Take Hold of Powerful 5E D&D Magic Items from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

A fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons book named after one of the iconic wizards of D&D lore all but guarantees new objects of power. While this wasn’t the case in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes (barring a couple of creature specific ones) the titular wizard of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything references her colleague in the book’s section on magic items and notes how she finds common ground with him in their shared desire for them. Inside the book players can find 47 individual new 5E D&D magic items. So let’s get into it.

New magic items in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Nearly all of the new 5E D&D magic items in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything are wondrous items. There’s a few broad umbrellas under which the majority of these fall. Magical tattoos, magical spellbooks and planar shards encompass most of the items. After reading through all of them with careful consideration I arrived at a couple of conclusions.

First, and maybe this is residual thoughts from a recent post, the magic items in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything feel a lot different than previous 5E D&D magic items. Whereas in previous editions of D&D a character’s magic items provided unique and different powers they could bring to bear the ones in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything seem more like they enhance the inherent features and powers characters posses through their classes. Second, they’re really powerful. Consider this — an amulet of the planes is a very rare wondrous item allowing a character to cast plane shift with a successful Intelligence check (failure shunts targets off course in the intended plane or to another plane entirely). Compare this with a very rare arcane grimoire, which grants +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and to saving throw DCs of your wizard spells and increases the number of spell slot levels regained through Arcane Recovery by 1 for which a case could be made to regain a 7th level spell slot (plane shift is a 7th level spell by the way). See what I mean?

At any rate here’s a summary of all 47 new 5E D&D magic items found within the pages of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

Absorbing Tattoo. A very rare wondrous item granting variable damage resistance, absorption and limited use immunity and healing.

Alchemical Compendium. A rare wondrous item this magical spellbook contains several great spells, acts as a spellcasting focus and holds charges usable to replace prepared spells with transmutation spells and transform objects into other objects.

All-Purpose Tool. A wondrous item of variable rarity capable of taking the form of any type of artisan’s tool and granting proficiency with it plus providing a bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs of spells and providing access to a cantrip of your choice from any class list.

Amulet of the Devout. A wondrous item of variable rarity granting a bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs of spells plus a free extra use of Channel Divinity.

Arcane Grimoire. A wondrous item of variable rarity acting as a spellcasting focus, granting a bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs of spells plus providing a boost to Arcane Recovery’s capabilities.

Astral Shard. A rare wondrous item capable of turning any Tiny object into a spellcasting focus plus allowing for free 30 foot teleportation whenever a Metamagic option is used.

Astromancy Archive. A rare wondrous item this magical spellbook contains several great spells, acts as a spellcasting focus and holds charges usable to replace prepared spells with divination spells and apply a bane or bless effect to any creature within 30 feet as a reaction.

Atlas of Endless Horizons. A rare wondrous item this magical spellbook contains several great spells, acts as a spellcasting focus and holds charges usable to replace prepared spells with conjuration spells and teleport away as a reaction whenever an attack hits (potentially causing the attack to miss)

Baba Yaga’s Mortar and Pestle. An artifact wondrous item with random beneficial and detrimental properties as well as the ability to expand up to Large size, transform into a quarterstaff +3 and use charges to deal extra force damage, instantly create nonmagical materials, function as several tools, turn things to mush or fine powder and function as a means of travel — including to different planes of existence!

Barrier Tattoo. A wondrous item of variable rarity granting an Armor Class.

Bell Branch. A rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and holding charges usable to detect various creature types and cast protection from evil and good.

Blood Fury Tattoo. A legendary wondrous item holding charges usable to deal extra necrotic damage with weapon attacks, regain hit points equal to the extra necrotic damage and gain a reaction to make melee attacks with advantage when damage is taken.

Bloodwell Vial. A wondrous item of variable rarity acting as spellcasting focus and granting a bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs plus providing extra sorcery points whenever Hit Dice are rolled to recover hit points.

Cauldron of Rebirth. A very rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus, a suitable component for the scrying spell and capable of producing a potion of greater healing after a long rest. It can also grow large enough to fit a Medium creature and most spectacularly returning dead humanoids to life as if by the raise dead spell.

Coiling Grasp Tattoo. An uncommon wondrous item granting the ability to manifest inky tendrils capable of grappling nearby creatures and dealing force damage.

Crook of Rao. An artifact wondrous item with random beneficial and detrimental properties as well as holding charges usable to cast a variety of great spells and banish fiends for 100 years. Careful with the second ability though — a roll on the Extraplanar Reversal table can invoke some nasty results including Iggwilv’s Curse…

Crystalline Chronicle. A very rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells, granting three extra ones and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells or cast spells without verbal, somatic or (some) material components.

