Runes and Magic Weapons

PF2e uses a rune system rather than named magic weapons. Runes are etched onto weapons and armor to enhance them, and they can be transferred between items.

Fundamental Runes (Weapons):

• Potency Rune (+1/+2/+3): Adds an item bonus to attack rolls. +1 available at level 2, +2 at level 10, +3 at level 16.
• Striking Rune (Striking/Greater/Major): Increases weapon damage dice. Striking adds 1 extra die (2d8 instead of 1d8). Greater Striking = 3 dice. Major Striking = 4 dice.

Fundamental Runes (Armor):

• Potency Rune (+1/+2/+3): Adds an item bonus to AC. Levels mirror weapon potency.
• Resilient Rune (Resilient/Greater/Major): Adds an item bonus to saving throws (+1/+2/+3).

Property Runes: Additional magical effects etched onto weapons or armor. A weapon can hold property runes up to its potency value (a +2 weapon holds 2 property runes). Examples:

• Flaming: +1d6 fire damage on hit, +1d10 persistent fire on crit.
• Frost: +1d6 cold damage on hit.
• Shock: +1d6 electricity damage on hit.
• Corrosive: +1d6 acid damage on hit.
• Returning: Thrown weapon returns to your hand after a ranged Strike.
• Shifting: Change the weapon's form to another weapon of the same type as a free action.

Transferring Runes: You can move runes between items using Crafting. This takes 1 day per rune and requires the appropriate Crafting DC. This system lets players keep their favorite weapon relevant by moving runes forward.

Item Levels: Every piece of equipment has a level indicating when it becomes available. Characters should generally have level-appropriate runes to keep pace with monster AC and damage expectations.