The DMG crafting rules don’t seem to have much to say about exactly what kinds of wands you can craft. It kind of implies that you’re picking from the list of wands in the DMG. Are there any limits or rules beyond cost, having the spell prepped, and days to complete? Is there something I’ve overlooked? I feel like you should be able to have a pretty wide spell selection for wands, barring unreasonable spell component issues or time to cast issues. Am I off base here?
By RAW, you can only create magic items listed in the rule books. But any creative restrictions in the game come with the further caveat that your DM can, at any time, allow any freedom in that respect. So if you want to create a wand of Calm Emotions, you should talk to your DM.
That said, a loose restriction for wands (at least one that existed in the past and is represented by the existing inventory of magic wands) is that they are usually limited to spells of third-level or lower. When you want to cast bigger spells than that, you're generally getting into staff territory.
It's implicit in how the game works- from a player's perspective, the magic item list is not just a list of examples- it is a comprehensive list of what magic items exist for player-facing use in the setting. Trying to homebrew your own item is not RAW because RAW doesn't describe how that can be done.
Now, practically speaking there's no reason an Enspelled Staff can't be an Enspelled Wand.
RAW, there is nothing that says you can only craft items listed in the DMG. The rules simply state that you have to have the required materials (availability at the DM's discretion), Arcana proficiency, the right tool proficiency, and then it dictates the cost and time required for the crafting based on the rarity of the item. So any item not listed in the DMG, would therefore be controlled by the DM by them getting the final say on materials availability and the rarity of the item you are attempting to craft. The material and time constraints are going to be up to the DM, so the item might not be feasible to craft during your campaign.
I see nothing in the rules that state you can only craft items already detailed in the rule books, if that was their intention, they would have added a sentence saying so.
And now we return to one of the perennial points of rules discussions- D&D doesn't run on Air Bud logic. "I don't see a rule explicitly saying I can't" is not a valid argument that you can do something when we're talking hard mechanics.
I see nothing in the rules that state you can only craft items already detailed in the rule books, if that was their intention, they would have added a sentence saying so.
An item not listed in the DMG (or otherwise published) has no defined rarity. It is therefore in homebrew territory. You have to homebrew the item before the crafting rules can apply.
So now you have homebrewed your Wand. You have to assign a rarity, number of charges, and any other special rules it has. You can choose to allow the crafting rules to apply to the homebrew item.
Okay, I think I said something and all the minutiae-hounds in the comments got a little squirrely. In this case, there are no rules that govern the statistics for magic items that are not in the books so, in the absence of rules that lay out how those things would exist, RAW would imply that those things do not, and, therefor, can not exist. But, again, this is an instance where RAW would immediately suggest that, in the rare exceptions of things like Adventurer's League (who necessarily adhere strictly to RAW to maintain cohesive worldwide rules), RAW is not god, and therefor, you can just abandon it and homebrew something with your DM. Which was the more important part of the message I created, which is why I gave suggestions for how to create, and how to adjudicate the creation and limitations of wands.
Y'all, if you're playing at your tables by strict RAW, and you aren't in some kind of larger, organized, play world... don't.
What does or can exist in the larger setting is a DM call, not a player one. Ergo, players cannot on their own initiative declare an item to exist in the game. No one is saying you can't homebrew with your DM, but by definition discussing how to get something you want via homebrew means we've moved outside the realm of RAW, which is what this subforum is centered on for its primary answers.
Okay, I think I said something and all the minutiae-hounds in the comments got a little squirrely. In this case, there are no rules that govern the statistics for magic items that are not in the books so, in the absence of rules that lay out how those things would exist, RAW would imply that those things do not, and, therefor, can not exist.
We're in the Rules & Game Mechanics forum, not Tips & Advice or Homebrew & House Rules. An answer of what is RAW should be expected. A response of "but the rules don't say you can't" isn't an appropriate counter. Your answer was absolutely correct.
RAW, the only magic items that exist are those that are published in a product used at the game table. Any item that is conceptualized but not actually published does not have a rarity and so is not supported by RAW. Additionally, there may be some published magic items that do not have a rarity and are also not supported by RAW. Technically, if a published item does not have a category defined, it would not be supported by RAW, but I am not aware of any official items with a rarity and no category.
