Crafting Custom Magic Items

[Gix]

So I’m looking for some guidance on crafting custom magic items. I am quite aware the DM can make any item he wants, but that’s not what I mean. I’m looking for some guidelines for players to create their own magical items.

Unearthed Arcana Downtime lists some simple rules, however they rely heavily on an items rarity. Given that the players are creating a brand new item, I see no easy way to determine an item’s rarity.

I understand that if the players wish to Craft a weapon or an item which is the same or very similar as an existing item it’s a simply a matter of looking it up.

However if a player wishes to create a ring of sending, which allows them to use the sending spell on command, how would I know what rarity that would be?

The spell is a level III spell, but I see no where that that translates into a rarity. There is another item listed as an Uncommon rarity which also casts a level III spell, but I don’t know that that’s a good way of designating rarity.

[Zacchaeus]

Yes, look at existing items that do something similar and determine the level from that. So a ring of sending would be an Uncommon item.

Also you are the DM, so it is up to you what kind of magic items you want in your campaign. Also magic items take forever to make (except potions and scrolls) so unless your players are willing to take a few months out of the campaign they may not be too keen on creating a bunch of stuff.

[Gix]

Yes, look at existing items that do something similar and determine the level from that. So a ring of sending would be an Uncommon item.

Also you are the DM, so it is up to you what kind of magic items you want in your campaign. Also magic items take forever to make (except potions and scrolls) so unless your players are willing to take a few months out of the campaign they may not be too keen on creating a bunch of stuff.

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the way 5e leaves everything up to the DM. I'd rather have some rules or guidelines and then as the DM, change them to fit my campaign. That gives me a baseline of "normal" from which I can deviate to make things more or less magical.

Pathfinder has the items cost way more to create but they take less time than the equivalent rarity item. As the DM I want to be sure I'm being fair to all involved and also not screwing up the campaign balance by either allowing players to make OP items for their level or making it so hard it isn't fun. I'm toying with brining in a modified Artificer class that can create items faster than normal, which again kinda demands a baseline.

I'd rather my players be allowed some common rules within which they can be clever and creative rather than either being unable to at all, or me having to shoot down or approve stuff ad hock.

[LordEntrails]

5E specifically doesn't have magic item crafting rules. I think I've seen some homebrew rules for magic items on the DMsGuild, and I'm sure I've seen then on EnWorld and maybe Giantitp as well.

[Gix]

Yes, I was more looking for specific suggestions of homebrew materials that have worked well for anyone

[Zacchaeus]

You will find the rules for creating a magic item in the DMG in Chapter 9 under 'Creating a Magic Item'. There are expanded rules in Xanathar's Guide to Everything in Chapter 2 > Downtime Activities > Crafting an Item. There is additional rules for costs and time to create items in the PHB chapter 8 > Between Adventures > Crafting

[epithet]

If you want a coherent system in a hurry, you’re probably better off using the Pathfinder system for magic item creation with adjustments for the 5e diffferences. For example, +1 +2 +3 in 5e would correspond to +1 +3 +5 in Pathfinder. The PFSRD has it all.