If you’re a longtime fan of Critical Role, chances are you’ve seen the members of Vox Machina grin with delight when they’re handed a new item card from Dungeon Master Matt Mercer.

Magic items in Critical Role are created by Matt himself, and he uses a specific spreadsheet template to explain all the details to his players. Now you can, too, thanks to Matt’s generosity in sharing his expert DM knowledge, since he’s made the template free to everyone to download (Excel).

Now that you have the template, you might be wondering where to start with creating magical items. Matt has you covered there, too. Take a look at his Game Master Tips video on item creation for suggestions about crafting your own unique pieces for your campaign.

When you’re inspired to create a piece of gear for one of your adventurers, or a player would like to craft their own, Matt’s tips include considering how many magical items are in the world and thinking about what the player might be missing that the item can help with.

And, as a bonus tip on Twitter, to estimate a magical item’s value, he recommends DMs to use their experience, compare it to existing items and choose rarity based on their best guess.

@ckviper Compare it’s abilities and power level to existing items, and choose rarity based on your best guess! Unique/Legendary work!

— Matthew Mercer (@matthewmercer) March 25, 2017

Matt’s suggestion to imbue a magical item with sentience and personality can be seen in Critical Role when Grog comes across a one-of-a-kind sword, Craven Edge. Adding an NPC persona to a magical item can lead to unforgettable scenes like this one.

Be sure to check out the other Game Master Tips for more suggestions and ideas for inspiration when creating your campaign.

What are some magical items you’ve created for a campaign? Tell us in the comments.

Featured Image: David Rodrigues

Critical Role Animated: GeeWhiz