Magical Items

Amulet of Life Protection: A character whose psyche is held in the amulet does not truly die until seven days have passed. Until that time, any healing the character receives revives the character as long as the healing is sufficient to give the character a positive hit point total.

The wearer can be raised or resurrected no matter how the character died. The raise dead or resurrection spells can be cast upon the amulet if the character’s body has been destroyed.

Bag of Holding: Living creatures can be placed within a bag of holding provided they don’t exceed the bag’s volume and weight restrictions. If the bag is left open, living creatures kept inside can breathe normally. The space inside a bag of holding is airtight, and if the bag is sealed, the air inside runs out quickly. It is possible to carry water in a bag of holding. See the general note under extradimensional spaces for more information.

Bag Capacity	Air*	Water**
250 lbs.	4 minutes	30 gallons
500 lbs.	6 minutes	60 gallons
1,000 lbs.	8 minutes	120 gallons
1,500 lbs.	10 minutes	180 gallons

* This is the amount of time a single creature in a sealed bag remains comfortable. After the listed time, the air becomes foul and the creature begins gasping; a –2 penalty applies to all attack rolls and ability checks until the creature gets fresh air. If the creature remains in the bag for twice the listed time, it must save vs. poison or fall unconscious until the creature gets fresh air. The save must be repeated each turn. Unconscious creatures also must save vs. poison every turn, and they die if they fail a second time.

** This shows the amount of water the bag can hold. Note that water is heavy and a bag carrying the listed amount of water only appears to be about 10% full as far as its cubic capacity is concerned. This makes it very easy to exceed the bag’s weight limit and destroy it.

Books/Tomes: The baneful effects from all books, tomes, manuals, and librams are triggered by perusing even a small passage. Magical books cannot be distinguished from other types of normal or magical books.

A character who studies a book to find out what’s in it triggers the book’s effects. Magical books always vanish once they bestow a beneficial effect but usually remain behind if they inflict a harmful effect. Multi-classed characters get only the best possible result—other helpful results (and harmful ones) are ignored. For example, an elf fighter/mage/thief glances at a manual of puissant skill at arms, a book that is normally harmful to wizards. Because the elf is a fighter, he can ignore the harmful effect and gain one fighter level instead.

Cloak of Displacement: The cloak’s displacement power is ineffective against creatures or devices that cannot see the cloak’s wearer. For example, an invisible character does not receive the cloak’s power to make opponents miss their initial attack or the cloak’s armor class bonus; likewise, most traps never “see” their targets and displacement does not foil them.

Displacement is not effective against attacks that are not aimed, such as an avalanche or cave-in, and does not affect aimed attacks that cover an area, such as catapult shots or dragon tail slaps.

Displacement is only partially effective against spell attacks. If a spell actually requires an attack roll, such as any touch-delivered spell, the cloak works normally and can cause the spell attack to miss if it is the first attack in an encounter. If the attacking spell does not require an attack roll, it can never be caused to “miss,” though the cloak’s +2 saving throw bonus applies.

For example a fireball spell never misses, but the cloak wearer gains a +2 saving throw bonus. If a spell allows no saving throw, displacement has no effect on it; for example, a magic missile or death spell is never affected by displacement.

Under normal conditions, the first melee or missile attack against a displaced creature automatically misses. The opponent is assumed to note the displaced creature’s correct position and can keep track of it thereafter. If an opponent has multiple attacks, only the first one automatically misses. If there are multiple opponents, only the first attack by the first creature automatically misses. The remaining opponents are assumed to observe the failed attack and make the appropriate adjustments. If the DM determines that one or more creatures did not observe the initial attack, their first attacks automatically miss, too. Note that intelligent opponents who have reason to suspect a character is displaced might launch some type of probing attack to test the character’s defenses, such as hurling a rock. Such attacks count as a combat action for the creatures attempting them.

Contract of Nepthas: A mistaken missive spell alters the words written on the a contract of Nepthas but does not free characters who have signed the contract from their obligations.

Crystal Balls: See the notes under the magic mirror and clairaudience spells.

Daern’s Instant Fortress: A creature attacking the fortress’s walls with a magical weapon inflicts one point of damage for every three rounds spent attacking the walls. If the escalade rules from the Player’s Option: Combat and Tactics book are in play, the fortress can be attacked by bombardment engines or sapped by attackers equipped with magical weapons. In either case, all damage is subtracted from the fortress’s total hit points.

Deck of Many Things: Baneful effects from this item cannot be removed through wishes or lesser means, although a wish might indirectly help the PCs in dealing with the difficulties the cards inflict. For example, a wish can reveal where a victim of the void or the donjon is imprisoned. A wish also could reveal the identity of an enemy produced by the flames or the rogue.

