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Believe it or not, that shiny piece of metal you found after a battle has a purpose. InDungeons & Dragons, players have plenty of reasons to collect and hoard as many items as possible. Trinkets can come in many forms and be collected for various reasons, whether because they like to collect bottle caps from different taverns or hold onto a special rock they found from a home they once visited.
Due to their non-magical properties, it would make sense for players who are only focused on achieving their goals to empty their pockets of trinkets whenever they can. While trinkets in Dungeons & Dragons are often overlooked compared to other items, they still have many purposes you may not realize.
What Are Trinkets In D&D?
To put it plainly,trinkets are mundane items that don’t have a specified purpose in Dungeons & Dragons.While there are hundreds and thousands of items in the D&D universe,trinkets are (more often) non-magical items that only serve an aesthetic or sentimental purpose.
Trinkets are collectible itemsthat you may obtain in your campaign; however, they may not serve any direct purpose in the plot itself. While most random items can tie into a story,trinkets are often considered when adding extra detail and traitsto a character (or NPC if adding trinkets as the DM).
Coming in many shapes and sizes, there are many examples of trinkets, including:
ThePlayer’s Handbookhas an entire table dedicated toa hundred possible trinkets you’re able to find.However, both players and Dungeon Masters can come up with trinkets on their own.
Why Are Trinkets Important?
With players trying to prevent the end of the world and Dungeon Masters already focused on four different monster stat blocks simultaneously,why should a campaign consider involving trinkets?
Trinkets can add an extra layer of depth and story to your character or world. While they might not be as useful as a magic item or weapon, they can provide extra characterization traits to your characters and the world that they live in.
Much like in real life,holding a bond or tying a detail with something as simple as a shard of glass makes us human. Using trinkets to dictate personality traits is alsoa great way to get more involved with your character and world.
It is important to note that other than finding them, trinkets can be created through any means. A party might make bracelets or necklaces for each other to strengthen the bond between them, or a player might collect a flower from a remote area to remember the time they spent there. All of it can be up to your creative limits!
Using Trinkets As A Player
You may not realize it, butplayer characters are constantly collecting trinketseven when they aren’t specified.Even when a new character is created, the background they choose often grants them a trinket or two in their inventory from the start.
Dungeons & Dragons is a game thatnaturally promotes and rewards those who explore and collect things. Many players collect things “just in case they might need it,” which are all trinkets.
Other than hoping to solve a puzzle in the future,trinkets can hold a special memory or belief for a character.They can be used as storytelling elements in various ways.
Using Trinkets As A Dungeon Master
While trinketsare more sought after and collected by players, Dungeon Masters can still use them in many ways. Following the same trend of trinkets as storytelling tools,trinkets can be used for excellent foreshadowing and other plot points.
Furthermore, even thoughtrinkets do not normally have any magical traits or abilities, they can still berelevant to the main plot, either as a tool to access something, an item required for safe passage, or other means.
