Magic Items - Attunement not Required
We would all love to have ten different magic items at our disposal, whether worn, wielded, or used in some fashion that helps the party in battle. But alas, with only three attunement slots available, hard choices need to be made, and many times we end up with the best armor we can find and the mightiest weapon we can wield, taking up two of the three spots. That last precious slot is usually reserved for the most powerful item you can find, needed or not.
So why not explore those precious items that do not require attunement? There are some really great items out there that don’t require attunement, and I’m not talking about a Deck of Many Things, a Horn of Vahalla, or any other game-breaking item you have no chance of finding (looking at you Hand of Vecna). Many of these items are very useful and can lead to some hilarious roleplay depending on the circumstances. Best of all, you don’t have to spend an hour getting in touch with the item. Here are my top 5.
Number 5 - Feather Token
A common magical item, this simple little token can be the difference between plummeting to your death and landing on your feet to fight another day. Created in Eberron, these tokens are worth their weight in gold if you spend any time there, especially when you are visiting Sharn. When you’re in a city famous for its massive towers and dizzying heights, it’s best to keep a couple of these tokens on you at all times.
The token has a small feather on it and can be carried in your pocket, a pouch, or backpack. As long as the token is on your person, its abilities will kick in when you start to fall. Once you fall beyond a distance of 20 feet, the magic of the token will automatically activate. You will then slowly descend 60 feet per round and take no damage upon landing. Oh, and you land on your feet too.
We had to spend a few sessions in Sharn and made sure to take some of these tokens back to the material plane with us. It’s amazing how emboldened we got knowing that you will not go splat after jumping off a cliff. Whether you are avoiding 1d6 or 20d6 fall damage, landing on your feet without a scratch can make attempting to grapple a creature midair seem like a great idea no matter how high up you are. The best part is the fall distance is completely irrelevant. Granted, the token is a one-use item, which is why I suggest picking up more than one if possible.
Number 4 - Marvelous Pigments
Art Credit - WotC
These are straight out of Wild E Coyote’s ACME catalog. Finding a couple of pots of paint may not seem like much, but when those paints can create real 3D objects, you should start to get excited. Now before you start to get too excited, you cannot paint yourself a pile of diamonds or a Holy Avenger. You can paint a replica of them, but the diamonds will end up being glass, and the Holy Avenger will be a pretty but non-magical sword. The maximum value of anything you paint is 25 gold pieces, but don’t let that hold you back. If you open your imagination, these items are handy and can lead to some hilarious roleplay.
With each pot of paint allowing you to paint up to 1,000 square feet on a surface (10,000 cubic feet for objects), the world really can be your canvas. Need an exit? Paint a door. Out of arrows? Paint more for yourself. Now it takes 10 minutes to paint 100 square feet, so you cannot just whip something up in the middle of combat, but some planning can go a long way. Maybe you are setting up an ambush in a less than desirable area. Take the time and paint yourself some cover. If you’re involved in a heist, you could paint a copy of the jewels you are stealing, giving you that needed extra time to get out of town. People always talk about painting a pit as a trap. Why stop with just a pit? Paint jagged glass at the bottom of it. Fill the pit with water, or if you’re really mean, acid. The only thing holding you back when employing these paints is your own imagination…and possibly that pesky DM.
Number 3 - Eversmoking Bottle
The Eversmoking Bottle is the magic item equivalent of a bag of ball bearings. You may have one in your backpack, probably forgot about it, and when you realize you do have it swear you’ll use it the next time. It’s not sexy or has overwhelming magical powers, but it can get you out of a jam when you need it most.
Art Credit - WotC
Using an action to open a bottle is usually followed by pouring a potion of healing down a dying party member’s throat. In this case, you do so to prevent anyone from dying. Once the stopper is removed from the brass bottle, thick smoke envelops a 60-foot radius, increasing by 10 feet for every minute the bottle is left open. Everything within the smoke is heavily obscured. This means vision is blocked entirely, and everyone inside the smoke is under the blinded condition, which in turn means creatures can’t see, automatically fail any ability check that requires sight, attack rolls against them are at advantage while they attack at disadvantage.
I’ve primarily used the Eversmoking Bottle for battlefield control purposes and to escape death. I may have had to leave a bottle behind once or twice since a moving a cloud of smoke defeats the purpose when you’re trying to run for your life. I was always sad to leave it behind, but happy that I lived to see another day and to keep my eyes open for another Eversmoking Bottle.
Number 2 - Cape of the Mountebank
Art Credit - WotC
Do you know the only other magic items that provide you with any type of teleportation ability that doesn’t require attunement? A Cubic Gate, Rod of Security, and a Well of Many Worlds. Sure, you can only go 500 feet and not to another plane, or in the case of the rod, a utopia with 200 of your closest friends. But when you’re playing a fighter and your options to get out of dodge quickly consist of movement and bonus action dash movement, this beautiful red cape is more than just an outfit accessory.
There is no denying that the Cape of the Mountebank is meant to be worn as a fashion statement of sorts. A mountebank is a charlatan or con artist, people who are prone to flashy attire by their very nature. The cape has a faint smell of brimstone, which adds a bit of danger and mysteriousness to it. You can use the cape to cast dimension door from it once a day, transporting yourself and one other up to 500 feet away. You disappear and reappear in a cloud of smoke, adding to the spectacle of your departure and arrival. The area is lightly obscured in each case and while it does impose a disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, let’s be honest, it’s really about how cool it makes you look.
Number 1 - Bag of Tricks
Looking for an unassuming item that you can use in and out of combat, can provide instant comedy to a situation, and gives you three disposable pets a day? Then the Bag of Tricks is for you. Reaching inside the bag, you’ll feel something fuzzy and moving, so that’s a bit strange. What’s even odder is that you’re supposed to throw that fuzzy thing, launching it up to 20 feet for your location.
Art Credit - WotC
You can use an action to pull the fuzzy object from the bag and, upon landing, will turn into a beast ranging from a weasel to a tiger. Luckily for you, this beast wants to be your friend and will follow your commands. You can use a bonus action to command it to do pretty much anything, from movement to searching for treasure to attacking your foes. No lackluster familiar-like action limitations your new furry friend. When you magically pull a bear from a bag, you can be damn sure you’ll want it to fight for you, and fight for you it will. Make sure to give it a task, otherwise, your new friend will just wander around eating grass while looking for a place to poop.
I’m not sure which is better, listening to the DM describe the look of sheer terror on the faces of your enemies when a lion lands in front of them or using its pounce ability to knock them prone after clawing them. Either way, I’m damn glad the lion is on my side…and if it dies, there’s still two more furry things in my bag to throw today.
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