| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
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| #1NertakAug 19, 2015 17:09:12 | I'm both new to 5th edition and dming. I have been reading the dungeon master's guide in preperation for my campaign and I just hit the magic item section. I am finding it completly overwhelming. There are tables a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h and I. I have no idea when to use what table. Then there are like 75 pages of magic items. Many of these items have long descriptions, I have no idea how to get a handle on these.
I need to incorperate items into my campaign so the players have something to find or spend their money on but I really don't know where to begin. I know if I was smart I would start off running a premade adventure till I got a handle on things but to me the fun of dming comes from creating my own thing.
Help please? |
| #2pukunuiAug 19, 2015 17:16:40 | The alphabetical magic item tables are for use with the random treasure hoard tables on pages 136-139.
Don't worry about memorizing every item's description. You can roll on the random tables and then look up individual items to see what they do. |
| #3CCSAug 19, 2015 18:18:16 | Read through the magic items. Make note of those you think sound cool. Work those into your games.
Cool doesn't always mean powerful btw. Ex: One of my all time favorite items is the Apparatus of Kawlish (sp?). Some variation of this thing has appeared in most of the games I've run. And I've been DMing since the 80s.... |
| #4OoftaMegAug 19, 2015 20:53:28 | I decide what category of magic I want, roll on the appropriate table and then decide if I think it's an item my characters might find useful or would at least enjoy. If I like it, it shows up in some treasure hoard or as a reward, if I don't I roll again.
No need to read up on every item. In fact, you could run an entire campaign without handing out a single magical doodad. |
| #5NertakAug 19, 2015 21:32:22 |
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| #6Cyber-DaveAug 19, 2015 21:36:42 | |
| #7Cyber-DaveAug 19, 2015 23:18:58 |
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| #8GodwynAug 19, 2015 22:06:41 | They spend money on the same things people do. Lavish lifestyle, buying a fortress, temple, other business and helping keep it running. I have found that once players adjust to the fact that they don't need the money to assure their efficacy in combat, they will come up with ideas of things to spend it on.
As an actual example, one of our characters is very anti slavery. So whenever there is a den of it that the group is not yet powerful to wipe out, he spends a decent amount of money buying slaves and freeing them. Then there is also the money making sure they have somewhere to go. Provides a lot of opportunity for the Chaotic Good Paladin to do stuff.
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| #9shintashiAug 19, 2015 22:27:30 | first of all, most wands are mid to high level. Level range is 1-20, so thats level 9-15+. +1 medium or light armor, and +1 one handed weapons are pretty common at levels 1-4. potions of healing and similar are given out at all levels, including the lowest levels +2 light armor, +2 single handed weapons, and +1 two handed/heavy weapons and +1 heavy armor are typical at level 5-12 +3 weapons or armor are uncommon at level 13-17, and common at level 18-20, typically 1-2 of each per warrior in the group. rings of a specific element resistance, like fire or cold are pretty common about level 9-15 rings of wishes, luck blades, manuals and tomes of attribute increasing, are rare items seen at level 12-15, usually 15+ the most common medium to high level items i can think of,
are 1. ring of regeneration 2. periapt of wound closure 3. staff of the magi 4. ring of shooting stars 5. cloak of displacement 6. rod of cancellation 7. elven kind or dwarven items 8. slayer arrows or swords
The most common (in game) but extremely rare (hard to find) and over powered items you will see are 1. deck of many things 2. sphere of annihilation 3. vorpal sword 4. holy avenger
Wands of this or that, Scrolls of various spells, and Weird items like Braziers and Ioun Stones tend to be sprinkled here and there.
Almost every high level wizard has a ring or cloak of protection, if they don't have some other amazing cloak or ring.
My favorite doodads are probably the ring of shooting stars and the rod of lordly might. The Robe of Stars and Robe of Archmagi are also really popular level 9-18+ items.
Assume if it isn't a potion or scroll, which are one shot items that come in bulk, a character has 1-2 items per 4 levels, or 1 item per d4 levels. Of these, typically 2-3 will be really useful.
5e has a bonding system that only allows you to attune to 3 really good items at the same time. All these items will say "attunement" somewhere in the description.
Follow these patterns and your games will blend pretty generic with others. |
| #10ImaculataAug 19, 2015 22:37:51 |
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| #11NertakAug 19, 2015 22:46:27 | Ok, thanks for the help.
I have a player who i'm sure is going to want to make magic items. What is a fair way to allow him to do that, but still rein him in so that things don't get out of hand. |
| #12Cyber-DaveAug 19, 2015 23:21:02 | See page 128 of the DMG for rules on crafting magic items. |
| #13Mommy_was_an_OrcAug 20, 2015 6:22:36 | Good rule of thumbs for magic items is the following(based on the random treasure tables that represent a typical campaign) Each PC should get a permanent magic item every 4 levels or so from Tables F-I. |