How many very rare magic items are in the D&D 5e SRD?

The SRD lists 90 very rare items. The SRD is the free subset of the rules, so the Dungeon Master's Guide contains more at this rarity.

What level should a party be for very rare items?

As a rough guide, uncommon items suit levels 1 to 5, rare 5 to 10, very rare 11 to 16, and legendary 17 and up. Common items are safe at any level, and artifacts are story objects rather than tier-appropriate rewards. These are guidelines rather than rules — what matters is whether the specific item invalidates the encounters you have planned.

Do very rare items require attunement?

Some do and some do not; each item's entry states it. Attunement is the real limit on magic items rather than rarity, because a character can only be attuned to three items at once, which forces a genuine choice once the party has a few.

Magic items by rarity

D&D 5e Very Rare Magic Items

The D&D 5e SRD includes 90 very rare magic items. Match the rarity to your party's tier when seeding a hoard. Tap any item for its full rules text.

Rarity:

90 results

What's at very rare rarity

90 items, made up of 40 wondrous items and 16 armour pieces, with 34 more across other groups. 52 of them require attunement — 58% of the tier, and that percentage is the number that matters when you are stocking a hoard. A character can only be attuned to three items at once, so handing out four attunement items at the same rarity gives the player a decision rather than four upgrades.

When to hand these out

Very rare is tier 3 territory, levels 11 to 16, where a single item can reshape a character's role. These are quest rewards rather than hoard contents — an item at this tier deserves a story about where it came from, because the players will remember it for the rest of the campaign.

What they do to the game

At this tier items routinely grant abilities the rules otherwise gate behind high-level spells: flight, teleportation, immunities and substantial stat increases. Assume any encounter you design can be approached with those tools. The most common surprise is mobility — a party that can all fly makes terrain-based encounter design largely decorative.

Common questions

How many very rare magic items are in the D&D 5e SRD?: The SRD lists 90 very rare items. The SRD is the free subset of the rules, so the Dungeon Master's Guide contains more at this rarity.
What level should a party be for very rare items?: As a rough guide, uncommon items suit levels 1 to 5, rare 5 to 10, very rare 11 to 16, and legendary 17 and up. Common items are safe at any level, and artifacts are story objects rather than tier-appropriate rewards. These are guidelines rather than rules — what matters is whether the specific item invalidates the encounters you have planned.
Do very rare items require attunement?: Some do and some do not; each item's entry states it. Attunement is the real limit on magic items rather than rarity, because a character can only be attuned to three items at once, which forces a genuine choice once the party has a few.

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