In the multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons, there is all kinds of powerful loot that players want to get their hands on. However, there are also plenty of seemingly useless items that are quite popular and lead to numerous amusing situations. We have gathered 8 of these items for you.
How was the list created? For our list, we selected 8 magical items that at first glance do not seem to be very useful, but have effects that can be particularly creatively or amusingly utilized.
In doing so, we paid attention to a diverse array so that every player and Dungeon Master can find something useful. We limited ourselves to the 5th edition while considering the new rulebooks (version 2024).
Of course, no item in Dungeons & Dragons is truly absolutely useless, as its usefulness primarily depends on how players use and incorporate it. Still, there are quite a few whose utility can initially be thoroughly questioned.
Wand of Smiles
- Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, p. 140
- Item on DnD Beyond
With this wand, you can make a humanoid target smile. Compulsively. If it fails its Charisma saving throw of 10. Otherwise, it is cursed to smile for 1 minute, whether it wants to or not.
The wand has 3 charges, which it can regenerate every day at dusk. If you use all of them in one day, you must roll a D20. On a 1, it turns into a Wand of Scowls. You can imagine what that can do.
But don’t worry, if you also use up the 3 charges for that wand, you can turn it back into a Wand of Smiles on a roll of 1. You’ll likely need a few tries for this.
Wand of Conduction
- Dungeon Master’s Guide (2024), p. 319
- Item on DnD Beyond
This wand allows you to become the conductor of an imaginary, yet quite loud orchestra. It has 3 charges, and you can use one of them in a magical action by waving it through the air.
When you do so, the music of an entire orchestra plays, which you can control (if the Dungeon Master allows you). The music can be heard in a radius of 120 feet (approx. 37 meters) and ends as soon as you stop moving the wand.
It regains all its charges every day at dusk. If you use the last charge of the day, you must roll a D20. If you roll a 1, a very sad tuba sound plays and the wand crumbles to dust.
