Ketra's page

I have recently started GMing for Pathfinder Society, (though I've been keeping myself abreast of the game for a year now, I've just now had time to actually play/GM), and would like to voice a concern, specifically about the magic items found.

My issue is the fact that the party has to pay full price for magic items found, but sell them at half price to obtain the total party gold. (as far as I can tell doing reverse math on the modules).

Now I understand some reasoning behind this. For one it allows the designers not have to worry about over-empowering specific classes by having more items specific for those classes then other classes. A second reason is to make sure that every character has exactly the same amount of gold value of loot...

Issue is, it makes it kind of pointless to find loot. Don't misunderstand, I understand that it would allow you to get items before your fame level would allow you too, but when looking at the fame progression and items that you find, if you have to pay full price, it's almost pointless, as you can usually not even able (or barely able) afford the item listed when it's listed. By the time you can afford it, you will almost always have enough fame to buy it anyway. (according to my calculations with the modules i've seen, I have not reviewed every module).

It also makes mundane, but very use-full items pointless to find. For example masterwork chain armor would be amazing for a character who uses chain... if he doesn't have to pay full price. Else he might as well save up and get a magic armor or sword instead. (or another words it was pointless to find in the first place, minus the fact that a baddie may have been wearing it).

My suggestion? Allow any item found in the session to be bought at the half price once per item on the chronicle sheet (or mundane item specifically mentioned found in the module). This represents the party 'selling' the item to that party member instead of a vender. In addition, it would make sense that the only time you may buy an item for that items sell price, is during that session! (aka at the end, or before the start of the next session depending on timing.) This would allow people to think the items they 'find' are awesome, considering they can use them for cheaper.

Now, a potential downside is then some players may keep their gold in the form of "items" to be traded at a later date. This isn't as big of a problem as one would think. It does let people loan things to others (like loan a +1 armor to a lower level character in a module that stretches their abilities), so lower level characters in the modules 'level range' would be able to survive a bit better.

The other benefit to this "drawback" is entirely story based. Right now adventurers are flooding the market with tons and tons of gold, which can be problematic considering inflation. If people hold onto their items and trade them when needed "aka sell them when needed" less gold is moved, and instead goods are exchanged for other goods , making it so the total floating gold amount in the market is lower, keeping a check on inflation.

Well that is my two bits on something that I think should be changed, or at least looked at. All well thought out opinions on the matter would be appreciated.

I think it is a great idea to allow a player to retrain at level one. (basically you can retrain up to when you apply your third module, aka up to before you actually level your character to level 2, meaning even after you play 3 modules but before you play your fourth). I recently started GMing for pathfinder society, and after the first session, quite a few players wanted to remake their characters, and they didn't want to have to make a whole new character and play another first session. One is a gunslinger, and didn't like the idea of having to basically not do anything half the combat due to reloading. (rapid reload feat wasn't taken yet, and now the character can't take it till at least level 3). Now it wasn't a balance thing for him, he loved the power of it and the concept, he just didn't like not doing something every other turn.

Another case is when a character realizes they can't hit anything, because their combat stat is lower then 18. Or a magus who can't pass concentration checks because their int is only 15. (or it's very unlikely at least). All these issues came up during the first session, so people are really thinking about their characters. Not to mention that it was almost a TPK (three characters where in the negatives unconcious...)

There is also the fact that this allows people to figure out what they like to play, (especially if they use a pre-generated character and the "made character" doesn't work out the next session).