# 100 Iconic Fantasy Magic Items



## RangerWickett

I want to compile a list of iconic magic items. They can be from myth, literature, movies, TV, or games. Care to help me out? I'd like a range -- some weapons, some tools, some things you wear, some things too big to wear, a few one-use items, etc.

Oh, and let's avoid simple stuff like "+1 sword." I'm talking about magic items that would actually have an impact on a fantasy story, rather than just improving a character's behind-the-scenes 'stats.'

If you want, feel free to mention the actual name of a famous item, or just list what it does. I'm hoping to avoid duplications. I mean, Sting and Glamdring are both famous magic swords, but they don't really do much aside from glow when goblins or orcs are near.

Some starters.

1.   Flaming sword.
2.   Lightning javelin.
3.   Sun sword.
4.   Life-drinking dagger.
5.   Returning thrown hammer.
6.   Vorpal sword.
7.   Helmet/ring/cloak of invisibility.
8.   Shield/fleece of invincibility.
9.   Winged boots.
10. Healing chalice.
11. Belt of giant strength.
12. Hat of disguise.
13. Shield/bracers of arrow deflection.
14. Orb of controlling dragons.
15. Sheath that keeps you from bleeding.
16. Staff that can change length.
17. Statue that turns into a creature.
18. Scrying mirror.
19. Wand that zaps like a gun.
20. Headband/glasses that let you see (in the dark/invisible things/illusions).
21. Boots of running really fast.
22. Intelligent weapon.

What is there to add?


----------



## samursus

23. Bag of Holding More Than It Should


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Magic Rings of:

Dominion over Djinn (Solomon's) 

Invisibility Plato's Ring of Gyges)

Death Watch (ballads include a magic ring that turns pale when the person who received it has lost the person who gave it.)

Invoke & Command various guardians of heavenly palaces and to gain entrance to those heavens. (Jewish Lore) 

Ring of Lesser Djinn (Aladdin- the Djinn summoned is less powerful than the spirit of the Lamp)

Beauty/Charisma (In William Makepeace Thackeray's The Rose and the Ring)

Wonderous Power (In E. Nesbit's The Enchanted Castle, a magic ring has whatever magical powers its owner says that it has)

Planar Travel (C.S. Lewis' Yellow Ring & Green Ring {from Narnia})

Daywalking (The Vampire Diaries)


----------



## Theo R Cwithin

34. Fountain of youth/immortality

35. Top hat of minor creation (and bunnyrabbit creation)


----------



## Theo R Cwithin

36. Crystal ball (for scrying, for fortune-telling)

37. Flying broom, flying carpet


----------



## Klaus

38. Hammer of Thunderbolts (Mjolnir)
39. Girdle of Strength (Mejinjarden)
40. Gauntlet of Fire Resistance (Jarn Grieper)
41. Hide Armor of Invulnerability (Nemean's Lion Hide)
42. Scabbard of Wound Closure (Excalibur's Scabbard)
43. Steel-Cutter Sword (Excalibur)
44. Helm of Invisibility (Hades' Helm)
45. Sandals of Flying (Hermes' Sandals)
46. Shield of Petrification (Aegis)


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Klaus said:


> 43. Steel-Cutter Sword (Excalibur)




The sword Durendal/Durindal/Durendana (and several other spellings) from the Song of Roland was either indestructible and/or, like Excalibur, capable of piercing any armor.


----------



## Chainsaw

47. Jack's Magic Beans


----------



## knightofround

48. Staff that emits light on command
49. Mask that alters your physical appearance
50. Book/container/portal/game that sucks you into a different world
51. Book in which if something is written, it happens
52. Book of the Dead, rituals that can bring back the dead
53. Love potion
54. Luck potion
55. Flute that dominates animals
56. Device that makes ghosts substantial
57. Rock that strips away magical powers by its presence
58. Cursed gold
59. Intelligent construct
60. Card that shows the future
61. Weapon that melds into your arm
62. Doll made of a person, and whatever you do to the doll happens to the person

Hmm...its tougher to think of non-obviously D&D items than I thought.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

knightofround said:


> Hmm...its tougher to think of non-obviously D&D items than I thought.