Sometimes RAW is not clear. I think it was clear here but may not have been what some wanted it to be. For those, they can create homebrew items or talk to their DM.
Okay, I think I said something and all the minutiae-hounds in the comments got a little squirrely. In this case, there are no rules that govern the statistics for magic items that are not in the books so, in the absence of rules that lay out how those things would exist, RAW would imply that those things do not, and, therefor, can not exist.
We're in the Rules & Game Mechanics forum, not Tips & Advice or Homebrew & House Rules. An answer of what is RAW should be expected. A response of "but the rules don't say you can't" isn't an appropriate counter. Your answer was absolutely correct.
RAW, the only magic items that exist are those that are published in a product used at the game table. Any item that is conceptualized but not actually published does not have a rarity and so is not supported by RAW. Additionally, there may be some published magic items that do not have a rarity and are also not supported by RAW. Technically, if a published item does not have a category defined, it would not be supported by RAW, but I am not aware of any official items with a rarity and no category.
Sometimes RAW is not clear. I think it was clear here but may not have been what some wanted it to be. For those, they can create homebrew items or talk to their DM.
Just because it isn't published, and therefore has no published rarity, doesn't mean that RAW say you can't make it. You ask the DM, the DM assigns a rarity. Done. Yes, an item created that's not published is by definition homebrew, but the rules to create it are RAW. They actually put in a rule for the crafting of items. The rule even states that the DM determines what materials are necessary, and it gives cost by rarity. Just as the DM can set what materials are needed, the DM can set the rarity.
It is RAW that magic items can be crafted, no limit has been placed in those rules as to what magic items can be created, as always it is up to the DM.
There is no rule that says hair grows, so are you saying that every character must (RAW) have the same hair length that their character was born with since their hair never grew - after all there's no rule saying hair actually grows. The game assumes that common sense will still be applied.
Given that the printed mechanism for determining cost and time is based on rarity, then yes something without a rarity fails to compute in the RAW means of magic item crafting. Does this mean the DM can't just say "it takes X, Y, and Z"? Of course not. However, again, that brings us into the realm of homebrew/DM fiat, which is getting away from the scope of this section of the forum.
Also, character fluff is a completely separate matter from creating a wand to cast spells, so let's please not make specious apples to oranges comparisons about what RAW is and is not pertinent to.
It is RAW that magic items can be crafted, no limit has been placed in those rules as to what magic items can be created, as always it is up to the DM.
There are multiple limits placed on crafting items. Some of them prevent you from crafting an item someone else can craft. The DM can always make exceptions or fill in details with homebrew, but that's not RAW. It's totally in the spirit of the game for the DM to do so, but when we are discussing what RAW says, that's not RAW.
Artifacts cannot normally be crafted.
You need Arcana proficiency.
You need to have the tools required and proficiency in the tool depending on the magic item category. Woodcarver's Tools for Wands. Are you making a copper wand? RAW is that you still use Woodcarver's tools.
If the item allows you to cast spells, you need to have those spells prepared every day that you are crafting it.
You must spend time depending on the rarity of the item.
5 days for a common item; 10 for uncommon; 50 for rare; 125 for very rare; and 250 for legendary.
Assistants can reduce the time but all assistants must have proficiency with the tool required above.
Without homebrewing a rarity, if a published item doesn't have a rarity, how long does it take to craft?
You must spend GP depending on the rarity of the item.
50 GP for Common; 200 GP for Uncommon; 2,000 GP for Rare; 20,000 GP for Very Rare; and 100,000 GP for Legendary.
Without homebrewing a rarity, if a published item doesn't have a rarity, how expensive is it to craft?
Storm King's Thunder has a Dragon Thighbone Club that changes size to match your size if you attune it. If you hit a dragon with it (attuned or not), it deals +2D8 extra bludgeoning damage. It has no rarity.
Without DM intervention, using only the published magic item crafting rules and the published item description, as is, how long does it take to craft according to RAW? How much does it cost to craft according to RAW?
