You're starting a new campaign. You start with 1 Legendary.

[jaappleton]

What's your item, class, and subclass?

I've always been curious as to what items could radically enhance or perhaps even totally alter a particular playstyle.

Personally I'd make a Way of Mercy Monk, with the Gloves of Soul Catching. If you're unfamiliar, I don't blame you. This item is from Candlekeep Mysteries.

Wonderous Item
Requires Attunement
Set your Con score to 20. Already at 20? Gain no benefit from this particular feature of the item.

After making a successful unarmed strike while wearing these gloves, you can use the gloves to deal an extra 2d10 force damage to the target, and you regain a number of hit points equal to the force damage dealt. Or, instead of regaining HP, you can choose to gain advantage on one attack roll, saving throw, or ability check you make before the end of your next turn.

EDIT: Blackrazor might be the standard answer for a lot of people. That thing is... yeesh. IMO that rarity rating is a miscalculation, that belongs in Artifact. But its Legendary, so fair game.

[Grod_The_Giant]

An Apparatus of Kwalish. Just because I've always wanted one.

A Dragon Mask (Rise of Tiamat) would be fun for a Dragonborn. Not so much for the Cha-to-AC (though that part does make me want to make a hexblade) as being able to use your breath weapon all day long. That would just be so satisfying.

A Helm of the Scavenger (Dungeon of the Mad Mage) will transform a campaign all by itself. Screw the plot, we're going starjamming!

A Tome of the Stilled Tongue would be a nice but not overpowering bonus for a wizard, but the whole "Vecna writes you notes" bit has a lot of interesting plot potential.

[Warder]

It's a difficult question. A lot of legendary items are just focused on combat effectiveness and I'm not sure that'd be a lot of fun to start an entire campaign with, but if the DM has a solid idea for it I think I'd take the opportunity to pick a vorpal sword, since the idea of it going snickersnack has been stuck with me for many years but I've never actually seen one in a game of D&D.

[Unoriginal]

That's a tough question indeed.

An Artificier with an Apparatus of Kwalish (as already mentioned by Grod_The_Giant) would be awesome, but so would a Barbarian with an Iron Horn of Vallhalla, or a Genie Warlock with an Iron Flask, or any character capable of wearing plate with an Armor of Invincibility, or any ruler-like character with a Rod of Lordly Might, or any scholar-like character with a Crystal Ball of True Seeing.

In any case, I expect that a big percentage of such a campaign to be about fighting off everyone who want to take the Legendary items from the "easy targets".



https://youtu.be/IXvXlBUOyAo

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I will take a Holy Avenger as I never had the opportunity to use one with my Paladins.

If not that than the 29 str belt, because lifting stuff is cool(I will also take a race with powerful build).
Will probably go monk or fighter with it.

I forgot the Cloak of Invisibility.
One of my favourite items.

[da newt]

Belt of Storm Giant ST (29) - it's not the OP answer, but it could be fun especially on a gnome or kobold or ...

[BigRedJedi]

Ioun Stone of Mastery, any class.

[Amnestic]

Staff of the Magi probably. Offence, defence (spell absorbing) and a lot of extra buttons per long rest. Fireball, Wall of Fire and Lightning bolt on their own will let you decimate a bunch of early encounters with ease.

It would probably fit on any caster, but since it gives you so many options for your actions that don't cost spell slots, I'd probably lean towards wizard. Evoker for Sculpt Spells to drop those fireballs unabated, or Abjurer since you can infinitely recharge your ward with some of the "infinite" spells inside of it (Arcane Lock, Protection from Good and Evil).

[Warder]

Ioun Stone of Mastery, any class.

That's interesting to me because when I looked at the list I thought that it's probably the one I'd be the least likely to pick. It's amazing, but also entirely passive so it'd be like playing a normal game but you're a bit better at everything you do, so it feels like it'd defeat the purpose of that style of game in the first place. I'd like to hear your take on it!

[Unoriginal]

Belt of Storm Giant ST (29) - it's not the OP answer, but it could be fun especially on a gnome or kobold or ...

If I took the Belt of Storm Giant Strength I would make a Triton Rune Knight Fighter and play them as an ancient Storm Giant lord who got super-depowered.

[jaappleton]

Belt of Storm Giant ST (29) - it's not the OP answer, but it could be fun especially on a gnome or kobold or ...

I'm particularly fond of this idea with any small race, as a Fighter, or Barbarian, and playing it like Macho Man Randy Savage.

