Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the character in whose hands they fall into. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the original edition in 1974 until the modern fifth edition. In addition to jewels and gold coins, they form part of the treasure that the players often seek in a dungeon. Magic items are generally found in treasure hoards, or recovered from fallen opponents; sometimes, a powerful or important magic item is the object of a quest.

Magical items are classified into several categories, depending to a certain degree on the game edition. These categories include weapons, armor, potions, rings, scrolls and miscellaneous (or wondrous) items, and another category called "rods, staves, and wands", which is sometimes separated into its three stated components. With version 3.5 of the D&D rules, these item categories were associated with particular "feats", that a player character can acquire.

Weapons (such as magic swords) and armor in the D&D game serve to make characters more effective in combat. Commonly, magical weapons increase both the chances of hitting an opponent, as well as the amount of damage the weapon will deal, while magical armor decreases an opponent's chances of hitting the character. They are assigned enhancement ratings such as +1 or +5, indicating the strength of the increase or decrease. Some magic weapons and armor are outfitted with additional magical properties.

A potion is a magic liquid that produces its effect upon a character when imbibed. Each type of potion has a specific effect, from turning a character invisible, to curing the character's wounds. Generally, a potion only functions once, when consumed. There are also magic oils which take effect by being rubbed on a character or object, instead of being drunk.

Magic rings bestow magical powers upon a character wearing one. Most will function when activated, though some have a limit on how many times they can be used in one day. Traditionally, a character may only wear two magic rings at a time.

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