Zardnaar
Legend
I suspect a lot of people here are not playing 5.5 or are busy they crafting white room scenarios.
Looking at the DMG vs what I've been doing it's not to far apart so I thought I would have a look at the numbers, compare with official WotC adventures and offer thoughts on what I'm doing. Also comparing with BG3.
So the new rules have a table on page 218 detailing magic items. Put simply by level 4 every PC should have a uncommon item . This +1 shield, weapon, spellcaster boost (wand of the warmage)or other item. One can have a rare item.
This is fairly close to say Lost Mines of Phandelver. LMoP probably has a few more than this but you may not find them all. By level 10 17 uncommon and 6 rares are to be expected. This means roughly 1 rare item could be handed out every level and around 2 uncommon per level.
I'm not paying attention to commons a lot are probably healing potions. RAW the first legendaries can turn up level 11. This contradicts some 5.0 adventures where they start turning up around level 6 or 7.
Note however in these adventures you're not getting the choice of what magic items to pick. This is where I think online assumptions start coming into it. Being able to pick or buy specific items tends to break things. It's fairly unlikely a level 5 dual wielder has access to two vicious weapons. +1 armor is now rare.
This is where common sense starts to enter the equation. If no one can or will use said item it's essentially 0 item. If it's fairly marginal item it basically counts as one rarity less IMHO. In 3E or 4E you would trade in, sell etc unwanted items. Juries ambiguous in 5.5 if you can do this (ask the DM). Personally being able to do this was a major mistake in 3E and 4E imho.
Using one of my PCs as an example a level 9 light, cleric has an amulet of devotion +1, a rare dagger that's +1 and 1d4 poison damage and gauntlets of ogre power. The dagger and gauntlets are nice to have but don't really do much for his build. They get used occasionally. Another +2 spellcaster item and a +1 shield would be more useful imho. I'll need to add some suger for him soon imho.
Online martals apparently suck. Probably because the DMs aren't giving them suger or it's theoretical. You might be shocked with 5.5 ones espicially levels that matter (1-7). I have handed out two vicious weapons so far ones on a 2014 monk in a 2024 game. The others on a level 9 sword and board champion. A vicious bow is no big deal if the character isn't an archer. At leve 9 they have two legendaries. Ones a secondary weapon barely used the other was an oops intended on going away. It's not warping the game however. A 3rd was briefly used but it wen away as intended and served the story.
The power items. These items you want to be careful handing out. In 5.0 +2 or better two handed weapons and bows/hand cross bows. This is because of the -5/+10 feats. In 5.5 it's two handed weapons yet again and dual wield weapons. Barbarians and Fighters are your big hitters along with dual wielding rangers 1-7 and Paladins enter the conversation 5+. For spellcasters it's DC boosting it's specifically in multiples. A rare +2 item and two uncommon are +4. Saves are already bad in 5.5 on typical creatures generally.
Vicious short swords, scimitar, and two handed weapons with cleave and topple might be a bit much. Vicious one handed weapon and bows are probably fine. A level 11+ chamion dual wielding them is also fine a Paladin not so much. As always it depends on party composition, builds and combos. Use responsibly much like anything. Your mid to high level rogue or ranger would probably appecate one just saying.
Baldurs Gate 3 Effect.
Mentioning combos and being able to buy what you like with guaranteed drops. A lot of the worst combos in the game you can't recreate. Some however you can. I do like a lot of BG3 weapons for example. I have directly ported some to 5.5. Mostly they're along the lines of a rare weapon, +1 with a bonus 1d4 damage and a cantrip or 1/short rest low level spell attached. Worth using but not as bad as say a flametongue weapon to hand out. The d4 brigade are good ones to hand out leve 4-7 range imho. Some examples.
bg3.wiki
bg3.wiki
bg3.wiki
Sword of scream got turned into a dagger in my game. The bards using it iirc.
Conclusion.
Quantity doesn't really matter due to attunement slots. Rarity doesn't really matter either. As always it's what you're handing out and when. Put the stronger effects on weaker weapons and weapon masteries. If you have both in the same party do the weaker option first before the stranger one. That's to avoid a pre existing gap turning into a gulf. You don't have to put the strongest effects on the best weapons either. A dagger or scimitar both useful in the off hand if magical.
Crafting probably isn't that viable on rare or higher but as always ymmv. Don't let players buy what they want in unlimited quantities. If a player is falling behind something kick ass can help them out. The more powerful the combo the more likely the DM has enough and ends campaign sooner rather than later. Drink erm I mean power game within reason.
Looking at the DMG vs what I've been doing it's not to far apart so I thought I would have a look at the numbers, compare with official WotC adventures and offer thoughts on what I'm doing. Also comparing with BG3.
