Once upon a time, i got bored and decided to write a full explanation for how magic items work.
Have you ever wondered, why are magic items so rare and expensive in D&D? Why are they so difficult and time consuming to make? How do they even work? Well, i have made a home-brew lore explanation to all of those. This version is mostly for arcane magic items, though the basic principles can probably be used for any item made by any class.Also, this is just my personal headcanon, feel free to use this in your campaigns, and/or tweak it, maybe send this to your artificer, so that they know what their character is actually doing to make magic items.)
In my opinion, magic items are similar to electronics, needing a few base components.
These components usually aren’t physical, but magical, and bound to the item, usually with runes. Kind of like how a computer stores non - physical data in physical components.
The First component, is a magic power source.This is basically a magic energy battery. You can have a non - rechargeable source that is cheaper, (like in single or limited use items) and may be able to hold more power. The caveat, is the magic item is usually destroyed when this source runs out. The other option is a rechargeable version of this source, which is more expensive, and might not hold as much power, but it can be charged either by you, or by using an additional component; the ambient magic collector, which usually recharges fully by dawn.However, some rechargeable items still have a chance of breaking if you use all the charges.
Second, is the item itself, which acts as the focus for whatever magic is being used.Like how a computer has a tower case with all the components in order to connect and protect them, it is also how the magical components interact with the world. The item usually relates to the magic it uses, for example, a bag of holding is a bag, simply because it is a good focus for a container type spell, and it is much more useful as a bag than a two by four of holding. This focus is a bit different than a standard focus, being a specific item makes it more effective at the specific purpose, whereas if you used a standard universal focus, it might be less useful for a specific purpose (clobbering someone with a +2 miniature totem pole, though comedic, isn’t as effective as a +2 sword)
The last main component, is the spells themselves.Like the “software” of the magic item.These are the reasons for why magic items need such weird components, since many spells need a material component to focus the magic.The components are usually destroyed in a way where their magical “signature” stays, and is attached to the rest of the item.The spells used take a long time to create, and can be incredibly complex, since with normally cast magic, a wizard is able to do these things manually.It is similar to someone who can for example, play a computer game. It won’t take long for you to learn, but creating a macro or a bot to do it automatically is much, much harder.
Basically, magic items are expensive, because magic batteries are expensive, base items themselves, and the runes on those items can be expensive, extracting magic signatures from potentially expensive items is difficult, and creating spells that can be cast by this “magic spell macro” is very difficult. The items scale based on power, (the magic battery capacity) the amount of different uses for the item, (+1 weapon having one use, bag of holding being very game breaking if you use it creatively) and handling more magic power to create them needs more experience. Basically, making a magic item is like creating an artificial wizard that is programmed to do very specific things.
This is a very basic and non specific explanation of magic items. (not explaining each item individually, like you wouldn’t explain every model of computer in a “how computers work” book) there are other components in some items, for example, the component that recognizes voice commands. (Though most can just be explained as just more spells) there are also “natural” magic items, such as the cloud cotton found in the elemental plane of air. These don’t usually have components, just naturally occurring phenomena.
exceptions can exist for many parts of an item. For example, artificer infusions may be partial magic items, but they lack the power source, so they are linked to the artificer, using their magical power, or otherwise “incomplete” prototypes, lacking a few essential, and expensive parts, so the artificer fills in manually.
leave any thoughts, suggestions, or criticisms for this explanation in the replies if you wish.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)
We all know the various laws of magic (right?) - the law of attraction, the law of oppositiion, the law of similarity, and so on. The law of attraction means that if we want to attract a cat, one way of doing it is to make something that looks like a mouse. The law of opposition means that if we want to put out a fire, we need some water. The law of similarity means that if we want to make a voodoo doll, we need a hair from ther person we want to do voodoo to.
All of these things are true, and all of these things work. You needn't be any sort of classed character to do these things - but the magic is pathically weak. Your marketplace talismonger may be a total fraud - but might also have some real knowledge about how to make small magical impacts upon the world. A scarecrow is a scarecrow - but a scarecrow bound with a cat's skull and set above a pile of dead crows will work better, if done right.
The same laws apply to classed magic. You need a bit of spiderweb to cast a Web spell - this is the law of similarity. Bla bla. Having actual magic power at your fingertips shifts the results from barely noticable to rather quite spectacular.
To make a permanent magic item requires much more: It requires what is called a Conflux amongst those in the know. Basically, magic items happen when several paths cross - the right material in the right place at the right time. In essence, this means that a magic item may be born by the death of a hero. Spontaneously. You can also engineer a Conflux, a common example of this is the virgin sacrifice. Less unpleasant solutions exist, but the quick and dirty method is blood magic and ritual sacrifice. This is why the bad guys so often carry better gear. And of course, it's the obligation of heroes to destroy such tained items.
