publish: true
aliases:
- Item Properties
created: 2026-03-09T12:15:34.476-04:00
modified: 2026-03-09T12:15:34.476-04:00
published: 2026-03-09T12:15:34.476-04:00
cssclasses: - json5e-note
obsidianUIMode: preview
Item Properties
Attunement
Some magic items require a creature to form a bond with them before their magical properties can be used. This bond is called attunement, and certain items have a prerequisite for it. If the prerequisite is a class, a creature must be a member of that class to attune to the item. (If the class is a spellcasting class, a monster qualifies if it has spell slots and uses that class’s spell list.) If the prerequisite is to be a spellcaster, a creature qualifies if it can cast at least one spell using its traits or features, not using a magic item or the like.
Without becoming attuned to an item that requires attunement, a creature gains only its nonmagical benefits, unless its description states otherwise. For example, a magic shield that requires attunement provides the benefits of a normal shield to a creature not attuned to it, but none of its magical properties.
Attuning to an item requires a creature to spend a short rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it (this can’t be the same short rest used to learn the item’s properties). This focus can take the form of weapon practice (for a weapon), meditation (for a wondrous item), or some other appropriate activity. If the short rest is interrupted, the attunement attempt fails. Otherwise, at the end of the short rest, the creature gains an intuitive understanding of how to activate any magical properties of the item, including any necessary command words.
An item can be attuned to only one creature at a time, and a creature can be attuned to no more than three magic items at a time. Any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; the creature must end its attunement to an item first. Additionally, a creature can’t attune to more than one copy of an item. For example, a creature can’t attune to more than one ring of protection at a time.
A creature’s attunement to an item ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if the creature dies, or if another creature attunes to the item. A creature can also voluntarily end attunement by spending another short rest focused on the item, unless the item is cursed.
Optional Attunement
Attunement may be required for this item.
Requires Attunement
Attunement is required for this item.
Attunement
Some magic items require a creature to form a bond—called Attunement—with them before the creature can use an item’s magical properties. Without becoming attuned to an item that requires Attunement, you gain only its nonmagical benefits unless its description states otherwise. For example, a magic Shield that requires Attunement provides the benefits of a normal Shield if you aren’t attuned to it, but none of its magical properties.
Attune during a Short Rest
Attuning to an item requires you to spend a Short Rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it (this can’t be the same Short Rest used to learn the item’s properties). This focus can take the form of weapon practice (for a Weapon), meditation (for a Wand), or some other appropriate activity. If the Short Rest is interrupted, the Attunement attempt fails. Otherwise, at the end of the Short Rest, you’re attuned to the magic item and can access its full magical capabilities.
No More Than Three Items
You can be attuned to no more than three magic items at a time. Any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; you must end your Attunement to an item first. Additionally, you can’t attune to more than one copy of an item. For example, you can’t attune to more than one Ring of Protection at a time.
Ending Attunement
Your Attunement to an item ends if you no longer satisfy the prerequisites for Attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if you die, or if another creature attunes to the item. You can also voluntarily end Attunement by spending another Short Rest focused on the item unless the item is cursed.
Optional Attunement
Attunement may be required for this item.
Requires Attunement
Attunement is required for this item.
General and Weapon Properties
Ammunition
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 213. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
You can use a weapon that has the Ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from it. The type of ammunition required is specified with the weapon’s range. Each attack expends one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). After a fight, you can spend 1 minute to recover half the ammunition (round down) you used in the fight; the rest is lost.
Ammunition
Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 267
You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of ammunition. Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack. Loading a one-handed weapon requires a free hand. The ammunition of a firearm is destroyed upon use.
If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon. A sling must be loaded to deal any damage when used in this way.
Any Slot
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
Arms Slot
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
Blaster
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets Extras (2024)
A weapon with the Blaster property is a Ranged weapon that requires no ammunition. This property counts as Ammunition.
Burst Fire
Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 267
A weapon that has the burst fire property can make a single-target attack, or it can spray a 10-foot-cube area within normal range with shots. Each creature in the area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon’s normal damage. This action uses ten pieces of ammunition.
Cooldown
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets Extras (2024)
Because this weapon requires cooldown time between uses, you can only fire it once when you use an action, Bonus Action, or Reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you normally make. This property counts as Loading.
Destructible
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
After you make an attack with this weapon, it is destroyed.
External Slot
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
Finesse
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 213. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
When making an attack with a Finesse weapon, use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.
Futuristic Era
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets Extras (2024)
Head Slot
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
Heavy
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 213. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
You have Disadvantage on attack rolls with a Heavy weapon if it’s a Melee weapon and your Strength score isn’t at least 13 or if it’s a Ranged weapon and your Dexterity score isn’t at least 13.
