I have read the item purchase rules but they are still confusing.
Near as I can figure:
1) You are rewarded with a GP amount of treasure at the end of every session.
2) You may use this treasure to purchase an item found during the session.
3) You may also use this treasure to purchase items on the 'always available' list. (Where is this list?)
4) You may use Prestige Points to purchase items up to a maximum GP value which is dependant upon your Fame score. (where is the list of available items for purchase with Prestige Points?)
Please point out any errors. Thanks
- Gauss
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Basic rules for buying:
1. Anything you have on a chronicle is available as long as you can afford it. Note that some things have a purchase limit, and after you have bought that many, you can't buy more. These are the things you have personally brought back to the society, and are available if you want them.
2. Anything "always available" can be purchased as long as you have the money. The list is on pages 24 and 25 of the PFGtOP 4.2. These are basic items that are easy to come by.
3. Anything else that is not otherwise restricted can be purchased if your total fame score with your faction is high enough. See the chart on page 26. These represent items that are more rare or difficult to find, and your faction assists you with locating them if you have done enough work for them to merit it.
As a separate rule, per table 5-4 on page 27, once per scenario you can spend 1 PP for any one single item whose price is up to 150gp, or 2 PP for one single item whose price is up to 750gp. This can be anything available to you from 1-3 above. Note that such items have no resale value, since you didn't spend money to acquire them.
Thanks. PFS rules are a bit different and I am trying to get used to them before I dive in.
So other than table 5-4 Prestige Points are not there to purchase items. Must have misunderstood.
Regarding 3: High Fame score, then proper amount of GP to purchase is correct?
Finally, does PFS on average stay anywhere near WBL or is it high or low? (I realize that it depends on what you find but Im asking for a ballpark idea.)
- Gauss
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1) Correct, you get what amounts to the monetary value of all treasure found during a scenario, rather than being able to keep any of the items found.
As a side note, monetary rewards are not reduced if potions, wand charges, scrolls or other consumables are used during the course of the adventure. You also have the ability to let someone in the party use any items found, even permanent ones, during the scenario, like a +1 longsword, as an example.
However, if you don't find something during the adventure, for one reason or another, the final gold gained may be reduced by a relevant amount. The information on how much of the gold comes from which encounter is listed in the PDF for each scenario, so the GM has access to it.
2) Yes, items found during an adventure that are not on the Always Available list should, usually, be listed on the Chronicle after the game is done. Note that you will only have access listed (and not scratched out) for items actually found during the scenario from your tier or lower.
3) Correct. As Rinaldo mentioned, the Always Available list is in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, which is a free PDF available from Paizo.
Note that I am not 100% sure if the limitation on firarms is listed in the Guide, yet, but that firearms now require the appropriate Fame level to purchase.
4) No. You may spend 1 Prestige Point (PP) to purchase any legal item with a value up to 150 gp, or 2 PP to purchase any legal item with a value up to 750 gp, even if you do not yet have enough Fame to purchase it for gold These items cannot be sold for money.
As mentioned, there is a chart in the GtPFSOP v4.2 that lists a Fame level and a gold amount, such a 5 Fame lets you purchase anything that is campaign legal that has a market price of 500 gp or less. Note that this is independent of any items listed on Chronicles in your PC's possession.
There are a few spellcasting services which can be paid for either in gold or PP, like Raise Dead, which costs 16 PP or 5,450 gp. It also includes spells like Remove Curse or Remove Disease, both of which cost 1 PP to get cast, although all spells paid for casting via PP are cast at minimum level.
The chart sowing spellcasting and other services available for PP expenditures is on page 27 of the GtPFSOP v4.2
Note that there is also a section of the Pathfinder Society Field Guide which lists items called vanities, which have costs listed in PP, and some of them require certain Fame minimums, as well.
Hopefully, my longwindedness has helped explain and not further obfuscate, the issue.
Core Pathfinder RPG (hardcover or PDF)
Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play v4.2 or later (free PDF)
Pathfinder Society Field Guide (softcover or PDF)
Optional:
Bestiary (hardcover or PDF) if you run a PC who uses Summons.
Things you should have prepared to play your PC expediently:
Character Sheet (usable by you, legible and understandable for the GM)
Dice (d4, d6, d8, d12, d20, d100; extras as may be needed to reduce rolling time)
Scratch paper
Pen or pencil
Resources needed for your PC's abilities and spells, especially ones outside the "Core assumption" listed for GMs in the GtPFSOP
Copy of ay portion of the Pathfinder Society FAQ relevant for your PC
Copy of any of the legal Blogs relevant for your PC
Your PC's Chronicle sheets, with purchases, sales, effects, etc. marked on them, along with the GM signature & initials in the appropriate grey boxes on them
Mini or pawn for your PC (or some other way agreeable to you and the GM to show where your PC is standing during an encounter), also for any Summons, companions, mounts or familiars, as appropriate, or even a purchased guard dog
Sorry if that seems like a lot, it really isn't, most of it is just printouts, or a PDF on an eReader.