So the new rules have a table on page 218 detailing magic items. Put simply by level 4 every PC should have a uncommon item . This +1 shield, weapon, spellcaster boost (wand of the warmage)or other item. One can have a rare item.
This is fairly close to say Lost Mines of Phandelver. LMoP probably has a few more than this but you may not find them all. By level 10 17 uncommon and 6 rares are to be expected. This means roughly 1 rare item could be handed out every level and around 2 uncommon per level.
I'm not paying attention to commons a lot are probably healing potions. RAW the first legendaries can turn up level 11. This contradicts some 5.0 adventures where they start turning up around level 6 or 7.
Note however in these adventures you're not getting the choice of what magic items to pick. This is where I think online assumptions start coming into it. Being able to pick or buy specific items tends to break things. It's fairly unlikely a level 5 dual wielder has access to two vicious weapons. +1 armor is now rare.
This is where common sense starts to enter the equation. If no one can or will use said item it's essentially 0 item. If it's fairly marginal item it basically counts as one rarity less IMHO. In 3E or 4E you would trade in, sell etc unwanted items. Juries ambiguous in 5.5 if you can do this (ask the DM). Personally being able to do this was a major mistake in 3E and 4E imho.
Using one of my PCs as an example a level 9 light, cleric has an amulet of devotion +1, a rare dagger that's +1 and 1d4 poison damage and gauntlets of ogre power. The dagger and gauntlets are nice to have but don't really do much for his build. They get used occasionally. Another +2 spellcaster item and a +1 shield would be more useful imho. I'll need to add some suger for him soon imho.
Online martals apparently suck. Probably because the DMs aren't giving them suger or it's theoretical. You might be shocked with 5.5 ones espicially levels that matter (1-7). I have handed out two vicious weapons so far ones on a 2014 monk in a 2024 game. The others on a level 9 sword and board champion. A vicious bow is no big deal if the character isn't an archer. At leve 9 they have two legendaries. Ones a secondary weapon barely used the other was an oops intended on going away. It's not warping the game however. A 3rd was briefly used but it wen away as intended and served the story.
The power items. These items you want to be careful handing out. In 5.0 +2 or better two handed weapons and bows/hand cross bows. This is because of the -5/+10 feats. In 5.5 it's two handed weapons yet again and dual wield weapons. Barbarians and Fighters are your big hitters along with dual wielding rangers 1-7 and Paladins enter the conversation 5+. For spellcasters it's DC boosting it's specifically in multiples. A rare +2 item and two uncommon are +4. Saves are already bad in 5.5 on typical creatures generally.
Vicious short swords, scimitar, and two handed weapons with cleave and topple might be a bit much. Vicious one handed weapon and bows are probably fine. A level 11+ chamion dual wielding them is also fine a Paladin not so much. As always it depends on party composition, builds and combos. Use responsibly much like anything. Your mid to high level rogue or ranger would probably appecate one just saying.
Baldurs Gate 3 Effect.
Mentioning combos and being able to buy what you like with guaranteed drops. A lot of the worst combos in the game you can't recreate. Some however you can. I do like a lot of BG3 weapons for example. I have directly ported some to 5.5. Mostly they're along the lines of a rare weapon, +1 with a bonus 1d4 damage and a cantrip or 1/short rest low level spell attached. Worth using but not as bad as say a flametongue weapon to hand out. The d4 brigade are good ones to hand out leve 4-7 range imho. Some examples.
Cacophony - bg3.wiki
Cacophony is a rare +1 Quarterstaff that grants the wielder the Thunderous Smite spell.
Sword of Screams - bg3.wiki
Sword of Screams is an uncommon Rapier that deals an additional 1d4 Psychic damage.
Shining Staver-of-Skulls - bg3.wiki
Shining Staver-of-Skulls is an uncommon +1 Light Hammer that sheds Light in a radius around the wielder.
Sword of scream got turned into a dagger in my game. The bards using it iirc.
Conclusion.
Quantity doesn't really matter due to attunement slots. Rarity doesn't really matter either. As always it's what you're handing out and when. Put the stronger effects on weaker weapons and weapon masteries. If you have both in the same party do the weaker option first before the stranger one. That's to avoid a pre existing gap turning into a gulf. You don't have to put the strongest effects on the best weapons either. A dagger or scimitar both useful in the off hand if magical.
Crafting probably isn't that viable on rare or higher but as always ymmv. Don't let players buy what they want in unlimited quantities. If a player is falling behind something kick ass can help them out. The more powerful the combo the more likely the DM has enough and ends campaign sooner rather than later. Drink erm I mean power game within reason.
