As one of the most iconic and long-running tabletop RPGs of all time, Dungeons & Dragons is brimming with potent magical items that adventurers can encounter during their travels. As magic is an integral element of D&D that is woven into countless facets of the game's lore, many types of magic items are commonplace. However, there are some incredibly rare items and artifacts that are so extraordinary that most players won't encounter them within their games.

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These rare items are easily among the most powerful items in the game and are often directly linked to key figures in the game such as archdevils, demon lords, and even gods. So today, we're going to examine the rarest items that can currently be obtained in D&D's fifth edition!

Updated on July 27, 2022, by Paul DiSalvo: As new D&D books are released, new powerful magic items are regularly added to the game. Magic Items are capable of providing a wide range of incredible advantages to a party both in and out of combat, doing anything from providing a massive source of damage, or a means of traveling the multiverse. With the releases of books like Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, DMs constantly are gaining access to additional hard-to-get magic items they can include in their campaigns.

15 Demonomicon Of Iggwilv

Dungeons And Dragons Tasha Cauldron Art
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Magali Villeneuve

Appearing in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Demonomicon of Iggwilv is D&D's equivalent of the Necronomicon. Penned by the Archfey Iggwilv, better known as Tasha, the Demonomicon of Iggwilv is the most comprehensive collection of knowledge on demonology within the entire multiverse. A creature attuned to this powerful artifact gains several benefits, notably gaining the ability to cast several spells such as Planar Ally, Magic Circle, and Tasha's Hideous Laughter. While being able to cast additional spells is quite handy, many of the Demonomicon's other notable features include the attuned creature dealing maximum damage whenever they damage a fiend, and the ability to trap fiends within the pages of the tome itself.

Due to this book possessing more knowledge on fiends than any other text in the multiverse, it's no surprise that many demons wish to see this tome destroyed. Between the number of demons looking to destroy this one-of-a-kind tome and the fact that it was created by a notable Archfey, it should be expected that adventurers are more than likely not going to be bumping into the Demonomicon of Iggwilv with a lot of frequency.

14 Iggwilv's Cauldron

D&D Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Alternate Cover
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Wylie Beckert

As the name would imply, Iggwilv's Cauldron is another artifact created in part by Iggwilv, though with the assistance of the Archfey, Baba Yaga. An immensely powerful artifact, Iggwilv's Cauldron has two forms, though its form can only be altered by one of its two creators. In its Gold form, this magical Cauldron is capable of enriching others in several ways, such as by magically transforming simple water into a heart stew or wine into a magical fortifying elixir. This form of the Cauldron can also be used to produce traditionally witchy effects, such as casting the Scrying spell or transforming mundane brooms into brooms of flying.

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However, this Cauldron's second, more nefarious Iron form is incredibly dangerous. Not only can this form of the Cauldron be used to summon swarms of bats and knock others unconscious - if paired with the proper ritual, it can freeze others in time indefinitely. For those looking to obtain this Cauldron, it resides within the Feywild in the possession of its creator.

13 The Wave Of Sorrow

graz'zt
Graz'zt by Richard Whitters

The Wave of Sorrow is the personal longsword wielded by the Demonlord Graz'zt. Graz'zt, also known as the Prince of Please, is among the most powerful demons in existence and is a being of unrivaled hedonism and debauchery. For those unfortunate enough to engage this demonlord in combat, he wields a devastating sword known as the Wave of Sorrow that is capable of dealing 4d6 force damage plus 4d6 acid damage. While this sword is incredibly deadly, the only way to obtain it would be through besting Graz'zt himself.

12 Orb Of Dragonkind

orb of dragonkind by brian vaeza
Orb of Dragonkind by Brian Valeza

An orb inherently tied to evil Chromatic Dragons, there are only said to be three Orbs of Dragonkind left in existence within the world of Krynn. When attuning to the Orb of Dragonkind, a creature must succeed a Charisma saving throw, with the creature being controlled by the orb on a failed save and the creature able to wield its power on a success. While the Orb provides an attuned creature with the ability to cast the spells Cure Wounds, Daylight, Death Ward, Detect Magic, and Scrying, the main draw of this artifact is its ability to cause all evil-aligned dragons within a forty-mile radius to become compelled to fly to the orb's destination.

