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.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

Gold for XP

I don't recall where I saw it, but I saw an amazing idea for this:

You can trade gold for xp. HOWEVER, you can't buy things that will be materially useful for adventuring. You have to waste the money on ale and whores - and if you think back, that's generally why a lot of old characters like Grey Mouser or Conan needed to keep adventuring - they pissed their money away

 

[billd91]

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

Sure, I guess. But you also have to figure in WotC's perspective and the additional space that would take up - one or two lines per magic item adds up and for a benefit that's really marginal. So even if a substantial number of tables would find some benefit from it, I can see that sort of thing being very low priority for inclusion in the DMG.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I don't recall where I saw it, but I saw an amazing idea for this:

You can trade gold for xp. HOWEVER, you can't buy things that will be materially useful for adventuring. You have to waste the money on ale and whores - and if you think back, that's generally why a lot of old characters like Grey Mouser or Conan needed to keep adventuring - they pissed their money away

I've seen this before too - and also don't remember where. It's definitely worth considering.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Here my new idea:

The bastions can produce "residiuum", a rare component used to craft magic item, like "solid mana". Your shops or "rooms" can produce residuum in the first level, but in very low levels. With 5th level then you can "gather" more residiuum. If you spend more for your rooms and special abilities then you can gather more, and even someone with special traits, better for certain items.

 

[Lanefan]

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.

Ideally, this is true.

In reality, IME the appraisal and valuation piece leads to endless and sometimes nasty arguments both in-character and out unless there's a set list to act as a guide.

Determining its usefulness is the easy part - you probably already know some of what it does through field-testing before you get to the point of dividing treasure. Failing that, Identify is Your Friend.

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

Again, this works in theory; but when either nobody can use it or multiple people can use it things break down. While still in the field, giving it to who can use it is no problem; it's the permanent division once back in town where the equalization and values piece rears its head.

Also, when the treasure consists of one really powerful item plus a few minor bits, how do you equalize that at division time? Note that "let it equalize itself later" isn't an option as there's no way of knowing if this party will stay together in whole or in part; it has to be sorted now.

 

[abirdcall]

Ideally, this is true.

In reality, IME the appraisal and valuation piece leads to endless and sometimes nasty arguments both in-character and out unless there's a set list to act as a guide.

Determining its usefulness is the easy part - you probably already know some of what it does through field-testing before you get to the point of dividing treasure. Failing that, Identify is Your Friend.

Again, this works in theory; but when either nobody can use it or multiple people can use it things break down. While still in the field, giving it to who can use it is no problem; it's the permanent division once back in town where the equalization and values piece rears its head.

Also, when the treasure consists of one really powerful item plus a few minor bits, how do you equalize that at division time? Note that "let it equalize itself later" isn't an option as there's no way of knowing if this party will stay together in whole or in part; it has to be sorted now.

I can see the issue with this style of play.

I suppose I would invite you to see it as an opportunity to get into the perspective of someone in the world. A magic item could well be worth 500GP to one person, 1000GP to another, and 5000GP to yet another.

In the end they're all priceless...unless it is worked out how much it costs to make them and how readily available those materials are.

If that is unknown then the price is just what people agree to which seems to me a better way to value them than having a price in a book.

(Aside, if players are having out of character arguments that is a whole other problem)

 

[Lanefan]

I can see the issue with this style of play.

I suppose I would invite you to see it as an opportunity to get into the perspective of someone in the world. A magic item could well be worth 500GP to one person, 1000GP to another, and 5000GP to yet another.

In the end they're all priceless...unless it is worked out how much it costs to make them and how readily available those materials are.

Which is why the best in-game way of getting something evaluated is to go to an artificer or mages' guild and ask "If I wanted a magic item X with properties Y, Z, and A, what would it cost me to have you make one?". The answer given is the item's base value.

If that is unknown then the price is just what people agree to which seems to me a better way to value them than having a price in a book.

Except unless the item is truly unique it's not unknown. The odds are extremely high the item - or something very similar - has been seen/bought/sold/crafted before, and somebody - be it an artificer, a guild, a fellow adventurer, or whoever - will know its value at least to a round number.

A price list can also take into account other factors such as usefulness and rarity.

(Aside, if players are having out of character arguments that is a whole other problem)

Indeed, particularly when they're so easily preventable by having a useful price list.

 

[abirdcall]

Which is why the best in-game way of getting something evaluated is to go to an artificer or mages' guild and ask "If I wanted a magic item X with properties Y, Z, and A, what would it cost me to have you make one?". The answer given is the item's base value.

Except unless the item is truly unique it's not unknown. The odds are extremely high the item - or something very similar - has been seen/bought/sold/crafted before, and somebody - be it an artificer, a guild, a fellow adventurer, or whoever - will know its value at least to a round number.

A price list can also take into account other factors such as usefulness and rarity.

Indeed, particularly when they're so easily preventable by having a useful price list.

Sounds like what they do in my favourite fantasy series 'The Wandering Inn'.

Whenever an enchanted item is found they take it to an enchanter to find out its properties and how good the enchantment is.

The question of making it is usually 'that knowledge is lost to us' or 'you would need a powerful archmage and highly expensive/rare materials'.

In either case the price ends up at how much people value that sort of thing at and how much money adventurers have to spend on it.

The DMG will have crafting rules so either we will know how much it takes to make an item and can then derive a price from that or the price is murky and it is up to the characters to figure it out based on what they do know.

Personally I want to play in a game world where the latter occurs for most items.

If it is a simple thing to make magic items then they really don't feel all that magical to me anymore.

 

[OptionalRule]

This seems much more streamlined and sensible. Combined with the Bastion System, I think this could add a bit of dimension to Tier 2 and above.