[RPG] How to a damaged magic item be repaired

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All objects, including magic items, have hit points.
Some magic items, such as Ioun Stones and the Apparatus of Kwalish, specify how many hit points they have in their description, while the rest of the magic items can be assigned hit points based on the Object Hit Points table (DMG p.247).

Moreover, as explained in Magic Item Resilience (DMG p.141), many magic items even have resistance to all damage, so even though in my experience it's rare for magic items to take damage, it is nonetheless possible. In particular, the Apparatus of Kwalish is likely to take damage at some point while being used.

However, I can't find any guidelines to repair magic items, hence the question.

If a magic item takes damage, how can it be repaired? Is it any different from repairing mundane items?

A good answer should be based on existing rules, not arbitrary suggestions. Pointing out that no such rules exist is also an acceptable answer, should that be the case.

Best Answer

The Mending spell is probably your best bet.

Its description is as follows:

This spell repairs a single break or tear in an object you touch, [...]. As long as the break or tear is no larger than 1 foot in any dimension, you mend it, leaving no trace of the former damage.

This spell can physically repair a magic item or construct, but the spell can't restore magic to such an object.

I believe logic dictates that a magic item doesn't lose its magic in the first place until it drops to 0 hit points. The alternative would be that a kobold throwing a stone at an Apparatus of Kwalish and dealing 1 damage would render the Apparatus nonmagical, which is obviously not intended.

Anyways, as long as the damage suits the criteria mentioned by the Mending spell, it will be removed entirely.

Unfortunately, in the case of an Apparatus of Kwalish, for example, it's not unlikely that the magic item will get damaged more severely, in a way that it cannot be fixed by Mending (by default).

However, the (currently) latest version of the Artificer has the ability to create Homunculi (different from those made with the Create Homunculus spell) and magical turrents. If these get damaged, one can restore 2d6 hit points to them by casting the Mending spell on them.

I believe this amount of healing is appropriate, and I, therefore, suggest you ask your DM to adopt the Artificer's 2d6 Mending to other magical objects as well.

In the end, as per RAW, you can only repair damage that suits the regular Mending criteria. If an object has e.g. a tear bigger than 1 foot, then, to my knowledge, there are no official rules on how to repair it.

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