Hi folks, I'm a relatively new DM and am running through the Dragon Heist with my players. I really want to lean into the cult and devil theme in the summer version by providing neat magic items in the world. The problem is that I find many of the items in the DMG to be bland and not that interesting sometimes, or they just don't seem to make sense with why that item would be there.
Needless to say, I am looking for help. I would like to know how you come up with ideas for items your party can use or where you can find cool and original item ideas. Can you help me please?
I like making items that give a bonus or advantage to skill checks. It doesn't change combat too much that it tips the encounter paradigms, but it's a cool little treat. It's especially fun when they forget they have the item and then remember and get excited.
Another thing that gives them more versatility in combat without tipping the scales is giving them an item that grants them another class' abilities. My Deep South Forge Cleric was gifted a dip can that was functionally re-skinned to give him access to the Circle of Spores Druid ability. I'd recommend making it a bonus action or a x/day thing though.
Halo of Spores
When a creature you can see moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.
I wouldn't step on any other class' toes though. If you already have a rogue in your party, I'd advise against giving someone else a Ring of Hiding or something that lets them hide as a bonus action. Then the rogue isn't filling their niche.
Another favorite is making items that do things in combat that don't normally get done in your session. In mine, no one ever grapples, makes anyone prone, or uses the help action. Any item you make can either speed up an action (i.e. make a full action a bonus action or a bonus action a reaction) or hinder an opponent (There is a Rope of Entanglement that grapples enemies you can see within some distance).
And then there's the flavor items. There's a cloak of billowing that serves no function mechanically but the players can use a free action to make their cloak billow dramatically. One of my players desperately wanted to get it in our previous campaign, and is disappointing because their current character doesn't like cloaks. So I made it a ring of billowing and it blows their hair dramatically. Give them glasses that change their eye color. Why not? It's a fun little thing to have, and in my experience, they'll use it every chance they can just because they can. And it can make social encounters fun. Depending on the setting, changing eye colors could make an inquisitor think you're a witch. It could make people think you're a skin walker. Or a fairy. Robot. Whatever.
Almost all of my magic items (aside from scrolls, potions and some rings) tend to have quirks, since in my campaign setting there is an inherent risk of failure in creating an item. I like to think about the purpose of the item and then create a small backstory for it.
As a couple of examples:
A generic +1 warhammer: Let's say it was crafted for a dwarven king. Perhaps that citadel was overrun by a dragon, and the warhammer stayed in it's lair for hundreds of years. Let's give the hammer a name, and when you speak it it then gains the ability to burst into flame, perhaps doing more damage to undead. Maybe it can be attuned further by striking beings made of fire, and then later can 1/day cast a 6d6 fireball.
A generic +1 bow: Perhaps it became magical due to blessings from priests of a particular god. As its wielder does things more in line with the precepts of that god, perhaps some divine energy infuses it -- this leads to the bow becoming more powerful, perhaps with a limited ability to do more damage to a particular type of creature that that god views as minions of an enemy. As it grows in power, perhaps the wielder slowly follows more precepts of that god, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Hope the above helps some. :) I like "attunements" that get a base level for an item and then later on I can then upgrade the item and create "quests" for it.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Oh I love that. In my campaign I say that magical items have a bit of the essence or soul of the creator in it. My party lifted a dagger off a vampire lord's right hand woman and tried to attune it. I panicked because I made it up as a flavor thing so had no plans for it. Didn't think they'd steal it. But it'd be attuned to her, so her soul is still inside it. This little level 3 cleric is trying to push the soul of Dracula's personally made vampire out of a dagger? Nah. No way. She's too strong. So then... magic items have souls in them now. I make my players roll spiritual strength to see if they can overcome a previous attunement. It's given a little mystery to the past of an item too. Is the previous owner still alive? Why did they leave this item around? Where are they now?
But I can imagine saying "You attune the item... but you still feel like it isn't yours. It sees that you are in possession of it but it does not accept you as its master yet."
Gives you some room to grow and keep magical items with good backstory relevant.
Also very Harry Potter "The Wand Chooses the Wizard."
I like the concept of magical items having backgrounds/essences etc that are either inline with what the character wielding them is, or not. These things can change over time, and could be the basis for later campaigns as stories move into myth and legend.
I have found my players enjoy having tasks to complete to "figure out more" about their weapon. To me it provides a sense of work for a possibility of advancement (ie you earned the upgrade). It also creates backstory and can create directional conflict: let's go north to this town vs wait, I think if we go east I can learn something more about this magic item.
Just my opinions though :)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I like it when a magic item has it's own thing like a wondrous item such as the deck of many things with its chaos, bag of beans with its randomness, and the alchemy jug because it can make mayonnaise. If wondrous items aren't something you think are that cool then how about weapons that can do quirky things in special conditions, such as a sword that casts lightning bolt in a storm, or cursed items that have risky drawbacks.
Those are all excellent ideas. Thank you very much. I especially like the part about giving access to other classes. That especially works when the items are taken from a bad guy because it gives a hint about what they were. And giving a history to the items is such a fantastic way to add flavor. I really appreciate the help.
Hi folks, I'm a relatively new DM and am running through the Dragon Heist with my players. I really want to lean into the cult and devil theme in the summer version by providing neat magic items in the world. The problem is that I find many of the items in the DMG to be bland and not that interesting sometimes, or they just don't seem to make sense with why that item would be there.
