Dogrioc's Laboratory
Greetin's, young'un. Dogroic Stronghead's the name. Ya must be 'ere fer the magic items. Got some basic services, o' course. Craftin' supplies too. If ya ain't a Scholar, yer payin' double, got it? Now I'm back ta my work.
Basic Magic Services
| Service | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | 10 gp | 1 Day |
| Comprehend Languages | 10 gp | 1 Day |
| Magic Aura | 120 gp | 1 Day |
| Arcana Skill Training | 25 gp /week | 10 - Int Mod weeks |
| Dispel Magic | 250 gp | 1 Day |
Goods for Sale
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Potion of Healing | 50 gp |
| Potion of Greater Healing | 150 gp |
| Potion of Climbing | 180 gp |
| Potion of Water Breathing | 180 gp |
| Potion of Animal Friendship | 200 gp |
| Spell Scroll (Wizard Cantrip) | 15 gp |
| Spell Scroll (Wizard 1st level) | 25 gp |
| Spell Scroll (Wizard 2nd level) | 250 gp |
| Focus (Druidic or Arcane) | As listed |
| Spellcasting Components | Up to 25 gp |
| Spellbooks, Paper, and Ink | As listed |
| Alchemist's Supplies | 50 gp |
Whassat? Ya got some items yer lookin' to sell? Hm. Well, I can give ya half 'o their value. Seems fair. Bring 'em up and I'll give 'em a look over.
If yer lookin' ta make yer own stuff, feel free ta use the lab. I got the supplies yer gonna need. Here's the manual.
Crafting Magic Items
To craft an item, you need three things: a base item, one or more spells you wish to infuse into that item, and any additional modification resources you wish to apply to the item. All of these will cost gold, and the crafting of the item will cost time.
Additionally, you need to have proficiency in the tools or skills needed to create an item. The base item determines which set of tools you will need. Your crafting bonus determines the amount of skill you have with your tools, and is determined by adding your proficiency bonus (double if you have expertise in that tool) to the default ability modifier for that tool.
For the purposes of crafting, Bards, Rogues, and those who take the Prodigy feat (XGtE pg. 75) may apply their expertise bonus to a set of tools.
Default Tool Ability Modifiers
| Tool | Ability |
|---|---|
| Alchemist's Supplies | Wisdom |
| Brewer's Supplies | Wisdom |
| Calligrapher's Supplies | Dexterity |
| Carpenter's Tools | Strength |
| Cartographer's Tools | Dexterity |
| Cobbler's Tools | Strength |
| Cook's Utensils | Wisdom |
| Glassblower's Tools | Dexterity |
| Jeweler's Tools | Dexterity |
| Leatherworker's Tools | Strength |
| Mason's Tools | Strength |
| Painter's Supplies | Dexterity |
| Potter's Tools | Dexterity |
| Smith's Tools | Strength |
| Tinker's Tools | Dexterity |
| Weaver's Tools | Dexterity |
| Woodcarver's Tools | Strength |
| Disguise Kit | Wisdom |
| Forgery Kit | Dexterity |
| Gaming Set (any) | Wisdom |
| Herbalism Kit | Wisdom |
| Musical Instrument | Dexterity |
| Navigator's Tools | Wisdom |
| Poisoner's Kit | Wisdom |
| Thieves' Tools | Dexterity |
| Vehicles (animal-drawn) | Strength |
| Vehicles (wind/water borne) | Wisdom |
Once you have calculated your crafting bonus, you can determine the maximum level of magic item you can create. The total spell level of an item is determined by adding together the spell level of all spells the item is infused with. If an item is listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide, you may craft it only when you are able to craft items of the appropriate rarity, no matter what the spell levels would be needed to craft it.