You make it sound as if DM intervention (or giving information) is somehow a rarity not covered by the rules. I have lost count how many times the rules state to ask your DM, or your DM will determine, or that info will be provided by your DM.
This isn't a game of players vs DM, the rules don't create a system where players can do everything (like a board game) without input from the DM, and if it isn't covered, then you just can't do it. There's also no rule stating that a DM must allow... anything, but there are rules that say the DM can alter/remove/add anything they want. That is RAW.
An item crafted might be considered "homebrew" by DnDBeyond's coding, because that's how they programmed it, but its creation can be RAW. Homebrew/Houserule used to mean, replacing/contradicting a rule or object that's in the game with another of the DM's design. But in this case, nothing is being replaced. The DM is following RAW (crafting rules) and providing the requested info that the player asked for, also RAW (what materials and what rarity would it be).
And I didn't think it was necessary to mention artifact creation, since we're talking about wands being able to cast a single low-level spell - but maybe next time I'll be more clear.
It’s not a rarity, but it’s also both not a given and- once more- not the primary lens answers in the Rules and Mechanics section are filtered through.
You make it sound as if DM intervention (or giving information) is somehow a rarity not covered by the rules. I have lost count how many times the rules state to ask your DM, or your DM will determine, or that info will be provided by your DM.
But it doesn't say that, does it? What is the RAW for crafting a Dragon Thighbone Club?
RAW is that there is not enough information to craft it without DM house ruling it. This isn't "the DM will tell you the rarity of an item not listed here" or "the DM will tell you the crafting time and cost for items not listed here." The DM intervening to fill in information not provided is no longer the realm of RAW. And that's fine as long as you don't present it as RAW.
A DM can say that if you crafting a silver wand, you use Jeweler's Tools instead of Woodcarver's Tools. That's fine and makes sense, but it's not RAW. This is a forum for clarifying what RAW says and a particular DM's interjection is not RAW.
An item crafted might be considered "homebrew" by DnDBeyond's coding, because that's how they programmed it, but its creation can be RAW. Homebrew/Houserule used to mean, replacing/contradicting a rule or object that's in the game with another of the DM's design. But in this case, nothing is being replaced. The DM is following RAW (crafting rules) and providing the requested info that the player asked for, also RAW (what materials and what rarity would it be).
The item definition is being replaced. That is why it is homebrewed. Alternatively, a DM can house rule that if acquire a Dragon Thighbone, you can make it into a magic club using the rules for crafting a club as the magic is withing the bone itself. The standard crafting rules require an item to have a rarity and so do not cover crafting a Dragon Thighbone Club.
And I didn't think it was necessary to mention artifact creation, since we're talking about wands being able to cast a single low-level spell - but maybe next time I'll be more clear.
You didn't. I mentioned to try to create an exhaustive list. I did also want to mention that the item category was required and that sometimes the tools required can be odd.
To summarize the “conversation”: the crafting rules never reference any particular list of magic items or place explicit limits on what can be crafted. Nor do they explicitly say that you can craft anything not on the list. In so doing, WoTC has created a bit of ambiguity. Which, it seems likely, will lead to people posting questions on the forums. That sounds familiar…
Since no one has any additional clarifying text from an official source, it appears that the answer to my ACTUAL question was “No, you’re not missing anything. Yes, it seems that you’ll have to rely on your own judgement.”
By the way: 1. Wand rarity and attunement appear to be derived from spell level. 2. Suggesting that the DMG, the D M G !?, operates on the principle that the absence of explicit permission is an implicit prohibition is absurd.
To summarize the “conversation”: the crafting rules never reference any particular list of magic items or place explicit limits on what can be crafted. Nor do they explicitly say that you can craft anything not on the list. In so doing, WoTC has created a bit of ambiguity. Which, it seems likely, will lead to people posting questions on the forums.
Not quite. You can only craft magic items. The rules require a rarity to craft it. All Magic Items are explicitly defined, though not all have the requisite information to craft them.
You can craft a scroll of any spell because the Magic Item is defined as Spell Scroll (Level 1), Spell Scroll (Level 2), etc. See Spell Scroll. Wands don't have a generic Wand (Cantrip) through Wand (Level 4) item that lets you select any spell. There is explicitly a Wand of Fireballs and a Wand of Entangle, but there is no Wand of Shield. As such, you cannot craft a Wand of Shield by RAW.
