Sorcerer 201: The Best Magic Items for Sorcerers

Tags Magic Items Sorcerer author-damen-cook

Is your sorcerer a master of battlefield control, incapacitating enemies here and creating difficult terrain there? Perhaps you've opted for a more explosive build, incinerating hordes of zombies from afar? Whatever role your sorcerer plays in the party, there's a magic item out there to complement them.

Below, you'll find 10 of the best magic items for sorcerers. Remember that any items you don’t currently own can be bought in the D&D Beyond marketplace or shared by a friend with a Master-tier subscription.

  1. Bloodwell vial
  2. Eldritch staff
  3. Elven chain
  4. Ioun stone of leadership
  5. Ring of spell storing
  6. Rod of retribution
  7. Sorcery shards
  8. Spell scrolls
  9. Wand of magic missiles
  10. Wand of paralysis
Your Dungeon Master has the final say on magic items

If there's a particular magic item or type of magic item that you’re interested in, talk to your Dungeon Master about it. They might be willing to include it in your campaign. However, be aware that it's within their right not to grant your request.

Top 10 magic items for sorcerers

Prismari apprentice art from Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos

1. Bloodwell vial

Wondrous Item, varies (requires attunement by a sorcerer)

The bloodwell vial is one of two items on this list that are unique to sorcerers, only capable of attuning to those who live and breathe their magic. This vial, brimming with the blood of its bearer, increases a sorcerer’s spell save DC and is the only magic item that can be used to directly regain sorcery points.

As a Dungeon Master, I enjoy the story potential a bloodwell vial offers. My players' characters might not find this item in a shop, but a hag could offer one in exchange for your sorcerer’s next seven Wild Magic Surges. What could go wrong?

If bloodwell vials aren't available in your campaign but you want those extra sorcery points per day, look to the pearl of power. It allows you to regain a 3rd level spell slot per day, which a sorcerer can convert into three sorcery points.

2. Eldritch staff

Staff, very rare (requires attunement)

As a sorcerer, you can move mountains, paralyze demons, and charm a pack of wolves, but you might struggle to stay alive. You’re not known for your high hit points, and you probably don’t want to spend all of your spell slots on defensive magic like shield or absorb elements.

Enter the eldritch staff. Though it boasts melee bonuses that other casters might be more inclined to take advantage of, sorcerers will want to focus on its Eldritch Escape ability: As a reaction when taking damage, you turn invisible until the start of your next turn and teleport up to 60 feet away. This ability costs three of the staff’s 10 charges, so you could use Eldritch Escape up to three times per day.

3. Elven chain

Elven chainArmor (chain shirt), rare

Here's another option that's designed to keep your sorcerer alive. Like the wizard, you're not proficient in any armor, including shields. While most wizards address this vulnerability with mage armor, the sorcerer—who learns the fewest spells and cannot regain spell slots on a short rest—might want to reach for elven chain.

Elven chain is a +1 chain shirt enchanted with magic that allows anybody to wear it with proficiency. Under most circumstances, elven chain will meet or beat your AC with mage armor, all without spending a spell slot or occupying one of your Known Spells.

4. Ioun stone of leadership

Wondrous Item, very rare (requires attunement)

If you’re eyeing a feat but feel compelled to increase your Charisma score with your next Ability Score Improvement (ASI), consider indulging in the feat and using an ioun stone of leadership to pick up the slack. Though any character can benefit from an ioun stone's power to increase their main ability score, several spellcasting feats complement Metamagic in a way other casters can’t appreciate.

For example, imagine casting a Heightened hold person as an opportunity attack using War Caster so the enemy can no longer flee. Or targeting an enemy 480 feet away with a Distant chaos bolt augmented by Spell Sniper. Or just Twinning the 1st-level spell you get from Magic Initiate, effectively getting two castings out of a once per day spell.

Sorcerers have a lot of value to gain from spellcasting feats. An ioun stone can help fill lingering gaps when you choose a feat over an ASI.

5. Ring of spell storing

Ring, rare (requires attunement)

Ring of spell storingThe ring of spell storing is a wonderful magic item for any character, but it is especially useful for sorcerers. It can help them compensate for their greatest weakness—having few spells in their arsenal—while holding the door open for Metamagic, a sorcerer’s greatest strength.

If you have spellcasters from other classes in the party, they can imbue the ring with spells your sorcerer couldn’t otherwise access or with circumstantial spells like shield that you perhaps couldn’t make room to learn.

