Expanded Magical Properties (5e Variant Rule)

Work In Progress

Expanded Magical Properties

This variant rule is meant to expand on / rework the minor and major magical properties in the artifact section of the Dungeon Master's Guide. It is intended to allow DMs to relatively quick and easily create random magical items to give out as loot, or simply provide a long list of magical effects to choose from when creating one for you campaign. It is not intended to replace unique magical items entirely, only make the more "generic" or "unimportant" magical items feel more fun and impactful.

While the Dungeon Master's Guide splits magical properties into 2 categories (minor and major), this rule instead has 3; minor, moderate, and major.

Minor properties have minimal (if any) direct effect on gameplay, their purpose mainly being to provide minor flavor and roleplaying opportunities.

Moderate properties have direct, simple effects, such as small bonuses to AC or saving throws, or limited uses of low level spells or similar abilities. In the case of cursed items, these should be nuisances, but not crippling.

Major properties should have a constant, significant effect on how a player decides to play their character. They should not solely define a characters playstyle, but should often be on the player's mind.

Additionally, each property (excluding minor properties) are divided into beneficial or detrimental effects (blessings or curses, in other words).

Amount of Magical Properties

Below is a table describing the rough amount of magical properties a magic item should have, based on it's rarity. Whether the properties are beneficial or detrimental is up to the DM.

Amount of Magical Properties

Rarity	Minor	Moderate	Major
Common	0-1	1	0
Uncommon	0-1	1-2	0
Rare	0-2	1-3	0-1
Very Rare	1-2	2-3	0-2
Legendary	1-3	2-4	1-2

Minor Properties

Minor properties have negligible direct effect on gameplay, and as such are not divided into beneficial or detrimental. The DM can roll for these effects, or choose what they feel fits the flavor of the more powerful effects rolled.

Roll 2d20

Roll	Property
2	Your eyes faintly glow in the dark
3	Small runic markings appear across your body
4	Your hair changes color (DM's choice)
5	Your skin becomes a sickly pale
6	Your weight increases by 2d4 x 5 lbs.
7	Your eyes change color (DM's choice)
8	You appear as though you are 3d10 years older, but do not physically age.
9	You grow a small pair of antlers
10	Small flowers bloom at your feet when you walk across grass
11	Your hair doubles in length, and grows at 10× speed
12	Tiny glowing particles slowly fall off you at all times.
13	Your shadow occasionally moves on its own
14	You no longer have a reflection
15	Your skins gains a metal-like sheen
16	Your height increases at a rate of 1 inch per day for 3d4 days
17	You can eat or drink any amount of food or drink without feeling full
18	You appear as a child, though your physical capabilities do not change
19	Small patches of scales appear on your body
20	Your weight decreases by 1d4 x 5 lbs.
21	Your grow a pair of fangs
22	You grow a tiny pair of (unusable) wings of the DM's choice
23	You are always covered in patches of dust or ash
24	You are cold to the touch
25	You constantly give off a faint odor of the DM's choice
26	Your nose doubles in length
27	You give off the faint sound of wind blowing
28	Your breath is always visible, as if you were in a cold environment
29	Your ears become pointed; if they already are, they double in length
30	Your height decreases at a rate of 1 inch per day for 3d4 days
31	Your pupils are always dilated
32	You don't have a shadow
33	You gain a long forked tongue
34	You become double jointed
35	You grow a small pair of demonic horns
36	Your blood becomes a color of the DM's choice
37	Your hair all falls out
38	Your footsteps instead give off the sound of chimes
39	You give off a brief afterimage when moving
40	Your joints creak when you move

