- The costs of the magic items usually vary and may sometimes depend primarily on the discretion of the Dungeon Master (DM) (Source), ranging from 10 to over 160,000 gold (Source). This and other factors will be discussed further in the next section below.
- One can acquire the magic items by buying them from magic item markets online, such as D&D Beyond’s magic items store (Source), or by crafting them with other players (Source).
- Only magic-users can craft the items, usually under long periods of time and at a hefty price upon reaching a certain level in the game. They can craft these on their own or with help from other players. (Source)
- To determine costs, some use online magic item cost calculators, such as the one found on 5eMagic’s website (Source).
- Another great resource is this forum post from GiantTip
In this article, you will learn more about how much the magic items in Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition (5e) usually cost and some of the factors that affect their respective costs.
Cost Factors
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) has emerged to be one of the most popular role-playing games among today’s young and the old. This game involves imagination-driven storytelling about different worlds involving swords and sorcery.
When it comes to determining how magic items should cost, several factors come into play, such as the following:
Rarity
Rarity helps the DM determine which of the magic items they should hand out or make available, depending on the players’ level of experience in the game. There are huge disparities in the prices to ensure that if everyone follows the game’s general guidelines, a magic item only becomes available for purchase once a player hits a certain level of experience (Source).
In addition, there are treasure tables arranged to show the inventory count of these items, which vary depending on the world being played in a D&D game (Source).
Item Category
In the game, the item categories dictate in what form the item will be. This will also determine how it should be used, and the similar items in which it can be used together. Magic items are categorized into the following: armor, potions, rings, rods, scrolls, staffs, wands, weapons, and wondrous items. (Source)
Attunement
Magic items sometimes require creatures to form a bond with them before allowing them to use their magical properties (Source). For a specific period, you either need to sit or snuggle with them. There are also guidelines to observe, such as the following (Source):
Only a single creature can be attuned using a magic item of choice at a time. It is only possible by using 3 different items at once and a few of these items can only be attuned when specific requirements are met.
Usage
Depending on the frequency of usage allowable, magic items can sometimes be classified into categories such as the following (Source):
- Single-use items – can be only used once
- Limited-use items – have multiple uses
- Charged items – have an internal battery containing a limited supply of allowable charges. Once the charges are all used up, the items cannot be used anymore or are considered as broken until it regains the charges at random periods
- Permanent items – can always be used and are limitless in terms of usage.
Impact
Impact tells you how beneficial the magic items will be to you during the game. Whether these are considered minor or major items by the DM, what matters more is how much of a game-changer these would be in your playing strategies. (Source)
Dungeon Master’s (DM) Discretion
Dungeon Masters are obliged to regulate the buying and selling of items in the world to ensure that the economy is always reasonably sane. (Source) They may opt to adjust prices based on settlement sizes (hamlet, village, town, city, metropolis, megalopolis) (Source) or regulate the presence of magic items markets (Source).
Summing Up
The DM will dictate the flow of the game at times. However, the knowledge of how much the magic items in D&D 5e usually cost and factors that affect how their costs are being determined described above allows players to further improve on their gameplay. Simultaneously, this gives them a tactical advantage against other players, which then exposes them to higher chances at winning every D&D game they participate in.
Hi, my name’s David. I started this pricing blog as a side project to help people figure out the best prices on common services. Whether you’re trying to figure out how much it costs to get scanning done at Staples or the expense to bleach short hair, more than likely I’ve blogged about it. Shoot me an email if you have any questions: david@mightyprice.com.