11 Staff Of The Forgotten One

Dungeons & Dragons lich summoning undead, Dungeon Master's Guide Key Art by Tyler Jacobson
Dungeon Master's Guide Key Art by Tyler Jacobson

The Staff of the Forgotten One is the signature artifact wielded by the iconic Lich, Acererak. Adorned with the skull of an Archmage slain by the lich long ago, this staff totes incredible power for any Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard attuned to it. In addition to providing its wielder with immunities to numerous status effects, undead creatures with a challenge rating under two won't be compelled to attack the creature holding this staff.

Furthermore, this staff can be used to deal severe damage to one's foes, capable of providing a curse that causes a creature to become vulnerable to necrotic damage, whilst the staff itself can deal notable necrotic damage when used as a melee weapon. The key drawback of this Staff is that when it's wielded, the creature holding it runs the risk of being possessed by the spirit of the Archmage whose skull adorns the staff. While this staff can serve as a stellar asset for many spellcasters, as the only copy of this item is in possession of Acererak, it's far from the easiest item for one to get their hands on.

10 Gold Canary Figurine Of Wondrous Power

bahamut human form grandmaster of flowers
Grand Master of Flowers by Ekaterina Burmak

Throughout D&D's history, Bahamut, the god of Metallic Dragons has been known to travel with powerful Gold Dragons disguised as humble Canaries. Appearing in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, a Gold Canary Figurine Of Wondrous Power is a seemingly innocuous figurine that holds incredible power. When thrown as a command word is spoken, this figurine can transform into one of two forms. The first form is a Giant Canary, that while not well suited for combat, has access to a sixty-foot flying speed that makes it convenient for travel.

However, the second form this figurine can take is that of an adult Gold Dragon, giving a party an impressive temporary ally. While access to a helpful Gold Dragon is incredible, it should be noted that this ability should only be used in dire situations, as once this ability is used, it may not be used again for one year. As this legendary item has such a blatant connection to Bahamut, one can expect that it can only be gained through assisting the god in some capacity.

9 The Unbreakable Heart

elise van richten's guide to ravenloft
Elise by Irina Nordsol

Appearing in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, the Unbreakable Heart is the masterwork of Dr. Viktra, Mordenheim, Dark Lord of Lamordia. A one-of-a-kind contraption that has never been successfully replicated, if a creature obtains the device, it can install itself in that creature's anatomy, providing that creature with immunity to disease and completely halting their aging.

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While this device effectively offers immortality, it is in the possession of Elise, an undead woman aiming to evade Mordenheim and anyone who may seek the heart, hiding within Lamordia's Isles of Agony. As Ravenloft is far from the easiest place in the multiverse to navigate, acquiring the Unbreakable Heart can be an arduous task.

8 Baba Yaga's Mortar And Pestle

baba yaga dnd
Baba Yaga's Mortar and Pestle in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Wizards of the Coast

Baba Yaga's Mortar and Pestle is a potent artifact that appears in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. An incredibly multifarious item, this massive mortar and pestle offers great abilities in and out of combat. It allows its user to quickly travel the world as long as it's nighttime, can teleport, or can function as various types of tools. It's even capable of separating anything it breaks down into several basic parts. As a belonging of the famed Baba Yaga, one of the most surefire places one would find this Mortar and Pestle would be in her possession or within the dancing hut of Baba Yaga.

7 Sword Of Kas

sword of kas
Sword of Kas in the Dungeon Master's Guide by Wizards of the Coast

The Sword of Kas is a sentient blade once wielded by the former Lieutenant of Vecna, Kas the Bloody Handed. While Kas himself is now the Dark Lord of the domain of Tovag and is endlessly seeking his sword, the Sword itself was long lost to the ages. As a sentient weapon that wishes to be regularly bathed in blood, if not used to do so, this blade will attempt to cast Dominate Monster on its wielder until this demand is met.

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Luckily the sword is otherwise quite powerful and worth wielding, allowing a creature attuned to it to cast the spells Call Lightning, Divine Word, and Finger of Death while providing a +3 bonus to hit and attack rolls. It even lands critical hits on a roll of nineteen!

6 Wand Of Orcus

wand of orcus mtg art
Wand of Orcus by Andrew Mar

The Wand of the Demon Lord, Orcus, this terrifying artifact allows its wielder to control legions of the undead. It is a sentient Wand that seeks the death of all beings within the multiverse. While the Wand of Orcus provides an AC bonus and the ability to cast several useful necromancy spells, its most powerful ability is easily its ability to summon up to 500 HP worth of undead under its wielder's control every single day. As this wand is the personal weapon of a notable Demon Lord, acquiring the Wand of Orcus is a grueling endeavor.

