D&D (2024) Random magic item tables

[Distracted DM]

It says it reveals the properties of the item and there is no mention that I found in the spell or in cursed items that gives exception to this in 2024.

It is actually most of the usefulness of the spell for magic items.

Otherwise it is just for learning what spells are active in a creature.

Ah, you're not looking in the right place

5e24 DMG:

Cursed Items
A magic item’s description specifies whether it bears a curse. Most methods of identifying items, including the Identify spell, fail to reveal such a curse.

Attunement to a cursed item can’t be ended voluntarily unless the curse is broken first, such as with a Remove Curse spell.

 

[abirdcall]

Ah, you're not looking in the right place

5e24 DMG:

Cursed Items
A magic item’s description specifies whether it bears a curse. Most methods of identifying items, including the Identify spell, fail to reveal such a curse.

Attunement to a cursed item can’t be ended voluntarily unless the curse is broken first, such as with a Remove Curse spell.

Oh thanks for finding it.

That is rather silly. Why have the spell. I guess that is just what Remove Curse is for which is also trivial after 5th level.

Unless of course the party doesn't have it then it is a nuisance.

None of this sounds fun to me.

Either cursed should be a prominent danger of adventuring or they should only exist as part of a specific plot.

I don't mind that they left a few of them in the game for people who want them. I just don't want them on my random tables.

 

[Distracted DM]

Oh thanks for finding it.

That is rather silly. Why have the spell. I guess that is just what Remove Curse is for which is also trivial after 5th level.

Unless of course the party doesn't have it then it is a nuisance.

None of this sounds fun to me.

Either cursed should be a prominent danger of adventuring or they should only exist as part of a specific plot.

I don't mind that they left a few of them in the game for people who want them. I just don't want them on my random tables.

I agree with "why have the spell" when 5e makes identifying optional. I come from earlier editions where it was always required to identify most magic items to get their full power (activation words etc) so I've always used that "require identification" optional rule.

 

[Lanefan]

To add to the risk, I've always had it that casting Identify on a cursed item will often trigger the curse then and there.

 

[James Gasik]

Again, why I like to use augury before attuning to or using an item. If the result comes up "weal" or "weal and woe", it stays in the backpack until we can properly research it. Or get someone to cast legend lore.

To me, magic items are rewards. The hoops to jump through is earning them (again, to me), not using a Geiger counter to make sure they aren't radioactive.

I mean, in the hands of a malicious DM, anything can be a trap to the unwary, to the point that, if you demanded they cast spells and thoroughly search every square inch of the game, they would, and things would become quite tedious.

You could have a random doorknob have contact poison smeared on it. A squirrel could be a polymorphed dragon. Everything could be a Mimic! And so on, and so forth. I don't find making my players paranoid to be a lot of fun. I generally assume their characters are being prudent when in dangerous situations, even if their players aren't saying "I'm checking for traps with an 11' pole before we move 5' forward". I cut my teeth and that style of play and it wasn't for me.

If it is for you, that's fine! But I probably wouldn't enjoy the same kinds of games you do.

 

[abirdcall]

Again, why I like to use augury before attuning to or using an item. If the result comes up "weal" or "weal and woe", it stays in the backpack until we can properly research it. Or get someone to cast legend lore.

To me, magic items are rewards. The hoops to jump through is earning them (again, to me), not using a Geiger counter to make sure they aren't radioactive.

I mean, in the hands of a malicious DM, anything can be a trap to the unwary, to the point that, if you demanded they cast spells and thoroughly search every square inch of the game, they would, and things would become quite tedious.

You could have a random doorknob have contact poison smeared on it. A squirrel could be a polymorphed dragon. Everything could be a Mimic! And so on, and so forth. I don't find making my players paranoid to be a lot of fun. I generally assume their characters are being prudent when in dangerous situations, even if their players aren't saying "I'm checking for traps with an 11' pole before we move 5' forward". I cut my teeth and that style of play and it wasn't for me.

If it is for you, that's fine! But I probably wouldn't enjoy the same kinds of games you do.

Yeah, I am the same.

I would be into a world where all of the magic items are mysterious and have good, bad, and weird effects and when recovered finding out about them is another interesting task in some way.

But that would be specialized world building and would not work with the items as they are in the DMG.

Tables to make complex magic items would be cool but is an entirely different project.

 

[James Gasik]

Yeah, I am the same.

I would be into a world where all of the magic items are mysterious and have good, bad, and weird effects and when recovered finding out about them is another interesting task in some way.

But that would be specialized world building and would not work with the items as they are in the DMG.

Tables to make complex magic items would be cool but is an entirely different project.

It'd be like Warehouse 13 or Friday the 13th: The Series!

 

[abirdcall]

I had the 'enspelled staff' on the uncommon and rare lists but had forgotten to assign numbers to them.

That has been fixed.