Custom Treasure Tables (5e)

 

The 5th ed D&D Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) provides treasure tables but they are based on what the developers want to hand out.  For me there are many powerful items I do not want to give out and others that are quite useless.  Enchanted Leather Armour for instance is no better than regular Studded Leather.

Given the SRD/Basic Rules lack any tables I have been making customer treasure tables for my game using only items found in the SRD.  I had a design goal of making magic weapons harder to acquire allowing  abilities and spells that enchant weapons to have a larger place in the game.  Most of the more generic +X items have also been removed but I did want to leave in some of the classic items such a Belts of Giant Strength.

Minor Treasures (DMG Magic Item Tables A-D Combined) 

This is potions, scrolls and other minor items characters can make use of.  Everyone loves a bag of holding after all!  The expectation is that characters will get one consumable every level.  I have expanded this to include all minor items.  The main change here to what is in the book is making Mithral more readily available.

Spell Scroll level will depend on Tier of play.  Mid Level being equal to what the characters are casting. Suggested spell level for L/M/H is Tier 1: 1/2/3; Tier 2: 2/3-4/5; Tier 3: 4/5-6/7; Tier 4: 7/8/9

Armour type can be limited in Tier 1 to a d4 roll if you wish to avoid giving out plate to early.

d% Roll	Consumable/Minor Item	d% Roll	Consumable/Minor Item
01-15	Potion of Superior Healing	84	Potion of Invisibility
16-22	Spell Scroll (Low Level)	85	Potion of Cloud Giant Strength
23-29	Potion of Resistance (Roll d10)	86	Potion of Flying
30-34	Mithral Armor (roll d6)	87	Oil of Sharpness
35-39	Bag of Holding	88	Chime of Opening
40-44	Potion of Stone Giant Strength	89	Spell Scroll (High Level)
45-49	Potion of Vitality	90	Immovable Rod
50-54	Potion of Gaseous Form	91	Lantern of Revealing
55-59	Spell Scroll (Mid Level)	92	Helm of Comprehending Languages
60-64	Oil of Slipperiness	93	Decanter of Endless Water
65-67	Potion of Heroism	94	Horseshoes of Speed
68-70	Restorative Ointment	95	Folding Boat
71-73	Feather Token (Roll d%)	96	Robe of Useful Items
74-75	Dust of Disappearance	97	Rope of Climbing
76-77	Bead of Force	98	Necklace of Fireballs
78-79	Oil of Etherealness	99	Handy Haversack
80-81	Elemental Gem (roll d4)	100	Portable Hole
82-83	Potion of Speed

Breakdown by type

d6	Armour	d10	Resistance	d10	Ioun Stone
1-2	Breastplate	1	Acid	1	Protection
3-4	Splint mail	2	Cold	2	Sustenance
5	Half-plate	3	Fire	3	Absorption
6	Full Plate	4	Force	4	Reserve
7-8	Studded Leather	5	Lightning	5	Strength
d4	Elemental / Dragon	6	Necrotic	6	Agility
1	Air / White	7	Poison	7	Leadership
2	Earth / Black	8	Psychic	8	Fortitude
3	Fire / Red	9	Radiant	9	Insight
4	Water / Blue	10	Thunder	10	Intellect

 Major Items (DMG Tables F-H)

Based on the published treasure tables 5e expectation is characters will get one permanent magic item every three levels.  For a standard group of four that is about one roll on this table every level.  Each character should get 1 item in Tier 1; 2 each in Tier 2 & 3; then another, possibly legendary item, in Tier 4.  To me that makes the default setting low magic.  While the game does not require magic items I find it enhances the experience and will do doubt be giving out these with a higher frequency.

Wands: Variant Rule (DMG Page 141). Charges in wands do not recharge each day.  When found they have 2d10+5 charges.

Tier 1: Roll 2d20 for item found.  This gives 30% chance of finding armour and 5% for the other uncommon items.

Tier 2-4: Roll d%.  To only give out a higher value item roll d20+80.

d% Roll	Major Item	d% Roll	Major Item
01-13	Armour of Resistance (Roll d8 & d10)	66-67	Arrow Catching Shield
14-15	Cloak of Protection	68-69	Wand of Lightning Bolts
16-17	Cloak of the Manta Ray	70-71	Wand of Fireballs
18-19	Cloak of Elvenkind	72-73	Boots of Levitation
20-21	Brooch of Shielding	74-75	Necklace of Prayer Beads
22-23	Necklace of Adaption	76-77	Belt of Dwarvenkind
24-25	Gloves of Swimming and Climbing	78-79	Wand of Paralysis
26-27	Wand of Magic Missiles	80-81	Ioun Stone Roll d10
28-29	Boots of the Winterland	82	Ring of Protection
30-31	Eversmoking Bottle	83	Bracers of Defence
32-33	Ring of Water Walking	84	Cloak of Displacement
34-35	Gloves of Missile Snaring	85	Mace of Disruption
36-37	Periapt of Wound Closure	86	Periapt of Proof against Poison
38-39	Efficient Quiver	87	Ring of Spell Storing
40-41	Shield +1	88	Cape of the Mountebank
42-43	Javelin of Lightning	89	Staff of Charming
44-45	Boots of Elvenkind	90	Flame Tongue
46-47	Pearl of Power	91	Sword of Wounding
48-49	Dragon Scale Mail (Roll d4)	92	Staff of Healing
50-51	Ring of Feather Fall	93	Spellguard Shield
52-53	Robe of Eyes	94	Belt of Stone Giant Str
54-55	Armour +1 (d8)	95	Rod of Alertness
56-57	Ring of Free Action	96	Cloak of Arachnida
58-59	Ring of Resistance (roll d10)	97	Staff of Frost
60-61	Ring of Evasion	98	Staff of Fire
62-63	Wand of Wonder	99	Frost Brand
64-65	Glamoured S. Leather	100	Dwarven Plate

Legendary Items 

This is the majority of the legendary items intended for Tier 4 Quests.  A few, such as Deck of Many Things, have been left off to reduce this to a list of twenty.  Obtaining these should be an adventure in itself.

d20 Roll	Legendary Item	d20 Roll	Legendary Item
1	Armour of Invulnerability	11	Ring of Djinni Summoning
2	Belt of Storm Giant Strength	12	Ring of Elemental Command
3	Crystal Ball	13	Ring of Invisibility
4	Defender	14	Ring of Spell Turning
5	Holy Avenger	15	Robe of the Archmagi
6	Horn of Valhalla (Iron)	16	Rod of Lordly Might
7	Ioun Stone – Mastery	17	Scarab of Protection
8	Iron Flask	18	Staff of the Magi
9	Luck Blade	19	Talisman of Pure Good
10	Plate Armour of Etherealness	20	Vorpal Sword

Image Credits: Treasure from drachenmagier on Deviant Arts 

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