Credits and items found during scenario...

[Joseph Scalzitti]

Played my first Society game last night, and was curious about treasure. After one section of the scenario, the gm said the npc presents the PCs with a set of graphite carbon skin armor and 400 credits. Two of the players started saying why their character needed it more then the other, and I asked the gm that I thought items were available to purchase after the scenario. He told me an item found can be used by 1 pc till the end of the scenario, but then would have to be purchased if they want to keep it forever. I don't remember that from the guild guide. So....

1. Can items found be used during a scenario, or just purchased afterwards?

2. Can credits found be used during a scenario?

3. Are the rewards listed during the scenario just there if your playing outside of society play? If so, should I just not mention them, and just reward the credits and allow items based on the chronicle sheet?

I'd like to make sure because I'm running my first society game in two weeks, Fugitive on the Red Planet, and would like to be correct on these things.

Thanks for any advice

[Damanta]

1. Yes. If you want to keep them you need to purchase it afterwards (consumables excluded)

2. Yes. You simply spend the amount on the chronicle sheet.

3. No, they have those things available during the scenario. Credits spend still have to be noted on the chronicle sheet.

[Adder007USA]

Also note that if the item was found, and is on the chronicle sheet ANY player can then purchase it, regardless of who else did. It's available to everyone, in as many copies as you desire

[Belafon]

Adder007USA wrote:

Also note that if the item was found, and is on the chronicle sheet ANY player can then purchase it, regardless of who else did. It's available to everyone, in as many copies as you desire

Clarification: some items on a chronicle include the phrase "limit X" (such as "Limit 2"). That is the maximum number of times an individual character may purchase that item from the chronicle sheet during their career, not a group limit.

[Joseph Scalzitti]

Say the treasure says they get 400 credits. That's for the party I assume. Then they each spend 50 of it to purchase something, do I subtract that 50 from each of their credits awarded at the end of the scenario?

Also, can the party normally shop during a scenario, or would those credits be for scenario specific items? Say they're in Absalom Station during the scenario, which would have many merchants, would they be able to buy items from the core book or chronicle sheets during the scenario, or would they have to wait till the end?

[Adder007USA]

Yes, that's all correct. And stuff "for the party", you need to keep track how much each person chips in, and subtract accordingly.

And provided they're somewhere that would logically have shops (such as absolom station), I believe yes, they can shop within the usual rules of availability (PC level + 1, or +2 for items on their chronicle sheet)

[Damanta]

No, you do not subtract it. The players mark it as spend on their sheet.

[Adder007USA]

Damanta wrote:

No, you do not subtract it. The players mark it as spend on their sheet.

The end effect is the same. Loot credits, whatever is leftover, gets turned in at the end, along with the rest of the gear found. You then receive the full value of credits on the chronicle sheet at the end of the scenario, but all money spent (Whether its personal cash, or money found as loot) gets recorded in the "spent" block.

[Devasura]

Starfinder Society Quests: Into the Unknown, page 9 under rewards entry says: "The PCs can also sell their foes' gear for 10% of it's value, as usual."

But apparently it's not at all usual to sell looted gear in organized play. You can use it during the adventure, but then you have to give it back and then you can buy it if you want to keep it.

But no selling? What if some piece of gear found and used during the adventure gets destroyed or stolen from PC? Can they still purchase it afterwards even if they didn't turned it back at the end of the adventure?

[Damanta]

Even if they sell it, they won't get increased credits on the chronicle, but it might help to purchase something they need.
They will need to spend the credits you used on the chronicle sheet.
Players get it on their chronicle sheet as available for purchase.

[Devasura]

Let's take a look at the first quest Station of Starfinder Society Quests: Into the Unknown for example. You get to fight a ghoul and 3 mercenaries.

Ghoul has flight suit stationwear and azimuth laser pistol with battery (20 charges) and each mercenary has assault hammer, azimuth laser pistol with battery (20 charges) and credstick with 250 credits.

That is total loot of 750 credits, 4 azimuth laser pistols each with a battery, 3 assault hammers and stationwear flight suit. That is an amount of 154.66 credits per PC if there are 6 PCs and they sell all that looted gear (928/6=154.66). Yet, the CS for that quest alone gives 140 credits to each PC along with the access to azimuth laser pistol, assault hammer and flight suit stationwear. Seems like some money gets lost somewhere :D That is, if the PCs should sell all that looted gear and then buy something for that credits (and spend all or almost all cash in that process), at the end they would spend more credits during the adventure then they would get from CS.

