Dungeons & Dragons: 10 Best Legendary Magic Items (2024)

Legendary items in are meant to be distributed to players in the final tier of play from levels 17-20. Considering there are only two modules published by Wizards of the Coast where you actually reach these levels, legendary items are among the least-used pieces of inventory in the game.

Nonetheless, that doesn't stop players from gawking at them as they imagine their characters wielding these all-powerful objects. A generous Dungeon Master (DM) might even decide to hand one out to players at lower levels as they come to the end of a campaign. As you'll see in just a moment, though, all DMs should be cautious of giving players these overpowered creations.

10 Vorpal Sword

Got Your Head

To drive home this point, the first item on this list is capable of decapitating a creature: killing it instantly. The vorpal sword is a +3 weapon that requires attunement. Upon rolling a 20 on an attack roll, the weapon cuts off the target's head.

That being said, the weapon also states that creatures who don't need a head, have legendary actions, or are too large for their heads to be cut off do not suffer from this effect. Instead, they take an additional 6d8 slashing damage. While this is somewhat of a safeguard from your end-game boss being one-shot, it kind of defeats the purpose of the weapon.

9 Rod Of Lordly Might

Go-Go-Gadget Rod!

This rod is a +3 weapon that requires attunement and comes with six nifty buttons. You can press a button as a bonus action to cause one of the following effects. Only one effect can be active at a time.

Button 1 makes the rod a flame tongue, 2 makes it into a +3 battleaxe, 3 makes it into a +3 spear, 4 makes it into a 50 foot pole or ladder that can bear 4,000 pounds, 5 turns it into a battering ram that gives a +10 bonus to Strength checks, and 6 turns it into a compass that also gives you your current depth or height.

On top of all of these uses, the rod also has three effects that can be used once per day upon landing a successful attack. One is a drain life effect that heals you, another potentially paralyzes the target, and the final one potentially frightens the target. All require a DC 17 save.

8 Robe Of The Archmagi

A Difficult Robe For Keeping Up With Fashion Trends

Speaking of spellcasters, they also get their fair share of broken legendary items. This robe can only be attuned to by a Warlock, Sorcerer, or Wizard whose alignment corresponds with the alignment of the robe. The robe's alignment is based on its color. Black is evil, gray is neutral, and white is good.

A spellcaster attuned to this robe has an AC of 15 + their Dexterity modifier, gains advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects, and has their spell save DC and spell attack bonus increased by 2. That's a lot of bang for a single attunement slot.

7 Spindle Of Fate

You Roll What I Say You Roll

This wand requires attunement and comes with six charges that you can use for three different effects. Firstly, any time you roll initiative, you can expend one charge to add or subtract your proficiency bonus to your roll. Second, you can expend two charges as an action to foretell a creature's doom. This lets you know where they are as long as they remain on the same plane.

In addition, you deal an extra 1d6 of damage to the creature whenever you roll damage. Finally, you can expend three charges and use a reaction to turn a missed attack into a hit, a failed save into a success, or vice versa. All of these uses are great, but the final use is especially powerful when used in tandem with devastating spells like Hold Monster, Forcecage, etc.

6 Talisman Of Pure Good

For Really Nice Guys

To attune with this talisman, you first need to be a creature of good alignment. If you're not, you take 6d6 or 8d6 radiant damage every turn you remain in contact with the item. It's especially good for Paladins and Clerics as both classes gain a +2 to spell attack rolls while attuned to it.

More importantly, though, the talisman comes with seven charges. You can use an action and expend a charge to target a creature on the ground within 120 feet of you. If the creature is evil, it must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed up in a flaming fissure that leaves no trace of the target.

5 Blood Fury Tattoo

Well Worth The Pain

This is the most formidable tattoo introduced in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. It requires attunement and does alter the appearance of your character via the tattooing process. However, that's a small price to pay for gaining access to ten charges that refresh every dawn, which you can use to do the following.

You can spend one charge when you hit a creature with a weapon attack to add 4d6 necrotic damage to the attack roll. On top of that, you regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage the target takes. Alternatively, you can spend a charge and use a reaction when a target hits you to gain a free attack against the target with advantage.

4 Holy Avenger

Stay Close, Stay Safe

This well-known weapon is the penultimate item to give to a Paladin. By the way, only Paladins can attune to it. The Holy Avenger is a +3 sword that deals another 2d10 radiant damage to any fiend or undead hit with it. However, the real kicker is that it provides an aura around the wielder inside of which friendly creatures gain advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.

The aura starts at ten feet of radius, but increases to 30 feet if you have 17 or more levels in the Paladin class. This aura protects not only you but your entire party as long as they remain relatively close to your character.

3 Blackrazor

Souls Are Oh-So Savory

Blackrazor is a living chaotic neutral greatsword that seeks to consume the souls of all things. When you consume a creature's soul with this weapon, you gain temporary hit points equal to the creature's hit point maximum. It's also a +3 weapon that is aware of the presence of creatures within 60 feet of you and makes you immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.

Finally, the sword can cast haste on you once per day without requiring your concentration. While this is a ridiculously powerful weapon, it certainly has drawbacks. For one, if it doesn't eat every three days it will rebel against you. Secondly, undead hit by this weapon are healed by it for 1d10 and you take 1d10 necrotic damage. If this damage downs you, Blackrazor eats your soul.

2 Staff Of The Magi

You've Got The Magic Touch

This is the legendary version of the staff of power. It requires attunement by a Warlock, Sorcerer, or Wizard and gives a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls made with it. The staff has 50 charges and regains 4d6 + 2 charges at dawn. You can use the charges to cast conjure elemental, dispel magic, flaming sphere, ice storm, invisibility, knock, passwall, plane shift, telekinesis, wall of fire, web, and the seventh-level versions of fireball and lightning bolt.

Like the staff of power, you can use an action to break the staff of the magi over your knee and cause a huge explosion. There's a 50 percent chance when you do so that you're teleported to a random plane of existence. Creatures nearby take damage equal to the number of charges in the staff times a number based on their proximity.

At most, the explosion deals 400 damage to creatures within 10 feet of you on a failed DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. Talk about going out with a bang.

1 Luck Blade

Wish Upon A Blade

Lastly, the Luck Blade is a quite simple +1 magic sword that gives you a +1 bonus to saving throws while you're attuned to it. You can use the sword's luck to reroll one roll once per day. Most importantly though, the sword comes with 1d4 - 1 wishes.

Seeing as wish can be used to alter the very reality of your game, there's no other item that can quite match this one. For any doubters, we challenge you to take a look at the description of the wish spell. It's really that good.