Untained magic items are harder, but do tend to be more powerful. So when the dwarven master smith toils away on a mountaintop for a week without pause during a thunderstorm, finally sealing the lighting inside the blade - that's another example of a Conflux. And debatable, since even dwarves aren't lightning proof, still involves (possibly virgin) sacrifice. There is ongoing debate whether the magic item would still be created - and as powerful - if the master smith wore a rubber suit, and thus survived the process.
Or a Faraday cage.
Anyways - that's my take =)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
We all know the various laws of magic (right?) - the law of attraction, the law of oppositiion, the law of similarity, and so on. The law of attraction means that if we want to attract a cat, one way of doing it is to make something that looks like a mouse. The law of opposition means that if we want to put out a fire, we need some water. The law of similarity means that if we want to make a voodoo doll, we need a hair from ther person we want to do voodoo to.
All of these things are true, and all of these things work. You needn't be any sort of classed character to do these things - but the magic is pathically weak. Your marketplace talismonger may be a total fraud - but might also have some real knowledge about how to make small magical impacts upon the world. A scarecrow is a scarecrow - but a scarecrow bound with a cat's skull and set above a pile of dead crows will work better, if done right.
The same laws apply to classed magic. You need a bit of spiderweb to cast a Web spell - this is the law of similarity. Bla bla. Having actual magic power at your fingertips shifts the results from barely noticable to rather quite spectacular.
To make a permanent magic item requires much more: It requires what is called a Conflux amongst those in the know. Basically, magic items happen when several paths cross - the right material in the right place at the right time. In essence, this means that a magic item may be born by the death of a hero. Spontaneously. You can also engineer a Conflux, a common example of this is the virgin sacrifice. Less unpleasant solutions exist, but the quick and dirty method is blood magic and ritual sacrifice. This is why the bad guys so often carry better gear. And of course, it's the obligation of heroes to destroy such tained items.
Untained magic items are harder, but do tend to be more powerful. So when the dwarven master smith toils away on a mountaintop for a week without pause during a thunderstorm, finally sealing the lighting inside the blade - that's another example of a Conflux. And debatable, since even dwarves aren't lightning proof, still involves (possibly virgin) sacrifice. There is ongoing debate whether the magic item would still be created - and as powerful - if the master smith wore a rubber suit, and thus survived the process.
Or a Faraday cage.
Anyways - that's my take =)
That’s a really interesting take! Much simpler than mine, and explains how magic items aren’t yet super mass produced. I like complicated explanations for things, thus the absolute text wall you just read. I will say, I never considered something that simple that isn’t just “magic” could still be as interesting as it is.
Maybe there are multiple methods behind making magic items, each wildly different from the others. Maybe as you said, a hero’s death could cause one, or a cleric could have their deity create one by sacrificing something expensive. I prefer to think that nearly every artificer, and a vast majority of wizards use the explanation I came up with, treating them like electronics powered by magic, while the other types (sorcerer, bard, Druid etc.) use other methods similar to the ones you mentioned.
Also, with the laws you were talking about, particularly the law of similarity, explaining the need for material components, that is quite similar to how I think they work as well. I think that material components act as a focus for magic. Not an all purpose one like a wand, but something that shapes the magic into roughly the right shape, which you can correct from there. I think it is technically possible to cast most spells without one, but it would be like describing every square inch of your car in computer code, but if you make one mistake, it all goes to waste. Theoretically possible, but so not worth it, that it’s better to just use a copper piece. (Just to clarify, this is not for consumed components with a price, as those are converted into the magical energy needed for the spell.)
With material components explaining why magic items usually need such outlandishly random and expensive ingredients, I think the same principle of converting objects to magical energy could be used for a magic “battery”, needing many expensive and rare ingredients to get the desired effect, and with outfitting an ordinary item with the capabilities needed to hold magic.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)
I recall that in original D&D a magical weapon had to first be an exquisitely crafted weapon or it couldn't hold a charm.
So for starters you had to spend a boat load of money finding a pure specimen of the things you wanted enchanted. Maybe the things that don't look so beautiful but carry an enchantment have a portion of the power used to produce the illusion of average or low quality. But the original had to be exquisite.
There has been quite a bit of talk about gold having some sort of connection to magical power, and this is connected to a dragons avarice for a treasure horde.
I imagine a magical vessel has to have a core of the purest gold. A sword or staff might have a hollowed out core where the purest gold is cast into a rod within.
Gems are coveted for their beauty and rarity, but they are also mysterious and believed to have special powers. Maybe the golden core has to be linked with one or more gems? Maybe these have to be especially pure forms of gems without inclusions or voids. I imagine the golden core has to be placed between two gems to allow for the magical energy to resonate. It is like building a find musical instrument. Generating the sound is one thing, but harnessing the power of resonance is what makes a Steinway instead of a Baldwin piano great.
So, I believe the creation of magical items begins with building a magnificent work and then giving it power with a resonance chamber. Then, the vessel is ready to be filled.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
That’s a really interesting take! Much simpler than mine, and explains how magic items aren’t yet super mass produced. I like complicated explanations for things, thus the absolute text wall you just read. I will say, I never considered something that simple that isn’t just “magic” could still be as interesting as it is.
Maybe there are multiple methods behind making magic items, each wildly different from the others. Maybe as you said, a hero’s death could cause one, or a cleric could have their deity create one by sacrificing something expensive. I prefer to think that nearly every artificer, and a vast majority of wizards use the explanation I came up with, treating them like electronics powered by magic, while the other types (sorcerer, bard, Druid etc.) use other methods similar to the ones you mentioned.
Also, with the laws you were talking about, particularly the law of similarity, explaining the need for material components, that is quite similar to how I think they work as well. I think that material components act as a focus for magic. Not an all purpose one like a wand, but something that shapes the magic into roughly the right shape, which you can correct from there. I think it is technically possible to cast most spells without one, but it would be like describing every square inch of your car in computer code, but if you make one mistake, it all goes to waste. Theoretically possible, but so not worth it, that it’s better to just use a copper piece. (Just to clarify, this is not for consumed components with a price, as those are converted into the magical energy needed for the spell.)
With material components explaining why magic items usually need such outlandishly random and expensive ingredients, I think the same principle of converting objects to magical energy could be used for a magic “battery”, needing many expensive and rare ingredients to get the desired effect, and with outfitting an ordinary item with the capabilities needed to hold magic.
To be fair, large chunks of what I wrote are shamelessly stolen from Earthdawn. Or ... 'inspired by', as an artist would say =D
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
i prefer to think that the blood, sweat, and tears imbue weapons, armor and shields over time or perhaps for casters over time their staff, holy symbol or instrument is imbued latently with the ability to cast a single spell of your choice once a day. Start at level 3 at level 6 add a new spell and the first spell can be cast twice per day and extrapolate from there...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rule Zero: Make the game your own
Online Resources This is a small list of things that can be helpful to a DM be they new or experienced Covering everything from cartography, campaign management and virtual Tabletop environments.
I recall that in original D&D a magical weapon had to first be an exquisitely crafted weapon or it couldn't hold a charm.
So for starters you had to spend a boat load of money finding a pure specimen of the things you wanted enchanted. Maybe the things that don't look so beautiful but carry an enchantment have a portion of the power used to produce the illusion of average or low quality. But the original had to be exquisite.
There has been quite a bit of talk about gold having some sort of connection to magical power, and this is connected to a dragons avarice for a treasure horde.
I imagine a magical vessel has to have a core of the purest gold. A sword or staff might have a hollowed out core where the purest gold is cast into a rod within.
Gems are coveted for their beauty and rarity, but they are also mysterious and believed to have special powers. Maybe the golden core has to be linked with one or more gems? Maybe these have to be especially pure forms of gems without inclusions or voids. I imagine the golden core has to be placed between two gems to allow for the magical energy to resonate. It is like building a find musical instrument. Generating the sound is one thing, but harnessing the power of resonance is what makes a Steinway instead of a Baldwin piano great.
So, I believe the creation of magical items begins with building a magnificent work and then giving it power with a resonance chamber. Then, the vessel is ready to be filled.
good point! i hadn't considered the object quality itself much. the way i think of it with the gold cost, is that you are converting gold into magical energy, and using that in the construction of the nonphysical part of the item. much of the work to create one, is shaping the magic it uses. coming up with ways to make the spells better, creating runes to bind the nonphysical device to the physical world. imagine that magic exists as a separate plane overlapping everything else (the weave), and that the magic for the item exists on that plane. if you don't attach it properly to the item using a method like runes, it may as well drift away in the wind. this is why when a magic item breaks, a simple mending spell won't restore the magic.
maybe gems can act as the magical battery, or the focus. maybe gold is another method to bind the magic to the item, or it is like a hard drive for the spells. i do think that gold does have magical power, which is my lore explanation for why it is valuable in D&D.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)
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Once upon a time, i got bored and decided to write a full explanation for how magic items work.
