Dungeons & Dragons‘ newest sourcebook, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants is packed with high-quality features for seasoned dungeon masters and players alike, mainly for giant-themed adventures in any homebrew campaign or module. A handful of new feats let players fight like true giants, while an assortment of brand-new magical items can be used by any class in any situation.
Most of the new magic items found in Glory of the Giants are rare and up, meaning they’re more likely to be found by the time the party is level 5 or higher while looting ancient dungeons. Even for high-level parties facing powerful monsters, these great new magic items should prove highly useful and may spell the difference between life and death when roaming the land of giants.
10 Adze of Annam
Artifact
The Adze of Annam is one of the strongest magic items found in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, mainly balanced by the fact it’s a unique item and should prove difficult to find. If the party does claim the Adze of Annam, the Dungeon Master will want to apply a handful of beneficial and detrimental properties, like many artifacts.
No matter this weapon’s random properties, it has other, even better properties that any frontline warrior like a barbarian would enjoy. It’s a magical weapon with a hefty +3 bonus to hit and damage rolls, and it deals an extra 3d12 force damage per hit, which is great even at high levels.
9 Armor of Safeguarding
Very Rare
Armor of Safeguarding is a very rare magic item in Bigby Presents that requires attunement and can appear in a variety of armor types, such as ringed mail and splint. Aside from the normal AC bonus, Armor of Safeguarding boosts the wearer’s HP by 10 plus their level, excellent for melee characters like fighters, barbarians, and paladins.
This armor also allows the wearer to invoke its rune once per day to cast the Beacon of Hope spell, which is normally reserved for the cleric class, and it doesn’t even require concentration when cast this way. Such a spell can easily turn a difficult battle around and make a paladin feel that much holier with cleric-like powers.
8 Bigby’s Beneficial Bracelet
Artifact
The wizard Bigby personally crafted this magical bracelet, and like most artifacts, it will have an assortment of randomly chosen properties, some positive, some negative. Aside from that, this excellent magical item allows the user to cast a variety of useful spells outside of combat, starting with Mage Hand, a spellcaster staple.
The Force Sculpture ability lets the user make a force replica of a large or smaller non-magical item, which can have all kinds of uses. Best of all, once per day, the wearer can cast the Bigby’s Hand spell as a 9th level spell. Unlike Mage Hand, this spell can attack enemies. It can also grab enemies to restrain them and even provide cover for the caster.
7 Bloodshed Blade
Bloodshed Blade
The Bloodshed Blade is a ferocious new magic item in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants that can appear in a variety of sword types, from greatswords to rapiers. Whatever this weapon’s form, it has the same effect of using Hit Dice and the user’s CON modifier to boost damage output. That makes it ideal for classes like paladin, barbarian, and fighter.
The attacker may spend a Hit Die and add its rolled result to their attack roll, making it more accurate. When the character hits an enemy with the Bloodshed Blade, they may spend any number of Hit Dice to roll them and add the total to their damage. That is why the Bloodshed Blade is great for martial classes with large hit dice, most of all barbarian. However, this can be done just once per day.
6 Helm of Perfect Potential
Artifact
The Helm of Perfect Potential is one of several artifacts in Bigby Presents that comes with four randomized positive and detrimental effects, making it feel unique every time a player sees it in their D&D career. This is also one of several D&D helmets that boosts the wearer’s social skills, giving them advantage on Insight and Deception checks.
This helmet’s second effect is to cast a powerful elemental bolt at an enemy for a bonus action per turn. Finally, the Helm of Perfect Potential lets the wearer spend charges to cast spells like Elemental Weapon and Wall of Fire.
5 Zephyr Armor
Rare
Zephyr Armor is a set of light armor that can appear in three varieties: padded, leather, and studded leather. Most likely, classes like bard, rogue, and ranger will wear this armor, especially at lower levels. Zephyr Armor provides better bonuses than AC, though, since its true protective power involves sheer evasion.
Anyone wearing this magic item will have advantage on Acrobatics checks, and most critically, advantage on DEX saving throws, making it easy to dodge the likes of Lightning Bolt and Fireball. Once per day, the wearer can invoke Zephyr Armor’s rune to cast the Wind Wall spell.
4 Lucent Destroyer
Very Rare
Lucent Destroyer is a very rare musket that made its debut in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. Like most firearms, the Lucent Destroyer is not easy to use, since most D&D characters aren’t familiar with such weapons. But if a ranged-oriented character such as a wily ranger does become attuned to Lucent Destroyer, the payoff is huge.
Lucent Destroyer doesn’t have the loading property and deals radiant damage, making it useful against monsters that resist regular piercing damage. Best of all, the wielder can invoke the rune to cast the powerful Sunbeam spell, an evocation spell that can repeatedly strike enemies if concentration is maintained.
3 Prehistoric Figurines of Wondrous Power
Varies
The four Prehistoric Figurines of Wondrous Power can be a lot of fun in any D&D campaign setting, especially one with enough forests or jungles for dinosaurs to stomp around comfortably. These magic items may look like children’s toys, but their power must be respected, since they can totally change the game. D&D has had figurines before, but certainly not on this power level.
When used, any of these figurines will create a full-sized dinosaur friendly to its creator. That dino might be used for transport, scaring people, distracting some enemies, or breaking down a barricade. The only minor downside is that the T-Rex figure will go out of control when given a command if the user rolls a 1 on a d20.
2 Ring of Amity
Very Rare
The Ring of Amity is based on magical bonds between the wearer and one other willing creature or person whom the wearer touches. If the ring’s wearer is healed from magical effects or spells, the partner will heal just as much. That allows a party to get double efficiency from the paladin’s or cleric’s healing effects, saving spell slots.
The Ring of Amity is also formidable in combat, since the wearer can spend a reaction to turn their partner’s attack into a critical hit if both parties are within 60 feet of each other. This can only be done once per day, so discretion is advised. For example, this is excellent on a barbarian who rolls lots of extra damage dice from Brutal Critical.
1 Shield of the Blazing Dreadnought
Legendary
Shield of the Blazing Dreadnought is a powerful magical item found in Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants. It’s a legendary shield that provides the usual +2 to AC and a whole lot more, starting with not just fire resistance, but fire immunity that can be activated with a bonus action. The shield can also burn away one target’s disease or condition, including blinded, charmed, defeaned, or poisoned.
On offense, the Shield of the Blazing Dreadnought is perfect for a shield bash action, dealing 3d6 bludgeoning damage and just as much fire damage while also knocking the enemy prone. This shield, while powerful, must be used strategically because its amazing effects last for just one minute, and can be activated just once per day.