Characters acquire treasure from the glittering hoards of their foes, as rewards for defending the innocent, and as favors from the grand personalities they treat with. As they progress through their adventures and improve their station in the world, characters collect ever more fabulous items from enchanted armor and weapons to spell-infused staves.

Treasure comes in all sorts of forms, from humble copper coins to incredibly powerful and valuable magic items. The GM controls the flow of items in the game as the PCs win them through adventures, find them for purchase, or acquire the formulas to make the items themselves.

Items can support characters by granting bonuses to their statistics, allowing them to cast more spells, and creating all sorts of effects that can't be achieved in any other way. Magic items come in many varieties, from enchanted swords that can harm even incorporeal undead to containers that can store a king's ransom within a tiny space; many are permanent items that can be used repeatedly. Alchemical items, by contrast, are not intrinsically magical and are often consumed when used. Both have a variety of uses, from curing the sick to lighting foes on fire. Some treasures are neither magical nor alchemical, but are instead crafted from precious materials or using specialized expertise.

This chapter provides rules for using different kinds of items encountered in the game. Rules for distributing treasure and creating treasure hoards can be found in Treasure. 

• Using Items, beginning below, describes how to activate items and explains the statistics for items.
  
• Table 11–1: Treasure by Level, lists the options for treasures, arranged by level, category, and Price.
  
• The catalog of items, presents descriptions and rules for all sorts of different treasures that can appear in the game, sorted by category. This also includes a section on precious materials found in the game world, which can give items unusual properties.
  

Item Categories

• Alchemical Items are powered by the reactions of alchemical reagents. Almost all alchemical items are consumable items that are used up when you activate them. This category includes bombs, elixirs (including mutagens), poisons, and alchemical tools.
  
• Ammunition, in Consumables, includes different types of magical arrows, crossbow bolts, and other types of ammunition.
  
• Apex Items are a subcategory of worn items of a high level that increase an ability score.
  
• Armor includes the rules for basic magical armor as well as special suits of armor.
  
• Companion Items are a category of worn items meant for animal companions and mounts.
  
• Consumables are used up when you activate them, and include ammunition, oils, potions, scrolls, and talismans, among others. Categories of items that are consumables but have specific rules, such as alchemical items, are presented separately. 
  
• Held Items include a wide variety of items you use with your hands. This doesn't include more narrow categories of held items, such as weapons.
  
• Materials can be used to make items with unique properties and other advantages.
  
• Oils are consumables applied to the surface of an object or person.
  
• Potions are consumable magical liquids you drink to activate.
  
• Runes modify armor and weapons when etched onto them. This section includes fundamental runes for weapons (weapon potency and striking) and armor (armor potency and resilient).
  
• Scrolls are consumables that allow spellcasters to cast more spells.
  
• Shields include more durable shields and ones with special magical powers.
  
• Snares are single-use traps typically made by rangers.
  
• Staves provide flexible spellcasting options.
  
• Structures include buildings, tents, and other larger items.
  
• Talismans are consumables that are affixed to items and then activated for a one-time combat or physical benefit.
  
• Wands hold a spell of the crafter's choice, and can be used to repeatedly cast that spell.
  
• Weapons include the rules for basic magical weapons, weapons made from precious materials, and specific magic weapons.
  
• Worn Items consist of a vast collection of clothing and other items you wear on your body.
  

Using Items

The myriad types of items give their powerful boons in different ways. Some function automatically, while others need to be activated. While you need only swing a flaming greataxe to scorch foes, you need to invest a diadem of intellect for it to work, imbibe an elixir of life to heal yourself, activate slippers of spider climbing to walk up a wall, activate your mail of luck to protect yourself, and Cast a Spell using a magical scroll.

Constant Abilities

Some magic items have abilities that always function. You don't have to use any actions to do anything special (beyond wearing and investing a worn item or wielding a held item) to make these abilities work. For example, an everburning torch always sheds light, and a flaming weapon deals fire damage every time it deals damage.