Magic Item: Bag of Holding - Q&As

Bag of Holding FAQs

1) Are fragile items safe inside a bag of holding, or can they be broken if the bag is jostled or hit? 

Something that should have been included in the description of the Bag of Holding is the fact that items placed into it are held in an "extradimensional space". This is included in the write up for the Handy Haversack

Placing the haversack inside an extradimensional space created by a bag of holding, portable hole or similar item instantly destroys both items and opens a gate to the Astral Plane.

So since they are not in the same  plane of existence as the exterior of the Bag of Holding fragile items placed in to the bag are safe from any jostling or hits the bag may take. 

2) How much does a Bag of Holding cost? 

A Bag of Holding is an Uncommon Wonderous item, so per the Dungeon Masters Guide they are anywhere from 101 - 500 Gold Pieces. The GM should consider how easily the item can be made or obtained in the game setting and then assign the price accordingly. 

3) If I open a Bag of Holding do I see everything contained inside?

The bag appears empty if looked in while opened, once you stick your hand in it the "portal" opens and the contents are visible. 

4) How does stealing from a Bag of Holding work?  

There are a few things to keep in mind when someone attempts to steal from a Bag of Holding. 

• Do they know what item they are specifically reaching in for? 
• If they don't then they will pull out a random item. (IE Random Roll)
• When attempting to steal from the bag can they see in the bag? 
• If they can't see in the bag then it is a blind pull. 
• Is the bag currently being worn or in the possession of another character? 
• If the bag is currently in the possession of another character then the thief will be unlikely to be able to see into the bag in order to select something specific. 

A better option is to steal the bag itself and then open it away from its owner, or to wait for the owner to fall asleep and then make the theft attempt. 

5) Is pulling an item from a Bag of Holding simple item manipulation or can it be done as a bonus action? 

Retrieving an item from the bag requires an action.

The writeup on the Bag of Holding indicates pulling an item from the bag requires an action. So you can't pull an item as a bonus action or as a simple item manipulation. Likely this is due to the fact you need to think about what you want or need to look into the bag in order to fetch the item you want. 

You may however be able to use the retrieved item as a bonus action. For example you could use an action to pull a healing potion from the bag and use on yourself as a bonus action. 

6) Who is responsible for monitoring what goes in and out of a Bag of Holding? 

Inventory management is the players responsibility. This includes not only the name of the items but also the weight of the item. (The bag can only hold 500 pounds worth of items.) For my table top games I have the players use this sheet: Party Bag of Holding

7) How many gold coins can a Bag of Holding hold? 

Per the DM's Guide:

Coins. The most basic type of treasure is money, including copper pieces (cp), silver pieces (sp), electrum pieces (ep), gold pieces (gp) and platinum pieces (pp). Fifty coins of any type weigh 1 pound.

The bag has a capacity of 500 pounds. So 50 x 500 = 25,000 coins of any type total can be placed into the bag. Keep in mind this is if the bag is empty of all other items. 

8) How much damage can a bag of holding take before it is destroyed or ruptures? 

There is no set number on how durable the bag is. The bag will at the least be as durable as the nonmagical items that are similar. But for a ball park idea I would rule that a bag of holding as an AC of 11 and 10 hit points. 

I haven't had players attempt to damage a bag of holding in combat, and typically a bag being worn by a character would be actively protected by that character. So attacking the bag in a combat situation with the intent of destroying it would result in having to beat the defending characters AC and the bags AC. I'd also put a negative modifier onto the attack as it is a called shot. 

9) Do perishable items (such as food) go bad while in the Bag of Holding?

Yes. Items that can spoil will continue to do so while in the Bag of Holding. If you are looking for a portable refrigerator you want a Bag of Colding.

10) What happens when a creature is put into a Bag of Holding? 

First thing to keep in mind is the BoH has a limited amount of air inside it.  

Per the DMG:

Breathing creatures inside the bag can survive up to a  number of minutes equal to 10 divided by the number of creatures (minimum 1 minute), after which time they begin to suffocate.

We also need to consider if the creature was willingly dumped into the bag or if they were forced into it. Unwilling creatures might try to escape the bag, which they could do by damaging it from the inside. Additionally the bag can be opened from the inside unless the opening is somehow sealed. 

But lets say the creature isn't able to damage or open the bag. After that initial ten minutes they begin to suffocate. 

A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier. (Minimum of 30seconds.) 

When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it ca survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier. (minimum of 1 round) At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.