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The Handy Haversack

Appendix A: Magic Items

A magic item is a wondrous treasure that adventurers find in a monster’s hoard, in a trap-riddled dungeon, or in the possession of a slain foe. Every adventure holds the promise—but not a guarantee—of finding one or more magic items, and part of the fun of exploring a dungeon is the thrill of unearthing an item found nowhere else.

Using a Magic Item

A magic item’s description explains how the item works. Handling a magic item is enough to give a character a sense that something is extraordinary about the item. Casting the identify spell on the item then reveals its properties. Alternatively, a character can concentrate on the item during a short rest, while being in physical contact with the item. At the end of the rest, the character learns the item’s properties. Potions are an exception; a little taste is enough to tell the taster what the potion does.

Certain magic items require a user to attune to them before their magical properties can be used. Attuning to a magic item requires that you spend a short rest concentrating on it (this can’t be the same short rest used to learn an item’s properties). Depending on the nature of the item, this concentration can take the form of prayers, weapon practice, or meditation. In any case, the concentration period must be uninterrupted. Once you are attuned to an item, you can use its magical properties.

An item can be attuned to only one creature at a time. A creature can be attuned to no more than three magic items at any given time, and you can attune yourself to only one item during a short rest.

Your attunement to an item ends when the item has been more than 100 feet away from you for 24 hours and when you die. You can also voluntarily end your attunement to an item with another short rest.

Item Descriptions

+1 Armor

The most basic form of magic armor is a superb product of physical and magical craft. You have a +1 bonus to your Armor Class while wearing this armor.

A suit of +1 armor never rusts or deteriorates, and it magically resizes to fit its wearer.

+1 Weapon

Magic weapons are unmistakably finer in quality than their ordinary counterparts. You have a +1 bonus to the attack rolls and damage rolls you make with this weapon.

Some +1 weapons (swords in particular) have additional properties, such as shedding light.

Boots of Striding and Springing

Your speed while you wear these boots becomes 30 feet, unless your walking speed is higher, and your speed is not reduced if you are encumbered or wearing heavy armor. In addition, whenever you jump, you can jump three times the normal distance.

Gauntlets of Ogre Power

While you wear these gauntlets, your Strength becomes 19. If your Strength is already 19 or higher, the gauntlets have no effect on you.

Potion of Flying

This potion gives you a flying speed equal to your walking speed for 1 hour. If the potion wears off while you’re flying and nothing else is holding you aloft, you must use your movement to descend. If you fail to land before 1 minute passes, you fall.

Potion of Healing

When you drink this potion, you regain 2d4 + 2 hit points.

Potion of Invisibility

When you drink this potion, you—along with the clothing, armor, weapons, and other equipment on your person—become invisible for 1 hour. The invisibility ends if you attack or cast a spell.

Potion of Vitality

Drinking this potion removes any exhaustion you are suffering, cures any disease or poison affecting you, and maximizes the effect of any Hit Die you spend to regain hit points within the next 24 hours.

Ring of Protection

While you are wearing this ring and are attuned to it, you have a +1 bonus to your Armor Class and saving throws.

Spell Scroll

A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can use an action to read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible.

If the spell is on your class’s spell list but of a higher level than you can normally cast, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect.

Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and the scroll itself crumbles to dust.

Spider Staff

The top of this black, adamantine staff is shaped like a spider. The staff weighs 6 pounds. You must be attuned to the staff to gain its benefits and cast its spells. The staff can be wielded as a quarterstaff. It deals Id6 extra poison damage on a hit when used to make a weapon attack.

The staff has 10 charges, which are used to fuel the spells within it. With the staff in hand, you can use your action to cast one of the following spells from the staff if the spell is on your class’s spell list: spider climb (1 charge) or web (2 charges, spell save DC 15). No components are required.

The staff regains 1d6+4 expended charges each day at dusk. If you expend the staff’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff crumbles to dust and is destroyed.

Staff of Defense

This slender, hollow staff is made of glass yet is as strong as oak. It weighs 3 pounds. You must be attuned to the staff to gain its benefits and cast its spells. While holding the staff, you have a +1 bonus to your Armor Class.

The staff has 10 charges, which are used to fuel the spells within it. With the staff in hand, you can use your action to cast one of the following spells from the staff if the spell is on your class’s spell list: mage armor (1 charge) or shield (2 charges). No components are required. The staff regains 1d6+4 expended charges each day at dawn. If you expend the staff’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff shatters and is destroyed.

Wand of Magic Missiles

This wand has 7 charges. With the wand in hand, you can use your action to fire the magic missile spell from the wand—no components required—and expend 1 to 3 of the wand’s charges. For each charge you expend beyond 1, the spell’s level increases by 1. You can use this wand even if you are incapable of casting spells.

The wand regains 1d6+1 expended charges each day at dawn. If you expend the wand’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the wand crumbles into ash and is destroyed.