Nah- its just that after 30+ years and with some pretty well-versed minds growing the game, D&D has incorporated many of the best ones already.

N) Armor made from the skin of an infamously tough creature (Nemean Lion, dragons, etc.)

N+1) Weapon-coating toxins created from the venom or blood of certain creatures

N+2) Weapons enchanted/altered by being tempered in the blood (or other parts) of certain creatures or powerful beings

N+3) Unicorn horns...and weapons like spears or daggers made from them


----------



## Theo R Cwithin

67. Food with effects: Alice's Eat me/drink me; Sleeping Beauty's sleeping apple.

68.  Watch/clock of time travel

69.  Self-writing paper/ink/pens/quills


----------



## FireLance

70. An item that answers questions: a mirror, or a staff that conjures a spirit of wisdom or knowledge, etc.

71. An item that allows someone else to control you: a circlet that gives you headaches whenever a phrase is chanted, a ring that allows someone else to dominate you. Obviously, few people would voluntarily put on such an item!

72. An item that produces food on command: a tablecloth, a table, a pot, etc.

73. Tools that work by themselves: brooms, farming implements, etc.


----------



## Hussar

74. Flying Cauldron - Baba Yaga
75.  Houses capable of mobility - Chicken legs for example.
76.  Items capable of storing souls and granting immortality - Dorian Grey, Kostchtchie legends.


----------



## Theo R Cwithin

77. Identity swapping/changing items; item that makes the user someone else

78.  Rings/lockets/signets/tabards etc that "bind" people together emotionally, intuitively, perceptionally (eg, lovers, family, soldiers, etc)

79.  Item (helm, circlet, gem, etc) of telepathy or mind-reading

80.  Hypnotizing medallion/jewel/tea/etc

81. Summoning items: djinni bottle, aladdin's lamp, etc

82.  Wish granting items: ring, monkey paw, idols of all sorts (and items tied to creatures that grant wishes: djinni from the lamp, leprechaun for his gold, etc)

83. Everburning torch, always-lit lights, of all sorts


----------



## Abraxas

84. Cauldron that raises the dead
85. Horn of Gabriel
86. Idunn's Golden Apples that kept the God's young


----------



## Ed_Laprade

Deck of cards or Wand that does random things.

Annnnd: The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioc! (Sp?)


----------



## Goblyn

perpetually - refilling mug/bowl/pot
fairy dust; to fly while thinking happy thoughts
a compass that only points towards what you desire most(maybe not existing before PotC, but I thought it was a neat idea)


----------



## xXxTheBeastxXx

Seriously? Can't believe nobody thought of this...

Broom of Flying?


----------



## Tonguez

xXxTheBeastxXx said:


> Seriously? Can't believe nobody thought of this...
> 
> Broom of Flying?




That was Number 37

However what hasn't been submitted is 

Cloud of Flying (re Monkey King)
Club of Flying (re Captain Caveman)
Magic Ship
Secret Potion (of Strength in the case of Asterix)
Magic Mirror
Looking Glass
The Luggage
Crystal Palace
Snake Staff
Pyramid Chamber of Immortality
The Golem
Orb of Pocket Monster summoning
Universal Index
Universal Translator
Sonic Screwdriver


----------



## FireLance

Tonguez said:


> Cloud of Flying (re Monkey King)



Actually, if I'm not wrong, the clouds are normal. Riding on clouds is just an ability that most immortals pick up.


----------



## Lanefan

Horn of Valhalla (or similar warrior-summoning device)

Horn of Blasting (or similar loud-noise-things-fall-down device)

Foghorn (or any of a host of other devices that generate fog)

Lute of Charming (or any instrument that enraptures the listeners)

Boots/Shoes/Slippers of Silent Movement (can't believe no-one hit this yet)

Ambrosia (nectar of the gods, can make you immortal if you eat it)


Lanefan


----------



## Whisper72

Dragon's teeth that when planted into the ground grow skeletal warriors under your command


----------



## DrunkonDuty

7 League Boots
Slippers of Dancing Until You Die
Iron Toed Boots of Bovver
Horse Shoes of the Zephyr
Lucky Horse Shoe or Rabbit's Foot
Book of Demonic Shoes Sizes

Just making stuff up under pressure, real thinking on my feet.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Here's one I don't think we've hit yet:

Flying Carpet.


