How to Destroy Magic Items (and Why) in D&D 5e 💥💎

[@MindscapeX]

Disenchantment Rituals and Spellcasters that specialize in the act of destroying Magic Items for Residuum. This is how and why magic items get destroyed in my games. Universal material spell component for any spell that replaces anything with a value. It also allows other magics items to be created easier.

[@FlutesLoot]

I'm kicking myself for not mentioning Residuum! It's a cool concept for a material that can be found when disenchanting magic items. It's a great way to have players turn magic items they don't like into other items. It existed in past D&D, 4e and even Critical Role uses it!

[@chrisbroskett9520]

Here’s an example: In Thundercats, the Sword of Plun-Darr destroyed Thundara because it was thrown into a volcano and traveled to the planet’s core

[@FlutesLoot]

Traveling to the core is an interesting detail!

[@HowtoRPG]

Thanks for having me on the channel Jordan. A good topic.

[@FlutesLoot]

You're darn tootin it was a good discussion!

[@RyanWBL]

Great ideas! It sounds like your games have a sense of danger which is lacking at a lot of tables. If there are no stakes, at a certain point, why even roll dice? It's part of the fun in the same way playing poker with your friends can be fun. You win some, ya lose some, at the end of the night everyone at the table has good time and hopefully a good story to tell.

[@HowtoRPG]

@@RyanWBL Yep

[@FlutesLoot]

@@RyanWBL gotta have stakes of some kind!

[@PyryKorh]

AD&D barbarians used to get xp for destroying magic items.

[@FlutesLoot]

lol that's incredible; I've never heard that

[@XanderDraft]

As a player I'm fine with destroying magic items if its plot related or its used in where the magic item is a potential hazard that maybe not always can be afforded. Played a game where the undead in the city could only be permanently slain by someone with a magic item but at the same time they were drawn to them so as the number of items increased larger and larger hordes came after us. Current game my character created a magic item by accident and while its insanely powerful their are significant trade offs and its getting to the point where my character is actively looking for a way to destroy this insanely powerful and dangerous item that should not exist.

[@FlutesLoot]

Accidental magic items and undead attraction to magic items, that's amazing!

[@RyanWBL]

Such great ideas! You have a creative DM.

[@karamash4303]

It all boils down to does it make the game more fun? If a BBEG or a pack of bandits takes magic items and you have a battle/quest/mini dungeon crawl to get them back, fun. Random encounter with a monster that spits and dissolves your awesome magic sword? Not fun.

[@FlutesLoot]

Exactly! Many players hate having magic items taken or lost, so destroying them would be a huge downer for them. I've seen players actually prefer their character to die than lose an item, haha.

[@cadenceclearwater4340]

@@FlutesLoot My old party had a battlecry: _"Death before item loss!!"_

[@FlutesLoot]

@@cadenceclearwater4340 that's what I'm talking about! :P

[@RyanWBL]

At the same time of you're pretty liberal about giving them away I don't see much harm in using some foreshadowing and creating an encounter around this idea. They might loose something but gain another thing soon so it's a wash in the end. Lots of players like the tension and find games with zero danger a bore. At a certain point if everyone has an AC of 30, attack bonus of +20, with 200 dmg per round, why even roll dice. Taking the players out of their "easy mode" for a session usually ramps up the stakes and engagement, at least in my experience.

[@FlutesLoot]

@@RyanWBL well said!

[@cadenceclearwater4340]

To pinch a creature from Mr Potter, there is the Niffler. It's drawn to treasure and will steal it in abundance.

[@FlutesLoot]

Right! Some monsters will take magic items without destroying them.

[@DDHomebrew]

Really fun discussion!

[@FlutesLoot]

This was a great one. Lots of inspiration for me!

[@BearBardTales]

It was great sitting down and talking with y’all. Always fun messing with magic items

[@FlutesLoot]

Your points about giving temporary magic items are great!

[@Bravebear333]

In LotR dragon fire can destroy the rings of power, so in my games dragons have a chance of destroying magic items. It's ''safe'' because dragons have tons of magic items themselves in their hoards, so players are not losing that much.

[@FlutesLoot]

Ooo, I didn't know that one! That's a cool idea from several angles.

[@oz440]

I have dead zones in my world. Places scard from powerful magic or areas the weave of magic can't touch anymore. Players took a cursed item there to destroy it

[@FlutesLoot]

Ooo that's cool. Areas dedicated to such destruction would be very useful.

[@RyanWBL]

Haven't done it but am now considering it. I'm running a magic item heavy game now based on Greek Mythos. Since there is plenty of items to go around this just adds a new story device to use to spice things up. The one time I've used the bartering is when the group went into a cyclopes' den (they knew they were too weak to fight him). They ended up befriending him with a golden fleece cloak they had won. It was their idea, not mine. Thanks for all the good ideas

[@FlutesLoot]

We're glad the discussion inspired you! That's exactly what we try to do.

[@srJak]

Does dispel magic work on a magic item?

[@FlutesLoot]

Dispel Magic does not work on magic items.

[@RRKohutek]

Can you do a short on umber hulk?

[@FlutesLoot]

I can add it to my list, but it's a long list!

[@FlutesLoot]

jk it's already on my list, haha