The 15 Best Very Rare Magical Items in D&D 5e [Ranked]

Very Rare Magical Items are often only given at the end of mid-game or late-game, as some have the power to change the course of a campaign.

They are mostly found in extremely difficult dungeons and nests of powerful monsters that threaten to destroy your party.

It might be a struggle to get to these items, but if you can get your hands on one, do it!

Magic Item Rarity in 5e D&D

In D&D, you’ll come across many different items that will each have their own rarity.

The following list shows item rarity from least rare to most rare:

In other words, Very Rare items aren’t available in most campaigns and are only accessible at late-mid to late game.

Best Very Rare Magical Items

15. Ring of Regeneration

Attunement – Yes

Item Type – Ring

Wearing the Ring of Regeneration has your character regain 1d6 HP every 10 minutes and regrow lost body parts.

When this ring is put on the character that loses the most HP every battle, it means spellcasters don’t have to cast as many healing spells.

Being able to regrow limbs is useful, but since the dismemberment rules aren’t used much, that property won’t do too much for your character. Unless your DM really likes lopping off limbs!

14. Dragon Scale Mail

Attunement – Yes

Item Type – Armor (Scale Mail)

Dragon Scale Mail gives the wearer an additional +1 to AC, as well as advantage against the Frightful Presence and breath weapons of dragons. It also provides resistance based on the color of the scales used.

This armor is good for medium armor users, which a lot of characters are, and it’s quite good on Druids who want higher AC, as the armor isn’t made from metal but from scales.

13. Wand of the War Mage

Attunement – Yes (by a spellcaster)

Item Type – Wand

As a very rare item, the Wand of the War Mage gives a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and ignores half cover when making a spell attack.

Since the wand can be attuned to by any spellcaster, it works best with spellcasters who focus primarily on offense.

However, it’s quite heartbreaking that it doesn’t also increase spell save DC. Otherwise, it would’ve been much higher on the list.

12. Efreeti Bottle

Attunement – None

Item Type – Wondrous item

You may use an action to remove the stopper of this bottle, which has a cloud of thick smoke flowing out of the bottle.

When the bottle is first opened, the DM will roll a d100. Between 01-10, the Efreeti inside attacks you for 5 rounds. Between 11-90, the Efreeti serves you for 1 hour. Between 91-00, the Efreeti can cast the Wish spell three times for you.

It’s quite obvious why this item can be immensely powerful. The only issue is that you only have a 10% chance of getting the three wishes.

11. Bloodwell Vial

Attunement – Yes (by a Sorcerer)

Item Type – Wondrous item

A very rare Bloodwell Vial grants a +3 bonus to spell saving throw DCs and attack rolls of Sorcerer spells. It’s also a spellcasting focus and can regain 5 sorcery points once every day.

The Bloodwell Vial is a fantastic Sorcerer item. It grants a good spell save DC and spell attack bonus, but since it can only be picked up naturally by a Sorcerer, it isn’t ranked as high as other items on this list.

10. Belt of Giant Strength

Attunement – Yes

Item Type – Wondrous item

At the very rare rarity, the Belt of Giant Strength provides the wearer with 23 or 25 Strength if the wearer’s Strength isn’t already at 23 or 25 or more.

Being able to get an ability score past 20 with only a rare item is so incredibly powerful it doesn’t even make sense.

It might not be the best item for characters who don’t need Strength that much, but for characters like Fighters, Barbarians, or even Moon Druids, having that much Strength at such a low level is insane.

9. Rod of the Pact Keeper

Attunement – Yes (by a Warlock)

Item Type – Rod

The Rod of the Pact Keeper gives a +3 bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs of Warlock spells. You can even regain one Warlock spell slot using an action while holding the rod, but that can only be used once each day.

This rod is quite powerful, but since only Warlocks can naturally attune to it, it falls short of other items.

Still, for Warlocks who use offensive magic, the bonuses given by the rod will help a ton.

8. Potion of Healing

Attunement – None

Item Type – Potion

The Potion of Healing arguably becomes better as the game continues. The main reason is that certain characters can easily craft this item by using alchemy.

