According to the six steps of creating an NPC (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/creatingNPCs.html). A third level npc class creature is a CR1 and on the table Table: NPC Gear in step 6 the NPC gets 780 gp worth of gear. If the NPC is a kobold it's CR goes down by another step so a 4th level npc class kobold is CR 1 and as a 4th level NPC gets 1,650 gold and, "If your campaign is using the fast experience progression, treat your NPCs as one level higher when determining their gear." Which means that a 4th level Kobold NPC is a CR 1 and has gear as a level 5 NPC (2400 gold worth). That's before even taking into consideration this advice, "If your campaign is high fantasy, double these values. Reduce them by half if your campaign is low fantasy."
Okay, how can a CR 1 creature that toted around 780-2400 gold worth of gear exist in a world with adventuring parties? We all know that 3-7th level MURDER HOBOS (excuse me, I mean PCs) would wipe out all of these creatures for their ridiculous loot.
Also, why would a CR 2 (two such creatures) ever fight a party? They could pool some of their gobs of gold and HIRE the party. Multiple parties. Heck, hire human beggars, clean them up and have them hire the parties and have them compete in gladiatorial contests just to get their assignments so they never have to reveal themselves and can finish off the last party standing.
I submit that the table may work at higher levels but is completely broken at the low end. OR am I just reading it wrong?
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Also, why would a CR 2 (two such creatures) ever fight a party?
Because at some point the PCs will be hired by everyone, and everyone will have conflicting interests, inciting incidents between subsets of everyone and the party. And then the party is fighting them anyways. So they may as well just start by fighting the party because the end result is the same and then they at least have the gear they would have had instead of paying the party up front and fighting the party with nothing later.
But on a more serious note, the party isn't getting 2400 gold for defeating them. They're getting whatever gear that it had, minus whatever consumables it used, and then half of that when they sell it, divided by however many party members there are.
Because an economics lesson is not as fun as being a badbutt.
The NPC gear table is only intended for human NPC's (and NPC's of races with similar power to humans).
For other NPC's, you need to use the rules for gear listed under Add Class Levels under Monster Advancement:
A monster with class levels always possesses treasure equal to an NPC of a level equal to the monster's final CR (as calculated in Step 3, below). To determine the value of this gear, use the value listed for a heroic NPC of that level, as listed in Table NPC Gear. Once a total GP value is determined, follow the rules for outfitting an NPC as outlined in that section. Gear should help a monster with class levels remain challenging and retain statistics close to those presented on Table: Monster Statistics by CR.
Since a 4th-level NPC class kobold has CR 1, it should get the same gear as a 1st-level character, i.e. 390 gp worth of gear.
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Thanks, strumbleduck!!! That passage makes a big difference.
Komoda - You don't think Timothy Geithner is a badbutt? You should fear Jamie Dimon (Chase) & Robert P. Kelly (BONY) - bankers are like first edition rogues - they get experience points for every gp stolen.
the party isn't getting 2400 gold for defeating them. They're getting whatever gear that it had, minus whatever consumables it used, and then half of that when they sell it, divided by however many party members there are.True but the chart gives a proportion of the gear that is intended as consumables (limited use) and it's pretty low. Assuming the NPC used up ALL of it's consumables and nothing in it's non-consumable gear is an upgrade for a party member then they are getting:
Medium advancement 1650-100= 1550 /2 = 775 gold
Fast advancement 2400-300 = 2100 /2 = 1050 gold.The treasure by encounter table recommends (medium) 260 gold and fast (400) - So if the encounter is mixed in with 2 encounters with treasure-less animals/beasts it comes out about right.