Dungeons & Dragons Has no shortage of great magic items, but not every fantastic option is loved by every party. The Pocket Keeper’s Rod is a great piece of Warlock loot, for example, but it can also be a regular staff for any party that doesn’t have any Pockets in play. Only a small selection of things is likely to appeal to almost everyone, and an even smaller amount is likely to end up in the average campaign.
The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, Set for a wide release on November 12, is staking its claim as the newest go-to magic number device for DND. Part of its use comes from magic items that previously appeared outside the Dungeon Master’s Guide And all new items, but the core selection of magical items from 2014 Dungeon Master’s Guide is still essential to the lineup. While many of the magic items remain unchanged, some have received key tweaks, and one already considered a definitive party staple is actually even better under the 2024 rules.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook of D&D features the bag of holding
The best magic item is lighter than before
The bag of holding, which traditionally weighed 15 pounds even if 500 pounds of items were stored inside it, now weighs only five pounds According to the description in DNDin 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide. As an extradimensional storage option that can serve as the party’s dumping ground for endless trash, the Bag of Holding’s ability to trivialize encumbrance has been a godsend for many. DND campaigns. 15 pounds already made it light enough to be easily manageable, especially considering how little the average player would need to carry outside of it, which makes the adjustment surprising.
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The most logical explanation for the buff is an in for a penny, in for a pound sentiment – If the purpose of a holding bag is to prevent the party from having to worry about clutter, it might as well do so with additional style.. There is some genuine value in having the extra ten pounds of normal weight, even if it is largely situational. The limited supply of breathable air in a bag of holding may force the party to lug around an unconscious NPC, for example, and it’s better to have some items immediately on hand.
Heward’s Handy Haversack might be the real best D&D item
Even more space and convenience
Changing the bag’s weight from holding to 5 pounds brings it in line with Heward’s Handy Haversack, another magic item with extradimensional storage that hasn’t proven quite as popular over the years. If the Haversack remained unchanged, it could make it almost completely obsolete, but it gets an even bigger buff than the Bag of Holding. While the 2014 Dungeon Master’s Guide Allowed for 20 pounds of material in each side bag and 80 in the main bag, which was buffed to 200 and 500Officially making the Handysack a more comprehensive option.
The other great benefit of using Heward’s Handy Haversack over the Bag of Holding is that it magically sorts the right item to the top when someone reaches in, eliminating some potential fumbling around that can happen with the Bag of Holding. The mechanical advantage of this was previously unclear, as reaching the bag of holding previously only required one action, but the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide Codifies the difference by making it possible to grab something from the handicap while only using a bonus action to do so.
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Getting a buff for the Bag of Holding certainly won’t do any damage to its popularity, but any players who can acquire a Heward’s Handy Haversack now have no reason not to make it a very easy storage solution instead. The changes to both magic items create an interesting new dynamic, and even if they won’t radically change the course of any campaigns, they’re important updates to note for those who can’t pick up the 2024 Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master’s Guide Right at launch.