Last Updated on April 25, 2023
There are all sorts of magic items populating the many worlds of Dungeons and Dragons. From ancient possessed blades to clever pop-culture references, your characters will be at no shortage of cool gadgets. Today, we’re looking at one such object, the Stone of Luck and discussing how exactly it works in D&D 5e.
How Does the Stone of Luck Work in D&D 5e?
The Stone of Luck, also known as a Luckstone, is a relatively straightforward item geared toward beginners to D&D and new characters alike. Its singular effect is that it gives you a +1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws, which means it’s a relatively powerful item, at least for its rarity, that is.
In case you’re new to magic items and D&D terminology, let’s look at the official text for this item and break it down.
Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
While this polished agate is on your person, you gain a + 1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws.
So we start off by learning that this is an uncommon wondrous item that requires attunement. If you know nothing about magic items, you probably don’t understand much of that. So, here you go:
- Wondrous item – A miscellaneous magic item, one that isn’t specifically armor, a weapon, or some other designated item type.
- Uncommon – Magic items vary in rarity. The rarity tier directly relates to an item’s power balance and to its price. Uncommon is the second-lowest tier out of six rarity tiers.
- Requires attunement – Attunement is a bond between a creature and an item. Creatures (your character is a creature) can be attuned to no more than three magical items at a time. If you do not attune to it (through a process that takes at least an hour), you do not gain the magical benefits of an item.
So, a Stone of Luck is a magic item that isn’t particularly rare, and you can only gain its benefit if you spend an hour attuning to it.
Then, let’s get to the actual effect. While the stone is on your person (carried, worn as a necklace, or even just sitting in your backpack), you gain a +1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws.
We won’t go into a full 101 lecture about what ability checks and saving throws are, but here’s the short version. Ability checks are d20 rolls that your DM may have you make to see if you succeed at some difficult task. Saving throws are d20 rolls that you may have to make to protect yourself from adverse effects.
How Good Is a Luckstone (Stone of Luck) in D&D 5e?
A Stone of Luck is a decent item, although it may be outpaced by other magical items and abilities as your characters level up and find better gear. It’s certainly a fantastic item for new characters, but it doesn’t offer enough effects or a strong enough effect to compete with many items outside of its rarity tier.
For a bit of scale, characters have Ability Score modifiers that already impact some of these rolls. A character with a 14 in Dexterity will automatically have a +2 on any Dexterity-based ability checks or saving throws. A starting character might have as high as a +5 modifier, although that is exceptionally rare.
Still, D&D is a game where every little bit counts. That +1 on top of whatever modifiers you have might be the little bit you need to succeed. After all, when you’re rolling a d20, a +1 is increasing your odds by 5% no matter which way you slice it.
All things considered, a +1 bonus is pretty impressive. Without getting too much into the balancing of magic items, we can let you know that the highest bonus an item will give you for anything is a +3.
Of course, this bonus is pretty wide. It doesn’t apply to any d20 roll you make, but ability checks and saving throws are incredibly important. Saving throws especially can often be the deciding factor between you and death. In fact, dying characters have to make what’s known as a death-saving throw, and the Stone of Luck can help you to succeed on them!
As you level up though, you’ll have to make hard decisions with the items in your possession. Since you can only be attuned to three items at a time, it might not take long before you have to choose between the Luckstone and something else. If your character’s focus is on making ability checks, you’ll hopefully find other items or abilities along the way that are more reliable than this +1, giving you the opportunity to swap out your “item slot” for something far more useful.
Final Thoughts
The Stone of Luck is a great beginner’s item in D&D 5e. It can help new players understand some of the game’s core mechanics, and it can help new characters overcome obstacles and survive the dangers they may face. The Stone of Luck definitely receives BlackCitadel’s seal of approval.
May the odds be ever in your favor, and as always, happy adventuring.
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As a kid, I was often told to get my head out of the clouds and to stop living in a fantasy world. That never really jived with me, so I decided to make a living out of games, stories, and all sorts of fantastical works. Now, as an adult, I aspire to remind people that sometimes a little bit of fantasy is all you need when life gets to be too much.
