or something, I really like that item. You can homebrew another item, a weapon and if you roll a 1 with that weapon, you can roll again and take the second result.

[Fighting_Ferret]

Magic Items are already broken down in to categories by rarity (common, uncommon, rare, very rare, legendary, and artefacts) which is almost a direct correlation with how useful the item can be.

Common Items (Any): should be available to purchase, there is even an entry in the PHB for healing potions. I'd make these items available for sale in most moderately sized population centres, even if limited in number.

Uncommon Items (levels 3-8): I'd still make some of these available to purchase, but in a very large population centre. Think the best person in their fields making these items. They will be costly, but hey what else do we have to spend money on, right? Also these make great heirlooms if you want a little bit more magic then standard, although a few of these won't break your game, keep in mind that several of these offer abilities character can't have available until 5th level or so. Even though this is the lowest item rating these items are strong for the whole game.

[iTreeby]

I find that some of the elemental evil and phb trinkets are pretty cool and they aren't even magic.

the DMG has rules for customizing magic items, four attributes that make the item more interesting. the attributes are creator, historical detail, minor property and, a quirk. in addition to making magic items more interesting you can also use these attributes to make an item more balanced.

For example depending on who created the magic item it will have a different appearance and perhaps a minor ability. you can make a magic sword that was made by celestials that does nothing except weigh half as much as a normal weapon and bypasses the damage resistance of creatures resistant to non magic weapons. this is an item that doesn't unbalance the game at any point but is generally useful. if you want to give someone an item that you worry is too good, give them a drow crafted version item, if it is in direct sunlight for a minute it will not function properly or disintegrate.

half the historical details say someone else wants this item. other options are certain enemies will target you, people will hate you for possessing the item, or people expect great things from you, all of these can balance the power of a weapon or justify having the item stolen or whatever.

most of the minor properties are just neat little things that don't unbalance the game some of them are super useful: +2 initiative, always know your depth below ground and the direction to the nearest staircase ramp or path leading upwards, suffer no harm from temperature over 120 or below -20, 20 ft of light or, unbreakable. most of these things can be given to items that need a little more love.

quirks give you several other ways to limit an items usefulness or single out which party member gets it. don't want the rogue/sneaky guy to end up with a certain item, make it have the loud or muttering quirk, the elves probably don't want the slothful item, and the possessive quirk is basically a minor curse.


but yeah, there are a bunch of ways to tinker with items to make them more or less powerful

[Millface]

Do... do not all DMs just hand their level one players a Deck of Many Things and press go?

Maybe I'm doing this wrong.

[ImSAMazing]

Do... do not all DMs just hand their level one players a Deck of Many Things and press go?

Maybe I'm doing this wrong.

The one in my campaign who had one was locked up in a store by the Paladin.

[EvanescentHero]

Do... do not all DMs just hand their level one players a Deck of Many Things and press go?

Maybe I'm doing this wrong.

That would be a fun one-off.

[KorvinStarmast]

I recall the deck of many things being called "The Deck of How To Break Our Game"

A spectre was summoned by the deck the first time we played (OD&D) with one and we lost four character levels to the two hits it scored before we killed it.

Jack of Spades: "Monster from 5th level Underworld Monster Table attacks by surprise"

Of all the brilliant ideas the TSR crew had, this item wasn't one of them.

[KorvinStarmast]

As to green listed items, since the game began I've been a fan of Ring of Spell Storing as being a good item, but one of limited power, I think the current description is that it holds up to 5 spell levels.

Keep it low like that.

[XmonkTad]

Part of what breaks magic items are the fact that most people don't have any. With common items you don't have to worry so much, it makes sense for an on-duty watchman to have a healing potion. Rarer items start to become problematic (I'm looking at you Broom of Flying) when enemies have nothing they can do about a character with that capability. However, in 5e magic items need more love and care when being designed rather than the nerf bat after you hand them out.

[Dark Ass4ssin 1]

Thanks for the replies, the suggested items really helped. I was rather timid at first, but the players seem happy with the items they got, and the game hasn't been busted.

[TrollCapAmerica]

There arent many terribly OP items but thete are several that are are amazing and maybe too low in rarity and relative power compared to other items

Some examples

Boots of the Winterlands-It gives immunity to a certain niche kind of hazard/CC makes arctic adventures significantly simpler which is neat and it provides resistance to one of the most common elements at a rarity level where that alone is good enough. Probably the best boots

Belt of Dwarvenkind-A stat boosting instead of stat setting item for a stat that benefits pretty much everyone. You also get poison resistance AND advantage on saves which is a damage type PCs rarely get but monsters get a lot. Getting advantage on CHA checks with an entire race could be amazing in many games as well

Rod of the pact Keeper-Ok with a Warlocks few spell slots the need to make those spell DCs higher keeps them from wasting spells. Otherwise its the Locks version of a good magical weapon and has a rarity lv on par with most magical weapons. Thats the Theory in actuality its the equivalent to a magical bow for EB that will knock back keeping you safe while giving you Save DCs ahead of the bounded accuracy curve and making you the best debuffer/BFCer and prviding an extra spell slot over the class main weakness