Whenever possible, experienced DMs select the magical items that are to be used in their campaigns. There are times, however, when random charts can be of tremendous help, especially when considering the fact that this encyclopedia contains more than four billion items, including all of the variant items, weapons, and gear listed in the pages and on the tables of its four volumes.
Many of the items listed below are in bold type. These are unique items and artifacts that fit no specific category-and so, we inserted them under some unusual classifications. This system not only allowed us to include every item, but also adds a factor of true randomness-be careful what you wish for, you might not like what you get. For example, under Decanters you will find Disintegration Chamber, and Horn of Plenty is listed under Potions. Of course the DM is always free to throw out any result he or she feels would inflict more harm than good to the campaign.
To randomly select a magical item, roll on Table 1 below. Table 1 directs the DM to the specific categories listed in Tables A through T.
Table 1 is almost identical to Table 88 in the (DMG), except that it includes entries for humorous items, artifacts, and relics.
Please note that Table T: Artifacts (EM), which contains the complete list of artifacts, is excluded from Table 1 due to the unique nature and power of artifacts. Artifacts should never be given as random treasure. Table T is included in order to give you a list of the artifacts available in the ENCYCLOPEDIA MAGICA accessory. We do not recommend its use as a random table.
| d100 Roll |
Category | Reference Table |
|---|---|---|
| 01-20 | Magical Liquids | EM Table A |
| 21-35 | Scrolls | EM Table B |
| 36-40 | Rings | EM Table C |
| 41 | Rods | EM Table D |
| 42 | Staves | EM Table E |
| 43-45 | Wands | EM Table F |
| 46 | Miscellaneous: Books | EM Table G |
| 47-48 | Miscellaneous: Gems & Jewelry | EM Table H |
| 49-50 | Miscellaneous: Clothing | EM Table I |
| 51-52 | Miscellaneous: Boots & Gloves | EM Table J |
| 53 | Miscellaneous: Girdles & Helms | EM Table K |
| 54-55 | Miscellaneous: Bags & Bottles | EM Table L |
| 56 | Miscellaneous: Dust & Stones | EM Table M |
| 57 | Miscellaneous: Household Items | EM Table N |
| 58 | Miscellaneous: Music Instruments | EM Table O |
| 59-60 | Miscellaneous: Weird Stuff | EM Table P |
| 61 | Miscellaneous: Humorous Items 1 | EM Table Q |
| 62-77 | Armor and Shields | EM Table R |
| 78-00 | Weapons | EM Table S |
| — | Artifacts & Relics | EM Table T |
- 1 This result may be rerolled if the DM has no sense of humor.
Once the general category is determined, choose a specific item from the reference tables given below. Each item on the reference tables is given a die roll number so that the DM can select items randomly.
The die rolls for these tables are d1000. This means the DM must roll three 10sided dice, collating the results together, and coming up with a number from 001 (one) to 000 (one thousand). It is suggested that three different colored dice be used to make the rolling easier.
Many items listed on the reference tables have an asterisk after the name. If this result is rolled, the DM is encouraged to roll again on that table, combining the entries into a unique item. This can be done any number of times, but the DM may wish to limit the number of rerolls to three.
- Encyclopedia Magica - Page: 1567