Crafting Restrictions
| Crafting Bonus | Existing Items | Custom Items |
|---|---|---|
| +3 or higher | Mundane Items Base Items |
None |
| +5 or higher | Common Magic Items |
Spell Level of 1 or less |
| +9 or higher | Uncommon Magic Items |
Spell Level of 4 or less |
| +11 or higher | Rare Magic Items |
Spell Level of 9 or less |
| +15 or higher | Very Rare Magic Items |
Spell Level of 15 or less |
| +17 or higher | Legendary Magic Items |
Spell Level of 21 or less |
| +19 or higher | Artifacts | No Spell Limit |
Once you have determined the maximum rarity and spell level of the item you can create, you must set about finding the components of the magic item: a Base Item, one or more Spells, and one or more Modifiers.
Base Items
All magic items start with a base item. These are mundane items that will be enchanted during the creation process. You will need to craft this item, pay the full cost for it, or obtain it over the course of your adventures.
A magic item will usually clearly require a certain type of item. A Longsword +1 will require a longsword. An Elemental Gem will require the appropriate gemstone. Potions merely require water, making them the simplest of the base items to obtain.
The base item determines which set of tools you will need.
- Potions require a Herbalism Kit, Poisoner's Kit, or Alchemist's Supplies
- Leather Armor, Boots, and some Cloaks require Leatherworker's Tools
- Metal Armor and Weapons require Smith's Tools
- Robes and Clothing require Weaver's Tools
- Etc.
Depending on the item, a different set of tools may be required. For example, if you are crafting an Elemental Gem, you may need proficiency in Jeweler's Tools.
The major exception to this is wizards. A Wizard may use their Arcana skill in place of a tool proficiency. However, the wizard will only be able to create items associated with their chosen school of magic, and they do not have the option to craft their own base items.
The base item required to create a magic item may not be easily available. If you are looking to craft a certain item, you should research what might be used as a base for that item. More powerful items require more difficult to obtain base items.
If you find an item that is particularly attuned to becoming a certain magic item (such as many kinds of creature loot), the total gold cost of crafting the item is halved. However, the time required to craft the item remains the same.
The cost of the item can also be halved or affected by the forge, tools, or location it is crafted in. A magic forge might reduce the cost or time required to finish an item.
The base item also determines the attunement requirements of an item. If the item is something that is worn or can be used multiple times, it will likely require attunement. An experienced crafter can determine if an item would require attunement.
Spells
A magic item is simply an item imbued with one or more spells. A Longsword +3 is simply a longsword with a permanent 6th-level Magic Weapon spell cast upon it.
To imbue an object with a spell, you need a copy of that spell. You can use your spellbook, your known spells, or a spell scroll as reference. You don't need to be able to cast the spell yourself, but you do have to provide all material components for the spell when you craft it.
The most basic magic item is a spell scroll. Essentially, it is just paper with a magical effect. Thus, the cost of a spell scroll is used as the basis for determining the cost and time needed to create your magic item.
Spell Scroll Crafting
| Spell Level | Cost | Time | Spell Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | 15 gp | 1 Day | +5 to Hit Save DC 13 |
| 1st | 25 gp | 1 Day | +5 to Hit Save DC 13 |
| 2nd | 250 gp | 3 Days | +5 to Hit Save DC 13 |
| 3rd | 500 gp | 1 Week | +7 to Hit Save DC 15 |
| 4th | 2,500 gp | 2 Weeks | +7 to Hit Save DC 15 |
| 5th | 5,000 gp | 4 Weeks | +9 to Hit Save DC 17 |
| 6th | 15,000 gp | 8 Weeks | +9 to Hit Save DC 17 |
| 7th | 25,000 gp | 16 Weeks | +10 to Hit Save DC 18 |
| 8th | 50,000 gp | 32 Weeks | +10 to Hit Save DC 18 |
| 9th | 250,000 gp | 48 Weeks | +11 to Hit Save DC 19 |
A week is made up of 5 workdays. If you work longer than that, you're bound to become exhausted and the work will suffer.
If you make an item using the above cost and time, the spell will be cast with the listed Save DC or Spell Attack Bonus. The item will be able to cast the spell or gain its effect once, without requiring material components, and then the object will become nonmagical. This is the equivalent of making a spell scroll or potion.