"You want this belt? Ooooh, yeah, come and TAKE IT!"
-flying elbow drop-

[Bobthewizard]

I'd vote staff of the magi for the reasons Amnestic laid out above. For something more unique, Blackstaff from Dragon Heist is a staff of power with a few extra properties, one of which is the ability to make an arcana check to avoid using the spell slot on any enchantment spell. That could be amazing on an enchanter.

[SLOTHRPG95]

Probably a Well of Many Worlds or Cubic Gate for a plane-hopping campaign starting at 1st level. If thinking less for the party and more for just one character, then one of the Rings of Elemental command. I've been partial to them for the past several editions, but never managed to acquire one as a player.

[BoxANT]

I mean the choice is obvious.

Halfling (lightfoot) Rogue
Ring of Invisibility

[jaappleton]

I mean the choice is obvious.

Halfling (lightfoot) Rogue
Ring of Invisibility

One of your party members must arrive precisely when they mean to.

[stoutstien]

You could use the wish ring to give the whole party resistance to S/P/B damage.

[BigRedJedi]

That's interesting to me because when I looked at the list I thought that it's probably the one I'd be the least likely to pick. It's amazing, but also entirely passive so it'd be like playing a normal game but you're a bit better at everything you do, so it feels like it'd defeat the purpose of that style of game in the first place. I'd like to hear your take on it!

It's the only Legendary item that I would be okay with starting at Level 1, because it gives a character a unique motivation and enabling factor for stepping onto the path of an adventurer. Even if the character didn't understand why they always seemed to take up activities, physical or mental, and immediately demonstrate a degree of competence, this lovely little floating rock that they inherited from a little-known, rather quirky uncle surely has nothing to do with it, right?

The boring and passive nature is, for me, the appealing part in a thought exercise like this. Nearly all of the other Legendary items have world-altering potential power and should be something to either aspire to attain or be blown away by when discovered after defeating a suitably epic opponent. I can find a clever way to explain why my character has or found the floating stone, but it is much harder to explain how I have the fabled Staff of the Magi.

[Warder]

It's the only Legendary item that I would be okay with starting at Level 1, because it gives a character a unique motivation and enabling factor for stepping onto the path of an adventurer. Even if the character didn't understand why they always seemed to take up activities, physical or mental, and immediately demonstrate a degree of competence, this lovely little floating rock that they inherited from a little-known, rather quirky uncle surely has nothing to do with it, right?

The boring and passive nature is, for me, the appealing part in a thought exercise like this. Nearly all of the other Legendary items have world-altering potential power and should be something to either aspire to attain or be blown away by when discovered after defeating a suitably epic opponent. I can find a clever way to explain why my character has or found the floating stone, but it is much harder to explain how I have the fabled Staff of the Magi.

Yeah, that's fair. I also struggle with the basic premise of having world-altering legendary items from the getgo, so I get where you're coming from. It still wouldn't change my own answer - I think I'd rather lean into it pretty heavily if the DM presented this idea for a campaign - but it makes sense to me. Thanks for the reply!

[MoiMagnus]

Obviously, a stick of Sovereign Glue (or some Universal Solvent) is the best pick. This or the Talisman of the Sphere, I'm not sure which one is worst best.

A moonblade is a very interesting item to start a campaign with, so I'd probably pick that one.
Successfully attuning to it could even be one of the initial quests of the character. You're pretty much King Arthur starting his journey.

(The only part that I don't like about it is the randomness of the number of previous owners. I'm fine with the randomness of which effect you get, it's just that I don't want to play in a campaign in which I roll low on the d6, not because the item would be bad, but because it would feel bad)

[Waazraath]

Interesting!

Some things in random order.

- the only right answer is of course the Deck of Many things, draw 3-5 cards... if it works out, great you have 1d3 wishes, or 50000 XP and a magic item, or a lvl 4 figher servant, or other goodness. If not, you're probably dead, hey, just roll up another lvl 1 character and try again =D

- as this is an issue:


In any case, I expect that a big percentage of such a campaign to be about fighting off everyone who want to take the Legendary items from the "easy targets".

Then a ring of invisibility may be best (to stay under the radar) or an Apparatus of Kwalish (to stay under the survace, and go hunting sharks or something till you gained a lot of levels.)

- not mentioned yet: radkos rite knife (ravnica), a melee weapon that is effectively +1 to hit / +1 + 5d4 damage is damn strong (disrergarding other uses).

- not mentioned part 2: bloodletter tattoo (tasha's), extra damage, self healing by hitting people (I loved the ring of vamperic regeneration in AD&D!), and reaction attack. Only downside is it has only 10 charges, but very nice.

