I'm going into my second home game using the Pathfinder Society ruleset, though this isn't officially sanctioned play since there's not even a gaming store that stocks Pathfinder within fifty miles.
I played Amiri, the iconic Barbarian in the first game at level 1 with the standard equipment listed. My fellows played the Cleric Kyra and the Paladin Seelah. The DM ran an NPC Harsk to finish out the table since we were short.
We succeeded in our objectives, so for the next game we've got 450 gp to spend and 2 Prestige Points each. I'm planning to sink the 2 PP into a Wand of CLW, but how best to spend the rest? Standard PFS rules apply for available equipment. The DM did hint it will be 'nautical themed.'
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Always carry a dagger. I've seen Amiri swallowed by monsters before, you can't cut your way out with weapons that are too big to wield inside a stomach.
Consider picking up a normal-sized bastard sword. Currently you're suffering a -2 to hit because you're using an oversized sword. While it's thematically cute, the little bit of extra damage isn't worth that penalty.
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Well, Amiri's got 100 lbs of weight to play with, so she's fairly solid for encumbrance.
Here's a few ideas I've already had for a shopping list:
Sling - 0 gp (0 lbs)
Amiri gets far more mileage out of a sling than her shortbow. Adding +4 Strength bonus damage to the bullet far outweighs the range increment bonus to a shortbow.
Sack of Powder - 1 cp (1/2 lbs)
Cheap and effective way to outline invisible creatures. I don't see any downside to spending a copper on this.
Whetstone - 2 cp (1 lbs)
Every time the Cleric, Wizard or other spellcaster spends 15 minutes to prepare an empty slot, I sharpen my blade. +1 bonus damage on the next hit with my weapon.
Whet Bone - 1 sp (2 lbs)
A dog treat for my special friend! Same as above.
10 Cold Iron Sling Bullets - 2 sp (5 lbs)
Cold Iron costs double the cost of regular iron. Sling bullets are metal and cost a silver piece. I'm happy to pay an extra silver to have ranged ammunition that can potentially break DR.
Waterproof Bag - 5 sp (1/2 lbs)
Slightly more expensive than a simple sack, but waterproof for limited duration. Worth the cost to protect important stuff if we're going to get wet.
Blanket - 5 sp (3 lbs)
Because there's no towels in the standard equipment, and no Hitchhiker would be caught dead without one.
Cold Iron Chakram - 2 gp (1 lbs)
Better than a javelin as a thrown slashing weapon. Cheap enough that double cost isn't an issue. Also reusable.
Potion Sponge - 2 gp (0 lbs)
Nautical means water. Adventurers hate water. Water is bad if you're under it. Water is bad if it's near you. The only water you need is inside your waterskin that you never track the contents of, or is created by an orison. Put a potion in this that you'd need if you're underwater.
Sunrod - 2 gp (1 lb)
Until ioun torches are available, these are a good substitute. Crack one and stick it in your belt and it should last the session.
Bear Trap - 2 gp (10 lbs)
So if I'm fighting in a 5 ft. wide hall, I can 5 ft. step back, draw the bear trap as a move action, drop the bear trap in the square in front of me as a free action, and arm it with a DC 20 Strength check as a standard action, right? Then if I have a reach weapon, the other guy's screwed.
Alchemical Silver Cestus - 25 gp (1 lbs)
Your always on, never used weapon in case you get swallowed whole or meet something with DR/Silver. The bludgeoning damage option doesn't take -1 damage penalty, though if you're forced to cut yourself out of something's gullet you'd suffer this reduction for the piercing option. Still worth the cost over a dagger or spiked gauntlet in my opinion.
Dog, Guard - 25 gp (0 lbs)
PFS rules let you have one animal pet. I figure this is a decent use of Amiri's +4 Handle Animal skill to gain a flanking buddy. It's got about 80% of the hit points and damage potential of another level 1 pregen, so I figure it's worth spending a move action on commanding at the start of the combat.
Smelling Salts - 25 gp (0 lbs)
This one's a lifesaver for one single reason: if the Cleric goes down, this gets them awake again to heal themselves. Amiri's got no chance of using that Wand of Cure Light Wounds on her own, even if she's the last woman standing at the end of the fight.
Cold Iron Lucerne Hammer - 30 gp (12 lbs)
I had a lot of difficulty deciding between this weapon and other options. I eventually settled on this because it fills a lot of extra rolls (bludgeoning or piercing for DR, reach weapon, brace, piercing two handed weapon for underwater combat) and is relatively cheap enough base cost to buy as a cold iron version too.
Greatsword - 50 gp (8 lbs)
Amiri's large bastard sword sacrifices -2 to hit in exchange for +2 to damage on average versus a greatsword. Given her already impressive damage output for this level, I'd rather have this weapon as my main option in combat.
Air Crystals - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Because drowning sucks, and I don't have to worry about speaking command words or casting verbal components.
Potion of Touch of the Sea - 50 gp (0 lbs)
If I set foot on a ship in an adventure path, I'm putting this into my potion sponge, sticking my potion sponge into my mouth, and silently glaring at the captain of the ship the whole way to wherever I'm going.
Potion of Enlarge Person - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Enlarged raging barbarian for the win.
Potion of Remove Sickness - 50 gp (0 lbs)
Status conditions suck, especially stuff that reduces chance to hit. This takes care of that problem until after the combat.
Lamellar (Leather) Armor - 60 gp (25 lbs)
Superior in every respect to her hide armor, with 2 less ACP and light category to give her 40 ft. move speed with otherwise identical weight and AC bonus. Worth the cost until a breastplate is within my price range.
Total: 424 gp, 3 sp, 3 cp
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I'm going into my second home game using the Pathfinder Society ruleset, though this isn't officially sanctioned play since there's not even a gaming store that stocks Pathfinder within fifty miles.
You can play officially sanctioned events anywhere; it doesn't have to be in a store, and it doesn't even have to be open to the public. Of course, in order to grow Pathfinder play and Society involvement overall, being a public event is encouraged, but it's not required.
If you're playing by PFS rules anyway, why not go ahead and register the characters and your GM, and report them? If you ever plan to travel or move away, those characters and all their advancements are completely portable to any PFS event worldwide.
You can play officially sanctioned events anywhere; it doesn't have to be in a store, and it doesn't even have to be open to the public. Of course, in order to grow Pathfinder play and Society involvement overall, being a public event is encouraged, but it's not required.
If you're playing by PFS rules anyway, why not go ahead and register the characters and your GM, and report them? If you ever plan to travel or move away, those characters and all their advancements are completely portable to any PFS event worldwide.
Mostly because I host this game at my home, so it's never going to be public. I don't mind restarting a new character if an official PFS event is ever created in my area.
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You don't really have to do much special to play PFS. All you have to do is use the rules in the roleplaying guild guide (which is free online) while playing, buying equipment and creating/leveling characters, and have everyone get a pathfinder number, then report the games online. You don't have to it in a game store or get any kind of special permission or sanction. Just follow the rules. You can even run many modules as PFS scenarios if standard PFS scenarios are not your cup of tea. Then you can play those PFS characters in any PFS game (as long they are in the right level range and haven't played the scenario before, except for the evergreen scenarios).