If you want your item to be able to use its spell more than once, then you must have a base item that will last through multiple castings, meaning a scroll or potion will not suffice. Use the guidelines below to modify your time and costs.
Multiple Casting Modifiers
| Effect | Cost Multiplier | Time Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Item has a certain number of uses before becoming nonmagical | xUses | xUses |
| Item casts spell once per day, resetting at time of your choice | x5 | x2 |
| Item casts spell 3 times per day, resetting at time of your choice | x10 | x5 |
| Item's effect is constant, at will, or permanent | x25 | x10 |
| Item has 3 charges, regains 1d3 charges at time of your choice. Each spell infused into the item can be cast by spending charges equal to the spell's level. If you expend the last charge of the item, roll a d20. On a 1, the item is destroyed | x3 | x3 |
| Item has 10 charges and regains 1d6+4 per day. Otherwise, as above. | x5 | x5 |
| Item has 20 charges and regains 2d8+4 per day. Otherwise, as above. | x10 | x10 |
| Item has 50 charges and regains 4d6+4 per day. Otherwise, as above. | x25 | x25 |
As long as the effect of the spell is not changed, the spell can be flavored to fit the theme of your item. For example, the Staff of Swarming Insects allows its user to expend 1 charge to cast Fog Cloud, but it appears as a swarm of insects instead of smoke. No other effect of the spell is changed.
Modifiers
Finally, you can add materials during the crafting process to modify a magic item.
Some modifiers apply to the overall magic item, others only to the spells the item can cast. More powerful magic requires more material to be infused for a modification to take place. To determine the cost of modifiers, take the highest-level spell you wish to infuse the item with. The cost of the materials needed to affect your item is given below.
Modification Materials Cost
| Highest Spell Level | Material Cost |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | 10 gp |
| 1st level | 25 gp |
| 2nd level | 25 gp |
| 3rd level | 50 gp |
| Highest Spell Level | Material Cost |
|---|---|
| 4th level | 50 gp |
| 5th level | 100 gp |
| 6th level | 100 gp |
| 7th level | 500 gp |
| 8th level | 1000 gp |
| 9th level | 5000 gp |
The materials are listed on the following pages, and have the associated effects. Note that these materials will be used in different ways during the process. A ring that is infused with sapphire doesn't need a sapphire set into it, but might have powdered sapphire added to the metal during the forging process.
The Crafting Process
When you wish to craft a magic item, you must determine the total gold and time cost to create the magic item. You need to pay for the base item, a copy of each spell and their material components, the cost of infusing the spell into the item, and any modifiers the item might use. Remember, if you have a base item that lends itself to magic item creation, the gold cost is halved.
When you have saved up the gold required to create the magic item, you spend it to begin the creation process. Because of the necessity of applying different parts of the material components at different times of the crafting process, you must spend all the gold up front.
Then, you need downtime equal to the time required to make an item. You don't need to do it all at once, but the item will not be completed until you devote enough time to the task. When you spend their last downtime day, the item is completed. As part of the crafting process, you can choose to immediately attune to the item.
Complications
When you finish your masterpiece, there is always the chance that something has gone wrong. The more complicated the item, the more likely you are to mess it up. This is also affected by how much time you cut off of the crafting time.
To determine your failure chance percentage, use the following procedure:
- Take the number of days you cut off the total crafting time. If the total is 0 (you didn't cut any corners), this number is 0.5 instead.
- Multiply that number by the minimum crafting bonus required by the item.
Then, roll a d100. If the number rolled is equal to or less than your failure chance percentage, the item crafting fails. If the item is listed in the DMG, it becomes a failed magic item. Otherwise, it reverts to a nonmagical version of the base item.
For example, let's say you want to make an Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location. It takes 25 weeks to craft (3rd level spell x 25 to make the effect permanent) and is an uncommon item, meaning your crafting bonus should be +9. If you don't cut any corners, your failure percentage chance would be 4% (9 x 0.5). If you skip a week's worth of work, it suddenly becomes 45% (9 x 5)!