- I'm not sure if I'd call "Gloves of Soul Catching" an item. In the adventure, you only get the book that describes how to create them, which deeply profane/evil and requires destroying the souls of several (at least 1 good) creature, and explicitly mentions that it's not sure the creation process works. But if you count it, yeah, very good item as well.

- Storm giant belts, holy avengers, staff of the magi's, vorpal swords... all of them of course great choices as well.

If I'd HAD to make a choice, I'd go for the Deck of Many things, even if I couldn't get a legendary for the next character if things went dismally wrong. "If you want to gamble, I'll tell you how it'll be..." :-)

[Temperjoke]

I think I'd take an invisibility cloak. Honestly, I don't think it'd be too game-breaking, especially later on, since it has a limit to how long you can remain invisible. I'd pair it with a rogue, for thematic reasons as well as it fitting with their natural advantages for stealth. Might even pair it with a so-called "monstrous race" from Volo's, since it could help the character get through less-friendly, out of combat scenarios.

[J-H]

Deck of Many Things

Only two of the options are pretty likely to kill my character outright. Most of the other bad ones make great plot hooks (new enemy, alignment change, Ruin) or are debuffs that are survivable (idiot, euryale). The good options range from okay (Coment) to stupendous (50,000 gold, a 4th level knight minion, a keep, 10,000xp at low levels, 1d3 Wishes, a rare or rarer magic weapon).
3/22 (~15%) chance of death.... not bad when starting out.

[Pixel_Kitsune]

Honestly, I'd want to pick something that fits a story even if it's not as good as it could be.

First idea that comes to mind is a fallen noble who's family has been destroyed and possesses the Hammer of Thunderbolts as an heirloom. Having a +1 weapon upfront would be plenty useful and it would become a part of my character's background and goals to find the belt and gauntlets to awaken it fully and reinstate his family's good name.

Another would be a Luckblade or Ring of 3 wishes in the hands of a Genie Lock. Masquerading as a full genie from the get go and using the wishes sparingly but in line with keeping up the charade.

The Elemental Control Rings are interesting and again, become part of the plotline since you need to take down an elemental to awaken the ring fully.

If I was just picking an item for power and fun factor it'd probably be a Rod of Lordly Might for a Martial Character and the Staff of the Archmagi for a caster. Just nice solid options and benefits.

[Ionathus]

I'm particularly fond of this idea with any small race, as a Fighter, or Barbarian, and playing it like Macho Man Randy Savage.

"You want this belt? Ooooh, yeah, come and TAKE IT!"
-flying elbow drop-

Are you another player in my campaign? Our barbarian just received a Belt of Storm Giant Strength, and it's literally a WWE champion belt! She, uh, hits really hard now.

This is a very topical thread for me right now: I don't even need to speculate. I'm just starting in an extremely high-magic campaign right now and we are punching WAY above our weight thanks to some supremely powerful loot.

Example: my PC is a Battle Smith Artificer, and just received a Vorpal Blade. Hello, +10 to attack at level 4!

[Eldariel]

Scroll of the Comet. Because sometimes you just want to make a 0,2 mile diameter hole. Ring of Three Wishes is also a classic. Or Magic Lamp Ring of Djinni Summoning. Just be Aladdin! Definitely one of those three (Tarrasque Summoning is sadly pretty weak since the flying pewpew squad will inevitably appear where the Tarrasque be and kill it). Screw permanent items, I leave a permanent mark. Also, Ring of Three Wishes can give you rather nice permanent boosts.

[kazaryu]

Staff of the Magi probably. Offence, defence (spell absorbing) and a lot of extra buttons per long rest. Fireball, Wall of Fire and Lightning bolt on their own will let you decimate a bunch of early encounters with ease.

It would probably fit on any caster, but since it gives you so many options for your actions that don't cost spell slots, I'd probably lean towards wizard. Evoker for Sculpt Spells to drop those fireballs unabated, or Abjurer since you can infinitely recharge your ward with some of the "infinite" spells inside of it (Arcane Lock, Protection from Good and Evil).

for a mage character there's also the robes of the archmagi. less flashy but it increases spell save DC (something that wizards don't really have a way to do easily) alongside AC. but yeah, you'd definitely dominate the frist several levels if you had a staff of the magi.

for me...i mean idk what i'd end up picking there are several temptations. belt of storm giants str is up there purely for how ridiculously strong it is. rod of lordly might seems like a lot of fun, even if its not the most overtly powerful. either the crystal ball of telepathy (trolling) or mind reading (proabably more optimal) would also be tempting. cubic gate could be neat...but also super dangerous. can't imagine getting much use out of it as a lvl 1 PC...maybe at level 5+ if some of the sides are keyed to inner planes...regardless, even if it remained unused mostly, it could certainly be a flavorful item. and i suppose its ability to banish could come in handy. too many options.

