Opinions on item access

[Lehmuska]

I think it should be safe to assume that when a character is rich enough to buy a +5 sword, he would have met someone capable of crafting one for him.

[WelbyBumpus]

_metz_ wrote:

It was bizarre seeing folks decide to play Cheliax so they could get a wisdom booster!

Anyway it will be fixed so no real problem.

I haven't seen anyone intentionally choose their faction based on the eventual treasure access. I look forward to the treasure access revisions with Season 1, particularly with the change in stat-bump items in the Pathfinder RPG.

[WelbyBumpus]

Let me also add my vote to those in favor of limited and random access, rather than completely open access. I played through Living Greyhawk from the beginning, and I vastly prefer the "AR Access" plan (even with its limitations and incentives for spoilers) to the "Magic Mart" completely open access that we had in the first few years of the game.

[james maissen]

WelbyBumpus wrote:

Let me also add my vote to those in favor of limited and random access, rather than completely open access. I played through Living Greyhawk from the beginning, and I vastly prefer the "AR Access" plan (even with its limitations and incentives for spoilers) to the "Magic Mart" completely open access that we had in the first few years of the game.

The real trouble with 'Magic Mart' back in LG wasn't the access (which was limited by the way) but rather the bad ways they handled item crafting feats, cohorts and signature items. It really were those other rules that caused the problems.

Access after 'magic mart' was actually a lot more open than the 'magic mart' days.

One of the things I really loathed about the AR access system was getting the AR and realizing that you played the mod 'too low' and 'missed out' on something that you had been passively waiting for (cause you couldn't do anything proactive within the rules) and might never see it on an AR again.

-James

[_metz_]

WelbyBumpus wrote:

I haven't seen anyone intentionally choose their faction based on the eventual treasure access.

Not seeing it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Ignorance is bliss after all :D

As to the comments on LG item access, much was learnt by the end of year 7, and many 'essential' items were core access as well, or handed out in basic meta-orgs.

[Doyle Hughes]

hogarth wrote:

I'm curious -- what do folks think of the item access in the Pathfinder Society so far? Good, bad or ugly? Are there good things out there to buy, or am I going to be stuck buying a wand of Scare? :-P

Bear in mind that I've only played half of one scenario (Silent Tide) so far, so -- please! -- hide any spoilers.

Well, in general, having only seen 2 modules so far, I am a bit disappointed in the item access. I don't want to get into a big discussion on whether the module by module access is the best way to go or not, but it seems to me that if an item is not what would be described as "rare" or a "relic", that everything ought to be available. This would give the game designers the ability to block access to certain items that do not fit the game mechanics and at the same time give players access to items that may fit their characters needs but only available through another faction. I am not referring to specialized items here. For example, only one faction has access to the periapt of wisdom. What are wisdom based characters to do if they are not of that faction.

Short of opening up access completely, possibly by placing a discounts on items purchased through prestige access, I would like to see an expansion of some of the more common magical items that are not currently available as open access. For example, Bracers of Armor AC1 is effectively a starter magic item, the same as any other +1 type of armor.

Maybe this could be accomplished by setting a maximum gp value for item purchases (Maybe 5-6k gp value?) of magic items rather than trying to specifically identify a few specific items and missing others that should be readily available at any decently stocked magic goods vendor.

As to the earlier comment regarding all of the guard having to obtain Longsword +5's to be equivalent to the adventurers, 1st, I would doubt that any normal city guard would be as well equipped as sepcialized adventurers, and 2nd, how many mods would it take to amass the required 50,000 GP to obtain said +5 Longsword. The purpose of limiting the amount of gold a character can obtain in a mod is to limit what they have access to purchase. I dont know the exact number this equates to but I would suspect that unless a character never bought anything at all including consumables, equipment, armor, other enhamcement items, that we would be looking at a 15th level character just to buy a +5 weapon and this is with minimal waste of gold on other normal items. By 15th level, one would think that +5 was within reach. If my rough math is true, why not just allow gold limitations to limit the access.

[Lord Aries]

Short of opening up access completely, possibly by placing a discounts on items purchased through prestige access, I would like to see an expansion of some of the more common magical items that are not currently available as open access. For example, Bracers of Armor AC2 is effectively a starter magic item, the same as any other +1 type of armor.

Maybe this could be accomplished by setting a maximum gp value for item purchases (Maybe 5-6k gp value?) of magic items rather than trying to specifically identify a few specific items and missing others that should be readily available at any decently stocked magic goods vendor.

A very good idea IMHO hope the powers that be are reading this.

P.S to answer the original thread question not impressed at all with what's been put out there so far and i've played 16 scenarios

[Joshua J. Frost]

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

Joshua J. Frost wrote:

With season 1 and re-launching PFS under the PRPG rules, the ability to acquire items will become easier and will be based entirely on your Prestige Award total. We will still reserve the right to outright ban and remove from play any items that seriously imbalance the org play experience. While item acquisition will be easier, expect most of the system to remain unchanged.

Also quoting myself again to note the system is changing with Season 1.

Quoting myself again again to note the system is changing with Season 1.

[ESSEL]

Doyle Hughes wrote:

As to the earlier comment regarding all of the guard having to obtain Longsword +5's to be equivalent to the adventurers, 1st, I would doubt that any normal city guard would be as well equipped as sepcialized adventurers, and 2nd, how many mods would it take to amass the required...

You hit an important issue here for high level campaign play. At some point in the campaign, say level 15, well-equipped 'specialized adventurers' becomes so powerful they could take a whole city by themselves!!

There is somethin quite unrealistic about that, and the best way to prevent that is to limit access to stuff like +5 wepaons.