By the way: 1. Wand rarity and attunement appear to be derived from spell level. 2. Suggesting that the DMG, the D M G !?, operates on the principle that the absence of explicit permission is an implicit prohibition is absurd.
The DM can homebrew a Wand that you want to craft, but yes, the rules on crafting tell you what you can do and do not tell you that you (in the capacity of a player) can make up magic items. If you are the DM, go nuts. If you are a player and your DM is onboard, go nuts. Chapter 3 has the guidelines on doing that.
The gist of the section in this context, on the other hand, is that the DM can create a new Wand by taking an existing Wand and changing the spell for one of the same level. However, that is the DM's purview. I don't believe all swaps are going to be equivalent though. A [Tooltip Not Found] might be a little weaker than a Wand of Shield (a spell cast as a reaction won't consume the actions on your turn) but stronger than a Wand of Mage Armor (the multiple castings don't help as much as the other spells).
The rules will never explicitly restrict you to the list of items in the DMG because that would cut off Magic Items in later publications, such as Heroes of Faerun and Forge of the Artificer, as well as third party content. Those are all valid to craft under RAW, if the DM has included the content in your game, and if the item descriptions are complete. The [Tooltip Not Found] is an example of the latter.
In short (too late), any magic item not printed officially cannot be crafted by RAW without DM homebrewing ... at which point we are no longer in the realm of RAW.
The DMG crafting rules don’t seem to have much to say about exactly what kinds of wands you can craft. It kind of implies that you’re picking from the list of wands in the DMG. Are there any limits or rules beyond cost, having the spell prepped, and days to complete? Is there something I’ve overlooked? I feel like you should be able to have a pretty wide spell selection for wands, barring unreasonable spell component issues or time to cast issues. Am I off base here?
By RAW, you can only create magic items listed in the rule books. But any creative restrictions in the game come with the further caveat that your DM can, at any time, allow any freedom in that respect. So if you want to create a wand of Calm Emotions, you should talk to your DM.
That said, a loose restriction for wands (at least one that existed in the past and is represented by the existing inventory of magic wands) is that they are usually limited to spells of third-level or lower. When you want to cast bigger spells than that, you're generally getting into staff territory.
I would use the crafting rules for an Enspelled Staff and flavor it as a very small staff (1 foot long, about ½ inch thick).
“By RAW”—Can you point me to where it says that explicitly? This is the kind of thing I’m afraid I’ve somehow overlooked.
It's implicit in how the game works- from a player's perspective, the magic item list is not just a list of examples- it is a comprehensive list of what magic items exist for player-facing use in the setting. Trying to homebrew your own item is not RAW because RAW doesn't describe how that can be done.
Now, practically speaking there's no reason an Enspelled Staff can't be an Enspelled Wand.
Go here for Rules on Crafting Magic Items.
RAW, there is nothing that says you can only craft items listed in the DMG. The rules simply state that you have to have the required materials (availability at the DM's discretion), Arcana proficiency, the right tool proficiency, and then it dictates the cost and time required for the crafting based on the rarity of the item. So any item not listed in the DMG, would therefore be controlled by the DM by them getting the final say on materials availability and the rarity of the item you are attempting to craft. The material and time constraints are going to be up to the DM, so the item might not be feasible to craft during your campaign.
I see nothing in the rules that state you can only craft items already detailed in the rule books, if that was their intention, they would have added a sentence saying so.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (original Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
And now we return to one of the perennial points of rules discussions- D&D doesn't run on Air Bud logic. "I don't see a rule explicitly saying I can't" is not a valid argument that you can do something when we're talking hard mechanics.
An item not listed in the DMG (or otherwise published) has no defined rarity. It is therefore in homebrew territory. You have to homebrew the item before the crafting rules can apply.
