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We are playing Hoard of the Dragon Queen. My PC's are only at level 3. They stumbled into a magic shop and asked for a Bag of Holding. I made the asker roll to beat a 15 and if he did I said that he could buy one. (He rolled a 17.) So then I proceeded to look for for how much one costs in the DMG, PHB & HotDQ. Magic item creation and endless tables were all I found. Someone found a D&D Wiki and said it was 2500 GP. I ended the game (about 15 minutes early) to do my homework. Am I missing something?

My question is:

Why is the Bag of Holding not listed in the Index of any book?

Where do I get price lists for magic items? Or if the answer is "It's at my discretion", what should I use as a guide?

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    \$\begingroup\$ If you have to ask, you can't afford it. \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Commented Mar 8, 2019 at 5:28

4 Answers 4

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1. None of the named magic items are found in the index...

... annoying, but it seems only the categories of magic item (rings, rods, staffs, wondrous items etc.) are in the index, not the specifics. Instead of using the core books to search for specific items, I recommend using one of the SRD websites - I use 5thsrd.org to quickly search for individual rules.

2. By default, you can't buy most magic items

Default 5e assumes that "magic shops" pretty much won't exist, and even goes on to suggest that potions and the like be bought at alchemist's shops instead.

From the DMG, page 135:

Unless you decide your campaign works otherwise, most magic items are so rare that they aren't available for purchase.

and further:

If your campaign allows for trade in magic items, rarity can also help you set prices for them. As the DM, you determine the value of an individual magic item based on its rarity. Suggested values are provided in the Magic Item Rarity table.

The Bag of Holding is an uncommon item, therefore in the 101 - 500GP range. At this point, it is at your discretion.

Magic items in 5e

Unlike previous editions (particularly the 3/3.5/4 era) 5e is designed to depend much less on magic items. Together, the:

  • attuning rules (which limit the number of powerful items any individual character can have),
  • the expressly "lower magic" setting (which generally restricts the purchase - and sale! - of magic items),
  • and their "bounded accuracy" (lower difficulty, ACs and progression gradients)

...ensure that high level 5e characters are powerful because of their raw skill and ability, not the plethora of magic items they happen to be decked out in. This was a specific design decision going back to the very first D&D Next playtests. (As a side note, having your party find that Bag of Holding in some dusty and forgotten attic is also more rewarding than just stopping by the local Bags of Holding R Us and grabbing a few!)

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As previous answers have suggested, magic item prices are broadly at your discretion, with suggested prices provided by rarity in the DMG (p. 135).

However, there is quite a convincing argument that some of the rarities are either too low or too high, possibly leading to very powerful items being too common, and therefore too cheap if you allow them to be bought. To this end you may want to look at a magic item power guide (such as this one on the 'Tribality' website) and the so called 'Sane Magic Item Prices' forum post on 'Giant in the Playground'.

The 'Sane Magic Item Prices' post suggests that Bag of Holding should be 4000gp, quite a step up from the 101-500gp suggested by the DMG.

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    \$\begingroup\$ As an interesting addendum: Before I looked at either of those websites, I gave my players a 'Weapon of Warning' at about level 3. It now transpires that it is probably one of the best, if not the best uncommon magic weapon, better than some very rare, or even legendary items. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ladifas
    Commented Jul 11, 2016 at 10:50
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    \$\begingroup\$ +100 for linking in the Sane Magic Item Prices index--I've found that simply invaluable in running my games, and I think all 5e GMs should look at it at least once. \$\endgroup\$
    – nitsua60
    Commented Jul 16, 2016 at 13:28
  • \$\begingroup\$ Nothing states that the sane magic item prices is an official rule book. I'd stick with the DMG indicated values \$\endgroup\$
    – KilrathiSly
    Commented Nov 19, 2019 at 18:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ @KilrathiSly No, indeed it it not. But it was designed by people who felt that the DMG indicated values were not useful, a sentiment with which I am inclined to agree. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ladifas
    Commented Nov 22, 2019 at 22:44
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Simpler question first: the Bag of Holding is listed in the DMG page 153, as a "Wondrous item, uncommon". Wondrous item is its general category (as opposed to, say, armor or wand).

The reason you can't find an exact price is there isn't one. In 5e, magic is considered so rare that prices are always negotiated. There's a table on DMG page 135 that lists rough gold values for items. The Uncommon rating mentioned above puts it in the 101-500 GP range.

For more information on the expected count of magic items, check out the DMG table for starting equipment on page 38. Personally, as an old 3.5 player, it was quite a shock to see so few items.

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    \$\begingroup\$ +1, but I think you could improve this answer with a note on the "Magic Shop", since it's an important issue in the question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Miniman
    Commented Jul 11, 2016 at 4:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Miniman Is it? To my reading, the question itself is "How much does this item cost?" and the context about a magic item shop is incidental. From a core rules perspective, it may as well be a traveling merchant or a someone fencing stolen goods. Then again, I don't know anything about HotDQ specifically, so I may just be missing context there. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joel Harmon
    Commented Jul 11, 2016 at 22:44
  • \$\begingroup\$ It's not about HotDQ specifically, but the idea that magic items have a fixed price is intertwined with the idea that magic items can be bought in the first place - your answer addresses one but not the other. \$\endgroup\$
    – Miniman
    Commented Jul 12, 2016 at 0:43
  • \$\begingroup\$ Only one answer on the page mentions magic shops. I agree with the poster that it is incidental. The questioner wants a guide for pricing more than anything else. Magic shops are de facto at this point in his campaign. \$\endgroup\$
    – keithcurtis
    Commented Jun 15, 2017 at 0:02
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Actually, the Bag of Holding is listed as an uncommon magical item, which means it's between 101 and 500 gp. (DMG, p. 135)

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    \$\begingroup\$ Where is it listed as being an uncommon magical item, and where did you find the list of values? \$\endgroup\$
    – Thomas Jacobs
    Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 20:17
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    \$\begingroup\$ @ThomasJacobs It's in the item description in the DMG right under the bag's name. Bag of Holding Wondrous item, uncommon There is another DMG table that summarizes cost based on rarity. DMG page 135 \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 21:43
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    \$\begingroup\$ Chris, welcome to RPG.SE. Please take the tour and visit the help center to get an idea for how this Q&A site works. If you look at the other answers, you'll find that they went into enough detail to explain where the bag is found in the DMG and what its cost range is. Detailed and supported answers are what we call for at this SE. We are glad you joined us and hope you'll check out some of the other questions and answers on RPG topics of interest to you. Happy Gaming! \$\endgroup\$
    – KorvinStarmast
    Commented Jun 14, 2017 at 21:48

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