Magic Items and Curses
This is an addendum to the official D&D 5th Edition rules, explaining, clarifying, and expanding on several Rules as Written about Magic Items, Spell Scrolls, Cursed Items, and Curses in general.
Sections with green font are explication or interpretation of Rules as Written.
Sections with blue font are changes or updates to Rules as Written.
Magic Items
Finding a Magic Item đź”—
Some magic items are indistinguishable from their nonmagical counterparts, whereas other magic items display their magical nature conspicuously. Whatever a magic item’s appearance, handling the item may be enough to give a character a sense that something is extraordinary about it.
Casting Detect Magic will inform a character if an object is magical and the school of magic affecting it, and describe its rarity. However, it will not provide any information about the specifics of the magic, including if the item is cursed.
Identifying a Magic Item đź”—
Discovering a magic item’s properties isn’t automatic. However, a magic item sometimes carries a clue to its properties. The command word to activate a ring might be etched in tiny letters inside it, or a feathered design might suggest that it’s a ring of feather falling. Or if a character puts on a ring of jumping, their step may feel strangely springy, and the character can jump unexpectedly high.
The only surefire way to reveal an item’s properties is to use the Identification spell in combination with experimentation. (Identification replaces the Identify spell.) This provides an intuitive understanding of how to activate any magical properties of the item, including any necessary command words.
Identification is a levelled spell with different casting times and affects based on the spell level:
- Level 1:
- Casting time 1 minute
- Informs if item is magical at all and what rarity
- Will reveal properties of Common and Uncommon magical items
- Level 3
- Casting time 10 minutes
- Will reveal properties of Rare magical items
- Level 5
- Casting time 1 hour
- Will reveal properties of Very Rare magical items
- Level 7
- Casting time 8 hours
- Will reveal properties of Legendary magical items
- Level 9
- Casting time 24 hours
- Will reveal properties of Artifacts
Attunement đź”—
Some magic items require a creature to form a bond with them before their magical properties can be used. This bond is called attunement, and certain items have a prerequisite for it. If the prerequisite is a class, a creature must be a member of that class to attune to the item. (If the class is a spellcasting class, a monster qualifies if that monster has spell slots and uses that class’s spell list.) If the prerequisite is to be a spellcaster, a creature qualifies if it can cast at least one spell using its traits or features, not using a magic item or the like.
Without becoming attuned to an item that requires attunement, a creature gains only its nonmagical benefits, unless its description states otherwise. For example, a magic shield that requires attunement provides the benefits of a normal shield to a creature not attuned to it, but none of its magical properties.
Attuning to an item requires a creature to spend a short rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it. This focus can take the form of weapon practice (for a weapon), meditation (for a wondrous item), or some other appropriate activity. If the short rest is interrupted, the attunement attempt fails.
An item can be attuned to only one creature at a time, and a creature can be attuned to no more than three magic items at a time. Any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; the creature must end its attunement to an item first. Additionally, a creature can’t attune to more than one copy of an item. For example, a creature can’t attune to more than one ring of protection at a time.
A creature’s attunement to an item ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if the creature dies, or if another creature attunes to the item. A creature can also voluntarily end attunement by spending another short rest focused on the item, unless the item is cursed.
Spell Scrolls
A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written in a mystical cipher. Any character can attempt to read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust. If the casting is interrupted, the scroll is not lost.
Using a Spell Scroll đź”—
The level of the spell on the scroll determines the spell’s saving throw DC and attack bonus, as well as the scroll’s rarity, as shown in the Spell Scroll Table.
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 plus your proficiency bonus to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 8 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect.
If the spell is not on your class's spell list, you must make an ability check using your spellcasting ability plus your proficiency bonus 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, and you must roll on the Scroll Mishap Table.
If you do not have a spellcasting ability, you must make an Intelligence (Arcana) check to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 12 + the spell’s level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll, and you must roll on the Scroll Mishap Table.
Copying a Spell Scroll đź”—
A wizard spell on a spell scroll can be copied just as spells in spellbooks can be copied. When a spell is copied from a spell scroll, the copier must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC equal to 12 + the spell's level. If the check succeeds, the spell is successfully copied. Whether the check succeeds or fails, the spell scroll is destroyed.
