5e Unified Crafting Rules
Overview
The Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Xanathar's Guide to Everything all contain rules for crafting magic items. However, those rules overlap. This document attempts to synthesize the best parts of those rules, as well as good home-brew additions, in order to create a system which allows for a great deal of flexibility, while still giving guidance to how to price items beyond the massive ranges in the core books.
Level-based items
All magic items have a level. The following table describes item levels, the cost of the item, and the rarity of the item:
| Level | Cost | Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | 12 | Common |
| 1/4 | 25 | Common |
| 1/2 | 50 | Common |
| 1 | 75 | Common |
| 2 | 150 | Uncommon |
| 3 | 225 | Uncommon |
| 4 | 335 | Uncommon |
| 5 | 500 | Uncommon |
| 6 | 735 | Rare |
| 7 | 1,000 | Rare |
| 8 | 1,500 | Rare |
| 9 | 2,300 | Rare |
| 10 | 3,400 | Rare |
| 11 | 5,000 | Very Rare |
| 12 | 7,300 | Very Rare |
| 13 | 10,700 | Very Rare |
| 14 | 15,650 | Very Rare |
| 15 | 23,000 | Very Rare |
| 16 | 33,500 | Very Rare |
| 17 | 50,000 | Legendary |
| 18 | 71,800 | Legendary |
| 19 | 105,000 | Legendary |
| 20 | 155,000 | Legendary |
| 21 | 225,000 | Artifact |
| 22 | 330,000 | Artifact |
| 23 | 480,000 | Artifact |
| 24 | 703,000 | Artifact |
| 25 | 1,000,000 | Artifact |
Crafting a magic item
Creating a magic item is, for the player and dungeon master, a simple process (though it might be complicated for the character!).
Step 1: Determine the Item's Level
Determine the level of the item. Appendix A gives a way to calculate this for an item of your own design. Appendix B gives suggested levels for each item in the Dungeon Master's Guide. For a quick and dirty approach, consult the following table.
| Item power | How often would it be used? | Quick Level |
|---|---|---|
| Adds no power | Just for flavor | Character level - 4 |
| Adds little power | A little bit of utility | Character level - 2 |
| On par with character | Once a day | Character level |
| Adds a lot of power | Once a short rest | Character level + 2 |
| Will define this character at this level | Every chance they get | Character level + 4 |
Step 2: Determine if a challenge is required, or if it will make the item easier to construct
A challenge is an encounter or series of encounters that provide the ingredients, help, or access to a location that make the item easier to construct. As an item's rarity increases, the likelihood that a challenge is required increases. Legendary items and artifacts always require a challenge.
The CR of the challenge is equal to the item's level + 2.
If a character has completed the challenge and acquired the ingredients, help, information, or access they need, the price of the item is decreased by 60%.
If the item is consumable, the price is decreased by 50%
Step 3: Determine the time to craft
It takes 1 hour per 5 gold pieces of price in order to craft an item. Characters may spend 8 hours per day during downtime, or 2 hours per adventuring day working on the item. Characters can also hire extra help at a rate of 1gp per hour, assuming they can find a qualified artisan who is capable of contributing to the build process.
At a DM's discretion, a character may forgo sleep to work on the item, taking the usual exhaustion penalty.
Step 4: Craft the item
Characters spend 1/2 the total cost of the item to obtain the necessary materials and begin work. They then spend time until they have reached the total time required. At the end of the process, characters spend the last 1/2 of the total cost, and then receive the item.
Appendix A
Calculate item level
| Category | Effect | Level Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Enchantment Bonus | ||
| +1 | + 5 | |
| +2 | +11 | |
| +3 | +17 | |
| Cast a spell | ||
| Cantrip | +2 | |
| 1st Level | +3 | |
| 2nd Level | +5 | |
| 3rd Level | +7 | |
| 4th Level | +9 | |
| 5th Level | +11 | |
| 6th Level | +13 | |
| 7th Level | +15 | |
| 8th Level | +17 | |
| 9th Level | +19 | |
| Using 5 charges | -1 | |
| Adds Damage | ||
| 1d6 Elemental | +2 | |
| Set Attribute | ||
| To 19 | +5 | |
| To 21 | +9 | |
| To 23 | +12 | |
| To 25 | +15 | |
| To 27 | +18 | |
| Grants Proficiency | ||
| In a tool | +1 | |
| In a language | +1 | |
| In a skill | +2 | |
| Grants Expertise | +6 | |
| Charges | 1/Long Rest | +0 |
| At will | +6 | |
| 1/Short Rest | +3 | |
| 7,1d6 recharge | +2 | |
| 3,1d3 recharge | +2 | |
| 50, no recharge | +1 | |
| Requires check | DC equals Item Level | -2 |
Determine item type
The item's type should fit it's abilities:
| Item Type | Associated Spells |
|---|---|
| Wand | Spell requiring an attack roll or save |
| Rod | Spells imposing debuffs or control |
| Staff | Spells giving buff to others |
| Armor | Permanent or temporary defensive effect |
| Weapon | Permanent or temporary offensive effect |
| Ring | Spell affecting self, |
| Potion | Spell affecting self, consumable |
| Scroll | Spell affecting others, consumable |
| Wondrous Item | Anything Else |
Determine Challenge Required
| d12 | Challenge |
|---|---|
| 1 | Requires ingredient harvested from an enemy |
| 2 | Requires resource guarded by an enemy |
| 3-4 | Must perform esoteric research or solve a mystery |
| 5-6 | Expert who can help needs to be located |
| 7-8 | Expert who can help needs a job done |
| 9-10 | Expert is holding a grudge and needs persuaded |
| 11-12 | Item is easier to forge at a specific location |
Example
Merrix wants to create a rod of mending, since he likes the spell but doesn't want to take one of his cantrips on it. He figures that 50 uses is plenty (since he might need to use it more than once a day) so he creates it with 50 charges. Mending is a cantrip (+2 item level) and 50 charges (+1) brings the item level to 3. The cost is 225 gold for a 3rd level item.
A local master artisan has just been broken into by a thief, and offers Merrix a challenge: if he can find and capture or kill the CR5 master thief, the master will aid his progress.
Merrix and his party does so, and the master grants his help. This reduces the price by 60%, to 90 gold, which means it will take 18 hours to complete. Merrix pays 45 gold for the raw materials, and spends 2 full 8-hour days working with the master.
It will only take two hours to finish the project. Merrix hits the road with his friends, spending 45 gold on a gemstone to place into a socket when the item is finished. That night, Merrix spends the last two hours fitting the gem, and the rod of mending is done!
The wagon's axle broke early the next morning, and Merrix got the axle fixed before the local gnolls caught their scent.