In Dungeons and Dragons 5e, magic items are a vital part of character progression and can greatly enhance a player's abilities. However, not all magic items are created equal, and many are priced out of reach for the average adventurer. This is where reasonably priced magic items come in. Reasonably priced magic items are a category of magical goods that offer interesting and useful effects without breaking the bank. These items are designed to cater to lower-level characters who may not have the resources to acquire more powerful artifacts. **The main idea is that reasonably priced magic items offer compelling effects at an affordable cost for low-level characters.
Whew… that’s… not a lot of gold for a +3 magic weapon. But, that’s just the first try at it. What if, instead of simply the cost of increasing your to hit and damage on a magic wasn’t just cumulative. So, for a +3 to hit, it would change from the additional price of 64.30gp x3, but rather 64.30gp + 64.30(x2) + 64.30(x3) - and then add on the rarity tax. Let’s look at that in action now.
Unlike the rules for regional feats in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting that were updated by the Player s Guide to Faerûn , Greyhawk regional feats can be taken by anyone who has a feat slot open and at least 2 ranks in a specific Knowledge local , in this case one or more of Knowledge Ablissa, North Kingdom, or Solnor Compact local. With that said, I don t want to feel too constrained by the sourcebooks as I think 300 gp for a 1 weapon is low, so I d say the default cost for magic weapons in our formulas should be.
**The main idea is that reasonably priced magic items offer compelling effects at an affordable cost for low-level characters.** One example of a reasonably priced magic item is the Potion of Healing, a classic item that provides a moderate amount of hit points when consumed. While it may not grant any flashy abilities, it is an essential tool for keeping characters in the fight and can be purchased in most magic shops for a reasonable price.
[5e] Magic Items: How Rare is Rare? How Common is Uncommon? (1 Viewer)
What does it exactly mean, number-wise, that a magic item is "uncommon"? does that mean in a country of millions less than a thousand such items may exist? Less than a hundred? It doesn't seem to be any guideline on that. I get Legendary items and Artifacts exist only one in whole world. But anything below that?
In my campaign I gave one of my PCs Diplomat's Pouch from Matthew Colville's Strongholds & Followers - it is an uncommon item that allows him to communicate with his mentor (long story short, it let's you instantly send letters to anyone else having another pouch). Then I started to think what other characters could use it and whenever I could have the party meet them and start more conversations using the pouch. But it all came crashing over the fact. I have no idea what it means an item is "uncommon" and how many copies of it exist in the world it that's the label it got. I checked DMG but there is nothing on it, just possible prices and suggested character levels and Lord of the Rings reference. Does anyone have any information on this or came up with their own guidelines?
Matsci
Magical Item like these are neat. I collect them.
Validated UserI have trouble finding information on this.
What does it exactly mean, number-wise, that a magic item is "uncommon"? does that mean in a country of millions less than a thousand such items may exist? Less than a hundred? It doesn't seem to be any guideline on that. I get Legendary items and Artifacts exist only one in whole world. But anything below that?
5e is built on rulings, not rules. It's up to the GM to determine how common an "uncommon" magic item is in their world.
Tiran
Validated User
Validated UserUncommon to me means you might find a handful of them in an area. Rare enough where you're not going to be seeing them all over the place, but also common enough where you can probably find one if you're willing to look for it.
Unferth
Ecglafes bearn
Validated User 20 Year Hero!I checked DMG but there is nothing on it, just possible prices and suggested character levels and Lord of the Rings reference. Does anyone have any information on this or came up with their own guidelines?
Xanathar's Guide has some suggestions for how to run PCs trying to buy magic items, either generally hitting shops and seeing what's available or seeking out a particular item. By default they're quite generous, I don't know that I'd use them as written unless operating in a setting like Eberron where magic items are created in large quantities and widely available. But they're what's published.
It's generally built around a Persuasion check representing a week of effort and 100 GP in base expenses aside from the price of any item, with bonuses available for spending more money and/or time. It suggests that if PCs are seeking a specific item, it should be available if the DM wants to include that item in the campaign and if the Persuasion check achieves at least a certain DC - 10 for a common item, 15 for uncommon, etc.
It also suggests a penalty to the persuasion check of up to -10 for low magic campaigns, or a bonus of up to +10 for a high magic campaign.
Prices for Common and Uncommon items are low at a suggested 1d6*100 GP for an Uncommon item. Possibly doubled for low magic campaigns.
Herodarwin
Validated User
Validated UserSince it rulings rather then rules it might be worth for the conversation to answer the question how magical is your setting, as the more common magic and supernatural effects are and the easier it is for common folk to access, the more of each category there are.
PeterM
Validated User
Validated UserI have trouble finding information on this.
What does it exactly mean, number-wise, that a magic item is "uncommon"? does that mean in a country of millions less than a thousand such items may exist? Less than a hundred? It doesn't seem to be any guideline on that. I get Legendary items and Artifacts exist only one in whole world. But anything below that?
It all comes down to your judgment, which is frustrating but probably for the best. For what it's worth, I would think an item like the Diplomat's Pouch or something similar would be relatively common. Magic weapons are great and all, but reliable long-distance communication is extremely powerful in a setting like the average D&D world. Many people would want one, from kings and queens to generals at war to traders who would be able to negotiate deals with a distant area without having to actually travel there first.
