D&D 5E Magic Items for individuals?

[SheckyS]

I'm creating some NPC villains for my players to fight.
Does anyone know of any rules or guidelines on magic items for NPCs?
If you go by the treasure rules in the DMG, no monster will NEVER be carrying a magic item unless it's in it's lair. This doesn't make a lot of sense for intelligent creatures like NPCs who would carry and use their magic items with them.

So should I just roll for the NPC's "lair" and have him carry anything useful with him, regardless of the individual treasure rules?

Or are there some other guidelines I can use for creating, for example, a Level 6 Fighter?

 

[delericho]

So should I just roll for the NPC's "lair" and have him carry anything useful with him, regardless of the individual treasure rules?

Yep, that's what I'd do.

 

[SheckyS]

Even so, it doesn't seem right. I mean... a Level 10 NPC would roll on a table that makes it very unlikely that they will be carrying, for example, a +1 weapon. There has to be some appropriate guidelines somewhere for creating realistic NPCs with realistic magical equipment like armor and weapons, no?

 

[delericho]

Even so, it doesn't seem right. I mean... a Level 10 NPC would roll on a table that makes it very unlikely that they will be carrying, for example, a +1 weapon. There has to be some appropriate guidelines somewhere for creating realistic NPCs with realistic magical equipment like armor and weapons, no?

5e deliberately doesn't do this - it's assumed that magic items are pretty damn rare and that they're a strict bonus for characters who have them (the game is balanced assuming characters don't have magic items).

It's entirely possible someone has put together some guidelines for DMs who want to do things differently, but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. With luck, someone will be along to help you out shortly.

 

[Kalshane]

The way I handle it is this:

If I roll randomly for treasure, the NPC in question will use any of the treasure that it is capable of.

On the other hand, if I want to make a magic item using NPC as a specific threat, I'll just eyeball the treasure value for its CR compared to whatever items I want to equip it with. (Keeping in mind my PCs are likely to end up with said items once they defeat that NPC.)

 

[AriochQ]

Being in a 'lair' does not mean the treasure is stacked in a big pile where the creature lives. When putting together an adventure, roll the treasure and stick it wherever appropriate. Some of it may be in a big pile, some may be used by the monsters, it may even be on the long dead body of a thief impaled at the bottom a spiked pit.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

NPCs are more like PCs than they are like monsters. If you have a level 10 NPC, then figure out how much magic a level 10 PC is likely to have, and give them that.

 

[Tony Vargas]

5e doesn't assume magic items by level, so it's perfectly fair to give your NPC no items. You can also choose to build them more or less like monsters, with NPC stat-blocks like in the MM. An 'important' or recurring NPC it'd make more sense to build more like a PC - that still doesn't mean you need to give them magic items unless it fits the setting/story/whatever.

For NPCs that are meant to be be fought (and, likely, defeated & looted) by the party, give them items only if you're planning on having the PCs acquire those items...

 

[jgsugden]

Magic items are very rare. An NPC walking around with one is not the expectation, it is the exception. In 5E it is perfectly reasonable for a melee character to go 20 levels and never find a magic weapon (although they'll likely be able to buy a +1 weapon somewhere around levels 5 to 10 ihn most games).

The big problem for you, as a DM, is that if you give an NPC as much magic as a PC would have and the NPC dies, the PCs might get their hands on the items. That can (up to) double their magic items and make them more powerful than expected. Avoid the temptation. If you want them suped up a bit, put a wizard in their service that enchants their arms before battle...

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Match the magic items to what the PCs have but make sure to play him LIKE a PC and actually USE them. Healing potions, scrolls, magic weapons...