A review copy of “40 Magic Items – Treasures of the Underdark” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work via Patreon.
Designed by: Matt Vaughan (Dungeon Rollers)
“Treasures of the Underdark” is a magic item supplement with a specific theme – the Underdark! Forty magical items are provided, all richly tied to the various races and denizens of the Underdark. The supplement would be the perfect match for an Out of the Abyss campaign, or any dungeon featuring Underdark critters.
The list of items is preceded by several tables that organize them into the various creatures and races they’re modeled after, as well as dividing them up between lower level (Uncommon and Rare) and higher level (Very Rare and Legendary) loot.
The list leans slightly toward higher level loot, with much of the lower level stuff utilizing out-of-combat items, like a candle that can’t be seen by enemies, or fungal rations with various side effects.
Many magical items have direct and obvious correlations to Underdark races and creatures. The Armor of the Stone Guard grants the user the abilities of a duergar: advantage on saving throws against spell-like effects, and can use charges to cast Enlarge and Invisibility.
A dozen items are taken from the drow, including magical house-specific signet rings and bloodthirsty blades. While The Eyes of the Beholder is an amulet with different gem “stalks,” each of which can cast a spell akin to a Beholder’s various rays.
My favorite items were those that gave the PCs interesting choices or random effects.
That Beholder amulet comes with several gems missing, and players are given the options of fixing it at a steep cost to gain new abilities. The Fungal Rations provide nourishment, but also a random effect from a d10 table. Most are hugely beneficial, but rolling a 1 or 2 results in nasty poison damage and exhaustion, and the rations themselves come in a finite amount. The Deathblade is a legendary sentient dagger that lets the wielder coat the blade in four different kinds of poisons to apply different status effects.
These are all interesting ideas and concepts that I would’ve loved to see more of. Many of the items feel like re-themed version of existing items from the Dungeon Master’s Guide. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and indeed the whole point of the supplement is providing Underdark themed magic items. But the more original items are far more interesting.
“Treasures of the Underdark” is highly recommended for an Out of the Abyss campaign, but it shouldn’t be limited there. Beholders, drow, and demons pop up everywhere, and so can their tantalizing loot.
Pros:
- All 40 magic items are richly themed to the Underdark and its denizens.
- Nice variety of different kinds of magical items, from the usual swords, amulets, and potions to magical ropes, mushroom rations, and even a demonic tattoo.
- A single page chapter full of tables to make your own Underdark-themed magical items.
Cons:
- Many items feel like re-themed version of existing items in the DMG, rather than wholly original creations.
The Verdict: “Treasures of the Underdark” includes dozens of thematically appropriate loot when dealing with drow, spiders, beholders and other denizens of the Underdark.
A review copy of “40 Magic Items – Treasures of the Underdark” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work via Patreon.
RogueWatson 