Rabbitbait
Grog-nerd
Whatever is in the modules I use that they happen to find. Easy for this lazy DM.
D&D (2024) "No magic items are necessary" vs Magic Items Awarded by Level
- Thread starter evilbob
- Start date
jmartkdr2
Hero
I'd say around one permanent magic item per player every three to four levels, with almost all games fitting into the 2-5 range. Consumables tend to be more like "you have about five" after level 5 or so, with more only showing up if people actually use the ones they have. I think using them reminds the dm they exist.
I do like the design idea of "you don't need any specific magic item" - you can just handle it however you want and the game still runs, but playing with no magic items at all would be pretty weird.
I do like the design idea of "you don't need any specific magic item" - you can just handle it however you want and the game still runs, but playing with no magic items at all would be pretty weird.
James Gasik
We don't talk about Pun-Pun
My campaign is magic item-rich, because it really doesn't matter. Even though I increased the amount of Attunements to 1+proficiency bonus, and make sure that every item still does something even without Attunement, most of the magic items go in the loot pile because competition for the precious Attunement slots is so fierce.
It's to the point that in the last session, when one of the players put his hand on a (slightly cursed) +3 sickle that forced attunement and that he can't un-attune to without meeting certain requirements, he complained loudly, despite the item's power, because it forced him to give up something he wants to use!
Heck, I went with bonus action potions before 2024 came out, and made sure the party has access to a lot of them, and they still mostly sit around because the competition around the freaking bonus action is so out of control!
It's to the point that in the last session, when one of the players put his hand on a (slightly cursed) +3 sickle that forced attunement and that he can't un-attune to without meeting certain requirements, he complained loudly, despite the item's power, because it forced him to give up something he wants to use!
Heck, I went with bonus action potions before 2024 came out, and made sure the party has access to a lot of them, and they still mostly sit around because the competition around the freaking bonus action is so out of control!
Zardnaar
Legend
I've been experimenting adding vendors pre 5.5. Somewhat close to the 5.5 DMG. Generally.
1 rare tier 1 probably nor a weapon. +1 weapon or shield per PC, rest consumables.
Early tier 2. 1 rare each with a very rare level 10ish. Probably 1 very rare each end of tier 2.
1 legendary might turn up however. It's probably story related and not to powerful. +3 mace of healing with d4 or d6 radiant damage attached. Sonething like that. If another drops it's probably temporary.
PCs don't get to pick specific ones however. Better weapons for weaker builds turn up. In 5.0 that means ranged weapons and great weapon. 5.5 great weapons and dual wielding ones.
Some examples from current games.
Levrl 8.
Monk has Cacophony from BG3. +1 staff, 1d4 thunder damage, thunderous smite 1/short rest. Bracers of defense.
Cleric. Amulet of devotion +1, gauntlets of ogre power, venomous dagger.
Sorcerer. Bloodwell vial, +1 wand of the warmage, something else I forget.
Bladelock. Hazirawn from HotDQ, ring of protection +1, something else I forget.
Various potions and +1 items not requiring attunement. Oh some have armor that gives advantage on con saves.
This is higher than I normally hand out probably by 1 rare each. BG3.5 themed game so more items like the game.
Other game mostly whatever is in the adventure I'm mining.
1 rare tier 1 probably nor a weapon. +1 weapon or shield per PC, rest consumables.
Early tier 2. 1 rare each with a very rare level 10ish. Probably 1 very rare each end of tier 2.
1 legendary might turn up however. It's probably story related and not to powerful. +3 mace of healing with d4 or d6 radiant damage attached. Sonething like that. If another drops it's probably temporary.
PCs don't get to pick specific ones however. Better weapons for weaker builds turn up. In 5.0 that means ranged weapons and great weapon. 5.5 great weapons and dual wielding ones.
Some examples from current games.
Levrl 8.
Monk has Cacophony from BG3. +1 staff, 1d4 thunder damage, thunderous smite 1/short rest. Bracers of defense.
Cleric. Amulet of devotion +1, gauntlets of ogre power, venomous dagger.
Sorcerer. Bloodwell vial, +1 wand of the warmage, something else I forget.
Bladelock. Hazirawn from HotDQ, ring of protection +1, something else I forget.
Various potions and +1 items not requiring attunement. Oh some have armor that gives advantage on con saves.
This is higher than I normally hand out probably by 1 rare each. BG3.5 themed game so more items like the game.
Other game mostly whatever is in the adventure I'm mining.
I"ve had games with less magic items, games with more. Since I give the baddies more magic items if they are easier to come by never seems to move the needle one way or the other. Though it's far easier to give the martials cool mage like stuff to pull out on thier own if the magic items are there.
evilbob
Adventurer
This is a good point as well. Once you have three attuned items it's very hard to switch stuff up. In our recent level 16 game we had a similar issue, where no one wanted any new stuff because of attunement. And honestly, I don't mind this: if nothing else it cuts down on complexity. (But it does make Tomes and Manuals even more valuable.)