As time, finances, and interest allow:
Drinks, as you will probably be talking quite a bit. Even more drinks if you are the GM, since you never get to stop talking, it seems.
Munchies, if you are going to be playing multiple scenarios or a long module at a long session.
A leveled-up version of your PC if you are going to be playing at a convention or Game Day where your PC will gain enough XP to gain a level and still be scheduled to play another game.
Note that XP, for PFSOP, is a bit different than in normal Pathfinder games. It only takes 3 XP to gain a level, and each scenario is potentially worth 1 XP apiece, so it only takes three scenarios to gain a level, usually. I am gong to ignore the slow track, you can learn about that on your own, if you really want to have a PC spend longer than normal at any particular level.
Probably mostly unneeded, since I have seen your name in the Rules boards here, but I tend to turn out advice at the least excuse, or even no excuse. ;)
Last piece of advice:
Remember that you, the other players, and even the GM are there to have fun.
Do what you can to not only have your PC shine, but let other players' PCs have their moments in the spotlight, and don't ruin the fun for the GM.
One of my "bad GM moments" tends to occur when my BBEG NPC doesn't even get to act before he gets pwned.
LOL Kinevon, yes, you gave far more information than I needed. Thanks :)
I always create mostly leveled characters on a single sheet (example: from level 1-10 is on a single sheet of paper). I simply write down the abilities by level. It makes it a lot easier to modify character sheets when I level.
As for ruining the fun, I am bringing at least 4 different characters to fill in whatever gap is required. And all of them are my 'toned down' version of characters. I wont care if the other players outshine me, I can always tweak things to amp my characters up.
Still one question remains unanswered: Is the average gold handed out per scenario*3 close to WBL? I am trying to plan out expected expenditures.
- Gauss
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Thanks. PFS rules are a bit different and I am trying to get used to them before I dive in.
So other than table 5-4 Prestige Points are not there to purchase items. Must have misunderstood.
Regarding 3: High Fame score, then proper amount of GP to purchase is correct?
Finally, does PFS on average stay anywhere near WBL or is it high or low? (I realize that it depends on what you find but Im asking for a ballpark idea.)
- Gauss
As I mentioned, PP can be used to purchase vanities from the PSFG. Also, a few Chronicles offer special items that include a PP cost, as well as a gold cost. I seem to recall an Intelligent item out there, with a 10 PP cost, as well as a significant amount of gold.
The main thing to remember about Fame and item purchase is that you need a spending limit from Fame high enough to have bought the item all-at-once, not just for the upgrade.
Example: Upgrading a weapon from +1 to +2 costs 6,000 gp, but you need a Fame score high enough to allow the full 8,300+ gold cost as if you were buying the item new.
PFS tends to run close to WbL, although it runs a bit higher, usually.
Scenario gold rewards include a bit of padding to cover costs for expendables, since once they are used, your wealth goes down by that value.
And the 2 PP for a 750 gp item purchases tend to run up effective WbL quite a bit at first, although it won't make much difference overall at higher levels.
Example: Many areas and groups recommend that each PC purchase a Wand of Cure Light Wounds (or Infernal Healing) as soon as they have 2 PP. That adds 750 gp to that PC's effective WbL, which is going to be significant at 1st level, but not count for much at 6th level.
There are a few other things that that 2 PP expenditure can affect, at early levels, which can have significant impact.
730 gp covers the cost of a masterwork Composite Darkwood Longbow with a Strength rating up to +3.
750 gp covers the cost of most 1st level wands. For a beginning Wizard or Sorcerer, having a wand of Magic Missile to burn during their first few adventures can help them until they have enough spells of their own to stay relevant/effective during a whole scenario. Given how often Pathfinder Society members get sent to either desert or frozen environments, a wand of Endure Elements, where the only change form casting at higher level is making it harder to dispel, is a useful tool.
750 gp covers up to a 3rd level spell in potion or oil form. A lot of the emergency expendables fall into that area.
750 gp covers a scroll with 2 copies of a 3rd level spell on it, or 5 copies of a 2nd level sell. 150 gp covers 6 copies of a 1st level spell, or 12 copies of a cantrip. Not as useful, true, but still something that might be worth thinking about.
How often do you need Comprehend Languages? A full wand of 50 castings, or just a scroll with 6 copies, 5 after you scribe it into your spellbook...
Truly, careful use of 2 PP expenditures, as long as you have some way to cover a {i]Raise Dead[/i] and 2 Restorations, can improve your WbL ratio, almost up to where some home games go.
Really, a wand of Bless may not seem like much, but most combats aren't going to go 10 rounds, unless you get into bad tactics land or some sort of weird, sustained assault (I'm looking at you Year of the Shadow Lodge!)
A wand of Protection from Evil is only a minute, but can help deal with that low Wisdom Fighter when he blows the save against Dominate Person...
For an archer-type, a wand of Abundant Ammunition can be a budget saver...
Interesting, well the main builds I am planning on are:
Barbarian or Fighter pushing assault build (havent decided which but both are near completion).
