Top 10 Must-Have Magic Items for Your 5e Campaign

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The Magic Item Shop Generator for 5e is a tool that helps Dungeon Masters create unique and diverse magic item shops for their Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. This generator provides a wide array of options for the types of magic items available, their rarity, and their prices. With this tool, Dungeon Masters can easily create a magical emporium that suits the setting and theme of their campaign. The generator takes into account the level of the party and can create appropriate magic items based on their power and rarity. The Magic Item Shop Generator also offers the option to randomly generate NPC shopkeepers who can provide additional flavor and role-playing opportunities for the players. These shopkeepers can have their own backstories, quirks, and personalities, making the shopping experience more engaging.


"In a story that's eight [episodes] where you have to streamline, we really wanted Rowan to have agency," Spalding says. "And we debated long and hard whether or not to call the character Michael, because the character had so many attributes of Michael Curry." "And we didn't wanna call him Aaron, obviously," Ashford says. "So it seemed like, in a weird way, the most respectful way to proceed was to combine them and make him his own original character."

Spalding explained that with the addition of the all-knowing spirit Lasher Jack Huston , three male characters orbiting Rowan in the show would ve been one too many. Spalding reveals that we ll be hearing various accents from the dashing demon as the season progresses, including a Scottish accent that she says Huston modeled after a friend of his.

Protagonists in witch television series

These shopkeepers can have their own backstories, quirks, and personalities, making the shopping experience more engaging. Additionally, the generator provides details on the physical appearance and ambiance of the magic item shop. This allows Dungeon Masters to create a vivid and immersive environment that will captivate their players.

Mayfair Witches showrunners explain book to show changes: 'We had to make hard choices'

Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford tell EW why they combined two beloved book characters into one, how their Lasher was inspired by rock stars, and more.

Calie Schepp is an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly, where she writes the script for EW's daily What to Watch podcast and covers a plethora of pop culture. She graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Published on February 3, 2023

Warning: This post contains spoilers from Mayfair Witches episodes 1-4.

Adapting a beloved book for TV can be a tough task, but adapting one that's almost 1,000 pages is a whole other story. When showrunners and executive producers Esta Spalding and Michelle Ashford set out to adapt Anne Rice's Lives of the Mayfair Witches for AMC, they knew they had a lot of material to draw inspiration from but little time to do it in. "We were given eight episodes for a one thousand page book," Spalding says, referring to The Witching Hour, the first book in the three-part series. "It's an absolute cornucopia of deliciousness and we had to make hard choices."

Mayfair Witches details neurosurgeon Dr. Rowan Fielding's (Alexandra Daddario) discovery that she's a witch with deadly powers and a twisted family tree. Ahead of Friday morning's announcement that the series has been renewed for season 2, EW spoke with Spalding and Ashford about how they made those hard choices (and made changes to beloved characters from the novels) and to preview a bit of what's to come in the final half of the season.

Michael + Aaron = Ciprien

Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien Grieve in 'Mayfair Witches'. Alfonso Bresciani/AMC

In episode 1, we meet Ciprien Grieve (Tongayi Chirisa), a Talamasca agent who harnesses psychic abilities by touching people or objects. The Talamasca, comparable to the Illuminati, is a secret organization within Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles and Lives of the Mayfair Witches book series whose members keep watch on paranormal activity. Cip, as he's called in the show, is assigned to protect Rowan from any harm. Even though Rowan's skeptical of him at first meeting, a romance eventually blossoms.

Spalding and Ashford modeled Cip after two characters from the novel: Aaron Lightner, a member of the Talamasca, and Michael Curry, a civilian from New Orleans who falls in love with Rowan. Spalding explained that with the addition of the all-knowing spirit Lasher (Jack Huston), three male characters orbiting Rowan in the show would've been one too many.

"In a story that's eight [episodes] where you have to streamline, we really wanted Rowan to have agency," Spalding says. "And we debated long and hard whether or not to call the character Michael, because the character had so many attributes of Michael Curry." "And we didn't wanna call him Aaron, obviously," Ashford says. "So it seemed like, in a weird way, the most respectful way to proceed was to combine them and make him his own original character."

Cip wears a pair of gloves, similar to Michael in the books, to protect himself from being inundated with intense visions. "That that act of touching something and seeing memories gives real empathy to a character," Spalding says. "He has to wear the gloves because the world is so present. Touching things floods him with all kinds of people's pain, sorrow, and sadness."

Rowan rocks blonde hair and grey eyes in the books

Alexandra Daddario as Dr. Rowan Fielding in 'Mayfair Witches'. Alfonso Bresciani/AMC

Rowan, the 13th Mayfair witch, leaves her job as a neurosurgeon, discovers she's a witch, meets her birth mother for the first time and then watches her die right before her eyes — all within the first half of the season. Spalding and Ashford say that staying true to the color of Rowans hair and eyes was not a priority when casting the role.

"Our job was to make sure that we get the best Rowan possible," Ashford says. "For us, the requirements for Rowan we felt were much bigger than that. It had to be someone who was smart enough to be a surgeon and had a sort of mysterious quality that you would really believe that that woman would find out that she's a witch. Alex, obviously being incredibly beautiful, but also just incredibly magnetic physically, we felt like this was a great choice."

