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Suppose I have an item that requires attunement, and my character has done so.

If another party member (or someone else) acquires that item, can they attune it if the original character hasn't "given up" attunement? I assume that dying cancels any attunement?

Surely, it's not "last attuner wins."

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"Last attuner wins"

Yes, it really does work like that (emphasis added):

A creature's attunement to an item ends if the creature no longer satisfies the prerequisites for attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if the creature dies, or if another creature attunes to the item.

So yes, if a character attunes to an item, it breaks any existing attunement to that item by another character. In other words, yes, you can "steal" attunement from another character.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Really?!? (obviously I have reading to do). Well cripes, my pally is henceforth sleeping with his Devotee's Censer (so to speak). Having killed a Drow and sanctified the weapon, I figured the prior attuner's death was the reason it could be (re)attuned. Thank you for the additional information. \$\endgroup\$
    – railsdog
    Commented Nov 3, 2021 at 3:36
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    \$\begingroup\$ although you do need a 1 hour short rest to do this, so if someone steals one of your magic items, the best thing to do is to keep chasing them. Don't give them that hour rest to steal attunement from you \$\endgroup\$
    – Andrew A DeMarco
    Commented Nov 3, 2021 at 13:08
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    \$\begingroup\$ @railsdog For what it's worth, the Devotee's Censer can only be attuned to by a Cleric or Paladin, so at least you'll know whom to keep your eye on. And attuning to a PC's magical item without them knowing it is about as acceptable as stealing and selling that item, so it's unlikely to happen in a group that wants to stay together. \$\endgroup\$
    – Gandalfmeansme
    Commented Nov 3, 2021 at 14:26

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