Good “starter” magic items

[stewstew5]

I like creating characters with small-scale magic items to start. Say, a scarf from which my warlock’s magic springs that can teleport to her at will (a gift from her patron, of course), or a satchel belonging to a sorcerer that cushions fragile objects and is slightly more volumous than it appears (she’s a treasure hunter).
Generally my dungeon masters allow items like these since they’re better for role playing than any actually mechanical bonus, but I was wondering if there’s anywhere in the phb, dmg, or other official source that supports items like these and/or provides examples (in case a DM contests, but does not outright deny them in the future)?

[solidork]

There are a decent number of example common (as in rarity) magic items in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Stuff like a cape that flaps in the wind or a helm that makes your eyes glow. The items you described are of similar utility to the ones listed, and you can use them as a guideline for designing more.

[Rusvul]

It's not in the PHB or DMG, but my human wizard needed a light source (didn't have Light and needed a free hand), so I paid a priest to cast Continual Flame on her scarf. Not only can she see hands-free, but she's also that woman walking around town with the flaming scarf. Low-power, RAW, and cool.

[stewstew5]

It's not in the PHB or DMG, but my human wizard needed a light source (didn't have Light and needed a free hand), so I paid a priest to cast Continual Flame on her scarf. Not only can she see hands-free, but she's also that woman walking around town with the flaming scarf. Low-power, RAW, and cool.

Dang I like that

[stewstew5]

There are a decent number of example common (as in rarity) magic items in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Stuff like a cape that flaps in the wind or a helm that makes your eyes glow. The items you described are of similar utility to the ones listed, and you can use them as a guideline for designing more.

Oh thanks I never saw that before

[Man_Over_Game]

I like creating characters with small-scale magic items to start. Say, a scarf from which my warlock’s magic springs that can teleport to her at will (a gift from her patron, of course), or a satchel belonging to a sorcerer that cushions fragile objects and is slightly more volumous than it appears (she’s a treasure hunter).
Generally my dungeon masters allow items like these since they’re better for role playing than any actually mechanical bonus, but I was wondering if there’s anywhere in the phb, dmg, or other official source that supports items like these and/or provides examples (in case a DM contests, but does not outright deny them in the future)?

There are a few options on the new Artificer that fit what you're looking for. Specifically:

Boots that let you teleport up to 15 feet, as long as it is to a location where you occupied in the current turn (so you run up and then teleport back).
Several pouches that all lead into the same pocket dimension. That is, an item can be inserted in one pocket and withdrawn from another. Space is limited, though.
A weapon that returns when you throw it.

A few of my favorites:
A scarf that creates an illusion to make it appear like the non-magical armor of your choosing. It also grants you the AC of that armor. However, someone who attacks you makes an Intelligence (Investigation) DC equal to 20 - 1/2 of the AC of the armor, and doing so nullifies the effect. So an 18 AC armor has an 11 DC to see through it, but a 15 AC armor has a 13 DC.
A ring that casts Light on itself. It has 10 charges (10 minutes) of use, and regains a charge after spending an hour in daylight. This Light is special, shining through magical Darkness and it's considered Sunlight.
Shield of Returning. You are proficient in using it as an Improvised Weapon, can don/doff it as a Bonus Action, and you can return it as part of your attack with it by spending your Bonus ACtion. This does mean that you cannot unequip the shield, throw it, and have it return all in the same turn.
Bag of Molding: Like a Bag of Holding, but it contains a Rust Monster somewhere inside of it that was lured to it by the treasures inside.

[stewstew5]

Bag of Molding: Like a Bag of Holding, but it contains a Rust Monster somewhere inside of it that was lured to it by the treasures inside.

This is something a mean DM gives a whiny player I love it

[The Jack]

I like creating characters with small-scale magic items to start. Say, a scarf from which my warlock’s magic springs that can teleport to her at will (a gift from her patron, of course), or a satchel belonging to a sorcerer that cushions fragile objects and is slightly more volumous than it appears (she’s a treasure hunter).
Generally my dungeon masters allow items like these since they’re better for role playing than any actually mechanical bonus, but I was wondering if there’s anywhere in the phb, dmg, or other official source that supports items like these and/or provides examples (in case a DM contests, but does not outright deny them in the future)?

I'd exploit that scarf, the satchel seems more like a component pouch (25g) that should be worth a lot more.



I always though continual flame was a spell that demanded more attention. But then there's the 'This much gold worth or rubies' question that comes when the market changes. Do I need a drop in a world with high demand and do I need two-hands worth in a post scarcity world?