[Ogre Mage]

It is cliche but any class with a ring of three wishes. What do you do when given a power which is so limitless and limited at the same time? The potential rewards are great but so is the disaster. The stories of how a PC came into possession of such an item and the scenarios in which one might be tempted to use a wish are the stuff of which legends are made. Did your PC choose wisely?

For something more specific, probably a bard with on ollamh harp (instrument of the bards). Your bard has inherited the legendary harp of a legendary bard. These are big shoes to fill. Are you up to it?

[Fable Wright]

This might be me being basic, but an Illusionist Wizard with a Crystal Ball of Detect Thoughts. You don't have the unlimited power of a Staff of the Magi, for sure. An earth elemental is unstoppable at level 1, and the rest of it scales quite well.

But with the Crystal Ball, you can just... well, do legwork at will. Scry on monsters in dungeons. Learn their motivations. Trick them or just do real diplomacy. Figure out mystery plots. Figure out who's going to betray the party before it happens. And you don't risk death in combat from the overleveled encounters that the GM will send you if you were on the front lines with the Staff of the Magi or Belt of Giant Strength.

[Pex]

I see roleplay potential as a Paladin with a Holy Avenger.

Powered Armor Artificer if and only if the DM allows me to dedicate an Infusion to create an energy cell.

Genie Warlock with a Ring of Djinni Summoning would be a hoot to play.

Robe of the Archmagi as a wizard or sorcerer, staple.

[KorvinStarmast]

OK, I am torn between these two:

Ring of Air Elemental Command
vs
Rod of Lordly Might.

Probably the latter if given a choice.


... it functions as a magic mace that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.

If you press button 1, the rod becomes a flame tongue...
If you press button 2 ... transforming the rod into a magic battleaxe that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.
If you press button 3, transforming the rod into a magic spear that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.
If you press button 4, the rod transforms into a climbing pole up to 50 feet long, as you specify. In surfaces as hard as granite, a spike at the bottom and three hooks at the top anchor the pole. Horizontal bars 3 inches long fold out from the sides, 1 foot apart, forming a ladder. The pole can bear up to 4,000 pounds. More weight or lack of solid anchoring causes the rod to revert to its normal form.
If you press button 5, the rod transforms into a handheld battering ram and grants its user a +10 bonus to Strength checks made to break through doors, barricades, and other barriers.
If you press button 6, the rod assumes or remains in its normal form and indicates magnetic north. (Nothing happens if this function of the rod is used in a location that has no magnetic north.) The rod also gives you knowledge of your approximate depth beneath the ground or your height above it.
Drain Life. When you hit a creature with a melee attack using the rod, you can force the target to make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes an extra 4d6 necrotic damage, and you regain a number of hit points equal to half that necrotic damage. This property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Paralyze. When you hit a creature with a melee attack using the rod, you can force the target to make a DC 17 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the target is paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. This property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Terrify. While holding the rod, you can use an action to force each creature you can see within 30 feet of you to make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a target is frightened of you for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. This property can’t be
used again until the next dawn. This thing has so many features ...

[ZRN]

Any race
Any class
<16 Int
Amulet of the Planes. Not a legendary, I know, but come ON!

[Master O'Laughs]

Definitely a Rod of Lordly Might. That item has always fascinated me with the different options it allows. It may not be the strongest, but it seems very fun.

[Mastikator]

Robe of the Archmagi on a level 1 wizard seems pretty insane while not necessarily breaking the game.

[Sigreid]

sphere of antihalation because some people just want to watch the world burn.

More seriously, the Robe of the Archmagi is a huge boon to a 1st level wizard.

[Joe the Rat]

A Bard with an Ollamh Harp could be interesting. You could get some serious oomph with that.


Belt of Storm Giant ST (29) - it's not the OP answer, but it could be fun especially on a gnome or kobold or ...


I'm particularly fond of this idea with any small race, as a Fighter, or Barbarian, and playing it like Macho Man Randy Savage.

"You want this belt? Ooooh, yeah, come and TAKE IT!"
-flying elbow drop-

Go fighter for the unarmed fighting style. Probably a gnome, since kobolds and halflings can't grow beards.

[Melphizard]

I would most certainly go for (Rime of the Frostmaiden Spoilers btw just a warning) Ythryn Mythallar.

I'll be playing a Light Cleric who wishes to bring about a second sun and treats the magic item as the catalyst. Additionally, a floating castle or city might help in my goal to do so.