Moderate Properties

Beneficial Moderate Properties

Roll 2d20

Roll	Property
2	You glow, giving off bright light in a 20 ft. radius, and dim light for a further 20 ft. You can toggle this on/off with a bonus action.
3	Your gain a +1 bonus to AC
4	You gain expertise in a skill you are proficient in of your choice
5	You can use an action to cast a cantrip of the DM's choice using this item as a focus.
6	You gain a resistance to a damage type of the DM's choice
7	You are immune to disease
8	You can cast 2 1st level spells of the DM's choice using this item. You may cast each spell once, regaining all expended uses after a long rest
9	You are immune to being charmed or frightened
10	Your gain proficiency in a skill of the DM's choice
11	You may add your proficiency bonus to your initiative rolls
12	You gain a +5 bonus to passive perception
13	You may treat any one-handed melee weapon as if it had the finesse property
14	You learn 2 languages of the DM's choice
15	You gain proficiency in all armor
16	You gain proficiency in 2 tool sets of the DM's choice
17	Once a day, you may reroll any one roll you make with a d20
18	You can cast a 1st level spell of the DM's choice using this item. You can cast this spell twice, regaining all expended uses after a long rest
19	You gain proficiency in all weapons
20	Your maximum hit points increases by an amount equal to your level
21	You gain proficiency in death saving throws
22	Each day at dawn, 1d4 gold coins appear in front of you
23	Your spell save DC increases by 1
24	You may cast a 2nd or 3rd level spell of the DM's choice using this item. You may cast this spell once, regaining expended uses after a long rest
25	At the beginning of your turn in combat, you regain 1 HP so long as you have at least 1 HP
26	You gain a 1st level spell slot
27	You gain a +5 bonus to you walking speed
28	You gain 30 ft. of darkvision
29	You may make one attack of opportunity per round of combat without expending your reaction
30	You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws made against the effects of spells
31	You have advantage on ability checks you make with tool sets
32	Heavy armor does not cause you to have disadvantage on stealth rolls
33	All healing you receive is increased by 1d4

Detrimental Moderate Properties

Roll 2d20

Roll	Property
2	You gain sunlight sensitivity
3	You suffer a -1 penalty to AC
4	You lose proficiency in a skill of the DM's choice.
5	Non-magical items you craft require 25% more GP.
6	You gain a vulnerability to a damage type of the DM's choice.
7	Diseases affect you for twice as long.
8	You have disadvantage on saving throws against being poisoned or contracting diseases.
9	The effective range of all ranged attack you make is reduced by 10 ft.
10	You are deafened when you are not within 10 ft. of this item.
11	You have disadvantage on initiative rolls.
12	You receive of -5 penalty to your passive perception.
13	You treat any one-handed melee weapon as if it had the two handed property.
14	You cannot speak in sentences longer than 6 words.
15	You lose your senses of smell and taste.
16	You have disadvantage on checks you make with tool sets.
17	You have disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed.
18	Gems and jewelry that you touch becomes tarnished or damaged, reducing their value by half.
19	Other creatures cannot take long rests within 150 ft. of you.
20	Your maximum hit points decreases by an amount equal to your level.
21	You automatically fail your first death saving throw.
22	Each day at dawn, 1d4 gold coins disappear from your inventory.
23	Your spell save DC decreases by 1.
24	Whenever you cast a cantrip, roll a d20. If you roll a 1, the spell fails to activate.
25	At the beginning of your turn in combat, you lose 1 HP as long as you have at least 1 HP.
26	You have disadvantage on ranged attacks if any hostile creature is within 10 ft. of you.
27	Your walking speed is reduced by 5.
28	You are blinded when you are not within 10 ft. of this item.
29	When a creature makes an attack of opportunity against you, they have a +3 bonus to hit.
30	You have a -2 penalty to saving throws against the effects of spells.
31	Critical strikes against you deal an additional 1d6 damage.
32	Your carrying capacity is reduced by 1/2.
33	You cannot perform or benefit from the help action.
34	Creatures within 5 ft. of you have a +2 bonus on attack rolls they make against you.
35	You give off a strong foul odor in a 10 ft. radius.
36	Nonmagical flames are extinguished within 30 ft. of you.
37	All healing that you receive is reduced by 1d6.
38	You forget your least used known language (unless you only know one language).
39	You gain a personality flaw of the DM's choice.
40	You automatically fail saving throws against being feared.