Sibling Switch: In the books, Cortland and Carlotta are a generation apart

Harry Hamlin as Cortland Mayfair and Beth Grant as Carlotta Mayfair in 'Mayfair Witches'. Alfonso Bresciani/AMC (2)

The TV series introduces Cortland Mayfair (Harry Hamlin) and Carlotta Mayfair (Beth Grant) as brother and sister, when in the books they're a generation apart. Similar to the condensing of Michael and Aaron into Ciprien, Ashford says that making the family as concentrated and tight as possible seemed to work best dramatically.

"You say brother or sister and immediately the audience has a visceral reaction, like oh, I know what that's like," she explains. "The notion that Anne created this family that was so complicated and so far reaching, twisted and sort of incestuous in so many ways, it is our job to make sure that the thing has as much sort of dramatic heft as possible."

Spalding adds, "And the primal relationships that exist between siblings, the rivalry, jealousies, and so on. We are trying to find ways to make these connections between characters."

Lasher, the all-knowing. rock star?

Jack Huston as Lasher in 'Mayfair Witches'. Alfonso Bresciani/AMC

An evil spirit called Lasher has haunted the Mayfair family for generations, seducing the witches and using their powers for his own sinister motives. While not much about Lasher is really changed from book to show, Spalding revealed that they came to cast Huston because he had a certain rock 'n roll je ne sais quoi.

"How are you gonna have somebody who's both present and not present, who's seductive, but also evil? What does this person live like in a human body? And we would always talk about rock stars. The way a rockstar walks into a room and the air kind of bristles with the knowledge that that being is there, that's how Lasher would be in the Mayfair family. When we met Jack, we thought he has the most extraordinarily warm, charismatic, amazing presence, it felt like our Lasher had stepped in front of us."

Huston started his journey of transforming into Lasher by first nailing down the voice. "I think that was one of his ways into the character," Ashford says. "He found a really, very specific voice that transcends, it does feel sort of otherworldly."

Spalding reveals that we'll be hearing various accents from the dashing demon as the season progresses, including a Scottish accent that she says Huston modeled after a friend of his.

What's to come is under lock and key

Viewers will soon find out why Lasher's necklace is shaped like a key. AMC

The bond between Lasher and Rowan's late mother Deirdre (Annabeth Gish) is represented by a key-shaped gold necklace adorned with emeralds. The piece had been worn by generations of Mayfair witches in allegiance to Lasher, and in episode three we see Carlotta lock her maid Delphine in the basement with the necklace, only to find that Lasher kills her and gifts the necklace to Rowan. In episode 4, Carlotta sees Rowan wearing the key around her neck and sets her own dining room ablaze, locking herself and Rowan in.

The full significance of the necklace is still a mystery to viewers, but to readers of the books there's been an obvious visual change. The jewelry was originally just an emerald, not a key. When asked why the switch was made, Spalding hinted "that question will be very definitively answered in episode 6."

Until then, new episodes of Mayfair Witches stream Thursdays on AMC+ and air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.

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Related content:

  • Mayfair Witches' Harry Hamlin admits he 'couldn't get through the whole' 50-hour audiobook
  • Lives of the Mayfair Witches series brewing at AMC as part of its 'Anne Rice universe'
  • See the stars get snapped in EW's New York Comic Con portrait studio
Cip wears a pair of gloves, similar to Michael in the books, to protect himself from being inundated with intense visions. "That that act of touching something and seeing memories gives real empathy to a character," Spalding says. "He has to wear the gloves because the world is so present. Touching things floods him with all kinds of people's pain, sorrow, and sadness."
Magic item shop gwnerator 5e

Using the Magic Item Shop Generator for 5e can save Dungeon Masters time and effort in creating unique and balanced magic item shops. It ensures that the magic items available are appropriate for the party's level and offers a wide variety of options for both players and the DM to enjoy..

Reviews for "Building Your Own D&D Magic Item Shop using the 5e Generator"

- John - 1 star - This generator was a huge disappointment for me. The items it generated were extremely lackluster and not at all what I was hoping for. The variety and creativity of the items were severely lacking, and many of them seemed like they were just thrown together without much thought. I was really excited to use this generator, but it ended up being a waste of my time and money.
- Susan - 2 stars - I found the Magic Item Shop Generator 5e to be quite underwhelming. The items it produced were either too weak or too overpowered, with no middle ground. As a Dungeon Master, I was seeking items that would add depth and excitement to my campaign, but this generator fell short in delivering that. The lack of customization options and limited item types also made it feel repetitive and limited in usefulness. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this generator for anyone looking for interesting and balanced magic items.
- Robert - 1.5 stars - The Magic Item Shop Generator 5e left me feeling disappointed and frustrated. The generated items were uninspired and lacked any real creativity. I was hoping to find some unique and exciting magic items to use in my campaign, but instead, I got a list of generic items that I could easily find in any other resource. Additionally, the generator seemed to have a bias towards certain types of items, making the selection feel repetitive and unoriginal. Overall, I was extremely dissatisfied with the quality and variety of the items produced by this generator.

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