Have you ever wondered, why are magic items so rare and expensive in D&D? Why are they so difficult and time consuming to make? How do they even work? Well, i have made a home-brew lore explanation to all of those. This version is mostly for arcane magic items, though the basic principles can probably be used for any item made by any class. Also, this is just my personal headcanon, feel free to use this in your campaigns, and/or tweak it, maybe send this to your artificer, so that they know what their character is actually doing to make magic items.)
In my opinion, magic items are similar to electronics, needing a few base components.
These components usually aren’t physical, but magical, and bound to the item, usually with runes. Kind of like how a computer stores non - physical data in physical components.
The First component, is a magic power source. This is basically a magic energy battery. You can have a non - rechargeable source that is cheaper, (like in single or limited use items) and may be able to hold more power. The caveat, is the magic item is usually destroyed when this source runs out. The other option is a rechargeable version of this source, which is more expensive, and might not hold as much power, but it can be charged either by you, or by using an additional component; the ambient magic collector, which usually recharges fully by dawn. However, some rechargeable items still have a chance of breaking if you use all the charges.
Second, is the item itself, which acts as the focus for whatever magic is being used. Like how a computer has a tower case with all the components in order to connect and protect them, it is also how the magical components interact with the world. The item usually relates to the magic it uses, for example, a bag of holding is a bag, simply because it is a good focus for a container type spell, and it is much more useful as a bag than a two by four of holding. This focus is a bit different than a standard focus, being a specific item makes it more effective at the specific purpose, whereas if you used a standard universal focus, it might be less useful for a specific purpose (clobbering someone with a +2 miniature totem pole, though comedic, isn’t as effective as a +2 sword)
The last main component, is the spells themselves. Like the “software” of the magic item. These are the reasons for why magic items need such weird components, since many spells need a material component to focus the magic. The components are usually destroyed in a way where their magical “signature” stays, and is attached to the rest of the item. The spells used take a long time to create, and can be incredibly complex, since with normally cast magic, a wizard is able to do these things manually. It is similar to someone who can for example, play a computer game. It won’t take long for you to learn, but creating a macro or a bot to do it automatically is much, much harder.
Basically, magic items are expensive, because magic batteries are expensive, base items themselves, and the runes on those items can be expensive, extracting magic signatures from potentially expensive items is difficult, and creating spells that can be cast by this “magic spell macro” is very difficult. The items scale based on power, (the magic battery capacity) the amount of different uses for the item, (+1 weapon having one use, bag of holding being very game breaking if you use it creatively) and handling more magic power to create them needs more experience. Basically, making a magic item is like creating an artificial wizard that is programmed to do very specific things.
This is a very basic and non specific explanation of magic items. (not explaining each item individually, like you wouldn’t explain every model of computer in a “how computers work” book) there are other components in some items, for example, the component that recognizes voice commands. (Though most can just be explained as just more spells) there are also “natural” magic items, such as the cloud cotton found in the elemental plane of air. These don’t usually have components, just naturally occurring phenomena.
exceptions can exist for many parts of an item. For example, artificer infusions may be partial magic items, but they lack the power source, so they are linked to the artificer, using their magical power, or otherwise “incomplete” prototypes, lacking a few essential, and expensive parts, so the artificer fills in manually.
leave any thoughts, suggestions, or criticisms for this explanation in the replies if you wish.
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)
I have much simpler explanations.
We all know the various laws of magic (right?) - the law of attraction, the law of oppositiion, the law of similarity, and so on. The law of attraction means that if we want to attract a cat, one way of doing it is to make something that looks like a mouse. The law of opposition means that if we want to put out a fire, we need some water. The law of similarity means that if we want to make a voodoo doll, we need a hair from ther person we want to do voodoo to.
All of these things are true, and all of these things work. You needn't be any sort of classed character to do these things - but the magic is pathically weak. Your marketplace talismonger may be a total fraud - but might also have some real knowledge about how to make small magical impacts upon the world. A scarecrow is a scarecrow - but a scarecrow bound with a cat's skull and set above a pile of dead crows will work better, if done right.
The same laws apply to classed magic. You need a bit of spiderweb to cast a Web spell - this is the law of similarity. Bla bla. Having actual magic power at your fingertips shifts the results from barely noticable to rather quite spectacular.
To make a permanent magic item requires much more: It requires what is called a Conflux amongst those in the know. Basically, magic items happen when several paths cross - the right material in the right place at the right time. In essence, this means that a magic item may be born by the death of a hero. Spontaneously. You can also engineer a Conflux, a common example of this is the virgin sacrifice. Less unpleasant solutions exist, but the quick and dirty method is blood magic and ritual sacrifice. This is why the bad guys so often carry better gear. And of course, it's the obligation of heroes to destroy such tained items.