[Rusvul]

I think the game tends to handwave scarcity and just say "one spell's worth of ruby dust is 50gp." It's like... the innate value of the ruby dust, or something.

In my games, I mostly ignore scarcity, but for particularly in-demand resources, or in a small town cut off from trade, I usually charge 50% extra for fairly rare commodities like gems. So, in a little hamlet with one lapidary, your 50gp worth of ruby dust will cost you 75gp. Conversely, if you're at or near a major source of the commodity, I'll usually charge 50% less. In a mining town known for its rubies, that 50gp of ruby dust will go for 25gp.

So, in short, my interpretation is that spell components have an innate value that usually holds true. It's the innate value that matters for the spell, not how much you actually pay for it. If the economy is suddenly flooded with diamonds, you might be able to able to buy a diamond worth 10,000gp for 2,000, but since it's still a very nice diamond, you can resurrect your friend with it.

[Willie the Duck]

I think the game tends to handwave scarcity and just say "one spell's worth of ruby dust is 50gp." It's like... the innate value of the ruby dust, or something.

We've always treated it thusly: Outside of the fact that traditional D&D economies aren't really rigorous enough to stand up to close inspection, the do act like real economies, such that rare commodities will become more expensive in crunch times (finding ruby dust in a city under siege will be challenging and expensive), or less expensive if the market becomes flooded. However, at the point of the start of the campaign, there's some point which becomes the reference point for inflationary discussions. At that point, in a city with no specific trade relationship (unusual scarcity or abundance of rubies), there will be a certain amount of ruby dust that costs 50 gp. That's the actual amount of ruby dust in question, the spell's description of 50 gp of ruby dust is just a shorthand for that amount. Now, even if the value of ruby dust changes, it is still that amount that is required for the spell casting.


I think the game tends to handwave scarcity and just say "one spell's worth of ruby dust is 50gp." It's like... the innate value of the ruby dust, or something.

In my games, I mostly ignore scarcity, but for particularly in-demand resources, or in a small town cut off from trade, I usually charge 50% extra for fairly rare commodities like gems.

If you ever get a chance to meet one of the true 'played at the tables of the game-makers' crew like Ernie Gygax, Mike Mornard, or Jeff Berry, you should ask to hear the story about how they crashed the economies of Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and Tekumel by buying scrap iron in Greyhawk and Blackmoor, and then selling it in Tekumel (where iron is scarcer than gold and silks and other goods considered luxuries elsewhere).

[The Jack]

If you ever get a chance to meet one of the true 'played at the tables of the game-makers' crew like Ernie Gygax, Mike Mornard, or Jeff Berry, you should ask to hear the story about how they crashed the economies of Greyhawk, Blackmoor, and Tekumel by buying scrap iron in Greyhawk and Blackmoor, and then selling it in Tekumel (where iron is scarcer than gold and silks and other goods considered luxuries elsewhere).

That's normal trade, it wouldn't crash an economy. It'd make the players extremely rich, but really it'd only make the cities richer.



But let's say a ninth level wizard arises and uses true polymorph to turn things into gemstone. even if he's only doing it for a few days, he's going to completely crash the price of gems. Hell you'd have a great big time trying to decide how many wishes you'd get from one true polymorph of diamond.

[Contrast]

Weak random magic item generator. (http://lordbyng.net/inspiration/index.php)

But yeah Xanathars has a list of these. My fashion conscious bard treasures his Cloak of Many Fashions which allows him to change its appearance at will. I had the chance to swap it out for a Cloak of Protection and declined because when everyone else stomps into town covered in the wear and tear of weeks in the wilderness, he will be fresh as a daisy and in line with the latest trend. Money can't buy that :smallwink:

[Willie the Duck]

That's normal trade, it wouldn't crash an economy. It'd make the players extremely rich, but really it'd only make the cities richer.

Normal trade requires trade routes. This happened by the characters 'appearing' in MAR Barker's Tekumel Campaign loaded down with iron they picked up in Gygax's Greyhawk campaign because people used the same PC in whomever's campaign was being played at the time, with no good explanation of how said transit happened. In effect, being the only persons with access to a cross-worlds portal.

And yes, it can crash economies, just like massive influx of silver from the Americas devalued currency and caused massive economic upheaval (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_revolution) in Europe.