When using the very rare Potion of Healing, it’ll heal 8d4 + 8 HP, which isn’t something to scoff at.

In fact, it’s one of the best items for healing, as it allows your group to heal even when spell slots have run out or you can’t spare any since you need them to continue through a quest.

7. Spellguard Shield

Attunement – Yes

Item Type – Armor (Shield)

Holding the Spellguard Shield gives you advantage on saving throws against spells as well as other magical effects. Spell attacks will also have disadvantage against you.

As a campaign continues, more and more enemies will start to use magic and cast spells, so picking up the Spellguard Shield in the mid to late game would be best.

6. Manuals and Tomes

Attunement – None

Item Type – Wondrous item

There are six tomes and manuals that player characters can use to permanently increase a specific ability score.

Each book covers an ability score that will increase by 2 upon finishing the book. The book cannot be used this way again until 100 years have passed.

These manuals and tomes can be extremely important, as they don’t only increase the score itself but also the score’s maximum, allowing you to raise it higher than possible beforehand.

5. Wand of Polymorph

Attunement – Yes (by a spellcaster)

Item Type – Wand

The Wand of Polymorph has 7 charges and allows you to use one to cast Polymorph. Each day, it will regain 1d6 + 1 charges.

This wand gives you a free Polymorph spell that you can choose to use on your allies or, better yet, on a powerful monster.

4. Barrier Tattoo

Attunement – Yes

Item Type – Wondrous item

As a very rare item, the Barrier Tatoo will grant an AC of 18 if the wearer isn’t wearing any armor.

Spellcasters will love this tattoo as they struggle with low AC and tend not to wear armor anyway.

You might think about putting this tattoo on as a Barbarian or Monk, but because of their Unarmored Defense and this item’s rarity. By the time you get a hold of this tattoo, your Unarmored Defense will already be at 18 AC or higher.

3. Rod of Absorption

Attunement – Yes

Item Type – Rod

The Rod of Absorption allows you to absorb a spell that targets you (AoE spells can’t be absorbed) by using your reaction. It will then store the energy of the spell, which is at the same level as the spell.

This energy can be converted into spell slots to cast spells you know or have prepared. A maximum of 5th-level spell slots can be made, but the spell slots made can only be of your spell slot level or less.

Rod of Absorption isn’t good, it’s incredible, and it even surpasses many Legendary weapons.

Even if the rod isn’t as useful in the early game, in the late game, it becomes a must-have for spellcasters who can find it.

2. Horn of Valhalla

Attunement – None

Item Type – Wondrous item

Horn of Valhalla, at the very rare rarity, can spawn 4d4 + 4 Berserkers, lasting 1 hour and staying alive until they drop to 0 HP or the time ends.

The horn competes with the most powerful items on this list, not quite making it to the Staff of Power but beating everything else except the Rod of Absorption by a mile.

Essentially, the horn guarantees victory whenever you use it in a battle. You spawn a bunch of creatures without having to hold Concentration, making the fight extremely tedious, but winning nonetheless.

1. Staff of Power

Attunement – Yes (by a Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard)

Item Type – Staff

The Staff of Power grants a +2 bonus to AC, damage and attack rolls, saving throws, and spell attack rolls.

It also gives you access to nine different spells that you can cast using the staff’s charges, and it even deals 1d6 extra Force damage when used as a quarterstaff.

There’s not much to say about the Staff of Power other than it’s busted! Nothing on this list even compares to it, and many Legendary items tremble in its shadow.

Honorable Mentions

Dwarven Thrower
Helm of Brilliance
Illusionist’s Bracers (for spellcasters who use a lot of Cantrips)
Staff of Striking (great for melee staff wielders)
Living Armor (great for flavor, and three resistances are insane)

Final Thoughts

The items mentioned above range from “decent” all the way to “better than Legendary” items.

After understanding just how powerful items lower than Very Rare magical items are, you can imagine the damage items like Horn of Valhalla or Staff of Power are capable of doing.