Equipments for level 10 or above adventurers

[Oranzuice]

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with a problem.
I'm thinking of starting a game with players creating level 10 characters.
Any ideas on how i should assign the equipments for campaigns with new characters at levels above 9?
Should i give them gold and let them buy equipments? What are the limits/guides if i choose the equipments for them.
Thanks.

[Andi A.]

It is easiest to just give them the money and don't worry about them. An interesting option is to give them break points (I prefer 3, 6 and 10) and have them spend gold at those levels, so that their characters have equipment that feels more natural to the progression.

Edit: Someone moved it to the right area.

[Aelryinth]

Wealth by level guidelines can be found in the Pathfinder Society play guidelines, or the online SRD's.

==Aelryinth

[Dazz]

Depends on how much time you're willing to give them for getting equipment. I know enough people that would take the "gold at level 10" and look through every book they find and pile every mundane item in existence into a bag of holding. And if that's what they want to spend their gold on that's fine--except if they're doing it at a meeting, it takes hours, quite literally. If you tell them to come to the next meeting with all their equipment bought, then the gold per level chart is fine.

A fairly common idea I've seen is have them get equipment of a much lower value (this is when we're starting level 5 or so, told to get ~1000 gold of stuff), look over their sheet and pick some of their stuff to give a boost. I.e. give them ~4000 gold to spend, barbarian chose a +1 greatsword and a MW breastplate? Change that to a +1 breastplate and a +2 greatsword, possibly of a special material if you plan on throwing alot of things at them that need that material.

I would never, EVER choose all their equipment for them. More than likely you'll find out they had a much different idea for what their character would be doing than you did. Even if you asked what they would be doing ahead of time.

[Oranzuice]

@dazz: thank you. That's a brilliant idea. I think i'll go with adding enhancements to their chosen items. I can add stuff to suit the campaign i'll be running. Thanks.

@Andi: what's break points?'

[Raymond Lambert]

A good guideline to follow not to have any one item worth more than 1/2 the total wealth by level of the PC.

[Totentanz]

Unless you have a really good reason, give your players as much flexibility as possible. I would personally find the idea of a DM choosing bonuses for me rather patronizing.

If you really want to save time, and don't expect them to run through the items outside of play time, you might gin up a list of generic items like: stat booster +2, stat booster +4, weapon +1, etc.

Then give them a "master adventurer's kit" where you handwave stuff like rope and rations.

[kinevon]

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/gamemastering.html#table-12-4-character- wealth-by-level

Remember that that table is for Standard Fantasy campaigns, and that it should be adjusted up or down depending on the actual type of campaign you are running.

Below the table is also a suggested "Spend X% on Y type of equipment" rules recommendations.

For instance, 10th level is 62,000 gp, no more than 31,000 gp on any single item, recommending 15,500 gp on weapons, the same for armor and protective devices, the same for general magical items, 9,300 on consumables, and the remainder, about 5,200 gp, on mundane equipment.

Of course, like most of this kind of ramp-up, it works best if the players come prepared, rather than doing their purchasing during the first session.

On the reference to break points, I believe the poster meant that you run them through a multi-step purchasing session, where you gibve them the wealth for 3rd level, have them buy gear, then give them the additional money for 6th level PC, another purchase session, then give them the last portion of money to bring them to 10th level wealth, and let them make one last purchase run.

This would cause the PCs to have a more organically grown set of items, rather than the "ideal" items that they would buy as 10th level PCs, anyhow.

I can see benefits to doing that, but that assumes you don't have players who already know what level you are targeting, and just "save" all their money for purchases at that final shopping trip anyhow.