Question about fame and the GP purchase limit

[Cryptichorror]

This seems wrong to me. Maybe I'm not understanding it right. Is it true that if you have less than 5 fame, you can't spend any money at all? How is that possible? Is there a different meaning to the GP purchase caps in the society field guide, because I've always read it as those limits are the max amount of gold you can spend on any one item. If that's the case, then all first and some second level PCs wouldn't be able to buy anything.

Please explain.

[Jiggy]

You seem to have missed the Always Available list - certain things you can always buy, no matter what. Search your PDF for "always available".

[Cryptichorror]

No, I'm aware of the always available list. If you are saying that the always available list doesn't have a spending cap, what does the fame based spending cap apply to?

[Sniggevert]

Cryptichorror wrote:

No, I'm aware of the always available list. If you are saying that the always available list doesn't have a spending cap, what does the fame based spending cap apply to?

Things not on the always available list...(or items granted access to by chronicles)

[Patrick Harris @ SD]

Cryptichorror wrote:

No, I'm aware of the always available list. If you are saying that the always available list doesn't have a spending cap, what does the fame based spending cap apply to?

Things that are not always available.

[Don Walker]

There are three groups of items:

- Always Available Items that you may buy as long as you have the gold.
- Chronicle Items that you may now buy if you have the gold.
- Fame Items which is everything else that you must have enough Fame to allow you to purchase them.

There is actually one other way to "buy" an item by spending 1 or 2 Prestige Points which can get around the Fame restriction such as a 750 gp Wand of Cure Light Wounds. You may spend 2 PP for it before you have the 9 Fame required to access it.

[TetsujinOni]

I prefer this algorithmic approach. There is one group of items: "what you can buy". Determining if an item is in that list:

Is it allowed for this character by the Additional Resources and Core Assumption, or specifically permitted by a chronicle?
1. Am I spending prestige to buy the item?
2. Is it in the list of always available items?
3. Is it a not-crossed out item on a chronicle on this character?
4. Does it cost less than or equal to what my Fame score gets access to?

If you have gotten to the bottom of the numbered steps without getting a yes answer, you cannot buy the item. If you didn't make it into the numbers, you cannot buy the item and do anything.

Simple enough?

EDIT: fixed the fencepost error on step 5 as Don pointed out (I meant to fix that, really). And yes, the interaction between permitted (is it allowed at all in the campaign) and fame-overriding in step 3 is important.

[Don Walker]

The first question must be answered "Yes" or the item will give you no mechanical in game benefit. It does not circumvent the Fame requirement.

The last question should include the Fame Score Limit as in 500 gp for 5 Fame - not 499.99 gp.

[TetsujinOni]

Updated my post with those clarifications, Don. Any other points where it could use tightening?