D&D 5E Immunity/Resistance to nonmagical attacks worth 50gp?

[Zardnaar]

A may be a few weeks behind here but a moon touched sword is a common magic sword that sheds light in a 15'. For the same price as a potion of healing.

Kensai Monk using a longsword as a versatile weapon can now deal 1d10 magic damage for 50gp at low level.

Well anyone who can use a sword now can but that is a nice power up from the PHB, 1d10 finesse weapon that deals magic damage sign me up. Magic greatswords in short supply, 50 gp lets you use GWM to hit immune/resistant critters.

BTW don't get me wrong I love Xanathars but I am looking at returning to play soon, and am drooling over a Kensai Monk in the Rogue/Skirmisher role (although I will play whatever party needs).

We kind of play 5E like AD&D where you can't reliably buy magic items except for common ones which was basically potions. An NPC might sell one but you can't rock into town and buy or easily craft exactly what you want (so magic hand crossbows, great weapons and polearms are in short supply).

 

[Nevvur]

To answer the title question, I would treat such an item as worth more than 50GP in my setting.

I look at its inclusion in Xanathar's as an easy out for DMs who want to give sword lovers parity with other classes who deal magic damage, especially if +N magic weapons aren't ever going to be a thing. A moon themed weapon is generic enough to fit in almost any setting and can still have some interesting lore. Maybe the ore used to make it is inherently magical and common enough in some remote part of the world, so it costs 3x as much as the normal version. Maybe it's associated with a clan of swordsmiths who use a special, magical infusion technique known only to family members, and they charge a premium price. But hey, it glows and cuts through Galeb Duhrs, so totes worth.

I won't be throwing moon swords around my setting like confetti, but if a player is determined to acquire a magical weapon through market channels, I might produce something like this rather than a +1 long sword. Like your table, there's no Magic Shoppe in my setting, but there are brokers who deal in magic items. That determined player might expect to pay around 300 GP for something equivalent to a moon-touched sword, and 1500 or more for a +1 weapon. That said, my magic item prices are more contextual, flexible, and gut-based than systematic. I reserve the right to appear arbitrary when charging my players gold for magic items.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

If you can pay 50gp to gain immunity to nonmagical attacks, I'd call that a bargain! It's a great deal even for only resistance, really.

 

[jaelis]

No rule says you can buy common magic items at will. They are up to the DM, like most magic items. Healing potions are an exception, in some ways, since they are listed in the phb.

 

[Stalker0]

I personally don’t interpret that the damage from a magic weapon is actually magic damage, I always treated that as needing the +1 bonus. But it’s a good point to debate

 

[Blue]

I personally don’t interpret that the damage from a magic weapon is actually magic damage, I always treated that as needing the +1 bonus. But it’s a good point to debate

I was curious about what the actual wording was, since I have the first printing of the MM and it's been errata'd since. Here's the section from the official errata PDF:

Vulnerabilities, Resistances, and Immunities (p. 8).
The second and third sentences now read as follows: “Particular creatures are even resistant or immune to damage from nonmagical attacks (a magical attack is an attack delivered by a spell, a magic item, or another magical source). In addition, some creatures are immune to certain conditions."

RAW, it seems all it needs is a magic item - could be a common magic sword with no plus. Actually, from the wording it could be some other magic item used as an improvised weapon - nothing says it needs to be a weapon or have a plus, just that it is used to deliver an attack doing damage.

But yeah, as a DM I can understand wanting the intent to be that weapon be magically enhanced to be a better weapon, not just any random enchantment.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I personally don’t interpret that the damage from a magic weapon is actually magic damage, I always treated that as needing the +1 bonus. But it’s a good point to debate

I would have argued that in 3E, but it doesn't make sense that a flametongue or frostbrand wouldn't count.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

If you can pay 50gp to gain immunity to nonmagical attacks, I'd call that a bargain! It's a great deal even for only resistance, really.

Heh. The title is rather misleading, but I think they're talking about ability to penetrate, rather than actual resistance or immunity.

A may be a few weeks behind here but a moon touched sword is a common magic sword that sheds light in a 15'. For the same price as a potion of healing.

Kensai Monk using a longsword as a versatile weapon can now deal 1d10 magic damage for 50gp at low level.

Well anyone who can use a sword now can but that is a nice power up from the PHB, 1d10 finesse weapon that deals magic damage sign me up. Magic greatswords in short supply, 50 gp lets you use GWM to hit immune/resistant critters.

I don't think that its Finesse, and I don't think that you can use the -5/+10 ability of GWM with it.

Kensai and monks in general already automatically get the ability to bypass Magic-required resistance/immunity by the time the things they face tend to require it. They can also use Dex to hit and damage with any weapon they can pick.

BTW don't get me wrong I love Xanathars but I am looking at returning to play soon, and am drooling over a Kensai Monk in the Rogue/Skirmisher role (although I will play whatever party needs).

We kind of play 5E like AD&D where you can't reliably buy magic items except for common ones which was basically potions. An NPC might sell one but you can't rock into town and buy or easily craft exactly what you want (so magic hand crossbows, great weapons and polearms are in short supply).

Eh. Its pretty much always your DM's call about whether a particular magic item is available. I wouldn't suggest basing a character around a specific item unless you've already established that you'll be able to get one early on.

 

[Leatherhead]

That does seem low when you compare it to the prices of other weapons.
A silvered weapon costs at least 100g. A real magical sword should cost more than that.

 

[Zardnaar]

Heh. The title is rather misleading, but I think they're talking about ability to penetrate, rather than actual resistance or immunity.

I don't think that its Finesse, and I don't think that you can use the -5/+10 ability of GWM with it.

Kensai and monks in general already automatically get the ability to bypass Magic-required resistance/immunity by the time the things they face tend to require it. They can also use Dex to hit and damage with any weapon they can pick.

Eh. Its pretty much always your DM's call about whether a particular magic item is available. I wouldn't suggest basing a character around a specific item unless you've already established that you'll be able to get one early on.

Kensai can finesse a longsword, you can't use the -5/+10 part though.