Magic Item Material Modifiers
| Material | Use |
|---|---|
| Adamantine | The item cannot be broken. An armor item reinforced with Adamantine becomes Adamantine armor in addition to its other properties. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 500 GP. |
| Agate | The item sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The creature holding the item can use a bonus action to shed or extinguish the light. If the item is sentient or contains a soul, 500 GP of agate grants it darkvision within the range of its sight. |
| Amber | The item never gets dirty. |
| Black Onyx | If the item requires attunement, the attuned creature begins to decay and take on the appearance of an undead zombie. This process is painless as long as the creature remains attuned, but if the attunement ends, the creature immediately takes 1d10 necrotic damage per level of the spell within the item. |
| Black Pearl | When the bearer is presented with an opportunity to act in a selfish or malevolent way, the item heightens the bearer's urge to do so. |
| Blood | If the casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Poison damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical creature. |
| Bone | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Necrotic damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical creature. |
| Clay | While underground, the bearer of this item always knows the item's depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest path leading upwards. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Chrysolite | The item makes no sound when it casts its spell. |
| Coal | The item is constantly covered in a thin layer of soot and grime. |
| Copper | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Psychic damage. If the item is sentient or contains a soul, 500 GP of copper grants it the ability to speak, read, and understand one or more languages. |
| Crystal | The item uses the spell save of its wielder, rather than the save dictated by the spell. The item can only be used by creatures who have the item's spell on their class spell list. |
| Diamond | The item is affected as if by the Awaken spell. It cannot move on its own, communicates by transmitting emotions to its wielder, can see and hear out to a distance of 30 feet, and is charmed by its creator as in the spell's description. It gains the ability to withhold its magical properties at will. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 1000 GP. |
| Dirt | While underground, the bearer of this item always knows the item's depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest path leading upwards. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Glass | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Lightning damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Gold | If the item requires attunement, attuning to the item only takes 1 minute. |
| Incense | By using a particular scent of incense, the item may be linked to a particular deity during its creation. The deity must approve of any creature that uses or attunes to the item. If a creature opposed to the deity attempts to wield the weapon, it loses its magical properties until it is wielded by a creature the deity approves of. |
| Iron | The bearer of the item can use an action to determine which way is north. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Ivory | The item whispers warnings to its bearer, granting a +2 bonus to initiative if the bearer isn't incapacitated. This effect is separate from the item's sentience or soul, if it has one. |
| Jacinth | The bearer can speak and understand one language of the creator's choice while the item is on the bearer's person. The language must be one listed in the Player's Handbook. |
| Jade | The item produces a fragment of an ancient song when used. |
Magic Item Material Modifiers Con't
| Material | Use |
|---|---|
| Lead | If the item is targeted by a Detect Magic or Identify spell, the spell fails and the spell slot is wasted. If at least 500 GP of lead is used in the creation of the item, the item is permanently under the effect of a Magic Aura spell, the effects of which are chosen by the creator at the item's creation. If at least 5000 GP of lead is used in the creation of the item, the item and its bearer act as if they are under a Nondetection spell. |
| Lodestone | If the item casts a spell that takes more than 1 round to cast, that spell can be cast in half the listed time instead. |
| Mercury | If the item casts a spell with a duration longer than instantaneous, the spell lasts twice as long as it normally would, to a maximum of 24 hours. |
| Mica | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Thunder damage. |
| Mithril | The item weighs half its normal weight, while maintaining its durability. An armor item reinforced with Mithril becomes Mithril armor in addition to its other properties. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 800 GP. |
| Opal | The item is imbued with illusion magic, allowing the bearer to alter the item's appearance in minor ways. These changes are entirely cosmetic and don't affect the weapon's properties. It reverts to its true appearance when no one is carrying or wielding it. |