Just because a lot of people would want it doesn't mean there would be a lot of them around, but this is definitely the kind of item whose demand will never really go down. Anyone who knows how to make one could pretty much name their price. It also occurs to me as a plot idea that an unscrupulous crafter could make three bags with every set. Two of them are handed off to the buyer, and the crafter keeps the third so they receive a copy of any letters sent through the other two. Depending on who is using the other pouches, that could give some very useful and profitable information.
Barbatruc
Validated User
Validated UserThat assortment of frequency distinctions was made for monsters in TSR editions, and used for populating random encounter tables. It’s not directly comparable, of course, but maybe somewhat instructive.
For example, here’s how the template random encounter table on p. 138 of the AD&D Monster Manual II is constructed (summarized by me, not an exact reproduction).
Roll 1d8+1d12, “producing a range from 2–20 with a large flat spot of equal probability in the 9–13 range.” 2–3 very rare 4 rare of very rare 5–6 rare 7–8 uncommon 9–13 common 14–15 uncommon 16–17 rare 18 rare or very rare 19–20 very rareAnd here’s what the distribution looks like on Anydice. The upshot is that when a random encounter occurs, it is with a common monster 42% of the time, and with an uncommon monster 27% of the time.
Not a Decepticon
Validated User
Banned Validated UserSince it rulings rather then rules it might be worth for the conversation to answer the question how magical is your setting, as the more common magic and supernatural effects are and the easier it is for common folk to access, the more of each category there are.
I'm currently running a game in Mystara, which I know complicates things since how common magic is depends on where you are, with Principalities of Glantri (from where the PC and his mentor are) being more common, while in places like Atruaghin Clans they're practically nonexistent. The PCs are currently rather far away from Glantri however,
It all comes down to your judgment, which is frustrating but probably for the best. For what it's worth, I would think an item like the Diplomat's Pouch or something similar would be relatively common. Magic weapons are great and all, but reliable long-distance communication is extremely powerful in a setting like the average D&D world. Many people would want one, from kings and queens to generals at war to traders who would be able to negotiate deals with a distant area without having to actually travel there first.
Just because a lot of people would want it doesn't mean there would be a lot of them around, but this is definitely the kind of item whose demand will never really go down. Anyone who knows how to make one could pretty much name their price. It also occurs to me as a plot idea that an unscrupulous crafter could make three bags with every set. Two of them are handed off to the buyer, and the crafter keeps the third so they receive a copy of any letters sent through the other two. Depending on who is using the other pouches, that could give some very useful and profitable information.
Exactly the kind of questions I was thinking of, this pouch could potentially revolutionalize international relations in a setting that has a strong set-up for this kind of politics. I could potentially limit it by saying the pouch is a rather new invention, but even then I'm sure it would become quickly popular in Glantri, where magic items are commonplace, and I'm sure neighbour Darokin, a country that has diplomatic corpos so big and active they are credited with keeping the peace on most of the continent, would be buying them in bulk and giving to most trusted Ambassadors and likely rulers of neghbourging countries. And at this point it does start to matter if uncommon means there is maybe few hundred of these pouches, or few thousands.
The first thing I want to talk about is an item’s rarity. If you flip through the Dungeon Master’s Guide, there are items that are uncommon that should probably be very rare and very rare items that are mechanically weaker than rare items. It’s kind of a mess and is a bad way to figure out the strength of an item… and is a necessary sin for us to work with as it provides a rather simple function - it lets us know how available something is and that will always reflect in its price.
Another example is the Cloak of Protection, an item that boosts a character's AC and saving throws. This item offers a tangible defensive advantage without breaking the bank, making it an excellent choice for characters looking to improve their survivability. Lastly, the Bag of Holding is a popular reasonably priced magic item that provides the ability to carry a vast amount of items without being encumbered. This versatile item allows characters to store loot, equipment, and other essential items without worrying about weight. While these are just a few examples, reasonably priced magic items can range from consumables to permanent magical equipment. They offer players the opportunity to add interesting and useful effects to their characters without draining their resources or unbalancing the game. In conclusion, reasonably priced magic items in Dungeons and Dragons 5e provide low-level characters with affordable options for enhancing their abilities. Whether it's a healing potion, protective cloak, or a versatile bag, these items offer compelling effects that can greatly benefit adventurers without breaking the bank..
Reviews for "Leveling the Playing Field: Affordable Magic Items in D&D 5e"
- John Smith - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Reasonably priced magic items 5e." The items listed were not reasonably priced at all! In fact, they were ridiculously overpriced for what they offered. I expected to find a comprehensive guide to affordable magic items, but instead, I found a collection of items that were more expensive than what I could find in other sources. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for budget-friendly magic items.
- Emily Johnson - 1 star - I regret purchasing "Reasonably priced magic items 5e." The title is incredibly misleading. The items listed in this book are anything but reasonably priced. Many of them are priced outrageously high and are not worth the investment. It felt like a money grab rather than a helpful resource for players. Save your money and look for alternative sources if you're seeking reasonably priced magic items.
- Alex Thompson - 2 stars - As someone who was hoping to find affordable magic items for my low-level character, I was sorely disappointed by "Reasonably priced magic items 5e." The items listed were far from reasonably priced and seemed catered towards high-level characters with significant wealth. I did not find anything that would be within my character's budget, and the few items that were remotely affordable had very limited usefulness. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for affordable magic items for low-level characters.