Bag of Holding 5e: Capacity, Price and Rules
A Bag of Holding is an uncommon magic item that holds up to 500 pounds, within 64 cubic feet, while always weighing 5 pounds (15 pounds in the 2014 rules). It needs no attunement. Pulling an item out takes an action. Tear or overload it and everything inside is lost in the Astral Plane.
What does a Bag of Holding do?
It's a cloth sack that's much bigger on the inside. You can stuff in up to 500 pounds of gear, as long as it fits in 64 cubic feet, and the bag still weighs the same few pounds on your belt. For most parties it's the first magic item that solves a real problem: what to do with the dragon's hoard, the chain mail you looted, and the ten-foot pole nobody wants to carry.
| Stat | 2024 rules (SRD 5.2) | 2014 rules (SRD 5.1) |
|---|---|---|
| Rarity | Uncommon | Uncommon |
| Attunement | No | No |
| Capacity | 500 lb., max 64 cubic ft. | 500 lb., max 64 cubic ft. |
| Inside dimensions | About 2 ft. square, 4 ft. deep | About 2 ft. across the mouth, 4 ft. deep |
| Bag's own weight | 5 lb. | 15 lb. |
| Taking an item out | Utilize action | An action |
| Air for creatures inside | 10 minutes ÷ number of breathers | 10 minutes ÷ number of breathers (minimum 1 minute) |
| Guideline price | About 400 GP | 101–500 gp range |
How much can a Bag of Holding carry?
Two limits apply, and whichever you hit first wins. By weight, 500 pounds is roughly 25,000 coins at 50 coins to the pound, or nine suits of chain mail. By volume, 64 cubic feet is a box 4 feet on each side. In practice, weight limits treasure and volume limits furniture: a 20-pound marble statue fits, a 6-foot wooden door doesn't.
Why it matters: your carrying capacity is Strength × 15 pounds, so a Strength 8 wizard can carry only 120 pounds. With the bag, the wizard can haul the whole party's loot for the price of 5 pounds of their own budget (15 in 2014). See carrying capacity for the full math.
How long does it take to get something out?
An action (the Utilize action in 2024). That's the hidden cost. If your Potion of Healing is in the bag, the 2014 rules need two actions, so two turns: one to dig it out, one to drink it. In 2024 you can dig it out with your action and drink it as a bonus action, but that still eats your whole turn. Keep combat items on your belt and use the bag for storage. The Handy Haversack, a rare upgrade, lets you pull an item as a bonus action in the 2024 rules and always puts the item you want on top.
What destroys a Bag of Holding?
- Overloading: put in more than 500 pounds or 64 cubic feet and the bag is destroyed. Everything inside is scattered into the Astral Plane.
- Piercing or tearing: same result. A DM can have a fireball or a mimic's bite threaten it, but should warn players that it's a fragile item.
- Turning it inside out: safe. Everything spills out unharmed, and the bag works again once you turn it right side out. This is the fast way to empty it.
What happens when you mix a Bag of Holding with a Portable Hole?
Put a Bag of Holding inside a Handy Haversack, a Portable Hole or a similar extradimensional space (or the other way around) and both items are instantly destroyed. A one-way gate to the Astral Plane opens where they met and pulls every creature within 10 feet to a random spot on that plane. Then it closes for good.
Players love this as a last-ditch bomb. As a DM, remember it costs them two magic items, it catches anyone in range including the thrower if they're close, and creatures are sent away, not killed. A demon lord dragged into the Astral Plane may be back next session, angrier.
Bag of Holding vs Handy Haversack vs Portable Hole
| Item | Rarity | Capacity | Weight | Retrieve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bag of Holding | Uncommon | 500 lb. / 64 cu. ft. | 5 lb. | Utilize action |
| Handy Haversack | Rare | 500 lb. center pouch + two 200 lb. side pouches (25 cu. ft. each) | 5 lb. | Utilize action or bonus action |
| Portable Hole | Rare | A hole 6 ft. wide and 10 ft. deep, about 283 cu. ft. | Next to nothing | Climb in or reach in |
The Portable Hole has no weight limit and fits far bigger things, but unfolding or folding it takes the Magic action and you need a flat surface. The bag is the everyday carry; the hole is for hiding a cart, a prisoner (with 1 hour of air, divided among them) or the whole party.
Clever uses for a Bag of Holding
- Trap a small creature: stuff in a pixie or a rat swarm and close it. It has 10 minutes of air.
- Smuggling: guards searching your pack find a 5-pound sack. Ask your DM whether a magic detection would notice it.
- Emergency rescue: a small or very flexible ally might squeeze inside (DM's call on the 2-foot opening) and ride along for up to 10 minutes.
- Water and rations: a 5-gallon keg (about 40 pounds) solves desert travel.
Want one in your next treasure pile? Roll on the loot generator, or browse every uncommon item in the magic item list.
FAQ
How much can a Bag of Holding hold?
Up to 500 pounds, as long as the contents fit in 64 cubic feet. Inside, it is roughly 2 feet across and 4 feet deep. That is about 25,000 gold coins by weight.
How much does a Bag of Holding cost?
It is an uncommon item, and the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide prices uncommon items at about 400 GP. The 2014 DMG puts uncommon items between 101 and 500 gp. Whether you can buy one at all is up to your DM.
Can you put a creature in a Bag of Holding?
Yes, if it fits. The bag holds enough air for 10 minutes of breathing, divided by the number of breathing creatures inside, so one creature gets 10 minutes and two get 5 each.
What happens if you put a Bag of Holding in a Bag of Holding?
The rules name a Handy Haversack, a Portable Hole or a similar extradimensional item, and most DMs count a second Bag of Holding as similar. Both items are destroyed and a one-way gate to the Astral Plane pulls in every creature within 10 feet.
Does a Bag of Holding need attunement?
No. Anyone can use it, and it does not take up one of your three attunement slots.
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Contains content from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.