How to improve DC on a magic item?

[jontherev]

Hmmm. I just got a dagger of vampirism (Magic of Faerun), and I'm curious on how/if one could improve the DC? It's fine right now, but I'm looking at higher/epic levels, when the DC will be too low (16) to really be effective. So, as a +1 enhancement, would a +4 DC boost be balanced? Or would you say the boost should be higher/lower? +2 enhancement for a +6 DC? Not possible? I suppose this would cover boosting the DC's of other magic items as well, such as the Fanged Mask or Mace of Disruption. If there's no official rule on this, feel free to zap this thread over to House Rules (if any mod's are watching). I can see having different answers based upon the spell/power being boosted (improving a death effect DC by +4 is a tad bit more beneficial than improving the DC of, say, Chill Touch). Thanks.

 

[Crothian]

By the rules the only way I've seen to improve DC of magical items is a feat in the ELH. It is not an epic feat, it's on pg 114 and is called Enhanced Item.

 

[mkletch]

By the rules the only way I've seen to improve DC of magical items is a feat in the ELH. It is not an epic feat, it's on pg 114 and is called Enhanced Item.

The DC is based off the spell level of the prerequisite, so you could always heighten the appropriate spell in the item prerequisites. This applies for any item. Your DM might require that you remake the item from scratch to get this effect, though our group's precedent would allow an 'upgrade'. I don't know what the official ruling would be for this; I think it's a gray area.

-Fletch!

 

[dcollins]

By the core rules, increasing an item's DC requires application of the Heighten Spell feat. (See examples in the staff of power and wand of charm person, DMG p. 205-206).

Improving an ability of an existing item in this way would require a house rule by the DM.