D&D 5E Magic items and identify

[Rya.Reisender]

According to the rules, magic items need to be identified. Except for potions, you need a short rest to identify the item or use the identify spell. Some magic items need attunement. You can't attune and identify an item during the same short rest.

Some questions regarding this:
1. If a PC uses an unidentified item, does the PC benefit from its special properties when the item doesn't require attunement?
2. If you take the magic item from an enemy and ask him what the magic item is and the NPC tells you, is the magic item still unidentified? What if the NPC lies?
3. Can a PC use or attune to an unidentified item?

 

[delericho]

Note: I don't have RAW answers, so this is all IMC:

1. If a PC uses an unidentified item, does the PC benefit from its special properties when the item doesn't require attunement?

Case dependent: if it's effectively a "use activated" item then yes. If there's something special must be done then no.

For example, if the item were some boots that boosted speed for whoever wore them, then the character would get the boost regardless. If, however, they required a command word, or for the user to think "faster!", or even just adjust his pace slightly, then he wouldn't know about this, so wouldn't get the boost.

(And, of course, if the item needs attunement, then it needs attunement, as you said. )

2. If you take the magic item from an enemy and ask him what the magic item is and the NPC tells you, is the magic item still unidentified? What if the NPC lies?

I would say telling them isn't enough - the friendly NPC would need to show them how to use the item. And having done so, it would count as identified. If the NPC somehow lies, the item is still unidentified.

3. Can a PC use or attune to an unidentified item?

No.

 

[Lanefan]

According to the rules, magic items need to be identified. Except for potions, you need a short rest to identify the item or use the identify spell. Some magic items need attunement. You can't attune and identify an item during the same short rest.

Some questions regarding this:
1. If a PC uses an unidentified item, does the PC benefit from its special properties when the item doesn't require attunement?

If used correctly, why not? Or, maybe use a die roll of some sort: does the user just happen to stumble onto the special property? That said, it's up to you to decide whether there's any trick to using said item - e.g. a command word - that isn't immediately obvious.

2. If you take the magic item from an enemy and ask him what the magic item is and the NPC tells you, is the magic item still unidentified? What if the NPC lies?

Again up to you-as-DM, I think. For me, I'd say even if the NPC lies the character would still *think* it's identified and be able to go through all the subsequent motions...until the item doesn't work quite as advertised at which point you're right back to "unidentified" status again (and any attunement made on this basis would fall off).

3. Can a PC use or attune to an unidentified item?

Use, or try to use - again, why not? Attune? Up to you-as-DM; I'd personally say 'no'.

That said, how do you handle on-the-fly field testing when an item's been found and the party want to know stuff about it right now without taking time for a short rest? Do you let them learn anything about it at all? (for example, if the party finds a ring [of flight] and someone just puts it on and tries to [among other things] fly, does it work?)

Lan-"specialized in field-testing magic items"-efan

 

[Azurewraith]

Im a strong believer in the let them figure it out through "field testing" really makes players think about whether its just another dagger or if its THE dagger

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Im a strong believer in the let them figure it out through "field testing" really makes players think about whether its just another dagger or if its THE dagger

Yeah -- am I the only one who misses the twisted fun of trying to figure out what a magic item is? Trying to move silently to see if you're wearing elven boots, jumping off of small heights in case the magic ring is a ring of feather fall, swinging the sword to try and activate a magic ability ... it was its own little mini-game.

 

[Athinar]

"field testing" takes an hour (aka 1 hour to figure out the item) and then 1 hour to attune, if needed

boots of elvenkind dos not need to be attuned, you put them on and stealthily walk

The NPC tells you the commands and what it is and how to activate it but one problem, the NPC is attuned to it,
unless another attunes to it that is

 

[Rya.Reisender]

This leads to some complications for me:

How should this testing work for a normal magic weapon for example? Let's say someone finds a longsword which is a +1 longsword. If he says he attacks with the longsword should I tell him that his modifier and damage is increased by one? Should I just secretly add it to damage and attack and let him figure out that monsters are hit or die although they shouldn't? But if I do the latter I eventually have a lot to keep track of. I don't really want to have lots of ??? items on the character sheets and then keep lots of notes which what unidentified item is. That's why I'm kind of tending towards not allowing them to use the item as long as it's unidentified, so they are motivated to identify it as fast as possible.

What I think backs it up is that identify also includes learning how to use the item properly. I could argue that if you didn't spend an hour to learn how to slash with the magic longsword properly, you can't benefit from it.

Also what about magic scrolls? Can you copy them even though you don't know what spell it is? I'd think you first need to understand it before you can copy it.

 

[Athinar]

A magic weapon does not need to be attune to get the benefits of it's magical properties to hit and damage unless noted in the items description

Without becoming attuned to an item that requires attunement, a creature gains only its non magical benefits, unless its description states otherwise

Testing a normal +1 to see if it has more magical properties other than +1 can and should be done

I did hide the plus or minus to hit/damage back in 1979, stopped do it because it was a pain in the butt

Protection Scroll - Any creature that can understand a written language can read the arcane script on a scroll and attempt to activate it.

Spell Scroll - A spell scroll bears the words of a single spell, written - a mystical cipher. If the spell is on your class's spell list you can use an action to read the scroll and cast its spell without having to provide any of the spell's component". Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. 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 to determine whether you cast it successfully. The DC equals 10 + spell's level. On a failed check, the spell disappears from the scroll with no other effect.

to copy the spell from a scroll or a spell book is something you don't do on an adventure, takes to long

 

[dmnqwk]

1. It's up to the DM. If you think it would benefit the game to allow it, go for it. Maybe it's a ring of jumping and when they go to jump, they accidently go triple the distance and cause themselves injury (physical or to their pride!) 5th edition is great for deciding things yourself after all, especially if you don't like what they've ruled.
2. I would lean towards yes, but you could also allow the NPC to lie and be capable of creating a backdraft and/or misfire through it. Would be greatly entertaining after all.
3. This is where I'd lean towards no, because how can you attune to something without knowledge? I mean, maybe allow them to roll a % dice and if they get 00 it works, otherwise it's unlikely they can attune correctly to it.

 

[iserith]

1. If a PC uses an unidentified item, does the PC benefit from its special properties when the item doesn't require attunement?

Yeah, sure.

2. If you take the magic item from an enemy and ask him what the magic item is and the NPC tells you, is the magic item still unidentified? What if the NPC lies?

I would say if you're told what the magic item is and does and are given sufficient information to activate it, then this obviates the requirement for a short rest to figure it out. If the NPC lies and the PC believes what he or she is told, then clearly the magic item doesn't work as described. A short rest to examine it or an identify spell is still necessary as normal.

3. Can a PC use or attune to an unidentified item?

Generally speaking: Use, yes. Attune, no.