Highlights
- Magic items in Dungeons and Dragons offer creative gameplay opportunities.
- Lesser-known magical items can become crucial to a party's success.
- The strategic use of specific items, such as the Mariner's Armor, can save characters and campaigns.
Magic items are a lot of fun in any game, but Dungeons and Dragons push the format much further. Being a TTRPG, the game allows for incredibly creative uses of pretty much anything that the players can find, and that goes double for arcane artifacts.
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While many are familiar with items such as the Bag of Holding, Deck of Many Things, and so forth, many more are often overlooked by players and Dungeon Masters alike. Sometimes, the most inconspicuous trinket can end up being the saving grace for an entire party and the entire campaign.
9 Ring of Jumping
Useful for Clearing Significant Distances
- Uncommon, Requires Attunement
By itself, the ring isn’t bad by any means. Players can cast Jump on themselves as a bonus action, tripling their jumping distance. While it’s excellent for clearing certain obstacles and hazards, the devil lies in the details of the spell itself.
RAW (Rules As Written), most jump-affecting effects stack. This means that if players get another boost due to their class and abilities, all of a sudden, characters can clear incredible distances using just their basic movement and a bonus action.
8 Portable Hole
Doubles as Storage or an Impromptu Trap
- Wondrous Item, Rare
The Bag of Holding probably holds the top spot in the “magical item to store a lot of stuff” category, but it is by no means the only one. The Portable Hole is a piece of black cloth that can unfold into a circular sheet 6 feet in diameter, with a hole 10 feet deep.
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While somewhat less convenient than the Bag of Holding, it can easily fit much larger objects that the players might encounter and even count as an impromptu trap.
7 Gem of Brightness
A Source of Light and a Weapon
- Wondrous Item, Uncommon
Most players assume from the name that this is just a glorified torch, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, the Gem can act as a source of light, but the trick is in the other two abilities.
Players can use the Gem of Brightness to attempt to blind either one creature or a whole group of enemies. Blindness can be devastating in battle, rendering casters essentially helpless, and greatly hindering anyone trying to make an attack. Overall, it’s a great tool to have at the ready, either for a dark cave or a tough fight.
6 Mariner's Armor
A Must-Have For Underwater Play
- Uncommon, Armor
The Mariner’s Armor is something that is better to have and not need, because when the need arises, it is crucial. For landlocked campaigns, this would be nothing more than a novelty, but it is irreplaceable in any games that have underwater combat.
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This item allows players to use their walking speed underwater, making them much more agile than usual, and the secondary feature can truly save a character’s life at some point. When a player is underwater and reaches 0 hitpoints, the armor begins to float towards the surface, allowing their allies to rescue their unconscious friend.
5 Armblade
Perfect for Infiltration or Surprise Attacks
- Common, Requires Attunement by a Warforged
The Armblade is a magic retractable weapon that is inseparable from the wielder. Essentially it is merged into the arm of the owner and can vanish or appear at will. While RAW, the item is designed for the Warforged race, a Dungeon Master could be talked into allowing it for other races.
The Armblade is a great item for subterfuge or infiltrating missions, allowing characters to always have a weapon at the ready. Or a great surprise attack on an unsuspecting enemy.
4 Wand of Conducting
Entertain or Distract
- Common, Wand
When characters wave around this wand, beautiful orchestral music begins playing and can be heard as far as 60 feet. While it is certainly on the innocuous side of magic items, there are many creative ways to utilize it.
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From charming an audience or entertaining a crowd, to causing a great distraction or at the very least some confusion. Should players use up all three charges in one day, there is a small chance that the wand plays one final sad tuba tune, and crumbles to dust.
3 Armor of Fungal Spores
Poison Enemies with Your Armor
- Uncommon, Armor
This new set of armor has been introduced in the latest supplement book, The Book of Many Things. There are a lot of new and interesting magic items in this book, as well as rules and character options to consider.
This particular armor is great because it isn’t too rare or valuable, but can be a great tool to have in battle. As a bonus action, players can spread a poisonous cloud around them, causing every creature in the vicinity to make a saving throw, or become poisoned.
2 Scrolls and Potions
Can Get You Out of Sticky Situations
- Adventuring Gear
Many players consider Scrolls and Potions (that aren’t healing) to be a waste of money as they only get one use out of them, and can get quite pricey. But a well-timed use of them can absolutely save a character or even the entire campaign.
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It all depends on the campaign itself, but having more options is never a bad thing in D&D. A potion of water breathing is only useless until one finds themselves in a room filled with water. A potion of Giant Strength might not be needed in every battle, but it only takes one combat encounter for the elixir to prove invaluable.
1 Ring of Truth Telling
See Through the Lies of Everyone
- Uncommon, Ring
Characters will encounter lies pretty much everywhere on their journey. A merchant that is holding back his best items, an assassin that tries to gain their trust, or the BBEG trying to pose as a helpful guardian. Insight checks are a constant in most games, and having even a little help in that regard is amazing.
This ring is great because it isn’t too expensive, and gives the players a flat and simple advantage on insight checks. Dungeon Masters can also consider giving this item to an investigator NPC, or a judge at a trial.