----------



## Lanefan

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Here's one I don't think we've hit yet:
> 
> Flying Carpet.



Yeah we have - it's #37, tied with Flying Broom.

Lan-"I was going to post it too until I saw this"-efan


----------



## Al'Kelhar

Contracts/agreements/arrangements that, if not complied with to the letter, curse the person who failed to comply.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar


----------



## TarionzCousin

Would the Golem of Prague count?


----------



## RangerWickett

the_orc_within said:


> a lot of items...




I need to spread some XP around before I can give you anymore. But thanks for adding a ton.


For the rest of you, I'm out of XP for today, but thank you muchly. I've got a personal project I'm writing up, and this list is very handy. Plus, it reminds me not to be so stingy with magic gear.


----------



## Psychotic Jim

-The Philosopher's stone, the ultimate goal of many an alchemist, which was said to be the elixir of life, the road to immortality, to be able to transmute lead into gold.

- Runes are sometimes associated with magic or divination.

-Different traditions of divination  often have different tools associated with them, such as the divining rod, tealeaves, or the like.  In ancient China they used to heat up bones and turtle shells until they would crack, and then make divinations based on which way the cracks would form.

-Housing and architecture can be designed for various supernatural purposes.  The Winchester House was owned by the wife of the creator of the Winchester rifles.  Really weird place, had doors that lead to nowhere, superfluous chimneys, etc.  Sarah Winchester had it under continual construction allegedly to keep the spirits of those who died by the rifle at peace.  The mansion is sometimes portrayed as a trap or ward against spirits.  Similarly, gargoyles were sometimes said to ward away evil spirits.  Feng shui is often associated with influencing the flow of energy (both positive and negative).


----------



## Ravilah

Did I miss it, or did nobody include the One Ring of Power (either Tolkien's or the Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung)?


----------



## AFGNCAAP

Not sure if these have been mentioned, but...

*Soul-holding object:* Ala the lich's phylactery, or the various creatures/items which held Koschei's soul.

*Religious relic:* An object once used by/associated with a prominent religious figure, or even the mummified/preserved body part of said religious figure. The Holy Grail, Ark of the Covenant, and the Spear of Destiny are fine examples of objects, whereas bones of the saints are good examples of body remnants. The Hand and Eye of Vecna fit in this category (initially sans the religious context in prior editions).

*Shapechanger's skin/cloak:* The animal skin worn by a shapeshifter that allows them to assume their animal form.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

I actually consciously avoided the One Ring, and the Neibelung ring had aspects of some of the others I mentioned, so I didn't feel it necessary.


----------



## TarionzCousin

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I actually consciously avoided the *One Ring*, and the Neibelung ring had aspects of some of the others I mentioned, so I didn't feel it necessary.



I have tried and tried to avoid the One Ring but... it just... keeps... calling to me!!!


----------



## Abraxas

RangerWickett said:
			
		

> What does the 'horn of Gabriel' do, aside from be tooted by an angel? Thanks, still.



Knocks down the walls of Jericho. It also has infinite surface area but encloses a finite volume.

And then there's the Horn of Athanael - which blows at midnight.


----------



## Doctorfunk_15

Sorry I don't have anything to add to the list, but I've been looking all over the net for more information on something and I notice that you've mentioned it in this thread.

I've been looking for information on the magic items that connect or bind two people in some way. You all seem to be very knowledgable and I was wondering what all you guys can tell me about this sort of thing or if you can lead me to examples or stories with items like this.

I would really appreciate it if you guys could help me out with this. I'm actually writing a story with a concept like this(magic item that connects two people in some way) and I'm trying to work out how exactly I want it to work in my story and I'm just trying to do some research about how people have done it in the past. Maybe you all could help me brainstorm a little!


