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Many magic items (including some weapon and armor runes) have effects with save DCs. For example, a weapon with the frost property rune gets the following critical effect:

On a critical hit, the target is also slowed 1 until the end of your next turn unless it succeeds at a DC 24 Fortitude save.

The frost rune (and some other magic items) has a greater version with a higher DC, and it is possible for a higher-level character to upgrade the frost rune to its greater version, but it is effectively a different item.

Because the save DC is constant, it does not scale against higher level targets, and the item becomes less effective over the course of campaign. Aside from simply replacing the item with a better version, are there ways to increase the save DC on an existing rune or other item?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The Frost Property Rune can have its save DC improved by a Crafting check to upgrade, as it says on the page you linked. \$\endgroup\$
    – Matthew Wells
    Oct 29, 2021 at 19:32

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In short, no

Besides upgrading via crafting, magical items are not meant to scale in power, with the exception of Relics.

Relics: Some extraordinary magic items grow in power along with a character, gaining abilities that add to an adventurer’s legend. These are called relics, and owning one can define a character more than any other magic item could. Many gifts allow for a saving throw or have other abilities that change as the relic goes up in level. The DC for any saving throw called for by a gift is its owner’s class DC or spell DC. The spell attack modifier of a gift is 10 lower than that DC. A relic’s counteract modifier is equal to its owner’s counteract modifier.

Given Relics are explicitly not balanced against the standard treasure rules, the lack of ways to emulate them with Common Magic Items is intentional.

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    \$\begingroup\$ There's no feats or anything that give effects like "+2 to the DCs of spells cast from wands"? \$\endgroup\$
    – nick012000
    Oct 30, 2021 at 5:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ @nick012000 To the best of my knowledge, there aren't even any effects that do this for spells from class features, besides proficiency from leveling up and stat boosts from leveling and Apex items. Pathfinder 2e puts a focus on debuffing enemies and targeting weaknesses, as far as offensive casting goes. \$\endgroup\$
    – Matthew Wells
    Oct 30, 2021 at 9:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ @nick012000 - there are none that I am aware of either, and I doubt there ever will be! But wands should use your spell DC. I think part of the design intent around items with static DCs is that they are super-powerful if you acquire them early, but less so if you acquire them late, but if it is wands you are looking for, you should be okay! \$\endgroup\$
    – ESCE
    Nov 1, 2021 at 15:42

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