Needless to say, I am looking for help. I would like to know how you come up with ideas for items your party can use or where you can find cool and original item ideas. Can you help me please?
I like making items that give a bonus or advantage to skill checks. It doesn't change combat too much that it tips the encounter paradigms, but it's a cool little treat. It's especially fun when they forget they have the item and then remember and get excited.
Another thing that gives them more versatility in combat without tipping the scales is giving them an item that grants them another class' abilities. My Deep South Forge Cleric was gifted a dip can that was functionally re-skinned to give him access to the Circle of Spores Druid ability. I'd recommend making it a bonus action or a x/day thing though.
Halo of Spores
When a creature you can see moves into a space within 10 feet of you or starts its turn there, you can use your reaction to deal 1d4 necrotic damage to that creature unless it succeeds on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. The necrotic damage increases to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 10th level, and 1d10 at 14th level.
I wouldn't step on any other class' toes though. If you already have a rogue in your party, I'd advise against giving someone else a Ring of Hiding or something that lets them hide as a bonus action. Then the rogue isn't filling their niche.
Another favorite is making items that do things in combat that don't normally get done in your session. In mine, no one ever grapples, makes anyone prone, or uses the help action. Any item you make can either speed up an action (i.e. make a full action a bonus action or a bonus action a reaction) or hinder an opponent (There is a Rope of Entanglement that grapples enemies you can see within some distance).
And then there's the flavor items. There's a cloak of billowing that serves no function mechanically but the players can use a free action to make their cloak billow dramatically. One of my players desperately wanted to get it in our previous campaign, and is disappointing because their current character doesn't like cloaks. So I made it a ring of billowing and it blows their hair dramatically. Give them glasses that change their eye color. Why not? It's a fun little thing to have, and in my experience, they'll use it every chance they can just because they can. And it can make social encounters fun. Depending on the setting, changing eye colors could make an inquisitor think you're a witch. It could make people think you're a skin walker. Or a fairy. Robot. Whatever.
I hope this helps.
Almost all of my magic items (aside from scrolls, potions and some rings) tend to have quirks, since in my campaign setting there is an inherent risk of failure in creating an item. I like to think about the purpose of the item and then create a small backstory for it.
As a couple of examples:
A generic +1 warhammer: Let's say it was crafted for a dwarven king. Perhaps that citadel was overrun by a dragon, and the warhammer stayed in it's lair for hundreds of years. Let's give the hammer a name, and when you speak it it then gains the ability to burst into flame, perhaps doing more damage to undead. Maybe it can be attuned further by striking beings made of fire, and then later can 1/day cast a 6d6 fireball.
A generic +1 bow: Perhaps it became magical due to blessings from priests of a particular god. As its wielder does things more in line with the precepts of that god, perhaps some divine energy infuses it -- this leads to the bow becoming more powerful, perhaps with a limited ability to do more damage to a particular type of creature that that god views as minions of an enemy. As it grows in power, perhaps the wielder slowly follows more precepts of that god, so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Hope the above helps some. :) I like "attunements" that get a base level for an item and then later on I can then upgrade the item and create "quests" for it.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
Oh I love that. In my campaign I say that magical items have a bit of the essence or soul of the creator in it. My party lifted a dagger off a vampire lord's right hand woman and tried to attune it. I panicked because I made it up as a flavor thing so had no plans for it. Didn't think they'd steal it. But it'd be attuned to her, so her soul is still inside it. This little level 3 cleric is trying to push the soul of Dracula's personally made vampire out of a dagger? Nah. No way. She's too strong. So then... magic items have souls in them now. I make my players roll spiritual strength to see if they can overcome a previous attunement. It's given a little mystery to the past of an item too. Is the previous owner still alive? Why did they leave this item around? Where are they now?
But I can imagine saying "You attune the item... but you still feel like it isn't yours. It sees that you are in possession of it but it does not accept you as its master yet."
Gives you some room to grow and keep magical items with good backstory relevant.
Also very Harry Potter "The Wand Chooses the Wizard."
I like the concept of magical items having backgrounds/essences etc that are either inline with what the character wielding them is, or not. These things can change over time, and could be the basis for later campaigns as stories move into myth and legend.
I have found my players enjoy having tasks to complete to "figure out more" about their weapon. To me it provides a sense of work for a possibility of advancement (ie you earned the upgrade). It also creates backstory and can create directional conflict: let's go north to this town vs wait, I think if we go east I can learn something more about this magic item.
Just my opinions though :)
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I like it when a magic item has it's own thing like a wondrous item such as the deck of many things with its chaos, bag of beans with its randomness, and the alchemy jug because it can make mayonnaise. If wondrous items aren't something you think are that cool then how about weapons that can do quirky things in special conditions, such as a sword that casts lightning bolt in a storm, or cursed items that have risky drawbacks.
Also known as CrafterB and DankMemer.
Here, have some homebrew classes! Subclasses to? Why not races. Feats, feats as well. I have a lot of magic items. Lastly I got monsters, fun, fun times.
Those are all excellent ideas. Thank you very much. I especially like the part about giving access to other classes. That especially works when the items are taken from a bad guy because it gives a hint about what they were. And giving a history to the items is such a fantastic way to add flavor. I really appreciate the help.