Demonomicon of Iggwilv. An artifact wondrous item with random beneficial and detrimental properties as well as holding charges usable to cast a variety of great spells, discern information about demons, cause pain to, ensnare and contain fiends.

Devotee’s Censer. A rare weapon (wow — something other than wondrous item!) acting as a holy symbol and dealing extra radiant damage plus emanating incense with healing properties.

Duplicitous Manuscript. A rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells with illusion spells and give disadvantage to creatures attempting to discern the true nature of illusions.

Eldritch Claw Tattoo. An uncommon wondrous item making unarmed strikes considered magical, granting a +1 bonus to their attack and damage rolls and extending their reach to 15 feet via inky tendrils dealing additional force damage.

Elemental Essence Shard. A rare wondrous item capable of turning any Tiny object into a spellcasting focus plus granting one of four elemental bonuses whenever a Metamagic option is used.

Far Realm Shard. A rare wondrous item capable of turning any Tiny object into a spellcasting focus plus granting a free attack via a slimy tentacle ripping through the fabric of reality whenever a Metamagic option is used.

Feywild Shard. An uncommon wondrous item capable of turning any Tiny object into a spellcasting focus plus granting a roll on the Wild Magic Surge table whenever a Metamagic option is used.

Fulminating Treatise. A rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells with evocation spells and using a reaction to deal extra force damage and knock creatures prone with evocation spells.

Ghost Step Tattoo. A very rare wondrous item holding charges usable to gain resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage, prevent being grappled or retrained and allowing movement through solid objects.

Guardian Emblem. An uncommon wondrous item applicable to a suit or armor or shield and holding charges usable to turn critical hits into normal hits.

Heart Weaver’s Primer. A rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells with enchantment spells and impose disadvantage on saving throws against enchantment spells.

Illuminator’s Tattoo. A common wondrous item granting the ability to write in ink using a fingertip and cause the writing to become invisible to unwanted readers.

Libram of Souls and Flesh. A rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells with necromancy spells and take on a semblance of undeath.

Lifewell Tattoo. A very rare wondrous item granting resistance to necrotic damage and a death ward like ability to shrug off otherwise incapacitating damage.

Luba’s Tarokka of Souls. An artifact wondrous item with random beneficial and detrimental properties as well as granting several useful spells, automatic success on concentration checks, twisting the fate of a creature for an hour. Careful when twisting fate though — one of the souls trapped in the deck might escape…

Lyre of Building. A rare wondrous item granting the ability to cast mending, use a reaction when an object or structure takes damage to grant immunity to all damage of the triggering type and cast a variety of useful spells.

Masquerade Tattoo. A common wondrous item granting the ability to manifest any color or pattern tattoo and cast disguise self.

Mighty Servant of Leuk-o. An artifact wondrous item that’s basically a magical mech suit granting a bunch of powers and abilities to the pilot.

Moon Sickle. A weapon of variable rarity (a second non-wondrous item!) granting a bonus to attack, damage and spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs plus providing a bonus to spells restoring hit points.

Nature’s Mantle. An uncommon wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and a special way to Hide.

Outer Essence Shard. A rare wondrous item capable of turning any Tiny object into a spellcasting focus plus granting one of four alignment bonuses whenever a Metamagic option is used.

Planecaller’s Codex. A rare wondrous item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells with conjuration spells and grant summoned creatures advantage on attack rolls.

Prosthetic Limb. A common wondrous item replacing a lost limb.

Protective Verses. A rare wondroud item acting as a spellcasting focus and spellbook containing several great spells and holding charges usable to replace prepared spells with abjuration spells and grant temporary hit points to nearby creatures.

Reveler’s Concertina. A rare wondrous item granting a bonus to saving throw DCs and the ability to cast Otto’s irresistible dance.

Rhythm-Maker’s Drum. A wondrous item of variable rarity granting a bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs plus the ability to regain one use of the Bardic Inspiration feature.

Shadowfell Brand Tattoo. A rare wondrous item granting darkvision, advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and a reaction to become insubstantial and halve the damage of the trigger.

Shadowfell Shard. A rare wondrous item capable of turning any Tiny object into a spellcasting focus plus granting the ability to curse a creature targeted by a spell whenever a Metamagic option is used.

Spellwrought Tattoo. A wondrous item of variable rarity granting the ability to cast a specific spell one time before the tattoo vanishes.

Teeth of Dahlver-Nar. An artifact wondrous item wherein a random tooth drawn from a pouch can be down on the ground or implanted in the mouth to manifest one of 20 different effects — one for each tooth and dependent on whether it’s sown or implanted.

*Featured image — An orc artist creates a tattoo on his elf friend as seen in the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast]