Top 10 D&D Best Very Rare Items

Updated:

23 Aug 2024

Are you searching for awesome magic items to give to your players as rewards for a long adventure?

If your D&D party is anything like mine, then they are all in it for the treasure. Maybe they want to find a lot of valuables to sell for gold, or maybe they're looking to become more powerful through the use of magic items. Whatever their motivations, most D&D parties want loot after fighting through gruelling dungeons or doing a million sidequests.

As a Dungeon Master (DM), it's up to you to select what items you're going to give your party. This can be a delicate balancing act - you want them to enjoy and get use out of the magical items that you give them, but you might not want to give them things that could break your entire game (I'm looking at you, Bag of Holding.)

Lucky for us, Wizards of the Coast helpfully classifies all of the official magic items on a rarity system - the more common an item is, the less likely it is to be a super powerful item that will cause the end of your game world as you know it.

As your players increase in level and skill, they're going to expect rarer and rarer items as rewards for their quests. I am quite partial to the "Very Rare" classification - this group of items contains items that are pretty powerful and helpful, but that aren't ridiculous. Here are the top 10 best "Very Rare" magic items for D&D.

10. Arcane Propulsion Arm

If a member of your party is willing to lose an arm or has lost one due to some misadventure, then they might want to look into getting one of these. The Arcane Propulsion Arm is a prosthetic developed by artificers that can be attached to the stump of a shoulder, elbow, or wrist. When wearing this prosthetic, it functions exactly as a normal arm would, with one notable exception - during combat, you can use your action to throw the arm at an enemy, dealing 1d8 force damage on a hit.

Why the Arcane Propulsion Arm is Great

While this item has limited situations where players could come across it, it should not be overlooked as a viable magic item. If you're fond of using lingering injuries or have removed a character's limb for cinematic story purposes, giving them the potential to get that character a prosthetic can create new and interesting roleplay opportunities, as well as a convenient extra sidequest.

The other great part about an Arcane Propulsion Arm is the sheer comedic potential that it has. Not only is it a viable weapon, doing about the same amount of damage as a longsword, but the image of a character removing their arm to hurl it across the battlefield at an enemy is pure gold. It can be treated with seriousness, of course, but a party that can appreciate a good joke now and then will love this item.

Arcane Propulsion Arm Details

Sourcebook: Eberron: Rising from the Last War (pg. 276)
Classification: Wondrous item, very rare
Attunement? Yes, by a creature missing a hand or arm
Damage: 1d8 force when thrown
Find its stats here.

9. Spellguard Shield

If your players don't ever remember to use their shield, this item might make them regret it. A Spellguard Shield can better protect its wielder from magical attacks. Holding the shield - and I do mean holding, which means that a player must designate that they are holding their shield while in battle - gives you advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects. If that wasn't good enough, spell attacks also have disadvantage while directed at you.

Why the Spellguard Shield is Great

I love encouraging my players to use new and interesting strategies in battle, and I know for a fact that none of them have ever thought to raise their shield. Giving them a shield that does more than just raise their Armor Class might just give them the hint that they need.

I also really like this item's ability to make players who play martial classes, like fighters and rogues, feel like they have a chance while fighting enemies that have magical abilities. All too often, I feel like my martial players feel a bit out of their depth when fighting things like hags or illithids, knowing that it's a lot harder for them to deal as much damage per turn as their spellcasting comrades. Having items that protect them from magical damage might make them feel like they have a chance.

Spellguard Shield Details

Sourcebook: Dungeon Master's Guide (pg. 201)
Classification: Armor (shield), major tier, very rare
Attunement? Yes
Damage: N/A
Find its stats here.

8. Ring of Shooting Stars

If you're interested in giving some of your players a few extra attacks, the Ring of Shooting Stars is the perfect item for you. The ring can hold up to 6 charges, to be used on its various functions. The ring's abilities range from casting the cantrips dancing lights and light at will to launching spheres of lightning at your foes. Having what amounts to free spells can change the game for spellcasters and martial classes alike.

Why the Ring of Shooting Stars is Great

I really love items like this, particularly because any player can benefit from them. Maybe your wizard picked fewer offensive spells than they really need, or your fighter is starting to feel a little lacklustre in combat alongside their spellcasting comrades. Giving players items like the Ring of Shooting Stars can help fill the gaps in their combat abilities and make them feel more powerful and effective.

As for the ring itself, it's powerful but well-balanced. Having six charges gives you enough opportunities to use the ring when you need it, but not so many that you could abuse its power. I also like the wide range of things that the ring can do - the mix of utility cantrips and damage spells make it a versatile, valuable find for any adventurer.

Ring of Shooting Stars Details

Sourcebook: Dungeon Master's Guide (pg. 192)
Classification: Ring, major tier, very rare
Attunement? Yes, outdoors at night
Damage: up to 4d12 lightning damage (Ball Lightning ability) or up to 5d4 fire damage (Shooting Stars ability)
Find its stats here.

7. Potion of Possibility

This potion comes to us from the mind of Matthew Mercer, the DM behind the YouTube sensation, Critical Role. Drinking this potion grants you two Fragments of Possibility - these little sparks give you the potential to bend reality to your favour. Players who find themselves at the mercy of their dice a bit too often might enjoy picking up a few vials of this.

Why the Potion of Possibility is Great

As a DM, I love giving my players potions for all sorts of things. Too often, I find potion use in D&D is limited to healing potions, but the sourcebooks have so many more fun options for you to employ in your games. This potion in particular can be very useful and interesting in combat.

Using Fragments of Possibility - or having to choose when to use them - can add a new dynamic to combat or roleplay that can freshen up a campaign that's starting to feel a little stale. Does your paladin use his last fragment to land the killing blow on a boss, or on the Medicine check that could save the bard's life? Adding elements that give your players decisions to make or new ways to turn the tides of battle is always fun, and potions like this one are a fantastic start.

Potion of Possibility Details

Sourcebook: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount (pg. 268)
Classification: Potion, very rare
Attunement? No
Damage? N/A
Find its stats here.

6. Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments

Any bard who has even the smallest talent for painting will love these mysterious little paints. Using the paint and brush inside the box allows you to create real objects by painting their likeness. If you need a door, you can paint one and it will appear. If you need bread to eat, you can paint yourself a meal. Creative (or cunning) players will love exploring the possibilities that Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments provide.

Why Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments Are Great

One of the best experiences you can have as a DM is giving your (responsible, trustworthy) players an item and seeing what they'll do with it. Open-ended items like Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments are great for creative parties that like finding new and interesting ways to get themselves out of - or into - trouble.

Giving them opportunities to think their way around problems or come up with interesting schemes allows them to feel more in control over the game world, which can be useful for encouraging player investment in your game.

Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments Details

Sourcebook: Dungeon Master's Guide (pg. 183)
Classification: Wondrous item, minor tier, very rare
Attunement? No
Damage: N/A
Find its stats here.

5. Living Armor

Lovers of cursed items, rejoice! This is a variant that can be applied to almost any type of armour, and it adds a bit of the grotesque and horrifying to an otherwise normal piece of equipment. Living Armor is described as black and chitinous, with veins pulsing underneath. Gross, right? Why would anybody want something like that?

Well, when you're wearing it, it adds +1 to your Armor Class and you have resistance to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. However, the armour is permanently attached to its wearer until someone ends the curse on it, and it requires you to feed it fresh blood in the form of your Hit Dice or take points of exhaustion.

Why Living Armor is Great

This is a PSA for all DMs out there: Give your players cursed items. The added dynamic of weighing consequences versus rewards on using the item makes players evaluate the items that they pick up in dungeons or other quests, and might make players who are caught unawares more careful about identifying the items they find before putting them on.

The concept of armour that you need to constantly feed fresh blood to maintain your sanity would fit very well in a horror campaign, and could even be used as a punishment by a crime syndicate or other boss on a particular player.

Living Armor Details

Sourcebook: Eberron: Rising from the Last War (pg. 278)
Classification: Generic variant, very rare
Attunement? Yes
Damage: N/A
Find its stats here.