10th-level magic is effective against a deck of many things in the same way a wish is, but there are certain exceptions. 10th-level divination spells cannot be used to determine the identity of a particular card nor can magical wards negate a card’s effects, but they can reveal the location of a creature trapped by the void or donjon card. There is no way to shield a creature from the harmful effects of the deck of many things while allowing the benefits to occur by using 10th-level spells.

Extradimensional Spaces: These items tend to produce spectacular effects when one is placed within another. The following items contain extradimensional spaces: bag of holding, bag of transmuting, flatbox†, girdle of many pouches, Heward’s handy haversack, portable hole, and pouch of accessibility. The following spells produce extradimensional spaces: extradimensional pocket†, Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion, and rope trick.

In most instances, placing one extradimensional space inside another opens a rift to the Astral Plane, casting both the items and their contents through the rift. The items and anything contained within them are scattered randomly in the infinite depths of the Astral Plane. A wish can recover the contents of the extradimensional spaces, and it is possible that creatures held in the items might eventually find their way off the Astral Plane. Since all objects within the extradimensional space are scattered randomly, a creature cast into the Astral Plane through a rift does not have any better chance of recovering lost items than any other creature. A creature carried to the Astral Plane through a rift retains its possessions, but other loose items within the extradimensional space are randomly scattered.

For example, a party of adventurers decides to cast a rope trick spell to create a safe haven where they can rest and sort a huge pile of coins they have found. Unfortunately, one of the characters has a bag of holding which contains several pieces of equipment and treasure. When the bag of holding enters the rope trick, both spaces are sucked into the Astral Plane. The characters occupying the rope trick are dumped in random locations in the Astral Plane (if the DM is feeling kind, they might arrive within sight of each other). The bag of holding is torn from its holder’s grasp and its contents are spewed randomly across astral space.

Portable holes can produce more dramatic effects. If another extradimensional space is placed within a portable hole, an astral rift opens, as described above. However, if a portable hole is placed within another extradimensional space, a gate to a random plane opens and all creatures within a 10-foot radius are drawn through it, no saving throw. The process destroys the portable hole and the other extradimensional space.

Flatboxes are notoriously unstable. If a flatbox contacts any other extradimensional space it explodes, see the item description for details. The other item is sucked into the Astral Plane. A portable hole reacts as detailed above.

Most extradimensional spaces contain only a finite amount of air, which limits how long living creatures can be kept inside. Refer to the bag of holding entry for the amount of air contained within these items.

Creatures drawn through the gate created by a portable hole arrive in a random location and fall in a heap within a 10-foot radius. Items in the extradimensional spaces are either lost on the Astral Plane (50%) or scattered randomly about the circle where the creatures land (50%). The DM makes the roll and can decide to check the items singly or in groups.

Flatbox: The box can hold 60 gallons of water. A creature inside one of these items can breathe normally for six minutes if the lid is closed. Additional information can be found at the bag of holding and extradimensional spaces entries.

Flight Items: Characters using magical items that grant flight have a daily movement rate in miles equal to twice the item’s flight speed. For example, characters aboard a 4-person carpet of flying travel 48 miles a day in clear weather.

The daily movement rate assumes 10 hours of flying time with ample rest stops; it is not an altogether pleasant experience to fly (consider the effects of rough air, unsteady seating, awkward body positioning, and exposure to weather). Characters in a hurry can eliminate most rest periods and stay aloft longer, spending 18–20 hours in the air and doubling the daily movement rate, but this subjects the riders to the effects of a forced march (see Player’s Handbook, Chapter 14). Riders who stay aloft for 24 hours a day move at 2 1/2 times their normal daily rate and suffer double force march penalties.

When a party has access to magical items that grant flight, the DM should take special care to plan adventures that take this capability into account. Flying characters can easily evade most land-based encounters, so the adventure should include encounters with flying creatures or those that entice the characters to land. The DM should also determine the prevailing weather conditions in advance, as they affect both flying conditions and the party’s ability to see and be seen while aloft.

Gem of Insight: A character can benefit from one of these items only once, no matter how many gems are found over the course of the character’s lifetime or how long a single gem of insight is kept.

Girdle of Many Pouches: Though intended to hold equipment, this item’s small pouches can hold about one gallon of water or a single tiny creature. If belted around a character’s waist, the pouches are sealed and the creatures inside them have about four minutes of air. Additional information can be found at the bag of holding and extradimensional spaces entries.

