It's important to reward players in Dungeons & Dragons, especially at the beginning of their adventure. Many magical items can seem a little too powerful for a party of low-level adventurers. However, not every D&D magical item has to deal vast damage or overhaul a character's abilities. Common magic items in D&D 5e can have some of the most enjoyable effects.

The best common magic items in D&D 5e have effects that aren't game-changing. More often than not, they simply add fun and flavor to a party's bag of tricks. Most of these items won't make them more dangerous or durable in combat, but they'll be sure to charm any party all the same.

Updated January 20th, 2024 by Louis Kemner: Magic items are among the best rewards a D&D DM can offer. However, many more powerful ones can upset the balance between players. This list has been updated to fit CBR's new formatting standards and to give even more information about the best common magic items in D&D 5e that make perfect rewards.

25 A Cloak Of Billowing Adds Dramatic Weight To Any Situation

A DnD Wizard casting a spell surrounded by book pages

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Stylish roleplay

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 136

The Cloak of Billowing is a common D&D magic item with a very simple effect that shouldn't surprise anyone. Whoever wears the cloak can use a bonus action, causing it to dramatically billow as if in the wind. Nothing adds that extra layer of drama and heroism quite like a well-struck pose at the right moment.

This is the perfect item for any D&D adventurer looking to make a lasting impression on the foes they confront or the innocent civilians they rescue from danger. In addition, the entire table benefits from enhancing suitably dramatic moments, helping to create that ideal atmosphere. Suitable for such a low-impact magic item, the Cloak of Billowing does not require attunement — the player character just has to put it on.

24 A Candle Of The Deep Helps Characters Who Are Neck-Deep

An underwater structure in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Seeing underwater

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 136

Most Dungeons & Dragons adventures take place on dry ground and above sea level, but there's no reason for the vast oceans of most worlds to be off-limits to player characters. Common barriers to D&D adventurers going into the depths are the need to breathe and certain weapons being useless underwater. However, these can both be overcome from a low level.

The need to see can be another problem, particularly if characters lack darkvision or spells like Light. The Candle of the Deep is a common D&D 5e magic item that serves characters well in this situation. It's simply a candle that can burn underwater, providing illumination and warmth to characters who may otherwise struggle in the ocean.

23 A Prosthetic Limb Helps Recover From A Setback

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything pg. 134

Edward Elric wearing a prosthetic metal arm in Fullmetal Alchemist

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Roleplay

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything pg. 134

A D&D adventurer's life is full of peril. Traps, sadistic villains, or accidents might leave a character alive but impair them. A missing arm can limit characters from certain D&D fighting styles like two-weapon fighting or archery. A missing leg might make a character unable to adventure altogether. Luckily, D&D does have prosthetics available for characters with amputated limbs.

A Prosthetic Limb is a common magic item for D&D 5e introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. It doesn't require attunement or a lengthy process to equip. A D&D character can attach or detach a Prosthetic Limb to themselves with an action, and it functions identically to the part it's replacing.

22 A Hat Of Wizardry Expands Magical Knowledge

The wizard Tasha casting a spell with a spellbook in DnD 5e

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Wizard cantrips

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 137

Related
10 Best New D&D Magic Items in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
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A hat is a staple magical item for any wizard character in D&D. The Hat of Wizardry common magic item helps players lean into this aesthetic while providing a slight power boost. The Hat of Wizardry can act as an arcane focus in D&D 5e, letting a wizard take their spellcasting ability into areas where staves or wands might be forbidden.

In addition, the Hat of Wizardry lets its owner cast a single wizard cantrip they don't know once per day. This has niche uses and is unlikely to be valuable in D&D 5e combat. However, it can save the day in other situations by letting a character use a vital Minor Illusion or Message spell they otherwise couldn't. This minor boost is still among the most valuable common magic items in D&D 5e.

21 A Dread Helm Provides A Chilling Look

A Death Knight wielding a torch in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Roleplay

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 137

Not all D&D adventurers want to appear heroic. Just as many prefer to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies. The Dread Helm common magic item has a very effective and straightforward method of doing just that. The eyes of anyone wearing the Dread Helm glow a menacing red color.

A D&D character doesn't have to be evil to take advantage of the Dread Helm. The idea of a peppy, happy character running around with evil red eyes may appeal to many players, and almost any socially conscious character can find a way to harness its potential intimidation factor. For players who enjoy fun, memorable roleplay, items like the Dread Helm rank among the best common magic items, even if they don't change any stats.

20 Potions Of Healing Save Characters On The Brink Of Death

A character being fed a potion of healing in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Potion

Restoring HP

Dungeon Master's Guide pg. 187

Healing is vital in D&D 5e. Adventuring is dangerous work. Combat can leave characters injured or unconscious. The Potion of Healing is one of the game's most straightforward ways to restore hit points. The weakest form, one of D&D 5e's earliest common magic items, restores 2d4+2 hit points.

