{"id":3308,"date":"2023-12-30T00:02:12","date_gmt":"2023-12-30T07:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/?p=3308"},"modified":"2025-05-29T15:55:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T22:55:15","slug":"dd-5e-rules-buying-and-selling-magic-items","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/2023\/12\/dd-5e-rules-buying-and-selling-magic-items.html","title":{"rendered":"D&D 5e\/5.5e Rules – Magic Items: Buying and Selling!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KnowPart of an ongoing series of 5e (2014)<\/strong> Rules notes.<\/a>\u00a0 See the end of the post for notes on 5.5e (2024)<\/strong> rules.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

TL;DR: Anything with magic items is expensive and difficult and unlikely under 5e.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For design reasons having to do with\u00a0Bounded Accuracy<\/a>\u00a0and stuff like that, magic items — especially anything permanent, or anything to alter combat stats (TH, AC) — are rare as hen’s teeth in 5th Edition D&D.<\/p>\n

The following is meant to provide guidelines<\/strong>. Bearing in mind how magic items can unbalance a campaign (especially weapons and armor with plusses), the DM should, as always, look for ways to make things fun and<\/em> make things work for the story.<\/p>\n

The rules on this stuff are something of a mess, to be honest, scattered in the PHB, the DMG, with major (optional) updates in XGE, which is what I\u2019ll mostly follow (starting round XGE 134) None of it makes it easy along the lines of “I step into Ye Olde Magick Ytem Shoppe and …”\u00a0<\/i>For most stuff beyond the common, it’s a matter of searching out, then negotiating with buyers\/sellers. This can literally take\u00a0weeks.<\/i><\/p>\n

It might be easier to go attack a dragon and check out their horde …<\/p>\n

Buying the Easy Stuff<\/h1>\n

Okay, it’s not all that bad (or I won’t let it be in my game). Common stuff — the equivalent of picking up items at the local drug store — is relatively easy to find, if only because demand for it is there. In addition to XGE, I’ve found a very nice set of purchase tables<\/a>\u00a0(explained\u00a0here<\/a>) that discuss all sorts of purchasing (and selling) at different types of shops in different locals.<\/p>\n

Some quick summaries of readily available items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Rarity<\/th>\nPotion Cost (gp)<\/th>\nScroll Cost (gp)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Common<\/td>\n50<\/td>\nLvl 0 – 50
\nLvl 1 – 100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Uncommon<\/td>\n250 – cities only<\/td>\nLvl 2 – 250 – cities only
\nLvl 3 – 500 – cities only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rare<\/td>\n2500 – cities only, if at all<\/td>\nLvl 4 – 2500 – cities only, if at all
\nLvl 5 – 5000 – cities only, if at all<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So, for example, a Common Potion of Healing<\/em> is available at 50gp or so; quantities may be limited, and may vary by locale and shop. Especially as you get into Uncommon and Rare, the chances are high that stock and locations will be constrained.<\/p>\n

Buying the Hard Stuff<\/h1>\n

Once you start getting beyond what gets stocked at the local Walgreens, it becomes a lot harder. Magic is rare, so finding it in a shop is situational (e.g., “Poor Drunken Bob used to be a mighty paladin. He finally hocked his +1 Greatsword with me last week. Only reason I’d carry something like that.”). It\u2019s possible a shop in a trading town or small city might have something immediately on hand, but not guaranteed. The following is based largely on the \u201cDowntime\u201d rules in XGE.<\/p>\n

Finding a magic item to purchase takes at least one workweek (5d) of effort, and 100gp in Expenses. You roll\u00a0Charisma (Persuasion)<\/i> to determine the quality of the seller, +1\/extra work week you take, +1\/extra 100gp you spend. (This also provides a wealthy lifestyle, so you can impress them). The roll is against the DC to Find in the table below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Rarity<\/th>\nLevel<\/th>\nFind
\na seller<\/th>\n		Asking Price (gp)<\/th>\nExample<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Common<\/td>\n1+<\/td>\nDC 10<\/td>\n(1d6+1) * 10
\nAvg 45<\/td>\n		Potion* of Healing<\/em> 2d4+2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Uncommon<\/td>\n1+<\/td>\nDC 15<\/td>\n(1d6) * 100
\nAvg 350<\/td>\n		Potion* of Greater Healing<\/em> 4d4+4
\nWeapon +1
\nAdamantine Armor<\/em>
\nWand of Magic Missiles<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rare<\/td>\n5+<\/td>\nDC 20<\/td>\n(2d10) * 1K
\nAvg 11K<\/td>\n		Potion* of Superior Healing<\/em> 8d4+8
\nWeapon +2
\nArmor +1
\nWand of Fireballs<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Very Rare<\/td>\n11+<\/td>\nDC 25<\/td>\n(1d4+1) * 10K
\nAvg 35K<\/td>\n		Potion* of Supreme Healing<\/em> 10d4+20
\nWeapon +3
\nArmor +2
\nWand of Polymorph<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Legendary<\/td>\n17+<\/td>\nDC 30<\/td>\n(2d6) * 25K
\nAvg 175K<\/td>\n		Vorpal Sword<\/em>
\nArmor +3
\nRing of 3 Wishes<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* Potions, scrolls, and other consumables cost only half price.<\/small><\/p>\n

So, what do you find?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

DC Check Total\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a0Items Acquired<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

1-5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d6 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table A<\/a>. (Common)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

6-10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table B<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

11-15<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table C<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

16-20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table D<\/a>. (Uncommon)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

21-25<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table E<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

26-30<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table F<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

31-35<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table G<\/a>. (Rare)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

36-40<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table H<\/a>. (Very Rare)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

