D&D (2024) Magic Items & Crafting In The New Dungeon Master's Guide

"Extended crafting rules and a lot of magical items!"

• Treasure themes discuss different kinds of treasure--arcana, gems, relics, implements, armaments, etc.
• You can craft potions and scrolls in the Player's Handbook.
• The Dungeon Master's Guide expands that to other magical items.
• Uses tools proficiencies and Arcana proficiency and the spells you know.
• You can craft any magical item in the DMG, as long as it's not an artifact.

First you need to have the Arcana skill. Then, depending on the magical item, you need the appropriate tool. For example, wands need woodcarver's tools. Then if the item allows you to cast a spell, you must also know that spell. Then you need gold and time. The rarity of the item determines how much gold or time it takes to create. The time required is measured in person-hours, so assistance can help reduce that time.

Magic items can also have randomly determined histories and creators. Creators include species and creature types--a dwarf, an aberration, a giant, and so on. Histories include being part of a religion, a symbol of power, something sinister, a prophecy, and more. Magic items also get minor properties and quirks, to round them out.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sure, but it would be nice to have a list of materials needed. Even if they're just suggestions.

Every magic item in Level Up lists an appropriate special component.

 

[pukunui]

Level Up uses formulae, and special components.

Every magic item in Level Up lists an appropriate special component.

Cool. I'm not gonna switch to Level Up, but it might be something I can borrow.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Cool. I'm not gonna switch to Level Up, but it might be something I can borrow.

It's all 5e. There's great stuff everywhere.

 

[mikeburke]

Favorite line from the video:

James Wyatt: “I have a thing about hurdy-gurdys”.

Chris Perkins: “Can confirm.”

 

[SkidAce]

Based on the fact that they keep reiterating that the pricing information was actually in the 2014 DMG, they’re just doing a better job of presenting it in this one, I’m guessing it’ll be exactly the same rarity-based ranges as the 2014 DMG has. Which doesn’t really address what people who want prices for magic items actually want, but

It actually worked for me.

Gave me a guideline, and I could lower or raise it as I saw fit, or even roll dice to see if it went up or down within the range.

Anything (IMO) more specific would be too constraining.

 

[SkidAce]

This is the path they went with the downtime expansion in Xanathar's Guide, I expect that part of that will remain in the new crafting rules. On the other hand, not everyone that wants to use crafting wanted to include such quests diverting from the campaign (including me, I'd rather getting most materials just be part of the crafting time and be a matter of access than questing) so I'm kind of hoping they make it more optional/flexible

A big but I think unlikely hope I have is that they fix the issue where weak consumables (esp stronger potions of healing) have costs in the tens of thousands of gp to heal like 8d4+8.

I fixed that by lowering the cost, but making the ingredients for a potion that powerful rare/hard to find.

 

[Charlaquin]

It actually worked for me.

Gave me a guideline, and I could lower or raise it as I saw fit, or even roll dice to see if it went up or down within the range.

Anything (IMO) more specific would be too constraining.

Then it sounds like you’re not among the people to whom I was referring

 

[Lanefan]

I don’t know the page number, but it’s in chapter 7. (EDIT: or 6, I guess! ) Here’s the table:
View attachment 382052

Which as either DM or player doesn't really tell me a bloody thing.

Is this "rare" +2 electrical longsword worth more or less than the "rare" boots of flying someone wants to trade me? Or when dividing treasure how do we neutrally set the values (without spending session after session arguing over it) such that everyone comes away with an equal-value share?

No. If the items aren't individually priced with an eye to all three of rarity AND cost of constriction/materials AND field-usefulness, there's no point.

The 1e DMG was a fine attempt, though it failed on the field-usefulness piece and needed significant expansion in the weapons and armour categories (and you had to both find then ignore a few glaring typos).

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Being able to convert gold directly into power would be a very interesting action for anyone of means.

Gold for XP

 

[abirdcall]

That raises a fun question.

How would a party appraise a magic item? What do you compare it to? How do you know exactly how hard it is to make if you haven't made it before? How do you determine how useful it is?

Seems like these are things for the party to answer if they are interested in them.

Personally, we just split the treasure by who can use it best.