So now you have homebrewed your Wand. You have to assign a rarity, number of charges, and any other special rules it has. You can choose to allow the crafting rules to apply to the homebrew item.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
Okay, I think I said something and all the minutiae-hounds in the comments got a little squirrely. In this case, there are no rules that govern the statistics for magic items that are not in the books so, in the absence of rules that lay out how those things would exist, RAW would imply that those things do not, and, therefor, can not exist. But, again, this is an instance where RAW would immediately suggest that, in the rare exceptions of things like Adventurer's League (who necessarily adhere strictly to RAW to maintain cohesive worldwide rules), RAW is not god, and therefor, you can just abandon it and homebrew something with your DM. Which was the more important part of the message I created, which is why I gave suggestions for how to create, and how to adjudicate the creation and limitations of wands.
Y'all, if you're playing at your tables by strict RAW, and you aren't in some kind of larger, organized, play world... don't.
What does or can exist in the larger setting is a DM call, not a player one. Ergo, players cannot on their own initiative declare an item to exist in the game. No one is saying you can't homebrew with your DM, but by definition discussing how to get something you want via homebrew means we've moved outside the realm of RAW, which is what this subforum is centered on for its primary answers.
We're in the Rules & Game Mechanics forum, not Tips & Advice or Homebrew & House Rules. An answer of what is RAW should be expected. A response of "but the rules don't say you can't" isn't an appropriate counter. Your answer was absolutely correct.
RAW, the only magic items that exist are those that are published in a product used at the game table. Any item that is conceptualized but not actually published does not have a rarity and so is not supported by RAW. Additionally, there may be some published magic items that do not have a rarity and are also not supported by RAW. Technically, if a published item does not have a category defined, it would not be supported by RAW, but I am not aware of any official items with a rarity and no category.
Sometimes RAW is not clear. I think it was clear here but may not have been what some wanted it to be. For those, they can create homebrew items or talk to their DM.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
Just because it isn't published, and therefore has no published rarity, doesn't mean that RAW say you can't make it. You ask the DM, the DM assigns a rarity. Done. Yes, an item created that's not published is by definition homebrew, but the rules to create it are RAW. They actually put in a rule for the crafting of items. The rule even states that the DM determines what materials are necessary, and it gives cost by rarity. Just as the DM can set what materials are needed, the DM can set the rarity.
It is RAW that magic items can be crafted, no limit has been placed in those rules as to what magic items can be created, as always it is up to the DM.
There is no rule that says hair grows, so are you saying that every character must (RAW) have the same hair length that their character was born with since their hair never grew - after all there's no rule saying hair actually grows. The game assumes that common sense will still be applied.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (original Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
Given that the printed mechanism for determining cost and time is based on rarity, then yes something without a rarity fails to compute in the RAW means of magic item crafting. Does this mean the DM can't just say "it takes X, Y, and Z"? Of course not. However, again, that brings us into the realm of homebrew/DM fiat, which is getting away from the scope of this section of the forum.
Also, character fluff is a completely separate matter from creating a wand to cast spells, so let's please not make specious apples to oranges comparisons about what RAW is and is not pertinent to.
There are multiple limits placed on crafting items. Some of them prevent you from crafting an item someone else can craft. The DM can always make exceptions or fill in details with homebrew, but that's not RAW. It's totally in the spirit of the game for the DM to do so, but when we are discussing what RAW says, that's not RAW.
Storm King's Thunder has a Dragon Thighbone Club that changes size to match your size if you attune it. If you hit a dragon with it (attuned or not), it deals +2D8 extra bludgeoning damage. It has no rarity.
Without DM intervention, using only the published magic item crafting rules and the published item description, as is, how long does it take to craft according to RAW? How much does it cost to craft according to RAW?
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
You make it sound as if DM intervention (or giving information) is somehow a rarity not covered by the rules. I have lost count how many times the rules state to ask your DM, or your DM will determine, or that info will be provided by your DM.
This isn't a game of players vs DM, the rules don't create a system where players can do everything (like a board game) without input from the DM, and if it isn't covered, then you just can't do it. There's also no rule stating that a DM must allow... anything, but there are rules that say the DM can alter/remove/add anything they want. That is RAW.