41+<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Roll 1d4 times on\u00a0Magic Item Table I<\/a>. (Legendary)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Complications can happen.<\/p>\n

Spellcasting As A Service<\/h1>\n

Rather than buying a (consumable) magic item, you can also hire a spell-caster to do something for you. Services for relatively common spells (Cure Wounds, Identify)<\/em> are easy enough to find in a city, possibly even in a town, costing 10-50gp (plus any expensive material components) (PHB 159)<\/p>\n

The general rule of thumb for such costs:<\/p>\n

\n

(<\/span><\/span>Level<\/span><\/span>)<\/span>2<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00d7\u00a0<\/span><\/span>10\u00a0<\/span><\/span>+\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>Consumed Materials<\/span><\/span>\u00d7<\/span><\/span>2<\/span><\/span>)\u00a0+<\/span>\u00a0(<\/span><\/span><\/span>Non-consumed Materials<\/span><\/span>\u00d7<\/span><\/span>0.1<\/span><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Temples<\/b>\u00a0are likely to provide the following spell services to the general public, assuming it’s a large enough establishment to have clerics that can do it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Spell<\/th>\nLevel<\/th>\nCost (gp)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Cure Wounds<\/em><\/td>\n1<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prayer of Healing<\/em><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gentle Repose<\/em><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lesser Restoration*<\/em><\/td>\n2<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Remove Curse<\/em><\/td>\n3<\/td>\n100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Revivify<\/em><\/td>\n3<\/td>\n400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Divination<\/em><\/td>\n4<\/td>\n210<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Greater Restoration<\/em><\/td>\n5<\/td>\n450<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Raise Dead<\/em><\/td>\n5<\/td>\n1000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Outside of temples, itinerant priests can perform these.<\/small><\/p>\n

Temples\u00a0may\u00a0<\/i>perform other spells, but most likely only for adherents to the god in question.<\/p>\n

Other magical services that can be relatively easily obtained outside of temples (in addition to the above spells that are not solely in cleric\/adjacent classes):<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Spell<\/th>\nLevel<\/th>\nCost (gp)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Identify<\/em><\/td>\n1<\/td>\n20<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Prices, as with all things, can be affected by social interactions and local economic circumstances. I.e., you may be able to use\u00a0Charisma (Persuasion)<\/i>\u00a0to sweet talk getting a desired service. On the other hand, if there is a major war or plague going on, such services may be swamped by the demand.<\/p>\n

Selling a Magic Item<\/h2>\n

This is similar to buying one (and similarly comes from XGE, pp 133-34).<\/p>\n

Unless you\u2019re talking about something Common, most vendors can\u2019t afford to buy such items, especially in smaller towns. You can pretty easily sell something to the local Walgreens that they regularly stock, or even something of the same rarity, but beyond that requires a vendor with resources, and likely some sort of Charisma (Persuasion)<\/i>\u00a0roll to assure the buyer of the quality.<\/p>\n

For a more formal approach, you can find a buyer for one magic item by\u00a0spending 1 work week and 25gp<\/b>\u00a0to spread the word. You can only sell one item at a time. Make a\u00a0Charisma (Persuasion)<\/i>\u00a0check to determine the offer (you don\u2019t have to take it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Rarity<\/th>\n\n

Base Price (gp)
\n<\/b>(half for consumables)<\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Common<\/td>\n\n

100<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Uncommon<\/td>\n\n

400<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Rare<\/td>\n\n

4K<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Very Rare<\/td>\n\n

40K<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Legendary<\/td>\n\n

200K<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

DC Check\u00a0Total<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

\u00a0Offer % of base price<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

1-10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

50%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

11-20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

100%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

21+<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

150%<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Every work week (5d) spent provides a 10% chance of a complication — also known as DM fun! Maybe someone else in the area is looking for such an item (making buyers eager to pick one up … or making buyers who have one want to get rid of the competition).<\/p>\n

The net-net of all this is that magic items are not that much fun, certainly not that easily available with all the monster loot you keep finding, and you’ll have better luck knocking over dungeons until you find that +2 glaive you are looking for than to go to the local town and figuring to pick up such a thing at Ye Olde Magick Shoppe on the central square.<\/p>\n

As a DM, if there’s something someone seems to need (or is jonesing for), it’s easier for me to tweak the treasure drops and provide it that way, than grinding folk through this.<\/p>\n

So does 5.5e change any of this?<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"dnd<\/a>Since it’s based on the same underlying Bounded Accuracy<\/a> principles, I wouldn’t expect many changes in 5.5e (2024). And, as far as I can tell at a quick glance, there aren’t that many.\u00a0 Mostly things are just reorganized and clarified. Higher level magic and things that increase damage or AC are rarer than hens’ teeth. A sidebar goes out of the way to say that the game is balanced\u00a0without<\/em> magic items, so they are in no way necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your players may disagree.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 7 of the DMG has a number of pages describing magic items (including how Potions and Scrolls work), commentary on magic item rarity and value, tracking of magic items and expectations of how many a party should have at given levels, crafting magic items, and a variety of magic items to use in the campaign.\u00a0 What I see looks much like the guidelines and tables in 5e.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The PHB has (in ch. 6) a nice new table on the cost of spellcasting services, as well as spell scroll crafting times and costs. Aside from that, things are pretty much the same.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Past editions have been profligate with magic items. 5e is a different beast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48,44,78],"tags":[47,100,50,99],"class_list":["post-3308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-onedd","category-dd","category-dd-5e-rules","tag-dnd5e","tag-magic-items","tag-rules","tag-treasure"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3308"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4288,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3308\/revisions\/4288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}