Enjoy the opportunity of showing off for your fellow party members by applying new tricks to their own spells. Demonstrate for the druid what a Careful faerie fire can do, or show the Death Domain cleric that twice the ray of enfeeblement equals twice the fun with Twinned Spell.

6. Rod of retribution

Rod, uncommon (requires attunement)

Make hurting you hurt. If your sorcerer is the type to bite back, the rod of retribution provides them with an ability they won’t find anywhere on their spell list. Whenever you take damage from a creature within 60 feet of you that you can see, you can use your reaction to deal damage to the creature. A simple but effective tool to add to your arsenal. 

7. Sorcery shards

Shards from Tasha's Cauldron of EverythingWondrous Item, varies (requires attunement by a sorcerer)

Along with the bloodwell vial, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything introduced a new type of magic item unique to sorcerers: shards imbued with the essences of various planes of existence. Each shard’s unique effect triggers by using Metamagic, ensuring plenty of activity regardless of the role your sorcerer plays in the party.

Aberrant Mind or Shadow Magic sorcerers might select a far realm shard, looking to frighten their foes, while a Storm Sorcery sorcerer might reach for an elemental essence shard of air for increased maneuverability. If you buff your friends, perhaps you’d be drawn to an outer essence shard (good or lawful) to dole out temporary hit points or end status conditions. If you prefer to debuff enemies, look to a shadowfell shard to impose disadvantage on an ability score’s checks and saving throws, or an outer essence shard (chaotic) to impose disadvantage on a future attack.

There's a lot to love about these shards. The hard part is choosing which kind best suits your playstyle! 

8. Spell scrolls

Scroll, varies

Not the flashiest entry on the list, but one of the most useful for sorcerers.

When any caster attempts to use a spell scroll of a level higher than they have spell slots for, they have to make a spellcasting ability check. Sorcerers have an advantage here: If your Dungeon Master is allowing optional class features, you’ll have access to the Magical Guidance feature at 5th level, which allows you to spend a sorcery point to reroll a failed ability check.

You can also use scrolls to make up for your small number of known spells. If you have access to a merchant that sells scrolls, consider whether you need to have spells such as blink, blur, or mirror image handy. Perhaps you can get by with keeping one or two such scrolls on your person for tough fights, freeing up space to learn spells that increase in power as you level up.

Note that spellwrought tattoos are similar to spell scrolls and useful for largely the same reasons. Importantly, the tattoos can be used by anyone regardless of whether it's on their class’s spell list, but they don't exist for spells higher than 5th level.

9. Wand of magic missiles

Wand, uncommon

Wand of magic missilesIf you’re like me, you might occasionally build your sorcerer as a bit of an anti-wizard. Do you harbor ill will toward the “at least I had to work for my magic” crowd? Of course not! But will you Subtle counterspell your way to victory in any duel? Absolutely.

When you aren’t snuffing out an enemy’s spell, you might need to break their concentration. A wand of magic missiles is a great way to break an enemy's concentration. Each missile auto-hits and triggers its own Constitution saving throw made to maintain concentration on a spell. The next time a dusk hag casts hypnotic pattern on your party’s melee fighters, send a 5th-level magic missile her way to see if she can make seven DC 10 Constitution saving throws in a row.

The wand is even useful against opponents with the shield spell. If you don’t want an enemy using their reaction for an opportunity attack or counterspell, unleash the wand’s power to encourage them to cast shield instead.

10. Wand of paralysis

Wand, rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)

Wand of paralysisUnlike the wand of binding, the wand of paralysis afflicts a target with the paralyzed condition without formally casting the spells hold person or hold monster. This allows you to paralyze an enemy without using your concentration.

This wand will be most beneficial to sorcerers with Quickened Spell, as they’ll be able to get the nastiest combos off before the enemy has an opportunity to throw off their paralysis. Remember that a paralyzed target auto-fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws, and attacks that hit a paralyzed creature are critical hits if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Therefore, sorcerers with Quickened Spell can use this wand to paralyze a target with an action and hit them with any number of powerful guaranteed successes as a bonus action.

Let's build a sorcerer

D&D Beyond is an official toolset for playing Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition. Get guided help when creating your character using our character builder and enjoy a totally digital character sheet with dice that you can play with on the go.

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Damen Cook (@damen_joseph) is a lifelong fantasy reader, writer, and gamer. If he woke up tomorrow in Faerun, he would bolt through the nearest fey crossing and drink from every stream and eat fruit from every tree in the Feywild until he found that sweet, sweet wild magic.

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