----------



## Thornir Alekeg

Did not see these on the list:

Sword that shines in the presence of orcs (or other enemy - aka Sting)

the Singing Sword

Ruby red slippers of return

Magic Hewl-met (you have to sing it like Bugs and Elmer!)


----------



## Dannyalcatraz

Thornir Alekeg said:


> Did not see these on the list:
> 
> Sword that shines in the presence of orcs (or other enemy - aka Sting)




A sword that shines in the presence of Sting would be pretty cool...especially if it glowed red and was called Roxanne.


----------



## Amphimir Míriel

Belt of giant strength

Unicorn horns neutralizing poisons

Rosary with a demon sealed in each bead


----------



## jonesy

Doctorfunk_15 said:


> I've been looking for information on the magic items that connect or bind two people in some way.





knightofround said:


> 62. Doll made of a person, and whatever you do to the doll happens to the person.



European Fever Dolls, and the old English Poppet were dolls used for all kinds of magical purposes. They could heal, bind people together, hurt, serve as a death watch, or act as scapegoats for damage to yourself.

The african Nkisi containers did much the same, though I don't remember if they ever bound people together. They were usually for sexual prowess rather than love. Love was something you had to accomplish yourself.

Then there is the oriental concept of a Red String of Fate which binds people together, but I don't think that's actually an object. It's more like a manifestation of fate.


----------



## Doug McCrae

The One Ring
Stormbringer
Mjolnir
Excalibur
The Holy Grail
Ark of the Covenant
Uriel's flaming sword (the angel set to guard the Garden of Eden)
Aladdin's lamp
Flying carpet
Witch's broomstick
The plot macguffin from any trashy fantasy novel, especially if it's of the 'collect the parts' variety
Magic beans from Jack and the Beanstalk
The Magic Pudding
Wardrobe from 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'
The Pillar of Life from H Rider Haggard's She
The Luggage from Terry Pratchett
Jekyll and Hyde potion
Love potion, such as the one in A Midsummer Night's Dream
Lightsabre
Captain America's shield
Green Lantern's ring
Kryptonite (or Balder's mistletoe)
Harry Potter's wand
Hades cap of invisibility, given to Perseus
Siegfried's cloak of invisibility
The Ring from Wagner's Ring Cycle
Siegfried's 'sword which was broken', Nothung, from Wagner's Ring Cycle
Seven league boots
The Golem
Crystal ball
Size-changing food and drink from Alice in Wonderland

D&D: Flametongue sword, the Hand/Eye of Vecna, the Rod of Seven Parts (or any multi-part macguffin), cursed items, bag of holding, intelligent swords, Deck of Many Things, ring of invisibility, staff of the magi, wand of wonder, ring of three wishes, vorpal sword, holy avenger


----------



## Doug McCrae

Radiation in 50s movies and 60s comics - a source of giant monsters and superpowers
Dr Frankenstein's life-creating apparatus
FTL drives and wormholes
HG Wells Time Machine
Death ray
'Fairy dust' from Peter Pan that enables flight
Dr Who's TARDIS and sonic screwdriver
Animated broomstick from Fantasia
Star Trek's transporters and phasers
The map in Time Bandits
KITT from Knight Rider
Proton packs and containment units from Ghostbusters
The box from Hellraiser
Chemicals (usually green in color) that make zombies - Return of the Living Dead, Planet Terror
The Matrix


----------



## gilthan3

Lightsabers


----------



## SkidAce

Role Aids produced a two book set called Fantastic Treasures I and II.  It had nearly all the historical/mythic items in it.  

I might be able to dig it out of the attic, but either way you should look into getting copies.


----------



## Lord Captian Tobacco

The Vorpal sword (Snicker-snack!)
The Crystal skull (the Aztec one. Not the latest Indy Jones thing.)
TheHorn of Roland.
A Berserkers’ horn. (I know, this was mentioned earlier, but I really like them…) 
The sword of Roland (Durandal).
The bow of Odysseus 

The Armor of Achilles 
Excalibur!


----------

