I am a little bit confused with item levels, specifically magic items. If you have a precious material magic item, like an adamantine dagger, and you etch a potency rune to it, does the level of the item increase? Do you use the higher of the two levels? is this explained somewhere in the book?
I am a little bit confused with item levels, specifically magic items. If you have a precious material magic item, like an adamantine dagger, and you etch a potency rune to it, does the level of the item increase? Do you use the higher of the two levels? is this explained somewhere in the book?
It's the higher of the two levels:
The level of an item with runes etched onto it is equal to the highest level among the base item and all runes etched on it; therefore a +1 striking mace (a 4th-level item) with a disrupting rune (a 5th-level rune) would be a 5th-level item.
P.S. Remember to read / abide by the restrictions in Crafting With Precious Materials on page 578 on what you can etch onto what.