Magical Items
* Modified: *
Identify
All magical items will need to be identified before being able to use their powers. This represents the knowledge to activate or attune to an item before being able to use its special ability. Once an item has been identified, items of the same descriptor do not need to be identified again in the future. For example, when identifying a Wand of Fireballs, the person who identified the item will be able to use another Wand of Fireballs without identification.
Identification can be immediate through the use of the Identify spell, or may be attempted with an Arcana (Intelligence) check (proficiency in Arcana is required). The difficulty and time required is based upon the rarity of the magic item. The Identify spell — like all Ritual spells in this homebrew — must be cast with spell slots unless the caster also has the Ritual Caster feat.
| Rarity | DC | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 10 | Immediate |
| Uncommon | 15 | 1 day |
| Rare | 20 | 3 days |
| Very Rare | 25 | 7 days |
| Legendary | 30 | 30 days |
Access to an Arcane research library can potentially give Advantage on the Arcana check to identify a magic item.
Thoughts on Game Design
The standard magic item identification rule (DMG p.136) allows for any character to identify any magic item during a Short Rest. I’d like to add more mystique surrounding magic items by requiring a more difficult approach and an element of risk/reward. This house rule is intended to make the Identify spell more valuable at any level of play, as well as giving the Arcana skill a significant and consistent use.