This isn't much, particularly in D&D's higher levels. However, any hit points at all are better than no hit points. Even minimal healing to an unconscious character brings them back into the fight and prevents them from making death saving throws. The Potion of Healing is the only common magic item in D&D 5e that can stop a character from dying there and then. True, a party might have a Life Domain cleric on hand or someone who's handy with the Medicine skill, but even so, healing potions are essential for any group, especially at lower levels.

19 A Horn Of Silent Alarm Alerts Allies And Only Allies

A common magic item horn in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Alerting allies to danger

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 137

There are many times when characters in Dungeons & Dragons might wish to communicate non-verbally or with those who are further away. Spellcasters have several telepathic spells and abilities that can fulfill this purpose, but more mundane D&D characters can find themselves out of luck.

The Horn Of Silent Alarm common magic item can rectify this problem in D&D. Though it looks like an ordinary warhorn, a character can use a charge to have exactly one person within 600 feet hear the noise, and nobody else. While less versatile than verbal telepathic communication, it can nonetheless serve as a warning or a signal to fit into any number of plans.

18 A Mystery Key Is An Unreliable Problem Solver

A common magic item key in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Unlocking anything

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 138

Related
15 Legendary D&D Magic Items That Won't Break Your Game
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The Mystery Key is one of D&D 5e's least reliable common magic items. At the same time, it can be one of the most game-changing. Whenever a Mystery Key is inserted into a lock, it has a one in twenty chance of unlocking it and disappearing. This can work from a measly back door to the kingdom's gold vault.

It's unlikely for the Mystery Key to unlock any specific valuable lock in D&D 5e. However, the party can save time by using it on every troublesome locked door they encounter. Alternatively, it can be an invaluable last-ditch attempt after more conventional methods to bypass an obstacle have failed. Most likely, the party's rogue will use the Mystery Key to get into a locked office or cellar or even to open a locked treasure chest. Thief subclass rogues, in particular, may enjoy using Mystery Keys to steal valuable items locked away.

17 A Charlatan's Die Rewards Tricksters

A party trying to plan in a tavern in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Cheating at gambling

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 136

The Charlatan's Die is another D&D 5e common magic item that requires clever thought to put it to work. It has no impact on combat or ability checks. It's a six-sided die that rolls whatever number a player wants. Entire D&D campaigns can go by without the characters themselves rolling dice, so a player has to go out of their way to use it.

However, the Charlatan's Die has a great many uses for clever D&D players. At its most straightforward, characters can use it to cheat at gambling for some quick gold. However, they can also use it to tilt seemingly random situations in their favor if they can convince others to use a die to decide.

16 A Pot Of Awakening Births New Life

A Twig Blight monster in a misty bog

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Roleplay

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 138

Pets can make well-liked rewards for a D&D party. Even if they don't have powerful battle capabilities, a good pet can be a sidekick or companion the party cares about. The Pot of Awakening common magic item in D&D 5e can provide just such a pet with a small amount of time and hard work.

After thirty days of growing, an ordinary shrub planted in the Pot of Awakening will magically transform into an awakened shrub, destroying the pot in the process. This living bush will be friendly and listen to any commands given to it, the perfect gift for a lonely gardener, or perhaps an amusing prank for the party's druid, who has never seen such a thing in the wild.

15 An Orb Of Shielding Wards Off Damage

A storm sorcerer using a wind wall in DnD.

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Blocking incoming damage

Eberron: Rising from the Last War pg. 278

The Orb of Shielding is one of the few D&D 5e common magic items designed for combat. When a character attunes to an Orb of Shielding, it protects them against one damage type depending on the orb's type. This can range from damage types as rare as radiant to far more common ones like fire, acid, and poison.

When a D&D character with an Orb of Shielding suffers damage of this type, they reduce that damage by 1d4. This amount may seem meager, but it adds up throughout a campaign. Spellcasters can also use an Orb of Shielding as their magical focus, giving it yet another valuable use for a common magic item.

14 A Moon-Touched Sword Provides A Low-Level Way To Fight High-Level Foes

Item Type

Good For

Source

Weapon

Getting around damage resistances

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 138

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Dungeons & Dragons: How to Homebrew Unique Magic Items for Your Party
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Although magical weapons aren't required in D&D 5e, they tend to be recommended. Many D&D monsters are resistant or immune to non-magical damage, even at low levels. However, some DMs may be wary of giving items with powerful effects to players in the early game, and some players may wish for a more simple weapon when starting their journey.

The Moon-Touched Sword D&D 5e common magic item serves as a valuable stopgap. Its only magical feature is rewarding but not powerful. It proves a light source in darkness and counts as magical for the purposes of fighting enemies. As such, a Moon-Touched Sword can help a martial character in the early game without making them overpowered.

13 A Shield of Expression Speaks Without Talking

A series of shields with different facial expressions on them

Item Type

Good For

Source

Armor (Shield)

Simple communication

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 139

The Shield of Expression is an unconventional D&D 5e shield shaped in the likeness of a face. The shield's wielder can use a bonus action to change this face's expression. There are no limits on what these expressions can be, giving creative D&D players a range of options.

The Shield of Expression can be used for simple comedic effect, creating appropriate expressions for the situation. However, it's also an effective communication tool in environments where subtlety is key. Characters can use this common magic item in D&D 5e to convey straightforward ideas or assign specific messages to specific facial expressions.

12 A Potion Of Climbing Helps Scale Heights

Item Type

Good For

Source

Potion

Scaling vertical surfaces

Dungeon Master's Guide pg. 187

Not every obstacle can be fought in D&D. Characters sometimes have to contend with the environment as well as its inhabitants. Climbing can be a significant risk for D&D characters, particularly those with low Strength or who aren't proficient in the Athletics skill. Even for good climbers, it's much slower than other forms of transport.

The Potion of Climbing common magic item does away with these risks. It gives a character a climbing speed equal to their walking speed, which negates the need for most ability checks. In addition, it gives a character advantage on any D&D 5e Athletics ability checks they do have to make. It can speed D&D characters up dramatically or save them from an ignominious death.

11 A Pipe Of Smoke Monsters Conjures Phantom Shapes

A group of adventurers in a DnD party around a campfire

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Roleplay

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 138

The Pipe of Smoke Monsters can exhale smoke in the form of any creature — goblin, werewolf, flumph, and more. This pipe can put on a smoke show starring any being a player can think of. The smoke monster can't be larger than one foot and only lasts a few seconds. It can still be an impressive magical effect.

The Pipe of Smoke Monsters isn't a game-changer in combat. However, a creative player can find plenty of uses for this common magic item in D&D 5e. From using perspective to unnerve foes to lying about the creatures' effects to simply using them as an impressive distraction, they can have their share of utility in the adventuring day.

10 A Bead Of Nourishment Is Easier Than Foraging

A man in a cloak leads a child on a unicorn through a forest in dnd.

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Providing food

Xanathar's Guide to Everything, pg. 136

Related
The 10 Best Magic Armor Items In D&D
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Survival situations aren't uncommon in D&D 5e. Characters often have to travel long distances with scarce supplies. Beads of Nourishment will never be a go-to foodstuff in a D&D campaign, but they can mean the difference between life and death in a pinch. A single Bead of Nourishment provides as much sustenance as a day's rations.

This isn't vital for all D&D parties, especially those with a ranger or druid who can cast Goodberry. However, a stash of Beads of Nourishment can stave off starvation for other characters who get lost, have their food destroyed, or otherwise find themselves in dire straits far from civilization.

9 A Ruby Of The War Mage Solves Spellcasting Problems

A common magic item ruby in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Creating a spellcasting focus

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 138

The innocuous-seeming Ruby of the War Mage is one of the most valuable common magic items in D&D 5e. Spellcasters often need material components or a focus to cast most of their spells. For many spellcasters, this isn't a problem. Those who wish to fight in melee may struggle to hold a weapon and focus simultaneously.

The Ruby of the War Mage resolves that problem by making them one and the same. When affixed to a weapon, this common magic item turns it into a spellcasting focus, letting a character cast spells through it. Its power relative to the other common magical items is reflected by its attunement, which can hinder a character when they have some of D&D 5e's rarer magic items.

8 A Wand Of Smiles Brings Joy

An elven bard playing the harp among a backdrop of fir trees in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wand

Roleplay

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 140

The Wand of Smiles is the perfect tool for any D&D adventurer looking to spread happiness in the world — by force if necessary. By expending one of this wand's three charges, players can force a humanoid they can see within thirty feet to make a Charisma saving throw. A failure forces that humanoid to smile for the next minute.

The Wand of Smiles' effect is neither devastating nor too hard to resist, but it can come in handy. Amusing other players is always a valuable use of a common magical item in D&D 5e, and the Wand of Smiles can lighten the tension after a particularly unfortunate combat encounter or shocking plot twist.

7 Magical Tattoos Provide Many Small Boosts

A character getting a magical tattoo in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Varies

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Magical tattoos are unusual D&D 5e magic items introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. They come in all shapes and sizes, with the rarest of them bestowing a character with some truly powerful abilities. Even the most common magic tattoos, however, can be useful to the right party member.

The Illuminator's Tattoo allows a character to write hidden messages with their finger, while the Masquerade Tattoo allows a character to disguise their appearance, and the Spellwrought Tattoo allows a single casting of a spell. Far from the most devastating effects, they can be invaluable in certain circumstances.

6 A Hat Of Vermin Produces Unlikely Aid

A rat monster in DnD

Item Type

Good For

Source

Wondrous Item

Creating usable creatures

Xanathar's Guide to Everything pg. 137

Related
10 Best Magic Items In Published D&D Campaigns, Ranked
Some Dungeons and Dragons adventure modules contain magic items that are cooler than players may think.

The Hat of Vermin common D&D 5e magic item has three charges that can be used to summon a bat, frog, or rat for an hour. The creature will try to get away from the bearer as quickly as possible and is neither friendly nor hostile.

With that said, it's not too hard for a party of adventurers to catch some rats. Vermin might not seem useful at first, but they can be surprisingly versatile. Whenever they need to check for poison or traps, players have three little buddies in their hat to help them. If the party needs to clear a building, a rat infestation can send people running.