Magic Item Compendium
Encyclopedia
Magic Item Compendium is a book written for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
for Dungeons & Dragons, many new, others taken from various 3rd edition books like Arms and Equipment Guide
, Magic of Faerûn
, and Complete Divine
. The book eschews the old classification of magic items in favor of four broad categories: armor (covered in Chapter 1), weapons (Chapter 2), clothing (Chapter 3), and tools (Chapter 4). Clothing is any item other than armor that can be worn (i.e. takes up a body slot); rings would fall in this category. Tools are items that don't take up a slot; potions, scrolls, staves, and wands are all considered tools. Chapter 5 covers item sets, which are collections of items that have their own powers, but can create stronger effects the more items in the set the owner has. Chapter 6 is about using magic items and also covers the placement and creation of items. There are two appendices; a list of all the items in this book and the Dungeon Masters Guide by price and new random treasure tables.
Each item description starts with a price and item level, what body slot the item takes up, the caster level, its aura (school of magic), what type of action (standard, free, swift, etc.) is used to activate the item, its weight, a physical description, written in italics, its effects, and the prerequisites and costs to create the item. There are also items for character classes not in the Player's Handbook
.
Runestaffs are special staffs that allow a spellcaster to substitute an uncast spell slot of the appropriate level for a spell on their spell list in the staff. This can be done 1-3 times per day per spell, depending on the staff. Spontaneous casters can use runestaffs to expand their spells known, while casters who prepare spells can prepare their more esoteric spells (which they can substitute for more generic spells in their runestaffs).
Augment Crystals are small trinkets that can be attached to a suit of armor, shield or weapon (depending on the crystal). In effect, weapons, armor and shields have an additional "item slot" of their own to allow players to customize their weapons for situational benefits without drastically adding to the cost of the item.
A revised magic item upgrade system has been released which separates miscellaneous powers (such as continuous and charge/day spell effects) from standard bonuses. These bonuses can now be quickly added to any appropriate item without the "additional powers" multiplier. This has a number of benefits. First, players typically get magic items at a fairly low level and then upgrade them with ability bonuses. Any item looted during later levels, even one that is highly desirable, is often discarded because it would be too expensive to reproduce the level-appropriate bonuses on their existing item. Second, it allows players to invest in interesting non-bonus items without losing the bonuses that CR-appropriate encounters assume the players have. Finally, it allows the magic items listed to have more variety and be available at lower levels; dungeon masters can apply upgrade costs quickly to allow an item to appear in higher-level treasure hoards.
Finally, the Magic Item Compendium offers an optional gear-selection system that is vastly simplified while remaining compatible with the existing system. This simplified system makes it easy for dungeon masters to quickly design non-player characters with level-appropriate gear and equipment, without the arithmetic currently required.
with Eytan Bernstein, Frank Brunner, Owen K.C. Stephens
, and John Snead
. It was released March 2007.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Contents
The book contains over 1,000 magic itemsMagic 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...
for Dungeons & Dragons, many new, others taken from various 3rd edition books like Arms and Equipment Guide
Arms and Equipment Guide
The Arms and Equipment Guide is the name of two supplementary rule books for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Each describes various equipment that can be used in a campaign.-2nd edition:...
, Magic of Faerûn
Magic of Faerûn
Magic of Faerûn is an accessory for the fictional Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:...
, and Complete Divine
Complete Divine
Complete Divine is a supplemental rulebook for the 3.5 edition of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game published by Wizards of the Coast...
. The book eschews the old classification of magic items in favor of four broad categories: armor (covered in Chapter 1), weapons (Chapter 2), clothing (Chapter 3), and tools (Chapter 4). Clothing is any item other than armor that can be worn (i.e. takes up a body slot); rings would fall in this category. Tools are items that don't take up a slot; potions, scrolls, staves, and wands are all considered tools. Chapter 5 covers item sets, which are collections of items that have their own powers, but can create stronger effects the more items in the set the owner has. Chapter 6 is about using magic items and also covers the placement and creation of items. There are two appendices; a list of all the items in this book and the Dungeon Masters Guide by price and new random treasure tables.
Each item description starts with a price and item level, what body slot the item takes up, the caster level, its aura (school of magic), what type of action (standard, free, swift, etc.) is used to activate the item, its weight, a physical description, written in italics, its effects, and the prerequisites and costs to create the item. There are also items for character classes not in the Player's Handbook
Player's Handbook
The Player's Handbook is a book of rules for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . It does not contain the complete set of rules, but only those for use by players of the game...
.
Runestaffs are special staffs that allow a spellcaster to substitute an uncast spell slot of the appropriate level for a spell on their spell list in the staff. This can be done 1-3 times per day per spell, depending on the staff. Spontaneous casters can use runestaffs to expand their spells known, while casters who prepare spells can prepare their more esoteric spells (which they can substitute for more generic spells in their runestaffs).
Augment Crystals are small trinkets that can be attached to a suit of armor, shield or weapon (depending on the crystal). In effect, weapons, armor and shields have an additional "item slot" of their own to allow players to customize their weapons for situational benefits without drastically adding to the cost of the item.
A revised magic item upgrade system has been released which separates miscellaneous powers (such as continuous and charge/day spell effects) from standard bonuses. These bonuses can now be quickly added to any appropriate item without the "additional powers" multiplier. This has a number of benefits. First, players typically get magic items at a fairly low level and then upgrade them with ability bonuses. Any item looted during later levels, even one that is highly desirable, is often discarded because it would be too expensive to reproduce the level-appropriate bonuses on their existing item. Second, it allows players to invest in interesting non-bonus items without losing the bonuses that CR-appropriate encounters assume the players have. Finally, it allows the magic items listed to have more variety and be available at lower levels; dungeon masters can apply upgrade costs quickly to allow an item to appear in higher-level treasure hoards.
Finally, the Magic Item Compendium offers an optional gear-selection system that is vastly simplified while remaining compatible with the existing system. This simplified system makes it easy for dungeon masters to quickly design non-player characters with level-appropriate gear and equipment, without the arithmetic currently required.
Publication history
The book was written by Andy CollinsAndy Collins (game designer)
Andy Collins is a game designer whose writing credits include numerous books for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Early life and education:Andy Collins grew up in Olympia, Washington...
with Eytan Bernstein, Frank Brunner, Owen K.C. Stephens
Owen K.C. Stephens
Owen K.C. Stephens is a game designer who has worked on a number of products for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game and other games.-Works:...
, and John Snead
John Snead
John Snead is a freelance role-playing writer who lives in Portland, Oregon. He has been gaming since 1980 and became a full time designer and writer of role-playing games in 1998. His education includes majors in Mathematics and History and minors in Classics and Physics from Washington...
. It was released March 2007.