Introduction
Hundreds
of new items have been published over the last 9 years. This fact makes
the magic item tables in the DMG outdated, and frequently unusable, for
players who want to randomly include items in their games. I wanted
updated and inclusive tables and I wanted to have them in Roll20.
I searched online hoping that someone had done the work for me. When I couldn’t find anything close to what I wanted, I decided to do it myself. I’ve used a lot of other people’s work over the years so hopefully this helps even my karmic balance.
Many thanks to TheAaron in particular for building the script that this workbook uses.
Linked
below is a spreadsheet that includes (nearly) every item from (nearly)
every official source, organized using the Magic Item A-I system from
the DMG. This includes adventure modules and sourcebooks.
Online Google Sheets Link
Direct File Download (.xlsx)
A
huge benefit of moving the table outside of Roll20 is that it is vastly
easier to edit. Just delete the previous version of the table and
re-import the new one with whatever changes you have in mind.
You'll need to run a find/replace on the square brackets to smuggle them into Roll20 table entries without having Roll20 evaluate them in advance.
[ is <%%91%%> and ] is <%%93%%>
Then, you just copy the entire 5th column of the table you want from my spreadsheet, (it'll be obvious which one to use), and paste directly in to the Roll20 chat box.
I usually save a copy, do the replace, then delete the copy. It's easier than find/replace backward.
If you don't want to use my modified and expanded tables, I also included the original DMG tables on the sheet.
To roll, you just type [[ 1t[TableName] ]] into the chat. You can also /w gm it, or put it in a macro to place on the quickbar.
There's another script that is also super helpful, especially if you want to use my modified tables: Recursive Tables. This will keep rolling if the table result is another table.
To use it, just add !rt before the intended roll.
!rt /w gm [[ 1t[TableName] ]]
It makes nested tables a breeze.
More Details
The
top of the dice
range column generates the size of dice (d4, d6, d100 etc.) by summing
the weight column. Each cell below then lists the dice range tied to the
result, again based on the weight. You can edit the weights and both
the dice size and range will correct themselves. The dice column is not
imported into Roll20, but can be useful from a design perspective or to
mix and match physical dice with Roll20.
You can use the Excel fill handle to add items and expand the list. If you want to remove an item you can set the weight to 0, which removes it from the range. You won’t need to rebalance the dice, because "d71" is fine for Roll20, but you might want to anyways.
“Minor” Tables B-E are split into Ammunition, Consumables, Items, Potions, and Spells.
“Major” Tables F-I are split into Apparel, Armor, Arms, Jewelry, Misc, and Spellcaster.
Table A is, by far, the most changed. The original table only had 8 items. You can recreate that table in spirit by setting the weights of Potions-A to 75, Spells-A to 25, and Items-A/Food-A both to 0. Then you can use the category tables directly, as desired. For myself, I roll on Table-A at least once per encounter to equip the enemy and see if they have something fun. There is a “Signature-Items-A” category as well that I use for random side quest type items, or items that only a specific NPC would have. Again, I encourage you to set the weight to 0 for any item or category you have no interest in using.
I decided on the categories partly on mechanics/proficiencies, partly on feel, and partly on if they would make sense as a specialty shop. Jewelry certainly fits into the Apparel category, but magic rings feel different, are a sizable sub-group of items, and I could easily envision a jewelry store that didn’t sell magical boots and cloaks.
Pros, Cons, Caveats of Random Tables
Pros:
Anyone who has played a video game RPG like WoW or Borderlands knows there is a certain charm to having a misfit item for a time that you would never have chosen on your own.
It frees the DM from the weird pressure of including specifically requested items, knowingly excluding them, or trying to guess what would be desired.
Random tables can save you a lot of time by reducing decisions and decision paralysis. They’re also hugely helpful for improvised and sandbox-style games. You don’t need to worry about preparing for things that might happen. When things do happen, just roll with it.
Cons:
These tables can be hard to navigate. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to include over 200 items (looking at you Table G Major Rare) on a single table. Especially if you want some items to show up more than others.
Leaning heavily on randomized loot puts some pressure on the DM to build a functional economy for magic items. Your players will end up with things they don’t want, and they will want to sell them. They’ll also want to move enchantments and buy specific items. You don’t have to allow any of this, but you should at least think about an approach before the questions come.
Caveats:
I did not include any item stats. If you don’t have access to many the source books you might find yourself frustrated. Most items come from the DMG, XGE, and TCE. If you don’t want to reroll, you can set the weight to 0 for any item you don’t have access to or don’t want. You can also use the Find function on the whole workbook, searching for cells containing the undesired sourcebook acronym. They’re listed on the cover sheet.
All projects like this are heavily biased by the creator. If you don’t like a choice I made, I encourage you to change it. The complicated parts of the table should update for you. As an example, I moved at least a dozen items to a lower rarity table, including all the Ioun Stones. They’re memorable, fun, and weak for their rarity. I want my players to feel good about getting them.
Similarly, I don’t like Cursed items showing up randomly, so they’re set to zero. If you want to include them there are obvious entries to steal weight from, such as the +1 (Vengeance) and +2 (Berserking) weapons and Resistance Armors (Vulnerability).
I largely maintained the relative probabilities from items on the original tables, though it can be obscured by the sheer size. For new items, I was generally biased towards items that are stronger, more fun, more flavorful, and more broadly usable.
I ditched the specific +X armor items in favor of generic entries. +1 Armor is Rare. If you follow the tables to the armor types you’ll find the rarity differences reflected in the weights.
I made this workbook to use in my own Eberron game, so I left out a lot of items that don’t make sense in the setting. Similarly, I included a lot of items that don’t make sense in non-Eberron settings, and frequently even boosted their probabilities. Items like Ravnica guild signets and Netherdeep Ruidium come to mind, as do Eberron dragonmarked items.
There are a few sheets at the end of the workbook that include details about some economy and loot mechanics. I left them in, and I’m happy to answer questions, but they’re mostly unrelated to the item tables.
As a final word, random tables are just one tool available to help you make the game you want to run. Don’t feel obligated to see them through to the end, or to start at the beginning.
You can roll to see what potions are in stock at the alchemist’s shop, or what magic armor the blacksmith has in stock. Perhaps you want a signature bit of apparel for a nemesis NPC, a magical ring for a politician, or a few scrolls to stock a wizard’s study. Maybe you know that the Paladin in the party is really hoping for a magic weapon. Or, when you roll for a magic weapon, you skip the typing tables and just decide it’s a greatsword. If you want the result to be something specific… just choose that item, at any time. You don’t need to roll for it.
Thanks for reading and I hope these tables help some folks out.