It's interesting that the "plain" +1/2/3 armor and shields don't take attunement, but Bracers of Defense/Ring of Protection do.
EzekielRaiden
Follower of the Way
Permanent magical items of any kind? Roughly...
10: 1-2 per character
15: Maybe 2-3 per character
20: No idea, haven't seen this far
Note this is "of any kind" and "permanent." I'm not counting consumables, but am counting quirky ones with little direct use. If we're sticking to magic weapon/armor/accessory, few characters ever even get one of all three.
kigmatzomat
Legend
Attunement does a good job on constraining the most potent magic items. And we have a number of "on loan" items acquired from patrons, deities, fey nobles and a dragon. (The dragon had the best excuse for just loaning us weapons. "You're fighting evil in caves. I won't fit and I can't shape-shift. Here, take this bow I took from some drow, it makes arrows so you wont run out.") Those items are pretty beefy, but as we are now 19th level, they are really just more things to wear down Legendary Resistance.
Unattuned armor/shield are a big chunk of the higher rarity as everyone is after the best possible defense and those usually start at Rare and go up from there. Items of storage (quiver of ehlonna, handy haversack) are also covered. We are currently filthy with loot, having carved through like 8 "dungeons" in a row without any downtime or return to civilization, so all the BBEG/lieutenant stuff is weighing down packs.
While magic item sales are a thing in our game, we collect a lot that goes to allies, followers, patrons/lieges/temples plus the handful that can be applied to Familiars and Steeds. A pegasus using a Circlet of Blasting at an opportune moment is gold. Or one who has consumed a potion of firebreath.
We usually have a lot of common/minor unattuned items. Clothes of mending, cloaks of many fashions, wands of magic detection, wands of magic missiles, rings of swimming, and lots of scrolls, potions, ointments and dusts plucked from enemies that are usually forgotten in the heat of the moment.
In a game with so much page-count tied to items, it feels like PCs should have an offensive and defensive item that are +(tier-1), about (tier) other items that are useful in combat, and roughly (tier-1) items that are useful outside of combat situations (which includes be pre/post combat).
Unattuned armor/shield are a big chunk of the higher rarity as everyone is after the best possible defense and those usually start at Rare and go up from there. Items of storage (quiver of ehlonna, handy haversack) are also covered. We are currently filthy with loot, having carved through like 8 "dungeons" in a row without any downtime or return to civilization, so all the BBEG/lieutenant stuff is weighing down packs.
While magic item sales are a thing in our game, we collect a lot that goes to allies, followers, patrons/lieges/temples plus the handful that can be applied to Familiars and Steeds. A pegasus using a Circlet of Blasting at an opportune moment is gold. Or one who has consumed a potion of firebreath.
We usually have a lot of common/minor unattuned items. Clothes of mending, cloaks of many fashions, wands of magic detection, wands of magic missiles, rings of swimming, and lots of scrolls, potions, ointments and dusts plucked from enemies that are usually forgotten in the heat of the moment.
In a game with so much page-count tied to items, it feels like PCs should have an offensive and defensive item that are +(tier-1), about (tier) other items that are useful in combat, and roughly (tier-1) items that are useful outside of combat situations (which includes be pre/post combat).
Ferrousbones
Artificer
Just a reminder, the tables and rules for magic items by level don't say the number is permanent items, just awarded items. So those tables include consumables.
As for myself, I lean toward roughly matching the "Starting at Higher Levels" tables/rules for how many permanent magic items a character should be expected to have by a given level.
As for myself, I lean toward roughly matching the "Starting at Higher Levels" tables/rules for how many permanent magic items a character should be expected to have by a given level.
DanielNations
Villager
As a DM, the amount and scope of magic items found in a single adventure or campaign as a whole would completely depend on the world I am building.
Two of the first questions I ask myself are:
1: How powerful is magic?
2: How prevalent is magic?
You can have very powerful magic but it is rare, and you can have low-powered magic that is common.
The great thing about homebrew worlds is that you can do pretty much anything and then you can balance to it. Characters don't need magic items to overcome challenges. By the same token, a party can have some very powerful magic items and face the same difficulty as a party with few or none. After all, I'm the one that is deciding what they are up against
Two of the first questions I ask myself are:
1: How powerful is magic?
2: How prevalent is magic?
You can have very powerful magic but it is rare, and you can have low-powered magic that is common.
The great thing about homebrew worlds is that you can do pretty much anything and then you can balance to it. Characters don't need magic items to overcome challenges. By the same token, a party can have some very powerful magic items and face the same difficulty as a party with few or none. After all, I'm the one that is deciding what they are up against
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