Scrounger: Broken Items In PFS?

[Kobold Catgirl]

Additional Resources wrote:

Pathfinder Player Companion: Halflings of Golarion

Alternate Racial Trait: Halfling Jinx; Equipment: halfling hooch on page 10, all equipment in the table on page 22; Feats: all feats on pages 23, and 26–27; Prestige Class: Halfling Opportunist; Traits: all traits on pages 30–31.

I am currently creating a halfling PC with the Scrounger trait. Basically, it lets me buy broken stuff really cheap, though I can't spend more than twice my level on any one item.

I checked, and the trait is definitely legal, but I want to confirm: I can buy Broken items for their cheaper price, right?

Also, an addendum: Is there a limit to what I can buy Broken? According to the RAW:

PRD wrote:

If the item is a weapon, any attacks made with the item suffer a –2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Such weapons only score a critical hit on a natural 20 and only deal ×2 damage on a confirmed critical hit.

If the item is a suit of armor or a shield, the bonus it grants to AC is halved, rounding down. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty on skills.
If the item is a tool needed for a skill, any skill check made with the item takes a –2 penalty.
If the item is a wand or staff, it uses up twice as many charges when used.
If the item does not fit into any of these categories, the broken condition has no effect on its use.

So I could get Broken tindertwigs, backpacks, waterskins*, scrolls** and caltrops and suffer no penalty (keeping in mind the trait's rigid restrictions), but Broken armor, weapons and merchant scales would be properly disadvantaged.

Is this correct?

*No, I'm not that cheap, just throwing it out there.

**Come to think of it, I bet the most reasonable ruling on scrolls would be the penalty would be applied to UMD. Assuming it's legal at all!

[Dragnmoon]

Though I will admit it does not specify everything, the first line does seem to.

PFS guide pg 23 wrote:

Item Value

Items must be purchased at full value. You can't buy broken weapons or armor; you can't buy partially charged wands, rods, or staves; and you must buy ammunition in full lots (typically 10 or 20 for mundane ammunition and 50 for magical ammunition). You may purchase items of less than full value only if they appear that way on a Chronicle sheet.

So it seems unless the broken item is on a chronicle sheet you can't buy broken items.

[Kobold Catgirl]

So really Paizo just made an oversight and forgot to ban a trait? Or is the trait an exception?

Or can the trait only be used on Chronicle sheet items, despite most of those being way too expensive to acquire?

(It seems like it's fairly obviously the latter, but the fact that they explicitly mentioned the Traits as being legitimate confuses me.)

[Jeff Merola]

Unless we get leadership in here to say otherwise, I'd err on the side of caution and say they forgot to ban it.

[Kobold Catgirl]

Oh well. It was only saving me about 3% of my starting wealth, I just liked the flavor of it. Was planning on this character just being a real stingy jackass. ;D

[Tony Lindman]

Sounds like a great roleplay opportunity , even if it doesn't actually let you save money.