Hero Items

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.