Heward’s Handy Haversack: Though intended to hold equipment, this item’s compartments can hold water or creatures. The side pouches can hold two gallons of water or one tiny creature each. The central compartment can hold eight gallons of water or a single small creature. If strapped around a character’s back and closed, creatures inside the haversack have about four minutes of air. Additional information can be found at the bag of holding and extradimensional spaces entries.

Iron Bands of Bilarro: There is no saving throw against this item, though the user must make a successful attack roll to trap a target. A failed attack roll never entraps a creature. An entrapped victim’s companions can attempt a bend bars/lift gates roll to break the bands if the victim cannot get free. Spells such as free action, wraithform, antimagic shell, and duo-dimension are all effective means of escape, but teleportation magic merely transports the trapped creature from one place to another with the bands still trapping him. Magical items such as a potion of slipperiness or ring of free action are also effective against the magic of the bands.

Javelin of Lightning: This item has a maximum range of 90 yards. The lightning created is a single bolt that extends from the target toward the thrower. Thus, a javelin of lightning should not be used if the target is within 30 feet.

Librams and Manuals: See note at books.

Medallion of ESP: Refer to the wizard spell ESP.

Mirror of Mental Prowess: This item’s thought-reading power works just like the wizard spell ESP. See the notes at the wizard spells clairvoyance, clairaudience, and magic mirror for information on the mirror’s scrying powers.

Travel through the portal created by the mirror is instantaneous. A detect invisibility or true seeing spell reveals the portal.

The mirror’s power to answer a question each week is similar to the priest spell commune in most respects, but the user is limited to questions about a creature whose reflection is being cast in the mirror.

Periapt of Proof Against Poison: This item has three basic functions, but only one can be active at any given time. First, the periapt can allow a saving throw against poisons that normally do not allow one. The required number for the saving throw varies with the periapt’s strength as shown in the Dungeon Master Guide. Other magical protections are added to the roll. For example, a character with a periapt of proof against poison +1 and a ring of protection +1 would gain a saving throw of 18 against a toxin that normally allows no saving throw. The bonus for the periapt does not apply in cases where no saving throw is normally allowed.

Second, the periapt negates any penalty a particularly strong toxin might impose. Note that the penalty is entirely negated, not merely subtracted from the periapt’s bonus. For example, a particularly virulent poison might have a –4 penalty to all saving throws. Even a periapt of proof against poison +1 completely negates the penalty. Likewise, a poison with a –1 penalty to saving throws completely negates the bonus of a +4 periapt.

Third, the periapt grants a general bonus to normal saving throws against poisons. The bonuses are cumulative with other magical protections (but see the automatic failure rule on page 142).

Portable Hole: This item has a capacity of about 280 cubic feet. It has no weight limit, and about 2,100 gallons of water or 100,000 standard coins can be held inside. A creature in a portable hole has enough air for 10 minutes. See the note at bag of holding for the effects of depleted air, and see the general note on extradimensional spaces for more information.

Potions: Once a potion, elixir, oil, or ointment takes effect on a creature, any effects that apply only to the imbiber cannot be removed unless a dispel magic is targeted directly at the creature. If the potion’s effects extend to other creatures (such as the various potions of control) it can be dispelled normally. All potion effects are treated as magic cast at 12th level for purposes of dispelling.

Potions consumed within an antimagic shell do not activate until they leave the area of effect. If a potion has been consumed, an antimagic shell suppresses its effects unless they are permanent in nature (such as a potion of healing). Temporary effects made permanent by a roll on the potion compatibility table from the DMG can be suppressed by an antimagic shell.

Tasting a potion gives the character a minor clue as to the potion’s effects. For example, a potion of levitation or a potion of flying might make the character feel light. Often the effect from tasting a potion is not immediately obvious, and the character must attempt some action before any effects are revealed. In the previous example, the taster might feel nothing initially but might walk with a bouncing gait or feel light-footed when walking. A potion’s taste, smell, and texture might help identify it, but this tends to be unreliable because potions with identical effects can look, feel, smell, and taste differently if they were made in different laboratories or concocted at different times.

Potion of Vitality: A character drinking this potion increases his body’s natural healing ability to the rate of one hit point recovered every four hours. Damage that cannot be healed by magical means—such as from a sword of wounding—is restored. Damage that can be healed only by magical means—such as wounds from a chasme tanar’ri’s claws or the fists of a clay golem—is not restored.

Pouch of Accessibility: Though intended to hold equipment, this item’s internal pouches can hold about one gallon of water or a single tiny creature. Closing the pouch seals all the internal compartments, and the creatures inside them have about four minutes of air. See the note at bag of holding for the effects of depleted air, and refer to extradimensional spaces for more information.