Internal Slot
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
Legs Slot
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
Light
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 213. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
When you take the Attack action on your turn and attack with a Light weapon, you can make one extra attack as a Bonus Action later on the same turn. That extra attack must be made with a different Light weapon, and you don’t add your ability modifier to the extra attack’s damage unless that modifier is negative. For example, you can attack with a Shortsword in one hand and a Dagger in the other using the Attack action and a Bonus Action, but you don’t add your Strength or Dexterity modifier to the damage roll of the Bonus Action unless that modifier is negative.
Loading
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 214. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
You can fire only one piece of ammunition from a Loading weapon when you use an action, a Bonus Action, or a Reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Reach
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 214. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
A Reach weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for Opportunity Attacks with it.
Reload
Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 267
A limited number of shots can be made with a weapon that has the reload property. A character must then reload it using an action or a bonus action (the character’s choice).
Reload
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets (2024)
This weapon can be used to make a number of attacks before it must be reloaded. If you are proficient with the weapon, reloading it takes an action or a Bonus Action; otherwise, reloading it takes an action. The number of attacks is determined by the size of the weapon’s damage die or dice, as shown on the Reload Attacks table.
Reload Attacks
| Damage Die | Reload Attacks |
|---|---|
| d4 | 8 |
| d6 | 6 |
| d8 | 4 |
| d10 | 2 |
| d12 | 1 |
| ^reload-attacks |
Thrown
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 214. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
If a weapon has the Thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack, and you can draw that weapon as part of the attack. If the weapon is a Melee weapon, use the same ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls that you use for a melee attack with that weapon.
Two-Handed
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 214. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
A Two-Handed weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.
Versatile
Source: Player’s Handbook (2024) p. 214. Available in the Free Rules (2024)
A Versatile weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property. The weapon deals that damage when used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Improvised Weapons
Sometimes characters don’t have their weapons and have to attack with whatever is close at hand. An improvised weapon includes any object you can wield in one or two hands, such as broken glass, a table leg, a frying pan, a wagon wheel, or a dead goblin.
In many cases, an improvised weapon is similar to an actual weapon and can be treated as such. For example, a table leg is akin to a club. At the DM’s option, a character proficient with a weapon can use a similar object as if it were that weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.
An object that bears no resemblance to a weapon deals 1d4 damage (the DM assigns a damage type appropriate to the object). If a character uses a ranged weapon to make a melee attack, or throws a melee weapon that does not have the thrown property, it also deals 1d4 damage. An improvised thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long range of 60 feet.
Improvised Weapons
If you use an object—such as a table leg, frying pan, or bottle—as a makeshift weapon, see “Improvised Weapons” in the “rules glossary”. Also see those rules if you wield a weapon in an unusual way, such as using a Ranged weapon to make a melee attack.
Silvered Weapons
Some monsters that have immunity or resistance to nonmagical weapons are susceptible to silver weapons, so cautious adventurers invest extra coin to plate their weapons with silver. You can silver a single weapon or ten pieces of ammunition for 100 gp. This cost represents not only the price of the silver, but the time and expertise needed to add silver to the weapon without making it less effective.
Cursed Items
Some magic items bear curses that bedevil their users, sometimes long after a user has stopped using an item. Most methods of identifying items, including the identify spell, fail to reveal the presence of a curse, although lore might hint at it.
Attunement to a cursed item can’t be ended voluntarily unless the curse is broken first, such as with the remove curse spell.
Poison
Given their insidious and deadly nature, poisons are illegal in most societies but are a favorite tool among assassins, drow, and other evil creatures.
Poisons come in the following four types.
Contact
Contact poison can be smeared on an object and remains potent until it is touched or washed off. A creature that touches contact poison with exposed skin suffers its effects.
Ingested
A creature must swallow an entire dose of ingested poison to suffer its effects. You might decide that a partial dose has a reduced effect, such as allowing advantage on the saving throw or dealing only half damage on a failed save. The dose can be delivered in food or a liquid.
Inhaled
These poisons are powders or gases that take effect when inhaled. Blowing the powder or releasing the gas subjects creatures in a 5-foot cube to its effect. The resulting cloud dissipates immediately afterward. Holding one’s breath is ineffective against inhaled poisons, as they affect nasal membranes, tear ducts, and other parts of the body.
Injury
Injury poison can be applied to weapons, ammunition, trap components, and other objects that deal piercing or slashing damage and remains potent until delivered through a wound or washed off. A creature that takes piercing or slashing damage from an object coated with the poison is exposed to its effects.