Spell Scroll Table
| Spell Level | Rarity | Save DC | Attack Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | Common | 13 | +5 |
| 1st | Common | 13 | +5 |
| 2nd | Uncommon | 13 | +5 |
| 3rd | Uncommon | 15 | +7 |
| 4th | Rare | 15 | +7 |
| 5th | Rare | 17 | +9 |
| 6th | Very rare | 17 | +9 |
| 7th | Very rare | 18 | +10 |
| 8th | Very rare | 18 | +10 |
| 9th | Legendary | 19 | +11 |
Scroll Mishap Table
| d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | A surge of magical energy deals the caster 1d6 force damage per level of the spell. |
| 2 | The spell affects the caster or an ally (determined randomly) instead of the intended target, or it affects a random target nearby if the caster was the intended target. |
| 3 | The spell affects a random location within the spell’s range. |
| 4 | The spell’s effect is contrary to its normal one, but neither harmful nor beneficial. For instance, a fireball might produce an area of harmless cold. |
| 5 | The caster suffers a minor but bizarre effect related to the spell. Such effects last only as long as the original spell’s duration, or 1d10 minutes for spells that take effect instantaneously. For example, a fireball might cause smoke to billow from the caster’s ears for 1d10 minutes. |
| 6 | The spell activates after 1d12 hours. If the caster was the intended target, the spell takes effect normally. If the caster was not the intended target, the spell goes off in the general direction of the intended target, up to the spell’s maximum range, if the target has moved away. |
Scribing a Spell Scroll đź”—
With time and patience, a spellcaster can transfer a spell to a scroll, creating a spell scroll.
Scribing a spell scroll takes an amount of time and money related to the level of the spell the character wants to scribe, as shown in the Scribing a Scroll Table. In addition, the character must have proficiency in the Arcana or Religion skill and must provide any material components required for the casting of the spell. Moreover, the character must have the spell prepared, or it must be among the character’s known spells, in order to scribe a scroll of that spell.
If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were 1st level.
Spell Slots
You must expend the appropriate level spell slot for every 8 hours you are working on a scroll. If you wish to create a level 6 spell scroll, you must expend a level 6 spell slot for every 8 hours you work on the scroll, meaning you must expend a 6th level spell slot six times.
Time Required
You must spend at least 8 hours a day working on your scroll to make progress. Per DM discretion, you could break up the 8 hours in increments.
Scrollscriber's Supplies
The arcane symbols of magic are scrawled in delicate care, these glyphs of magic infuse the scrolls, books, and even tablets they are written on to. Scrollscribes spend their days pushing their magic into scrolls to be used by others or even by themselves in stressful situations.
Scrollscriber's supplies include five vials of different colored ink, quills, gold leaf, and 10 sheets of paper. Your tools weigh 3 lbs and costs 65 gp.
If you are proficient with scrollscriber's supplies, the gold cost to scribe a scroll is halved (though not for the material requirements of a spell) as you understand how to infuse magic with less arcane inks and magic. If you are attempting to craft a revivfy spell scroll, a 3rd-level spell, you must expend 300 gp for the material component of the spell as well as spend 100 gp for the material needed for the scroll, a total of 400 gp to produce a revivfy scroll.
Spell Material Cost
While scribing a scroll, you must first provide the material cost of the spell, and cannot use a spellcasting focus in place of the components specified for the spell. This means if you wish to create a 3rd-level revivfy spell scroll, it will require you to spend 300 gp of diamond dust for the spell materials. These materials then infuse the spell scroll with their essence permanently. Many of these materials are listed in the Material Components Consumed Table.
