How should starting equipment / gold work?

So we have gotten some interesting tidbits about the economy in PF2-- like an implication that silver will be the new standard, and cost of living will actually be relevant and worth tracking. A lot of our speculation has been centered around how magic items and crafting play into this. But we haven't talked much about the basics.

Some folks mentioned in the Background blog that they think Backgrounds should impact starting gold. (Starting silver?) I immediately recoiled from this idea, because the goal is to not have any given background be stronger than another, and the equipment needs of a level 1 character vary wildly based on class. That's why PF1 gives you starting gold based on class.

But then I considered that this only really mattered if you were using your starting gold to buy starting weapons and armor. That's not how 5e or Dungeon World do it. They give each class a choice between a few pre-made sets. You can pick what martial weapon you get, but not necessarily get 4 different martial weapons. In PF2, it would certainly make sense if every cleric started out with their deity's favored weapon, for example.

But do we actually want that? And on a related note, do we want people to sweat things like buying rope or a sleeping bag at level 1, or do we just want to hand the Fighter a "fighter kit" and the wizard a "wizard kit" and be done with it? I don't think I mind either way, but there's definitely a case to be made for or against.

From what they've said, they're giving everyone 15 GP (which, with the new silver standard is the equivalent of about 150 gp in PF1) and then having you buy your own gear.

I think that's a good thing as long as there's an 'Adventurer's Kit' or 'Pathfinder's Kit' or something like that readily available so all you have to buy is a weapon, maybe armor or a spell component pouch, and the Kit. Kind of a best of both worlds situation, there.

Nothing but rotting sack-cloth on your back and a rusty shiv you've crafted from a spoon.
But seriously,
wasn't it weird Wizards got free Spellbook and Bonded Item but Fighters didn't get free weapon/armor?
I mean it's easier for Wizard to start with MW Weapon than a Fighter!

I like the idea of a standard kit. My table typically writes BAG at the top of our sheets. Basic Adventuring Gear consists of a backpack, a bedroll, a blanket, rope, and a week of rations. At seven gold and a silver by PF1 standards, it makes a flexible, bare bones base that we can just assume our party all has.

I hope the character creation rules make it feasible for a character with heavy armor proficiency to start the game with some type of heavy armor.

I like the idea of a standard kit. My table typically writes BAG at the top of our sheets. Basic Adventuring Gear consists of a backpack, a bedroll, a blanket, rope, and a week of rations. At seven gold and a silver by PF1 standards, it makes a flexible, bare bones base that we can just assume our party all has.

Yeah, but not every character should be prepped for a camping trip.

1of1 wrote:

I like the idea of a standard kit. My table typically writes BAG at the top of our sheets. Basic Adventuring Gear consists of a backpack, a bedroll, a blanket, rope, and a week of rations. At seven gold and a silver by PF1 standards, it makes a flexible, bare bones base that we can just assume our party all has.

Yeah, but not every character should be prepped for a camping trip.

Why would a typical urban based character carry that around?

Indeed, we recently finished a game that had cause to be prepared for outdoors adventure, yet characters that were woefully unprepared. That was actually kind of fun.

Which is why I'm all for a basic kit in an obvious place, but nobody being required to have it. That's the 'best of both worlds' I was talking about above.

Which is why I'm all for a basic kit in an obvious place, but nobody being required to have it. That's the 'best of both worlds' I was talking about above.

I completely agree.

Whatever happens, I hope we keep a huge lists of minutiae. I have something of a soft spot for how crazy long the gear list was in PF1, especially by the time of Ultimate Equipment. It's another form of character expression. An adventurer having a stove can, a journal, a chess set and a shaving kit paints a completely different picture than the guy whose only significant non-adventuresome possessions are a religious text and a bottle of wine.

Well, we don't have much on mundane gear, but it seems like alchemical items will be much more relevant, so I think inventory will be a thing.

Edit: Actually, I think they said we shouldn't expect too many things like chess sets in the playtest, just because it wants to focus more on adventure stuff. That brick and brack should be in the core rulebook though.

I hope they do put more items than you can shake a 10ft. pole at. But I also hope they use the kit option.

At character creation you should be able to spend anywhere between 1 minute and 1 hour choosing your gear. I am in the 1 hour camp, but there is a huge appeal of the 1 minute kit approach.

Very pleased at a Silver Standard, less bloated prices. I houserule PF1 and D&D to a Silver Standard, gives Copper more worth, gold and especially platinum pieces are special, sort of like a Melnibonean wheel.

Well, we don't have much on mundane gear, but it seems like alchemical items will be much more relevant, so I think inventory will be a thing.

Edit: Actually, I think they said we shouldn't expect too many things like chess sets in the playtest, just because it wants to focus more on adventure stuff. That brick and brack should be in the core rulebook though.

I just try to convert some of the ultimate quipment, should be in most instances work with a little price adjustment

Which is why I'm all for a basic kit in an obvious place, but nobody being required to have it. That's the 'best of both worlds' I was talking about above.

I agree. This is pretty much the easiest and cleaniest solution. Those of us who like to micromanage gear can buy our fishing rods and other stupid things we like to encumbrance ourselves with, and everybody who just want to start a game can pick Adventurer's kit and done. It's specially cool for one-shot kind of games, or conventions and organized play, when you don't want to spend much time working the character.