5 Sword Of Zariel

zariel holding the sword of zariel
Zariel in Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus by Wizards of the Coast

While Zariel is currently the Archdevil who serves as the lord of Avernus, she was initially a celestial angel of the seven heavens. The Sword of Zariel is a potent relic from the Archdevil's time as an angel and is among the holiest items one may acquire within Dungeons & Dragons. While some magic items can only be attuned to by characters of certain classes, the Sword of Zariel uniquely can only be attuned to by a creature deemed worthy by the sword.

If a creature meets the sword's standards, it provides several great benefits such as Truesight, the creature's charisma becoming twenty, and the addition of wings that provide an impressive 90-foot flying speed! While this sword also provides combative bonuses, it notably alters the personality of a creature attuned to it, providing them with traits one would expect from a celestial.

4 The Hand Of Vecna And The Eye Of Vecna

hand and eye of vecna by irina nordsol
Hand of Vecna and Eye of Vecna by Irina Nordsol

Two unholy artifacts that are each part of the God of Evil Secrets, Vecna, the Hand of Vecna and the Eye of Vecna are each incredibly potent yet corrupt artifacts. Each of these artifacts can only be attuned to if a creature replaces their respective body part with that of Vecna, removing their own hand and/or eye in order to wield their power. While these two artifacts each provide a character with several spells, with the hand providing Finger of Death, Sleep, Slow, and Teleport, while the eye provides access to Clairvoyance, Crown of Madness, Disintegrate, Dominate Monster, and Eyebite, when paired they can even allow a creature to cast the Wish spell! However, this power comes at a cost. Whenever the Hand is used to cast a spell, it attempts to cast Suggestion on the creature, urging them to commit an act of evil, while when the eye is used to cast a spell, there's a five percent chance that Vecna will devour that creature's soul and begin to puppeteer their body.

The Hand of Vecna is notably currently in the possession of Arkhan, the Cruel, a Paladin of Tiamat.

3 The Book Of Vile Darkness

book of vile darkness by Daniel Ljunggren
The Book of Vile Darkness by Daniel Ljunggren

The Book of Vile Darkness is an ancient manuscript written by the previously mentioned Vecna, serving as the antithesis of morality and containing the most depraved and forbidden knowledge in the multiverse. A catalog of the evilest and most twisted thoughts imaginable, simply reading from the book requires the reader to make a charisma save, with a failed save resulting in the creature's alignment changing to neutral evil. However, if a creature has read through this book, they gain several benefits including one ability score increased by two, the gained ability to cast Dominate Monster on evil creatures, the ability to double one's proficiency in checks regarding evil lore, and the ability to deal psychic damage to others by simply reading from the book. Keeping the book for long can be rather difficult, as the book teleports somewhere else within the multiverse if its owner doesn't perform an act of evil within every ten days, or if they perform an act of good.

2 The Book Of Exalted Deeds

book of exalted deeds by daniel ljunggren
The Book of Exalted Deeds by Daniel Ljunggren

The Book of Exalted Deeds is a magical tome that serves as a definitive collection of information regarding good within the multiverse. If a creature reads from this book, they receive several random beneficial properties including a permanent Wisdom increase and the benefit of a special halo that can provide advantage on persuasion checks with good-aligned creatures and intimidation checks against evil-aligned creatures. The reason that the Book of Exalted Deeds is so difficult to find is that once a creature finishes reading the knowledge within its pages, the tome teleports to a different part of the multiverse, as to spread the teaching within. Due to this teleporting nature, one can never be sure where the book can be found.

1 The Weapons Of The Gods Of Theros

Purphoros, God of the Forge by Eric Deschamps

By and large, the most difficult items to obtain in Dungeons & Dragons are the signature weapons of the gods of the pantheon of Theros. Appearing in Mythic Odysseys of Theros, the five most prominent gods of the Plane of Theros, Erebos, Heliod, Nylea, Purphoros, and Thasa each have their own incredibly potent personal magic items that grow strongest based on the wielder's piety.

While Akmon, Hammer of Purphoros, Dekella, Bident of Thassa, Ephixis, Bow of Nyela, Khrusor, Spear of Heliod, and Mastix, Whip of Erebos are traditionally wielded by their respective owners, they are sometimes bestowed upon one of the associated god's most faithful and devout followers. As these weapons can only be reliably obtained if a character is hand-picked and chosen to be the recipient by a god, it's safe to say these are among the most difficult items in all of D&D to obtain.

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