Magic items are special objects that can be acquired through a variety of means. Most commonly, they are dropped at random by Creeps. They can also be purchased at the Goblin Merchant's shop. Occasionally, treasure chests are also found lying unguarded on the map. Only Heroes can use items. Certain other non-Hero units can also pick up, store, and carry items for Heroes, but they cannot use the items. To pick up an item, simply right-click on the item with your unit capable of carrying items, who will move towards the item and place it in its inventory card.

Each Hero can carry a maximum of six items. Certain Non-Heroes can carry up to two items. The Orc Kodo Beast can carry 4 items. Read further down the page for a list of item carriers. Once an item is in your Hero's inventory, you use it by left-clicking on it. If you wish to drop an item or move it to a new space in your inventory card, you must right-click on the item. Some items require you to select a target before they can be used. Other items are automatically discharged when you left-click on them.

There are also keyboard shortcuts for quickly using your Hero's inventory items. The number keys on your keyboard's number pad correspond to the six slots on your Hero's inventory card. Pressing one of these numbers will automatically use the corresponding item. Numbers 7 and 8 represent the top row of items; numbers 4 and 5 represent the middle row of items; and numbers 1 and 2 represent the bottom row of items.

Single-player quest items, or items that have been disabled in multiplayer are not listed in this guide.

There are five types of magic items that can be found in Warcraft III: Charged, Consumable, Power-ups, Permanent, and Artifacts.

Charged Items
These items can be used several times before they disappear. The number of charges the item has is displayed in the bottom right corner of the item's inventory picture. Each time you use the item, it depletes one charge until none are left, and it disappears from your inventory. You cannot recharge Charged Items. [See a list of items]
Consumed
These items can be used only once, at which point they disappear from your inventory. Potions of Health are consumable items. Most Consumable items do not require a target. They simply act on the Hero who uses them. Consumed items are also considered Charged Items for item dropping purposes. They just have only 1 charge. [See a list of items]

Power Ups
These items are automatically used when a Hero picks up one of these items. There are two categories of Power Ups: Tomes (permanent stat improvements) and Runes (temporary effect). [See a list of items]

Permanent
Permanent items never disappear. For most items, to cease receiving benefits from a persistent item, a Hero must drop it from its inventory. Permanent items do not require a target to be used, and give a persistent benefit to the Hero that wears it. Staves are items that require a target and have a cooldown before the item can be used again. But they have unlimited uses. [See a list of items]

Artifacts
Artifacts are any exceptionally powerful items, namely items of level 7 or higher. They are rarer than other items. [See a list of items]

Level
The levels next to the items are connected to what items are allowed to drop by what Creeps. This might be explained in more detail in the future.
Some level 0 items are sold in Neutral Buildings or player-built shops.

Single-player Quest items are not listed. "AE" means Area Effect.

Hero Items on the Ground
Select a treasure (Hero Item) while it is on the ground to see what it is.

Hero Items in your Hero's Inventory
Left-click on an item to use it.

Right-click on an item to pick it up so that you can drop it. You can also rearrange items in your inventory by right-clicking on an item to pick it up then left-clicking on the square you wish to place your item in.

There are no item requirements
Clothing Items such as Boots, Rings, and Cloaks do not display on your Hero unless the item causes some sort of magical attack or spell. Your Hero does not actually "wear" these items. There are no limitations on how many of these items you can have. You could, for example, have 4 pairs of boots.

You can have multiple copies of the same item so you can have the same item six times. The effects of some items do not stack such as Boots of Speed or Cloaks of Shadow.

Hero Item Locations
Hero items mainly come from Creeps, but they can also be bought at Neutral Buildings or sometimes be found by destroying special buildings in single player. They can also be bought at player-built shops.

Trading Hero Items between players, Allied Heroes, or Units
Heroes can trade items with other friendly Heroes or item holding units by simply right-clicking on the Hero Item to pick it up, then left-clicking on the Hero or item carrying unit you want to give it to. If you find a cool item that would be useful for an allied Hero, walk up and give it to them! You can also click on the Hero's Portraits to give items to them. Pick up the item and drop it on the Hero's portrait. This will instruct the Hero or unit to give the item to that Hero. You cannot trade power-up items.

Hero Death
When Heroes die, their items go with them. Heroes resurrected at the Altar come back with all of the items they had before.

Unit Death
When Units carrying Items die, they drop the items on the ground where they died. This is in contrast to Heroes which do not drop the items when they die.

Enemy Hero Items
You can see the items of enemy Hero Units by selecting them.

Hero Items sold at Neutral Buildings and Player-built Shops
Items are sold at 50% of their base price.

Item Management
Item Management becomes more important when you have more than six items. You might want to bring in additional Heroes or units to pick extra items up so the enemy does not get them or you can destroy them. Do not leave items around for enemy players to pick up.

Normal Unit Item Carriers
The following units can also carry up to two items:

Humans: Footman, Knight, Sorceress, Priest, Spell Breaker, Rifleman
Orcs: Kodo Beast (4), Shaman, Witch Doctor, Raider, Grunt, Spirit Walker
Night Elves: Mountain Giant, Druid of the Talon, Druid of the Claw, Archer, Huntress, Dryad
Undead: Ghoul, Abomination, Banshee, Necromancer, Crypt Fiend

Hero Item Rules

Hero Items have 75 hit points. Attack and destroy any items you cannot carry rather than leaving them for the enemy.
Each item only takes one space in the inventory. There are no items that take more than one inventory space.
Items are not race specific, and there are no restrictions on carrying them.
You cannot lose items in a Hero's inventory, and other players cannot steal the items unless they are dropped from a regular unit.
Heroes will not consume health or Mana potions if they are "full."
You can destroy items by attacking them.