D&D (2024) "No magic items are necessary" vs Magic Items Awarded by Level

[evilbob]

Obviously anyone can play the game however they want and it's all valid. My question is: what is the "typical" amount of magic items you estimate most parties in your experience would have around level 10? Level 15? And Level 20?

The 5.5 DMG has a Magic Items Awarded by Level table (p.218) that suggests by the end of level 10, a party might have 1 very rare item, 7 rares, and 30+ uncommons and commons between the group. By 16, a party might have 2 legendary items, 8 very rare, 17 rare, and 40+ uncommons/commons. At 20, they might have 11 legendary, 19 very rare, 23 rare, and the same 40+ uncommons/commons.

In my personal experience that is not a judgement on what is right or wrong, I have seen a level 16 game with almost exactly half the numbers from the table, and that still felt powerful. The party seemed overwhelmingly effective against even "high" difficulty encounters. (Even double or triple the XP budget for "high.")

Curious to hear from others as to what their experience is and how that "felt" to you.

Edit: after 10 days, I bumped this thread with a summary here: D&D (2024) - "No magic items are necessary" vs Magic Items Awarded by Level

 

[jgsugden]

Obviously anyone can play the game however they want and it's all valid. My question is: what is the "typical" amount of magic items you estimate most parties in your experience would have around level 10? Level 15? And Level 20?

The 5.5 DMG has a Magic Items Awarded by Level table (p.218) that suggests by the end of level 10, a character might have 1 very rare item, 7 rares, and 30+ uncommons and commons. By 16, a character might have 2 legendary items, 8 very rare, 17 rare, and 40+ uncommons/commons. At 20, they might have 11 legendary, 19 very rare, 23 rare, and the same 40+ uncommons/commons.

In my personal experience that is not a judgement on what is right or wrong, I have seen a level 16 game with almost exactly half the numbers from the table, and that still felt powerful. The party seemed overwhelmingly effective against even "high" difficulty encounters. (Even double or triple the XP budget for "high.")

Curious to hear from others as to what their experience is and how that "felt" to you.

Errrr.. that is the number of items per party, not per character. Per the DMG:

The Magic Items Awarded by Level table shows the number of magic items a D&D party typically gains during a campaign, totaling one hundred magic items by level 20. The table shows how many items of each rarity are meant to be handed out during each of the four tiers of play.

To that end, at 16, a PC might have a legendary (or not), could have 1 or 2 very rares, 3 or 4 rares, and a wide array of uncommons and commons. That is spot on for the approximate level I've seen historically in games in which I've played that go that far, as well as for games that I run.

 

[evilbob]

Errrr.. that is the number of items per party, not per character.

Haha that DOES change the tone, does it not? I will fix that mistake - thank you!

 

[Swarmkeeper]

It’s funny how much space is given to the Magic Items table and especially the Magic Item Tracker page. Meanwhile, in the sidebar opposite that page, the final sentence reads: “Magic items are truly prizes - desirable but not necessary.”

So, game works fine without magic items.

But, IMO, game is more fun awarding some magical treats. Part of that fun is watching the players negotiate and trade and figure out which item(s) wielded by which PC(s) benefit(s) the party and/or the story the most.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Damn nowhere near that number. That seems like too many to even remember. IME most characters by level 10 have a very rare, and 2-5 other items of various rarities. Like, weapon, armor, maybe secondary weapon, and a few utility items, and I’m set as a player.

 

[Bae'zel]

I've added a few as rewards for tough encounters, but also a handful available in shops if the PCs can A) befriend or at least be good customers to the shopkeeper and B) save up for them (something to look forward to).

 

[el-remmen]

I don't pay attention to rarity, but 30+ magical items of any kind certainly seems excessive. My groups tend to end up with 3 to 5 various magical items by 10th level, which is where we usually stop. It is hard to tell with things like potions that get cycled through a lot - but even with potions rarely does a group of 4 PCs in my games have more than 10 potions between them at any given time.

 

[Burnside]

Anecdotally, my paladin finished Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus at Level 13.

His magic items at the end of the campaign:

1 legendary item (plot-centric)
1 very rare potion (this was a potion of vitality)
2 rare weapons
1 rare wondrous item (dimensional shackles, which are nice to have but quite niche)
2 uncommon wondrous items (one of which was a soul coin)
1 uncommon spell scroll

In practical terms, the legendary item and one of the two weapons were used in pretty much every combat encounter. The other weapon was used maybe 3-4 times in the campaign. The two consumables (potion and scroll) were both good but just didn't end up being used.

This felt very reasonable to me. The legendary item was great but also had serious drawbacks/baggage.

 

[Minigiant]

what is the "typical" amount of magic items you estimate most parties in your experience would have around level 10? Level 15? And Level 20?

I prefer magic items.effects per level.

For example flight.

At level 5, 1/5 of your party should have 1 permanent flight item and been offered 1 consumable flight item.

At level 11, 1/2 of your party should have 1 permanent flight or teleportation item and be offered 1 consumable flight or teleportation item.

At level 17, 3/4 of your party should have 1 permanent flight, teleportation, or planeshifting. item and be offered 2 consumable flight, teleportation, or planeshifting items

 

[aco175]

Most of the party tend to have +1 weapons (rare) by level 5 and I start filter in +2 (very rare) by level 11. I do not recall any +3 given out, but I never had a gave go past level 15. Each Pc will also tend to have two other permanents by level 8 and 3-5 minor things like potions and such. They might get a cooler permanent to swap out later on but tend to not have more than 5-7 since a lot of things are attunement items.