4. Kyrzin's Ooze

Your players are going through a pile of loot when they find a jar. Inside the jar is a slightly opalescent goop - if they watch it for a moment, they can see that it shifts and moves inside the jar of its own accord.

Later that night, during a drunken celebration around the campfire, the rogue dares the barbarian to drink the weird jar of ooze they found in the dungeon. Intelligence is a dump stat for barbarians - of course, he decides to take the dare and drink the ooze. To his surprise he finds himself colonized by a symbiotic creature that allows him to temporarily turn into ooze and breathe acid at his foes.

Why Kyrzin's Ooze is Great

The best part about having your players find items in dungeons or other environments is that you are under no obligation to tell them what these items do right off the bat. Giving the players a random jar of ooze immediately gives them a choice to make - do they open the jar, not knowing what it does? Do they take it to a wizard or merchant to see if someone can tell them what it does? Or, like our barbarian friend, do they take a drunken dare and drink it?

On a technical level, Kyrzin's Ooze is a pretty powerful item - it gives the player that drinks it resistance to acid and poison damage, gives them the ability to turn into an ooze for a minute once per day and gives them an acid breath weapon that can do 8d8 damage on a failed Dexterity save. Any character who is looking for a cool new ability or a little extra oomph in combat will love their new gooey friend.

Kyrzin's Ooze Details

Sourcebook: Eberron: Rising from the Last War (pg. 278)
Classification: Wondrous item, very rare
Attunement? Yes
Damage: Up to 8d8 acid damage (Acid Breath ability)
Find its stats here.

3. Illusionist's Bracers

These bracers were created by a powerful illusionist from Ravnica to allow her to create multiple illusions at once. If illusions aren't your deal, don't sweat - the bracers simply allow you to cast the same cantrip twice in the same turn. Imagine the possibilities!

Why the Illusionist's Bracers are Great

Items that can augment abilities that a player already has are great, especially when they're starting to get up to a level where their abilities are getting more powerful. The potential to cast the same cantrip twice in a turn is more powerful than it sounds, especially when you factor in powerful cantrips such as a warlock's eldritch blast.

Illusionist's Bracers Details

Sourcebook: Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica (pg. 178)
Classification: Wondrous item, very rare
Attunement? Yes, by a spellcaster
Damage: N/A
Find its stats here.

2. Hunter's Coat

Do your players want to wear armour without giving up their mysterious aesthetic? The Hunter's Coat might be for them. According to the sourcebook, the breastplate and pauldrons of the coat are made from stiffened leather, while the rest of it is softer, more normal leather. As a bonus, you can choose to do an extra 1d10 necrotic damage when you attack a creature that is missing some hit points.

Why Hunter's Coat is Great

If your players are anything like mine, they might forgo wearing appropriate armour because it would ruin their character's aesthetic. Giving them armour that can be passed off as regular clothing might convince them that their safety and fashion sense can live in harmony.

I also really like the armour's ability to add damage to a player's attack. The coat only has three charges, so the wearer has to think about when they use it, but it can make the difference between defeating the boss or having to go another treacherous round with it.

Hunter's Coat Details

Sourcebook: Explorer's Guide to Wildemount (pg. 267)
Classification: Light armour (leather armour), very rare
Attunement? Yes
Damage: 1d10 necrotic per expended charge
Find its stats here.

1. Absorbing Tattoo

This relatively new class of items lets you give your character edgy tattoos that do more than just look pretty. An Absorbing Tattoo grants damage resistance to a particular type of elemental damage - acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder. Once per day, you can use the tattoo to not only be immune to that type of damage but absorb the energy and use it to heal yourself.

Why the Absorbing Tattoo is Great

I can't even count how many D&D characters that I've encountered who have been covered in various tattoos. Most of the time, these are just decorative and might not even play into a character's backstory, but Tasha's Cauldron of Everything has given players a way to have tattoos that are functional as well as decorative.

As a DM, I would probably limit the number of tattoos that a player is allowed to have, but giving players an item that can protect them that isn't armour gives them new ways to be effective in combat.