D&D 5E D&D's Top Magic Items

D&D Beyond has shared a data dump of the most popular magic items, weapons, and armor used by characters on its platform. They did this in April last year, so this is an update.

Amor hasn't changed, except for a tiny shifty at the bottom end where spiked and padded switched places. The top three are still leather, shield and chain mail. The top places are taken by 'starting gear', and as we know most DDB characters are low level.

Weapons have a shifted a little more, but not by much. The top 10 is still the same list, with a couple of items shifting positions. Daggers, shortswords, handaxes, and light crossbows rule the roost here.

When it comes to magic items, there's a greater shift again - but still, it's not a lot. Bag of holding is the clear leader, followed by ring of protection, cloak of protection, and boots of elvenkind.

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[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Leather as the most popular armor, not even Studded Leather which is an inexpensive upgrade that should be available before level 3...

I'm pretty sure most of the characters that these statistics have been collected from have never been played.

 

[R_J_K75]

Isnt DDB ran by a different company than WotC? Whose collecting all the data, for what and is it even accurate/meaningful; what is it measured against? Is just hyperbole like the old toothpaste commercials, 9 out 10 dentist recommend brushing with Crest! As opposed to brushing with what, ?

 

[tommybahama]

Whose collecting all the data, for what and is it even accurate/meaningful; what is it measured against?

Presumably active character sheets stored on their website. If you just create a character and never make changes to it then they can exclude them. But if you make minor changes in equipment over time, adjust the HP or hit dice, track spell use, use the rest buttons, etc., it is more likely an active character sheet and gets included in the statistics.

 

[R_J_K75]

Presumably active character sheets stored on their website. If you just create a character and never make changes to it then they can exclude them. But if you make minor changes in equipment over time, adjust the HP or hit dice, track spell use, use the rest buttons, etc., it is more likely an active character sheet and gets included in the statistics.

Thanks. Kind of what I was thinking. For an example I have a few sets of characters from two campaigns that arent used anymore, so Im guessing they probably get excluded if a certain amount of times goes by.

 

[Olrox17]

Leather being at the top is very strange. Many characters can afford studded leather at level 1, and pretty much all of them can buy it at level 2. What’s going on? Are people willingly taking a -1 to armor class for some reason?

 

[Morrus]

Isnt DDB ran by a different company than WotC? Whose collecting all the data, for what and is it even accurate/meaningful; what is it measured against? Is just hyperbole like the old toothpaste commercials, 9 out 10 dentist recommend brushing with Crest! As opposed to brushing with what, ?

It's just stuff they think you might find interesting.

 

[R_J_K75]

It's just stuff they think you might find interesting.

Id considered this as well but was wondering if there was a reason behind it.

 

[LordEntrails]

Id considered this as well but was wondering if there was a reason behind it.

The reason behind releasing this type of data is that it garners publicity and discussion about their product. You know, advertising.

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I'm curious how the popular magic items line up with (f they do) the popular adventure modules. i.e. are the magic items popular because they are found in the popular adventures, or not?

 

[Shiroiken]

I was expecting this to be a discussion about the top magic items, not D&D Beyond. I was going to say Head of Vecna...