But let's say a ninth level wizard arises and uses true polymorph to turn things into gemstone. even if he's only doing it for a few days, he's going to completely crash the price of gems. Hell you'd have a great big time trying to decide how many wishes you'd get from one true polymorph of diamond.

I'll let someone else look up true polymorph and check any numbers/specifics. Regardless, walk us through this. What's the wizard's scheme?

Wizard turns a bunch of dross into gemstones, uses them to buy wishes?
Wizard turns a bunch of dross into gemstones, sells them for gold, eventually flooding the market and devaluing gems in general, and then buys a bunch of (not his) gems, which rise in price again when the true polymorph runs out of duration?
Something else?

[Contrast]

I'll let someone else look up true polymorph and check any numbers/specifics. Regardless, walk us through this. What's the wizard's scheme?

Something else?


Wizard lives alone in tower and is only interested in his research, doesn't want distractions.
Tells local village to make sure to keep him in a steady supply of food/necessities/misc wizarding gear but otherwise leave him alone.
In exchange once a week on his day off he'll True Polymorph any object they bring him into solid platinum/diamond/gold/whatever.

After a few years everyone in town has solid diamond dining tables.

[The Jack]

A wizard with TP and the mind to abuse it would devalue everything.

Today it's gems, tomorrow it's spices, the day after it's a valuable creature, an armour fit for an emperor, pure gold, marble, artwork...


Good starter magic items:
A cursed item with some benefit.
A sentient object with no purpose other than to advise.
A nice blessing, like deep red hair that grows big when your barbarian rages, or
A trinket that seems to hover an inch from a surface or some other cosmetic effect.
An endothermic firesource.
Secret tattoos that glow under certain light or when exposed to X.
A prosthetic that acts just as good as the limb you were born with. You feel pain through it.
A minor sex toy.
A magnet
A poison that does some other damage type.
Tracer arrows/bolts


I assume you pay for the base item and at least another hundred gold.

[MagneticKitty]

http://www.lordbyng.net/inspiration/tables.php
I like this homebrew list of minor traits

[jdolch]

I am a fan of Kvothe's Cloak of Shadows from "Wise Man's Fear" (Amazing!!! Books by the way). It is Woven from Shadows gathered in the Fey-Realm and stitched with moonlight. It makes the User hard to see in a very cool way: It's like the subconscious mind of people knows that the cloak doesn't belong in the mortal realm and so it tries to not see it. The effect is that most people don't notice it (and the one who wears it); even if they know that he is there and try to talk to him, their glance just 'slips off' and they lose sight of him.

Also it moves according to an unseen current; It moves in a wind that is not there. Most people don't notice but those who do realize that the cloak moves even in a room with no airflow.

To be honest the whole book (or rather books) is amazing. Including the most "realistic" description of how magic could actually work.

If you love D&D and you haven't read "Name of the Wind" you're doing something wrong.

[Sigreid]

A classic has always been a coin that when asked an either/or question and flipped, always lands on its side.

[Quoz]

One of my favorite was a pair of small linked portals, about 1 foot in diameter. Plenty of creative uses available, but the player that had them took it to a whole other level when he took the leadership feat and created an NPC ally of a magic shop owner as a business partner.

Need a special potion? A scroll or wand? Just call home and have it delivered. Got a few extra +1 swords the party doesn't want? Send them through and add them to my credit. And when the upcoming fight looks like a tough one, just mount the home side of the portal onto the front of the ballista for some instant firepower. Just make sure not to drop it in a lake.

[Vogie]

I will take interesting abilities that the monsters that the Party faces and turn them into items... either after the fact, a la components, or by handwaving "this is the thing that did that".

I'll also create items that are only useful in niche situations. When my party was level 1, for example, I let them find a ring that gave +2 AC only when under half health, as long as you weren't already wearing a shield.

I'll also troll the extensive 3.P items and litter them in the world as needed. For example, I took the Inner Sea "Junkblade" item, and restructured it as a +1 scimitar with the ability to... turn into a pile of scrap metal, or reform.

[Crushgrip]

Weak random magic item generator. (http://lordbyng.net/inspiration/index.php)

But yeah Xanathars has a list of these. My fashion conscious bard treasures his Cloak of Many Fashions which allows him to change its appearance at will. I had the chance to swap it out for a Cloak of Protection and declined because when everyone else stomps into town covered in the wear and tear of weeks in the wilderness, he will be fresh as a daisy and in line with the latest trend. Money can't buy that :smallwink:

Thank you for this! Bookmarked for later use.