| Pearl | When the bearer of the item contemplates or undertakes a malevolent act, the item enhances pangs of conscience. |
| Peridot | The bearer of the item can use an action to cause their voice to be heard clearly for up to 300 feet until the end of the bearer's next turn. |
| Pitch | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Acid damage. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Platinum | The item can have a soul stored within it, becoming sentient. The soul cannot move the item on its own, communicates by transmitting emotions to its wielder, and can hear and see within 30 feet of the item. It gains the ability to withhold the magical properties of the item at will. Due to the value of this material, the minimum cost to modify the item is 5000 GP. |
| Quartz | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Cold damage. |
| Ruby | The item glows faintly when a certain kind of creature is within 120 feet of it. The kind of creature it detects is chosen by the item's creator. |
| Salt | If the item is a potion with a duration of 1 hour, the duration extends to 1d4 hours. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Sand | The item floats on water and other liquids. Its bearer has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to swim. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Sapphire | If the item is sentient or contains a soul, the range of its hearing and vision increases by 30 feet for each 500 GP of sapphire used in the item's creation, to a maximum of 120 feet. Any amount of Sapphire can be used in a magic item creation, regardless of the highest level spell associated with the item. |
| Silver | A weapon item modified with silver counts as a silvered weapon. If the item is sentient or contains a soul, 5000 GP of silver grants it the ability to communicate telepathically with any creature that carries or wields it. |
| Stone | While underground, the bearer of this item always knows the item's depth below the surface and the direction to the nearest path leading upwards. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
| Sulfer | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Fire damage. |
| Sunstone | If the item casts a spell that deals damage, that damage can be changed to Radiant damage. |
| Water | The bearer of the item suffers to harm in temperatures as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or as warm as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. To gain this effect, the material must be obtained from a magical location. |
DMG Item Example: Hat of Disguise
You wish to craft a Hat of Disguise. You found a Couatl Feather that would be an excellent base item for this endeavor. You determine the item, when crafted, will require attunement. Because this is an uncommon magic item, you'll need a weaver's tools bonus of +9, or be a Wizard specializing in Illusion magic with an Arcana bonus of +9.
You will need 1 day and 25 gold to infuse the object with a 1st level spell. Since you wish to make the effect at will, these amounts are multiplied by 25. The Disguise Self spell has no material components, but you will need a copy of the spell in order to create the item. Fortunately, let's assume you already know the spell.
You also want to use Gold to give the hat a shorter attunement time. Since the highest spell the hat can cast is 1st level, you must provide 25 GP worth of gold.
The item now includes the spell's 25 gold cost, multiplied by 25 to make it at will, plus 25 GP for the modification, divided by half because of the Couatl Feather. The total cost is 325 gold.
You'll need 25 days to make the item. After the last day, the Hat of Disguise is complete, and can be immediately attuned to.
Custom Item Example: Cloning Machine
You want to make a cloning machine. You are going to use the Simulacrum spell to do so, which makes the total spell level required 7. You will need a Tinker's Tools or Arcana (Illusion) bonus of +11 or higher, and will have to acquire a large metal container as the base item. You are able to obtain such a container for 100 gp.
You will need 16 weeks and 25,000 gp to infuse the object with a 7th-level spell. If you want to create 3 clones a day, you must multiply the gold cost by 10 and the time cost by 5. The Simulacrum spell requires 1,500 gp of material components, which you must provide. Finally, you supply 500 gp of Adamantine to make the machine unbreakable, and 500 gp of Lodestone to cut the 12-hour casting time of the spell in half. You don't know the Simulacrum spell, but found a spell scroll on your journey that you plan to copy it from.
You pay the gold required to craft the item, totaling 252,500 gp. You must then devote 80 workweeks to the creation of the cloning machine, or approximately 1.5 years in Ahnerian time. After the last day, the machine is functional and can spit out a clone of a creature within it every 6 hours, to a maximum of 3 times per day. The machine may have a maximum number of clones it can have active at a given time.