Scribing a Scroll Table
| Spell Level | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | 8 hours | 10 gp |
| 1st | 16 hours | 60 gp |
| 2nd | 24 hours | 120 gp |
| 3rd | 32 hours | 200 gp |
| 4th | 40 hours | 320 gp |
| 5th | 48 hours | 640 gp |
| 6th | 56 hours | 1,280 gp |
| 7th | 64 hours | 2,560 gp |
| 8th | 72 hours | 5,120 gp |
| 9th | 80 hours | 10,240 gp |
Scribing Materials Table
| Item | Cost | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Case, map or scroll | 1 gp | 1 lb. |
| Ink (1 ounce bottle) | 10 gp | - |
| Ink pen | 2 cp | - |
| Gelatinous Cube Ooze Ink (1 ounce bottles) | 30 gp | - |
| Paper (one sheet) | 2 sp | - |
| Quill, Cockatrice feather | 10 gp | 1/4 lb. |
| Quill, Roc feather | 110 gp | 1 lb. |
Material Components Consumed - (alphabetical)
| Spell Name | Component | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Lock | 25gp Gold Dust | 2 |
| Astral Projection | 1,000gp & 100gp Silver Bar per person | 9 |
| Awaken | 1,000gp Agate | 5 |
| Ceremony | 25gp Silver Powder | 1 |
| Clone | 1,000gp Diamond | 8 |
| Create Homonculus | 1gp Ash | 6 |
| Continual Flame | 50gp Ruby Dust | 2 |
| Divination | 200gp Incense & 25gp Sacrificial Offering | 4 |
| Drawmij's Instant Summons | 1,000gp Sapphire | 6 |
| Find Familiar | 10gp Herbs & Charcoal | 1 |
| Globe of Invulnerability | 1sp Glass Bead | 6 |
| Glyph of Warding | 200gp Diamond Dust & 60gp Incense | 3 |
| Greater Restoration | 100gp Diamond Dust | 5 |
| Guards and Wards | 120gp Incense | 6 |
| Hallow | 1,000gp Herbs, Oils & Incense | 5 |
| Heroes' Feast | 1,000gp Gem-Encrusted Bowl | 6 |
| Hypnotic Pattern | 60gp Incense | 3 |
| Illusory Script | 10gp Ink & Lead | 1 |
| Invulnerability | 500gp Adamantine | 9 |
| Legend Lore | 250gp Incense | 5 |
| Magic Circle | 100gp Silver & Iron Powder | 3 |
| Magic Jar | 500gp Ornamental Container | 6 |
| Magic Mouth | 10gp Jade Dust | 2 |
| Mighty Fortress | 500gp Diamond | 8 |
| Nondetection | 25gp Diamond Dust | 3 |
| Planar Binding | 1,000gp Jewel | 5 |
| Raise Dead | 500gp Diamond | 5 |
| Reincarnate | 1,000gp Oils & Unguents | 5 |
| Resurrection | 1,000gp Diamond | 7 |
| Revivify | 300gp Diamond | 3 |
| Sequester | 5,000gp Gem Powder | 7 |
| Simulacrum | 1,500gp Ruby Dust | 7 |
| Snare | 25ft Rope | 1 |
| Stoneskin | 100gp Diamond Dust | 4 |
| Symbol | 1,000gp Diamond & Opal Dust | 7 |
| Teleportation Circle | 50gp gems | 5 |
| True Resurrection | 25,000gp Diamond | 9 |
| True Seeing | 25gp Ointment for the Eyes | 6 |
Material Components Consumed - (by level)
| Spell Name | Component | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | 25gp Silver Powder | 1 |
| Find Familiar | 10gp Herbs & Charcoal | 1 |
| Illusory Script | 10gp Ink & Lead | 1 |
| Snare | 25ft Rope | 1 |
| Arcane Lock | 25gp Gold Dust | 2 |
| Continual Flame | 50gp Ruby Dust | 2 |
| Magic Mouth | 10gp Jade Dust | 2 |
| Glyph of Warding | 200gp Diamond Dust & 60gp Incense | 3 |
| Hypnotic Pattern | 60gp Incense | 3 |
| Magic Circle | 100gp Silver & Iron Powder | 3 |
| Nondetection | 25gp Diamond Dust | 3 |
| Revivify | 300gp Diamond | 3 |
| Divination | 200gp Incense & 25gp Sacrificial Offering | 4 |
| Stoneskin | 100gp Diamond Dust | 4 |
| Awaken | 1,000gp Agate | 5 |
| Greater Restoration | 100gp Diamond Dust | 5 |
| Hallow | 1,000gp Herbs, Oils & Incense | 5 |
| Legend Lore | 250gp Incense | 5 |
| Planar Binding | 1,000gp Jewel | 5 |
| Raise Dead | 500gp Diamond | 5 |
| Reincarnate | 1,000gp Oils & Unguents | 5 |
| Teleportation Circle | 50gp gems | 5 |
| Create Homonculus | 1gp Ash | 6 |
| Drawmij's Instant Summons | 1,000gp Sapphire | 6 |
| Globe of Invulnerability | 1sp Glass Bead | 6 |
| Guards and Wards | 120gp Incense | 6 |
| Heroes' Feast | 1,000gp Gem-Encrusted Bowl | 6 |