Wizard controller/debuffer/buffer build (basically, focuses on conjuration, necromancy, and transmutation respectively)
Cleric (just a general cleric but probably of the combat/debuffing/johnny on the spot healing kind)
One other undecided character. Maybe a bard.
The Barbarian concerns because his weapon needs to be adamantine (so a GM cannot nerf ground breaker) and from what you said itll be the total price of the item that is checked.
The Wizard concerns me simply because I like to have a lot of spells, itll reduce my toolbox style of play to not pack as many.
The Cleric only concerns me because I won't be able to stack a headband of Wisdom with a phylactery of channeling. Oh well, I can forget the phylactery.
Anyhow, that is why I am trying to pin down the equipment issue. I plan characters out throughout an entire lifespan (with some room for variance of course).
- Gauss
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Well, just remember that you won't need to worry about Fame for the Adamantine weapon until you want to add an enhancement past +1 to it.
Adamantine is Always Available
Most melee weapons are Always Available if they are legal
+1 enhancements to weapons, armor and shields are Always Available
You'll be able to pack a bunch of spells if you want, it just will require a bit more eye on money management than for a home game. You can use scrolls and such found during the adventure, or even attempt to add the spells to your spellbook, if you so desire.
For the Cleric, remember that PFS more-or-less ends, in general, around 12th level; so you may wan to weigh extra Wisdom versus extra Channel dice with that level cap in mind. It might make a difference, I am not sure.
Bards are good, as well as many other classes not mentioned.
One of the strongest limitations in PFS is the lack of 3PP material. Some folk find that too limiting.
Also, if you look around the board, there is actually a PFS-oriented PC build sheet available, basically, it shows some standard 20 point buys, and is setup for planning a PC up to 12th level.
ROFLMAO, I dont care whatsoever about 3PP. I like not playing with it. I left 3.5 for a reason. :)
As for Adamantine and +1 enhancements being always available. Thanks, I forgot about that.
I am aware of the 12th level cap. Honestly, except for certain equipment nuances and the advantages behind each faction I have already constructed up to 12th level the Barbarian, Fighter, Cleric, and Wizard. They are all PFS legal.
As for build sheets, I like the fillable form sheet created by Bill Barnes (Necros) and modified by Dan Brink (abellius).
- Gauss
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On 3PP, it was just a reminder, some people forget that their favorite feat or spell is 3PP, and therefore not legal for PFS. I am having some problems with my Wednesday night Pathfinder game because I don't tend to know or use 3PP stuff, and I have forgotten most of the content from the 3.5E splatbooks, so my PCs tend to be a bit "behind the curve" compared to the other PCs, who do use that stuff. Especially since the GM tends to poer his encounters for that level of Min/Max, hence why everyone but the Wzard player (Dim Door is your friend, apparently) is preparing a new PC for next Wednesday's game....
You are welcome. PFS has a smaller Open list than LG, but only when you don't add in the generic unlock from Fame...
As with the Always Available stuff, the 12th level cap stuff was just a reminder. Especially since, using modules, you can currently get two PCs up to 17th or 18th level...
The build sheets were because most non-PFS-purposed ones, they tend to go all the way to 20th level. And those last 8 levels of build can make a difference. In PFS, you want your PC to be useful from the get-go (discounting GM credits to start at 2nd level and such), since the end-game is only at 12th level for most PCs.
And, yes, I seldom use one word when two will do. ;)
You amuse me kinevon. LOL
I don't use build sheets. Much of PF is imbedded in my brain so I know what exists and do not need build sheets to help me out. Instead I use regular plain old fillable PDF character sheets and then write out the abilities and feats like this:
1) Power Attack
1H) Pushing Assault
2F) Weapon Focus
3) Iron Will
etc. (H = human, F = Fighter)
- Gauss
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I live to amuse. I think. ;) Better than being the subject of road rage, at least.
I tend to do the same, the sheet I referenced is mainly an easy way to notate it on a separate sheet that can go in with the appropriate PC in whatever kind of folder/binder that PC lives in.
Fifth level gets him the needed feat to make him fully capable at the build I have him set up as (whip user, with Improved Whip mastery at 5th level, BAB +5). After that point, he has always been nebulous, and I am still uncertain about his 6th level Fighter combat feat, or whether I should MC him into Gunslinger or Magus...
Gunslinger would let him live up to the token image I use for him in VTT games, Indiana Jones, so pistol and whip; while Magus would give him the ability to spike out his damage, when needed, or to provide some of the support spellcasting my local area tends to be shy on. And he tends to be a bit of a supporting (if irritating) PC, rather than serving as the BBDF himself.
He could go Gunslinger at 5th level, since that is a full BAB class, and would let him still qualify for IWM. Magus would not be an option until 6th level, since it isn't full BAB.
Oh, I love my version of road rage. There is a particular road near my house that is 25mph but people drive it going 40+. When on that road I go exactly the speed limit just to piss people off.
- Gauss