Untained magic items are harder, but do tend to be more powerful. So when the dwarven master smith toils away on a mountaintop for a week without pause during a thunderstorm, finally sealing the lighting inside the blade - that's another example of a Conflux. And debatable, since even dwarves aren't lightning proof, still involves (possibly virgin) sacrifice. There is ongoing debate whether the magic item would still be created - and as powerful - if the master smith wore a rubber suit, and thus survived the process.
Or a Faraday cage.
Anyways - that's my take =)
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
That’s a really interesting take! Much simpler than mine, and explains how magic items aren’t yet super mass produced. I like complicated explanations for things, thus the absolute text wall you just read. I will say, I never considered something that simple that isn’t just “magic” could still be as interesting as it is.
Maybe there are multiple methods behind making magic items, each wildly different from the others. Maybe as you said, a hero’s death could cause one, or a cleric could have their deity create one by sacrificing something expensive. I prefer to think that nearly every artificer, and a vast majority of wizards use the explanation I came up with, treating them like electronics powered by magic, while the other types (sorcerer, bard, Druid etc.) use other methods similar to the ones you mentioned.
Also, with the laws you were talking about, particularly the law of similarity, explaining the need for material components, that is quite similar to how I think they work as well. I think that material components act as a focus for magic. Not an all purpose one like a wand, but something that shapes the magic into roughly the right shape, which you can correct from there. I think it is technically possible to cast most spells without one, but it would be like describing every square inch of your car in computer code, but if you make one mistake, it all goes to waste. Theoretically possible, but so not worth it, that it’s better to just use a copper piece. (Just to clarify, this is not for consumed components with a price, as those are converted into the magical energy needed for the spell.)
With material components explaining why magic items usually need such outlandishly random and expensive ingredients, I think the same principle of converting objects to magical energy could be used for a magic “battery”, needing many expensive and rare ingredients to get the desired effect, and with outfitting an ordinary item with the capabilities needed to hold magic.
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)
I recall that in original D&D a magical weapon had to first be an exquisitely crafted weapon or it couldn't hold a charm.
So for starters you had to spend a boat load of money finding a pure specimen of the things you wanted enchanted. Maybe the things that don't look so beautiful but carry an enchantment have a portion of the power used to produce the illusion of average or low quality. But the original had to be exquisite.
There has been quite a bit of talk about gold having some sort of connection to magical power, and this is connected to a dragons avarice for a treasure horde.
I imagine a magical vessel has to have a core of the purest gold. A sword or staff might have a hollowed out core where the purest gold is cast into a rod within.
Gems are coveted for their beauty and rarity, but they are also mysterious and believed to have special powers. Maybe the golden core has to be linked with one or more gems? Maybe these have to be especially pure forms of gems without inclusions or voids. I imagine the golden core has to be placed between two gems to allow for the magical energy to resonate. It is like building a find musical instrument. Generating the sound is one thing, but harnessing the power of resonance is what makes a Steinway instead of a Baldwin piano great.
So, I believe the creation of magical items begins with building a magnificent work and then giving it power with a resonance chamber. Then, the vessel is ready to be filled.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
To be fair, large chunks of what I wrote are shamelessly stolen from Earthdawn. Or ... 'inspired by', as an artist would say =D
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
i prefer to think that the blood, sweat, and tears imbue weapons, armor and shields over time or perhaps for casters over time their staff, holy symbol or instrument is imbued latently with the ability to cast a single spell of your choice once a day. Start at level 3 at level 6 add a new spell and the first spell can be cast twice per day and extrapolate from there...
Rule Zero: Make the game your own
Online Resources This is a small list of things that can be helpful to a DM be they new or experienced Covering everything from cartography, campaign management and virtual Tabletop environments.
good point! i hadn't considered the object quality itself much. the way i think of it with the gold cost, is that you are converting gold into magical energy, and using that in the construction of the nonphysical part of the item. much of the work to create one, is shaping the magic it uses. coming up with ways to make the spells better, creating runes to bind the nonphysical device to the physical world. imagine that magic exists as a separate plane overlapping everything else (the weave), and that the magic for the item exists on that plane. if you don't attach it properly to the item using a method like runes, it may as well drift away in the wind. this is why when a magic item breaks, a simple mending spell won't restore the magic.
maybe gems can act as the magical battery, or the focus. maybe gold is another method to bind the magic to the item, or it is like a hard drive for the spells. i do think that gold does have magical power, which is my lore explanation for why it is valuable in D&D.
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)