Major Properties

Beneficial Major Properties

Roll 3d10

Roll	Property
3	Ability Score Increase. One of your ability scores (DM's choice) increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
4	Regeneration. At the start of your turn in combat, you regain 1d6 hit points so long as you have at least one hit point.
5	Timeless. You age at 10% speed, and don't require food or water to live.
6	Lesser Haste. You may make an additional bonus action each round of combat.
7	Stride. Your walking speed increases by 15 ft.
8	Unyielding. You are immune to being blinded, deafened, petrified, or stunned.
9	Critical Range. Your attacks critically strike on a roll of 19 or 20.
10	Lesser Enlarge. You are 25% larger, your weight doubles, you have advantage on Strength checks and saving throws, and deal an additional 1d4 damage with melee weapon attacks. You can swap between this and your normal size at will.
11	Changeling. You may cast disguise self at will.
12	Siphon Strength. Whenever a hostile creature is reduced to 0 hit points within 10 ft. of you, you regain 1d6 + your Constitution modifier hit points.
13	Reach. Your melee attack range is increased by 5 ft.
14	Legendary Resistance. Twice per day, when you fail a saving throw, you may instead choose to succeed.
15	Awakened Mind. You can telepathically communicate with any creature within 30 ft. of you, so long as they understand at least one language.
16	Levitate. You gain flight speed equal to your walking speed.
17	Immovable. You are immune to being unwillingly moved by spells, and have advantage against being grappled.
18	Stoneskin. Physical damage you take is reduced by 3.
19	Elemental Affinity. You gain immunity to a damage type of the DM's choice, and all damage of that type that you deal is increased by 1d6.
20	Animal Friend. You are permanently under the effects of speak with animals.
21	Greater Darkvision. You gain 120 ft. of darkvision. This darkvision can discern color in all light levels, and can see through magical darkness.
22	Fearsome. 3 times per day, you may force a creature you hit with an attack to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On fail, they are frightened of you for 1 minute.
23	Telekinesis. You may telekinetically manipulate objects within 30 ft. of you, in ways such as pushing, pulling, lifting, etc. The amount of weight you can push, pull, or carry with this ability is determined by your Strength or Intelligence score, whichever is the highest.
24	Shadowstep. When you hit a creature with a ranged weapon attack, you may choose to instantly teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of that creature. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses each day at dawn.
25	Cleave. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may choose any number of creatures within 5 ft. of that creature. Those creatures take psychic damage equal to half of the damage you dealt to the initial creature.
26	Ghostwalk. Once per day, as a bonus action, you may step into the ethereal plane for a maximum duration of 30 seconds (5 rounds of combat). While you are in the ethereal plane, you may walk through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If this ability ends while you are inside an object or creature, you are shunted to the nearest open space, and take 1d10 force damage.
27	Spider Climb. You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free.
28	Streak. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you may make one additional attack.
29	Frog Legs. You have advantage on acrobatics checks, and the distance you can jump is tripled.
30	Amphibious. You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed + 10 ft., and can breath underwater.

Detrimental Major Properties

Roll 3d10

Roll	Property
3	Ability Sore Decrease. One of your ability scores (DM's choice) decreases by 2.
4	Rot. Your hit point maximum is reduced by 1/3. You appear as though you are undead.
5	Glutton. You require twice as much food and water to live, and instantly age 1 year and gain a level of exhaustion at the end of each day if you do not meet this requirement.
6	Diluted. Potions have no effect on you.
7	Limp. Your walking speed decreases by 10 ft.
8	Silenced. You cannot speak.
9	Critical Failure. Your attacks do not critically strike on rolls of 20.
10	Lesser Reduce. You are 25% smaller, your weight halves, you have disadvantage on Strength checks and saving throws, and deal 1d4 less damage with melee attacks you make (Minimum of 1 damage).
11	Book Burning. Magic scrolls you touch are instantly destroyed.
12	Siphoned Strength. Creatures that hit you with attacks gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.
13	Trial. Before any positive effects of this item can be used, you must kill a creature of your alignment.
14	Weak. You have vulnerability to all damage.
15	Envoy of Death. Creatures with a challenge rating of zero, as well as non-sentient plant life within 5 feet of you die instantly.
16	Mad. You gain a form of long-term madness.
17	Lightweight. Whenever you are hit by an attack, you are pushed 10 ft. away from your attacker.
18	Brittle. Your skin takes on a ceramic texture. When you take physical damage, cracks form along your body, and your walking speed is reduced by 5 ft., to a minimum of 5 ft. The cracks repair themselves and your walking speed returns to normal after you complete a long rest.
19	Soul Trap. If you die, your soul is trapped within this item, and you cannot be resurrected unless this item is destroyed.
20	Enemy of Nature. All wild animals are hostile towards you.
21	Blinded. You are blinded.
22	Afraid. When a hostile creature hits you with a melee attack, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of them for 1 minute.
23	Wasteful. You require 10 food rations for every time you would need one.
24	Retaliation. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack, you take 1d12 psychic damage.
25	Lead Footed. You have disadvantage on all stealth and acrobatics checks, and sink in water as though it was air.
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