Honestly, I was already familiar with D&D when I started playing. So even if something was different for 5th edition compared to what I've been most accustom to (3rd edition) it was still familiar enough to figure out quickly.
The effects of magic items? You mean like reverberation, radiant orb, and lightning charges? I still have no idea about what exactly those do, still confused. (I probably should try to dig through the character sheets and stuff to figure that out.)
Those effects are:
Lighting Charges: Adds +1 to attack rolls and 1 point of Lighting Damage to any attacks you do (Including spells that use attack rolls) while you have any Lightning Charges. When you reach 5 stacks your next attack will deal a bonus 1d8 damage and consume all Lighting Charges.
Radiant Orb: Illuminates the target and the target gets -1 on their attack rolls for each turn remaining (Caps out at 10 turns remaining which means -10 penalty on all their attack rolls. Meaning Luminous Armour + Spirit Guardians is hilariously good at crippling enemies ability to hit you)
Reverberation: Reduces targets Strength, Dexterity and Constitution saving throws by 1 per remaining turn (Caps out at 10 turns remaining meaning -10 Strength and -10 Dexterity which can cripple enemies) when at 5 turns remaining or more, each turn they must roll a Constitution save or they take 1d4 thunder damage, fall prone and remove the Reverberation effect.
Encrusted with Frost: Target has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. When at 7 or more turns remaining they must roll a Constitution saving throw, if they fail they take 1d4 cold damage and become Frozen (Incapacitated and vulnerable to Bludgeoning, Force and Thunder damage which will deal double damage and shatter them) if they succeed they take 1d2 damage and Encrusted with Frost effect is removed.
Heat: You take 1d4 fire damage each turn, but you get a passive toggle that allows your next spell or attack to deal damage equal to the number of remaining turns of Heat you have and remove the condition. (Caps out at 7 turns remaining for +7 damage. Unfortunately unlike most other sources of damage, this is only used on the first projectile of multi-projectile attacks like Magic Missile/Scorching Ray/Eldritch Blast rather than all of them)
Mental Fatigue: Reduces targets Wisdom, Intelligence and Charisma saving throws by 1 per remaining turn. If the target fails a Wisdom, Intelligence or Charisma saving throw while at 5 or more turns remaining, they take 1d4 Psychic damage and remove the condition.
Arcane Acuity: You gain +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and spell DC for each turn remaining. (Caps out at 10 turns remaining for +10 to spell attack rolls and spell DC). Taking damage reduces the number of turns remaining by 2.
Arcane Synergy: Your weapon attacks also gain your Spell Casting Ability Modifier as damage (I.e. A Cleric with 20 Wisdom will get +5 damage on their weapons). This one can get a little strange when multiclassing and/or using classes that don't have an obvious casting stat (Rogue and Fighter use Int. Barbarian uses Chr. Monk uses Wis)
