Making Weak Magical Items

[gr8artist]

I am new to 5e, but an experienced DM with plenty of homebrew experience. I would appreciate some inspiration for weak magical items I could incorporate as random loot. Stuff that would be valuable and unique, but not have a big impact on the party's overall power level. I appreciate the steps they took in 5e to reduce the necessity of magical items, but I still like to include them in my campaigns.
The items come from a mages' college, where students make minor magical items as part of their studies. The items are then sold to clients, collectors, and aristocrats as a means of funding the college.

The following magical items have already been introduced, and should give you an idea of the power level I'm aiming for.

Trazug's Goat Stew of Prize Winning
A recipe for goat stew that grants a "Enhance Ability - Bull's Strength (http://engl393-dnd5th.wikia.com/wiki/Enhance_Ability)" effect (adv. on Strength checks, 2x carrying capacity) for up to 8 hours. The stew congeals and loses this property in less than an hour after being removed from heat, and cannot be stored for later use.

Dreaded Candlestick
A brass candlestick engraved with the word "DREAD" on one side. When a candle is placed in it and lit, the candlestick will radiate a 10' aura of nervousness (the radius of the candle's light) that causes creatures sleeping in it to have nightmares.
The players do not yet know what this does, though they know it only works when there's a lit candle in it.

The Twinned Trunk
This chest is one of a pair, identical in nearly every way. Both chests share a single extra-dimensional storage space, which is no larger than either chest, and cannot be accessed by both at the same time (each chest locks while the other is open). Because the space is "split" between two boxes, items placed in it have their weight halved.
The players only have one, and do not yet know what it does.
Without knowledge of the box's properties, it appears as though items placed in it may randomly change or move about, as the owner of the other box changes or adjusts the shared contents.

This one wasn't a collegiate studies project, but harvested from the underdark.

Shadowflint
A lumpy chunk of warped black stone, vaguely like obsidian, that infests the mind of its owner. The last creature to have touched the stone will be cursed with a minor psychic ability, the ability to hear unspoken insults, and sense any hatred, revulsion, suspicion, or fear the creatures nearby may feel about him. This quickly devolves into paranoia and mistrust, if the curse is not broken or the stone passed to another.

TL;DR -- Any suggestions for minor magical items (weaker than a +1 Attack or AC bonus) would be greatly appreciated.

[iTreeby]

Bears strength stew is definitely one of the more powerful one's.


The shield of spite: if this shield blocks an attack (the attack failed by two or less) the bearer may gain advantage on one attack before the end of his next turn.


Oh, there is definitely a whole thread of these somewhere.

[Banana3lf]

Slippers of minor levititation that gives you the abilty to two step in the air followed by a step on the ground. Gives advantage on certain circumstancial acrobatics or dex saving throws as per the DM's decision.

[Fnissalot]

- Boots that have a chance to give a boost to initiative rolls. Roll a d6, on a 1 you have disadvantage on but on a 5-6 you have advantage.

- Horse shoes that increases the horses moving speed.

- Weapons that can cast light on itself and when it does, switches damage type. (Not +1)

-An armband consisting on two separate rotatable rings. When you turn the rings while wearing it, you turn your hand into a "mage hand" once a day. The rings detach and create a portal to each other while locking itself to your arm or hand. Your hand is detached from you body while the portal is open. The spell ends either by connecting your hand, arm and the rings together again or if the item is dispelled. If it is dispelled, it cuts your hand from your arm and you take 2d10 force damage as the wound is cauterized.

My groups often split up and then have issues working out where the other half of the group is. They usually get an item like one of the following pretty early on.
- Location stones are two crystallized marbles. When holding one of them, you know instinctively in what direction the other one is and approximately how many days away it is.

- A dimensional tin can telephone(call it something else). The string goes through another plane,, so you don't need to be close to talk to through it. When talking in one of the cans, your voice echoes out through the other one as if it was a speaker.

[Unoriginal]

Question: have you read the Xanathar's? Because there's a section on such items that could inspire you a lot.

[Maelynn]

Question: have you read the Xanathar's? Because there's a section on such items that could inspire you a lot.

This is what I wanted to comment as well. The items there are fun and have no impact on the game, other than perhaps roleplay. I gave my party one of these items when we started the campaign, just to add a bit of fluff and depth to their characters. And who knows what they come up with to incorporate these?

The Monk (nobility background) has the Clothes of Mending, because she's too good for menial tasks such as repairing her own clothes.

The Alchemist (who loves to smoke stuff and experiment with... stuff) has the Pipe of Smoke Monsters, which he loves to use to entertain kids.

The Sorcerer (Air Genasi) got the Cloak of Billowing, not only because of her race but also because the player enjoys playing characters with a sense of flair and performance.

The Rogue/Ranger got Sending Stones (not Xana, but I'll mention it just to complete my list) to keep in touch with his adopted 9-year-old daughter back in the city while he's out adventuring.