| Magic Jar | 500gp Ornamental Container | 6 |
| True Seeing | 25gp Ointment for the Eyes | 6 |
| Resurrection | 1,000gp Diamond | 7 |
| Sequester | 5,000gp Gem Powder | 7 |
| Simulacrum | 1,500gp Ruby Dust | 7 |
| Symbol | 1,000gp Diamond & Opal Dust | 7 |
| Clone | 1,000gp Diamond | 8 |
| Mighty Fortress | 500gp Diamond | 8 |
| Astral Projection | 1,000gp & 100gp Silver Bar per person | 9 |
| Invulnerability | 500gp Adamantine | 9 |
| True Resurrection | 25,000gp Diamond | 9 |
Curses
Curses are magical effects that afflict a creature in a negative or compulsory way. Some curses are relatively benign, and may provide benefits that outweigh any negative effects. Other curses are more powerful enchantments that can turn friend into foe, or permanently change a creature's behavior, appearance, or abilities. Curses can be classified by their strength which roughly correlates to a magical items rarity or the spell level that would be required to inflict a curse of that nature.
Cursed Items đź”—
Some magic items bear curses that bedevil their users, sometimes long after a user has stopped using an item. A magic item’s description specifies whether the item is cursed. Most methods of identifying items, including the Identification spell, fail to reveal such a curse, although lore might hint at it. A curse should be a surprise to the item’s user when the curse’s effects are revealed.
Attunement to a cursed item can’t be ended voluntarily unless the curse is broken first, such as with the Dispel Curse spell. (Dispel Curse replaces the Remove Curse spell.) If a creature is attuned to a cursed item, they will not willingly part with it, and will feel compelled to use that item instead of another (e.g. they will always choose to use a cursed weapon they are attuned to, instead of another in their possession, unless the curse specifically states otherwise). If the item is forcibly taken from the character, their attunement slot is still 'filled' by the cursed item until Dispel Curse is cast on the creature or the curse is destroyed.
Discovering a curse on an item
A curse affecting an item can be also be discovered with the Sense Evil and Good spell. (Sense Evil and Good replaces the Detect Evil and Good spell.) Sense Evil and Good is a levelled spell with different effects based on the spell level:
- Level 1:
- Learn if an item or creature is cursed, and the strength or rarity of the curse
- Will reveal details of curses affecting Common and Uncommon magical items
- Level 3
- Will reveal details of curses affecting Rare magical items
- Level 5
- Will reveal details of curses affecting Very Rare magical items
- Level 7
- Will reveal details of curses affecting Legendary magical items
- Level 9
- Will reveal details of curses affecting Artifacts
Unattuning from a cursed item
Unattuning from a cursed item is not an easy task. The Dispel Curse spell is a leveled spell that allows a creature to unattune from a cursed item:
- Level 1:
- Allows a creature to unattune from cursed Common and Uncommon magical items
- Level 3
- Allows a creature to unattune from cursed Rare magical items
- Level 5
- Allows a creature to unattune from cursed Very Rare magical items
- Level 7
- Allows a creature to unattune from cursed Legendary magical items
- Level 9
- Allows a creature to unattune from cursed Artifacts
Dispel Curse will also remove effects from Hex, Bane, or Bestow Curse (if it is cast at the same or higher level).
Removing or destroying a curse
Curses affecting items, and other permanent curses such as lycanthropy, can be destroyed through a unique ritual using specific components or items, and spells such as Hallow, Ceremony, or Dispel Evil and Good. The specifics that are required will be revealed by the Sense Evil and Good spell.