An item crafted might be considered "homebrew" by DnDBeyond's coding, because that's how they programmed it, but its creation can be RAW. Homebrew/Houserule used to mean, replacing/contradicting a rule or object that's in the game with another of the DM's design. But in this case, nothing is being replaced. The DM is following RAW (crafting rules) and providing the requested info that the player asked for, also RAW (what materials and what rarity would it be).
And I didn't think it was necessary to mention artifact creation, since we're talking about wands being able to cast a single low-level spell - but maybe next time I'll be more clear.
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (original Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
It’s not a rarity, but it’s also both not a given and- once more- not the primary lens answers in the Rules and Mechanics section are filtered through.
But it doesn't say that, does it? What is the RAW for crafting a Dragon Thighbone Club?
RAW is that there is not enough information to craft it without DM house ruling it. This isn't "the DM will tell you the rarity of an item not listed here" or "the DM will tell you the crafting time and cost for items not listed here." The DM intervening to fill in information not provided is no longer the realm of RAW. And that's fine as long as you don't present it as RAW.
A DM can say that if you crafting a silver wand, you use Jeweler's Tools instead of Woodcarver's Tools. That's fine and makes sense, but it's not RAW. This is a forum for clarifying what RAW says and a particular DM's interjection is not RAW.
The item definition is being replaced. That is why it is homebrewed. Alternatively, a DM can house rule that if acquire a Dragon Thighbone, you can make it into a magic club using the rules for crafting a club as the magic is withing the bone itself. The standard crafting rules require an item to have a rarity and so do not cover crafting a Dragon Thighbone Club.
You didn't. I mentioned to try to create an exhaustive list. I did also want to mention that the item category was required and that sometimes the tools required can be odd.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.
Wow. Hijacked thread.
To summarize the “conversation”: the crafting rules never reference any particular list of magic items or place explicit limits on what can be crafted. Nor do they explicitly say that you can craft anything not on the list. In so doing, WoTC has created a bit of ambiguity. Which, it seems likely, will lead to people posting questions on the forums. That sounds familiar…
Since no one has any additional clarifying text from an official source, it appears that the answer to my ACTUAL question was “No, you’re not missing anything. Yes, it seems that you’ll have to rely on your own judgement.”
By the way: 1. Wand rarity and attunement appear to be derived from spell level. 2. Suggesting that the DMG, the D M G !?, operates on the principle that the absence of explicit permission is an implicit prohibition is absurd.
I'm why you think that. You asked for the rules on item crafting.
Not quite. You can only craft magic items. The rules require a rarity to craft it. All Magic Items are explicitly defined, though not all have the requisite information to craft them.
You can craft a scroll of any spell because the Magic Item is defined as Spell Scroll (Level 1), Spell Scroll (Level 2), etc. See Spell Scroll. Wands don't have a generic Wand (Cantrip) through Wand (Level 4) item that lets you select any spell. There is explicitly a Wand of Fireballs and a Wand of Entangle, but there is no Wand of Shield. As such, you cannot craft a Wand of Shield by RAW.
The DM can homebrew a Wand that you want to craft, but yes, the rules on crafting tell you what you can do and do not tell you that you (in the capacity of a player) can make up magic items. If you are the DM, go nuts. If you are a player and your DM is onboard, go nuts. Chapter 3 has the guidelines on doing that.
The gist of the section in this context, on the other hand, is that the DM can create a new Wand by taking an existing Wand and changing the spell for one of the same level. However, that is the DM's purview. I don't believe all swaps are going to be equivalent though. A [Tooltip Not Found] might be a little weaker than a Wand of Shield (a spell cast as a reaction won't consume the actions on your turn) but stronger than a Wand of Mage Armor (the multiple castings don't help as much as the other spells).
The rules will never explicitly restrict you to the list of items in the DMG because that would cut off Magic Items in later publications, such as Heroes of Faerun and Forge of the Artificer, as well as third party content. Those are all valid to craft under RAW, if the DM has included the content in your game, and if the item descriptions are complete. The [Tooltip Not Found] is an example of the latter.
In short (too late), any magic item not printed officially cannot be crafted by RAW without DM homebrewing ... at which point we are no longer in the realm of RAW.
How to add Tooltips.
My houserulings.