How do I create and track items?
How do I create and track items?
Items are objects in your campaign including weapons, armor, potions, treasure, quest objects, and magical artifacts. SwiftPrep helps you track properties, ownership, location, and lore so you know what is in your world and who has it.
Creating an Item
- Click Items in the sidebar
- Click Create Item
- Enter a name (required)
- Fill in additional fields as needed
- Click Save
Item Fields
Basic Information
| Field | What It Is For |
|---|---|
| Name | How you find and reference this item (required) |
| Description | What the item looks like and does |
| Category | Type of item: weapon, armor, potion, wondrous item, treasure, etc. |
Properties
| Field | What It Is For |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, Legendary |
| Properties | Mechanical effects, magical abilities, special features |
| Value | Worth in gold pieces |
| Weight | For encumbrance tracking (optional) |
| Attunement | Whether attunement is required and any restrictions |
Story and Lore
| Field | What It Is For |
|---|---|
| Lore | History, origin, who made it, why it matters |
| Secrets | Hidden properties or history only you know |
Tracking
| Field | What It Is For |
|---|---|
| Owner | Who currently has this item, links to NPC or PC |
| Location | Where the item is found, links to location entity |
| Is identified | Whether the party knows what it does |
Organization
| Field | What It Is For |
|---|---|
| Tags | Categories: "quest-item", "cursed", "arc-2" |
| Visibility | DM Only or Player Visible |
Rarity Guidelines
| Rarity | Appropriate For | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Common | Minor consumables, basic gear | 50-100 gp |
| Uncommon | Standard magic items, quest rewards | 101-500 gp |
| Rare | Significant finds, mid-campaign rewards | 501-5,000 gp |
| Very Rare | Major treasures, high-level rewards | 5,001-50,000 gp |
| Legendary | Campaign-defining artifacts | 50,001+ gp |
Rarity affects both mechanical power and story significance. A Legendary item should feel legendary. It has history, reputation, and consequences.
Item Categories
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Swords, bows, staffs, magical blades |
| Armor | Plate, shields, magical protection |
| Potion | Healing, invisibility, stat boosts |
| Scroll | Spell scrolls, maps, important documents |
| Wondrous Item | Bags of holding, cloaks, rings |
| Tool | Thieves' tools, instruments, crafting gear |
| Treasure | Coins, gems, art objects |
| Quest Item | MacGuffins, keys, plot-critical objects |
| Mundane | Rope, torches, ordinary equipment |
Tracking Ownership and Location
Who Has It?
Set the Owner field to track possession:
- Link to a Player Character if the party has it
- Link to an NPC if someone else has it
- Leave blank if it is unclaimed
When ownership changes, update the field. This becomes your inventory tracking.
Where Is It?
Set the Location field for items not currently owned:
- The treasure hoard in the dragon's lair
- The artifact hidden in the temple
- The weapon mounted in the tavern
When the party takes an item, change Location to Owner.
Identification Status
Use Is identified to track what the party knows:
- Unidentified items show only physical description
- Identified items reveal properties and lore
- You control when and how identification happens
Using AI to Create Items
Field-by-Field Generation
- Click the AI Generate button next to any text field
- Provide guidance: "cursed but the curse is subtle" or "made by dwarves for an elf king"
- Select tone preset
- Generate
The AI is particularly good at creating lore and history for items.
Quick Generation with Super Swift
- Open Super Swift from the sidebar
- Click Treasure/Loot
- Select item type and rarity
- Add guidance if desired
- Generate
This creates a complete item with name, description, properties, and lore. Promote it if you want to keep it.
Types of Items to Track
Always Track
- Quest items - Objects critical to story progress
- Signature equipment - Items that define characters
- Powerful magic items - Things that affect game balance
- Cursed items - Need to track effects and removal
Consider Tracking
- Notable treasure - Significant finds worth remembering
- Plot-relevant mundane items - The letter, the key, the map
- Recurring items - Things that keep coming up
Do Not Bother Tracking
- Standard adventuring gear (rope, torches)
- Generic treasure (50 gold pieces)
- Consumables already used
Tips for Better Items
Give Items History
A +1 sword is mechanical. "Thornbite, forged for Captain Aldric's grandfather during the Siege of Whitehaven, still bearing a notch from the blow that killed the orc warlord" is memorable.
Connect Items to Your World
Link items to:
- NPCs who made, owned, or want them
- Locations where they are found or were forged
- Factions who value or fear them
- Plot hooks they relate to
Use Secrets for Hidden Properties
The Secrets field is for things the party does not know:
- The sword is actually intelligent
- The amulet is slowly corrupting its wearer
- The gem is a phylactery
Track Changes
When items change, such as the sword getting reforged or the artifact being damaged, update the entry. Your item records should reflect current state.
Example: Creating a Magic Item
Name: The Merchant's Candle
Category: Wondrous Item
Rarity: Uncommon
Description: A thick white candle in a brass holder, its wax never seems to diminish no matter how long it burns. The flame gives off a warm, steady light and a faint scent of cinnamon.
Properties:
- Burns indefinitely without consuming wax
- Light illuminates 30 feet
- While lit, anyone within the light has advantage on Insight checks to detect lies
- Can be extinguished normally; relights with a word
Lore: Created by the Merchant's Guild of Neverwinter for use in contract negotiations. Several dozen were made; most are still in guild possession, but a few have found their way into private hands. The guild considers them proprietary and will pay well for their return, or to prevent competitors from acquiring them.
Value: 400 gp (to the guild, much more)
Secrets: The candle also records everything said in its light. Speaking the command word "witness" causes it to replay the last hour of conversation. The guild uses this for contract disputes. Most owners do not know this feature exists.
Owner: (None, found in dungeon)
Location: Merchant's Tomb, Level 2
Tags: magic-item, merchants-guild, negotiation
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