Quiver of Ehlonna: Only long, thin objects such as arrows, javelins, and bows can be placed in this item. Creatures cannot be placed inside, nor does the quiver hold water.

Ring of Blinking: See note at the wizard spell blink.

Ring of Contrariness: This cursed item always makes the wearer do things that run counter to what others desire. The wearer does not necessarily do the exact opposite of what is suggested. For example, if someone says “keep that ring on,” the wearer wholeheartedly agrees. He might also suddenly become fearful that others desire the ring and attack the speaker. The ring’s enchantment makes the wearer difficult to be around, always selecting the response that is most troublesome.

Ring of Regeneration: Wearers killed by fire, acid, disintegration, or death magic cannot regenerate back to life. However, damage inflicted by such attacks can be regenerated if the wearer survives the attack.

A ring of regeneration only repairs damage inflicted on the wearer after the character puts on the ring. Damage inflicted before the character wore the ring is not regenerated, so placing a ring of regeneration on a dead or unconscious character has no effect.

A ring of regeneration does not remove the need to eat, sleep, or breathe, nor does it prevent natural or unnatural aging.

Rod of Absorption: Spell levels stored in the rod can be used to power spells on low-magic worlds, even when local conditions would not normally allow the spell to be cast. For example, if the rod-wielder had a wall of force spell memorized, the character could use five levels of stored energy even on an M4 world, where 5th level spells normally don’t work (see page 47).

When used to absorb spells, the rod can absorb any spells directed at the wielder for the entire round, as selected by the rod-wielder. Absorbing spells counts as an action for the character, but initiative has no bearing on when a spell can be absorbed. The wielder can never absorb a spell that is not targeted specifically at him.

For example, if the wielder is caught in the blast of a fireball, the rod cannot be used to absorb the spell because the wielder was not the target—the actual target was a point in space. If, however, the fireball was set to detonate directly on the wielder, it could be absorbed. Some spells, such as hold person and slow, are individually targeted on multiple creatures within an area. If the rod-wielder is one of those targets, he can absorb the entire spell.

Absorbed spells have no effect whatsoever; their power has been stored in the rod. Thus, if a hold person is directed at the rod-wielder, the magic is totally negated—even for other targets. 10th-level spells cannot be absorbed.

Rod of Beguiling: The beguiling effect has a 20-foot radius. There is no saving throw, though magic resistance applies, as does resistance to mental attacks or control. Racial resistances to charm effects also apply. Affected creatures remain beguiled for the full one-turn duration even if they leave the radius.

Rod of Resurrection: Specialty priests require two charges instead of the usual one charge when resurrected. The racial charge requirement remains unchanged.

Specialty priests dedicated to deities of healing, protection, warfare, endurance, and similar areas of influence require only one charge to resurrect.

Rod of Rulership: Creatures being ruled need not remain within the rod’s 150-foot radius once they have been affected. Most creatures get no saving throw, but magic resistance and resistance to mental attack or control applies. Racial resistances to charm effects also apply.

Rod of Security: This item transports creatures into a pocket dimension attached to the world where the rod was activated.

Rope of Entanglement: Use of this item does not require an attack roll. In addition to the size limitations included in the item description, all the rope’s targets must fit within a single area of 200 square feet or less (eight 5-foot squares in any contiguous configuration). Targets who save vs. breath weapon can move 10 feet each round and can attack nearby creatures (but not the rope of entanglement).

If other creatures fail their saving throw versus the rope, those who succeeded in their save can only move if the combined weight of those who failed is less than their maximum press. For instance, a fighter wearing a girdle of hill giant strength could drag up to 640 lbs. of weight along with him. Of course, groups of creatures must move generally the same direction to initiate an attack.

Entwined creatures suffer a +2 initiative penalty and attacks against them are at +2. Targets who fail the save are held completely immobile and cannot perform any actions that require movement; attacks against immobile creatures are made with a +4 bonus.

Spell Scrolls: A scroll is a temporary magical writing that stores spell energy in a portable form; it is essentially a pre-cast spell waiting to be triggered. The level at which a priest spell read from scroll functions is never diminished due to planar distances (see page 49), but all scroll spells are subject to local conditions. For example, a fireball read from a scroll is ineffective on the Plane of Elemental Water—the spell creates a harmless bubble of vapor and the writing fades. Scrolls become inert if taken to a world rated M2 (see page 47) or lower, but are not otherwise harmed.