Another resource is the minor magical property list in the DMG on page 143. I ended up using the Waterborne minor property on a starting characters idol of a kraken. There is also a list of cool minor magic items in the Haunted One background from Curse of Strahd that you may want to look at.

[furby076]

I think the game tends to handwave scarcity and just say "one spell's worth of ruby dust is 50gp." It's like... the innate value of the ruby dust, or something.

In my games, I mostly ignore scarcity, but for particularly in-demand resources, or in a small town cut off from trade, I usually charge 50% extra for fairly rare commodities like gems. So, in a little hamlet with one lapidary, your 50gp worth of ruby dust will cost you 75gp. Conversely, if you're at or near a major source of the commodity, I'll usually charge 50% less. In a mining town known for its rubies, that 50gp of ruby dust will go for 25gp.

So, in short, my interpretation is that spell components have an innate value that usually holds true. It's the innate value that matters for the spell, not how much you actually pay for it. If the economy is suddenly flooded with diamonds, you might be able to able to buy a diamond worth 10,000gp for 2,000, but since it's still a very nice diamond, you can resurrect your friend with it.

Problem with DMs who run those rules, and i've had more than a few, are as follows
1) The DMs are not real economists and are just making it up
2) dramatic increases that are flat (really, 50% more, why not more realistic like 10 or 20....is it because 50% is easy math)?
3) How often does the DM reduce the costs of items, and does that cost go down by 50% or more?
4) Does the DM take into account that if rubies are costing more, maybe food costs less?same with lodging and clothes? A little homlet is not charging as much for a hotel as a massive city? Think: Price of NYC hotel vs price of Tallahassee hotel. How about getting a pizza in either of those places?

I always felt that DMs who jacked up prices were just trying to justify adding "realism" into the game, but mainly did it by raising prices and never redcing.

Lastly, its just too complex. Do you want to designate rarity? Rarity = cost to purchase. Back in 3.5, Mithril chain shirt (which is not magical) cost 1000 gold. Some might say "pfft, big whoop"....yea, that is a big whoop since a peasant was making maybe a few copper to a silver a day. 1000 gold is more than they could buy in an ENTIRE lifetime of work

[Willie the Duck]

Problem with DMs who run those rules, and i've had more than a few, are as follows
1) The DMs are not real economists and are just making it up
2) dramatic increases that are flat (really, 50% more, why not more realistic like 10 or 20....is it because 50% is easy math)?
3) How often does the DM reduce the costs of items, and does that cost go down by 50% or more?
4) Does the DM take into account that if rubies are costing more, maybe food costs less?same with lodging and clothes? A little homlet is not charging as much for a hotel as a massive city? Think: Price of NYC hotel vs price of Tallahassee hotel. How about getting a pizza in either of those places?

Mind you, I'm not particularly motivated to attempt to impose market factors in my game (outside of "if the PC's zany actions have net them infinite 10' poles, the general store is not going to keep purchasing their trade-in 10' poles, that's called a flooded market, sorry guys."). However, these numbered examples seem a little like trying to find a problem with something. Yeah, 50% is probably for easy math. What's the problem with that? Most movement-related stuff gets rounded to 5' increments for simplicities sake as well.


I always felt that DMs who jacked up prices were just trying to justify adding "realism" into the game, but mainly did it by raising prices and never redcing.

If that's literally what they did, then yes it would be self-evident. If they also reduces prices when there was an oversupply, then it clearly isn't the case. I take it you've found yourself on the receiving end of a few 'screw the players' DMs? It would seem to me that that might be the real culprit.


Lastly, its just too complex. Do you want to designate rarity? Rarity = cost to purchase. Back in 3.5, Mithril chain shirt (which is not magical) cost 1000 gold. Some might say "pfft, big whoop"....yea, that is a big whoop since a peasant was making maybe a few copper to a silver a day. 1000 gold is more than they could buy in an ENTIRE lifetime of work

I'm not clear on how a specific non-magical (but clearly of the same gamist 'expensive thing the PCs really want for its mechanical qualities') item having a cost in excess of a peasant's life-income is 'too complex.' Those seem to be two disparate thoughts. Mind you, I agree that the D&D economy never made a lick of sense, particularly from a peasant's perspective (forget mithril shirts, in most editions they don't seem to be able to earn their own supposed monthly cost of living), but I don't see how it is related to the price of said mithril shirt, not is complexity the main culprit.

[stewstew5]

A
A minor sex toy.


How is this magic. Why would you say this