Spell scrolls come in two types, priest and wizard. Priests cannot use wizard scrolls and vice versa. High-level thieves and bards have a chance to employ either type. A character who can use spell scrolls can read any spell of the appropriate type regardless of other restrictions. For example, an illusionist, who is normally barred from casting abjuration spells, can read a dispel magic spell from a scroll. Likewise, a priest can read priest spells from spheres normally unavailable. Note that the reader could still suffer the effects of spell failure by attempting to cast a spell that is too high a level (see Dungeon Master Guide, Appendix 3).

Sphere of Annihilation: A wizard’s maximum chance to control a sphere of annihilation without the aid of a talisman of the sphere is 92% for a wizard of 21st level and an 18 Intelligence/Reason. There are no additional bonuses for being higher level or having an Intelligence/Reason score greater than 18.

A talisman of the sphere doubles a wizard’s Intelligence bonus for controlling the sphere. Adjusted control scores of 100% or more indicate automatic success, but other wizards trying to usurp control reduce the control chance; see the sphere of annihilation in the DMG description for details.

Staff of the Magi: The staff’s plane travel ability is similar to the priest spell plane shift, but no forked rod is required. The staff-wielder must be generally familiar with the destination plane either by making a previous visit or having information about the plane from a traveler who has been there. If a character wishes to research details on an unknown plane, refer to the note at plane shift for cost and time requirements.

The absorption power of the staff works just like that of the rod of absorption except that the level of absorbed spell is not communicated to the staff-wielder. The decision to absorb must be made based on the appearance of the magic or, in the case of invisible effects, blind luck.

Staff of Withering: The withering effect from this item makes one of the victim’s limbs shriveled and useless; it has no effect on a creature’s head or body. The withering effect requires three charges from the staff and must be announced at the beginning of the round. If the staff hits, roll randomly to see which limb is struck.

If the victim is humanoid, roll 1d4 to determine which limb is struck: 1=right arm, 2=left arm, 3=right leg, and 4=left leg. A shriveled arm cannot wield a weapon or shield or be used to make unarmed attacks. The character suffers a –2 penalty to Dexterity for each shriveled arm. A humanoid cannot stand up or walk without a crutch if even one leg is shriveled. The character is reduced to a crawl and cannot make any physical attacks. The character suffers a –6 penalty to Dexterity. Getting two legs shriveled has no appreciable additional effect.

If the target is a quadruped, the staff-wielder can usually reach only two of the opponent’s limbs. Roll 1d6 to see which one is hit: 1–3=right, 4–6=left. Quadrupeds with one shriveled leg move at 2/3 their normal rate and cannot make attacks with the shriveled limb. A quadruped with two shriveled limbs cannot move or physically attack.

Insectoid or multi-limbed creatures should be handled like quadrupeds, but their movement is unaffected as long as they have at least two functioning limbs on each side of the body.

Attacks on flying creatures can hit the wings. For example, roll 1d6 to determine which limb on a flying humanoid is struck: 1=right arm, 2=left arm, 3=right leg, 4=left leg, 5=right wing, and 6=left wing. Creatures with even one shriveled wing cannot fly.

Limbless creatures have no appendages to be withered and suffer no ill effects from withering except damage and aging.

If the staff-wielder chooses to make a called shot and succeeds, do not make a random roll; the staff hits the selected area instead.

If the critical hit rules from Player’s Option: Combat and Tactics are in use, ignore all of the foregoing and use the hit location system from that book. The area struck suffers a “destroyed” result if the saving throw fails, even if it is not a limb (do not roll for severity). The staff-wielder does not need to score a critical hit to roll for hit location. If the staff-wielder does score a critical hit, the target suffers double damage and must roll saving throws vs. both the withering and the critical hit.

There are several ways to repair withered limbs, but regenerate and restoration are the most common methods. Creatures that regenerate (through an innate ability or magical item) regain the use of a shriveled limb after regenerating the equivalent of 20 points of damage. For example, a character wearing a ring of regeneration would recover from a shriveled limb in 20 turns, and a troll would recover in seven rounds.

Stone of Good Luck: The stone’s +1 (or +5%) bonus applies whenever dice are rolled to see if the character (not the character’s equipment) avoids an adverse happening. The bonus applies to saving throws, ability checks used as saving throws, system shock rolls, resurrection survival rolls, and any other event in which chance, not skill, is the determining factor. The bonus does not apply to spell failure, magical item creation, learning spells, or to most proficiency checks.

The character’s good luck applies to rolls for party treasure distribution and to proficiency checks involving luck or dodging, such as gaming and tumbling.

Wand of Negation: The wand temporary renders magical devices unable to create spell-like effects. When a device’s spell-like function is negated, any charges expended to produce the effect are lost, but the device is not otherwise harmed. A wand of negation has no effect on cast spells or a creature’s spell-like abilities. The wand has an initiative modifier of +1.

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