Lets say PCs start with 0 credits each after they buy starting gear. Then they finish encounter and sell above looted gear for 10% of its original value during the adventure and every PC ends up with 154.66 credits. Now, every PC spends during the adventure 154 credits on serums of healing and something, and has 0.66 credits left. CS gives every PC 140 credits.

How should one record that in CS properly?

Starting credits: 0
Credits garnered: 140
Credits spent: 154
Total: -13.34 credits

PCs can also use these four laser pistols including their batteries during the rest of the adventure?

[Gamerskum]

Remember you can also only buy items from the Chronciles sheets with a level of your level +2
.

[Adder007USA]

Devasura.

By my understanding...everything gets turned in. So yes, your PC's would wind up with negative credits earned for that stage, though per society rules, if your credits earned would be negative, just put it to zero. But...they do all have 150 credits worth of "stuff and services" so technically they came out ahead, 10 credits ahead from what they would have gained just from that first page.

My understanding: When you're working with the starfinder society, all items and loot you find technically belong to them. This is in exchange for the benefits of being part of the society (Boons, fame, reputation ewards).

You can use items in the course of your mission, but end effect, you must pay for any use beyond reason(they're not going to charge you for using the ammo inside a found gun). In the example of selling everything for 10% value, you're essentially selling something that doesn't belong to you. You're permitted to do so, but you're expected to reimburse the society for this action.

At the end, EVERYTHING, loot and credits get turned in, and then you receive your cut/pay for everything you did for the society.

[Gary Bush]

Devasura,

What others have said is true for Society play. But the Quest adventure was written to be used anyone, not just Society play. So that is why they list how much money is found. That way, if a GM is using the adventure for home play, they have an idea of how much to reward their players.

And yes, in Society play, PCs are allowed to use the gear they find for the rest of the adventure.

Keep in mind that the Quests are short adventures and technology would reset at the beginning of each one. But if a group is playing all 5 quests in one session, I see no problem with letting characters carry found gear from one quest to the next.

[utopia27]

Devasura wrote:

Let's take a look at the first quest Station of Starfinder Society Quests: Into the Unknown for example. You get to fight a ghoul and 3 mercenaries.

Ghoul has flight suit stationwear and azimuth laser pistol with battery (20 charges) and each mercenary has assault hammer, azimuth laser pistol with battery (20 charges) and credstick with 250 credits.

That is total loot of 750 credits, 4 azimuth laser pistols each with a battery, 3 assault hammers and stationwear flight suit. That is an amount of 154.66 credits per PC if there are 6 PCs and they sell all that looted gear (928/6=154.66). Yet, the CS for that quest alone gives 140 credits to each PC along with the access to azimuth laser pistol, assault hammer and flight suit stationwear. Seems like some money gets lost somewhere :D That is, if the PCs should sell all that looted gear and then buy something for that credits (and spend all or almost all cash in that process), at the end they would spend more credits during the adventure then they would get from CS.

Lets say PCs start with 0 credits each after they buy starting gear. Then they finish encounter and sell above looted gear for 10% of its original value during the adventure and every PC ends up with 154.66 credits. Now, every PC spends during the adventure 154 credits on serums of healing and something, and has 0.66 credits left. CS gives every PC 140 credits.

How should one record that in CS properly?

Starting credits: 0
Credits garnered: 140
Credits spent: 154
Total: -13.34 credits

PCs can also use these four laser pistols including their batteries during the rest of the adventure?

Yes, the looted items (including batteries/ammo) can be used (and used up) during the adventure. Also, the credits looted can be used to bribe folks, buy a round of drinks at the bar, buy flowers for the lovely lady, or other 'transient' uses for $$ to garner advantage during play. And in the after-accounting, you still get the CS $$ credited to your character (even if everyone in the party spent every last credit on a crazed drunken spree, or lost it all in the casino, or whatever).

[Gary Bush]

If you spend found credits than the amount spent needs to be recorded as spent on the chronicle. This needs to be done because the found credits are calculated into the rewards of the adventure.

[Peet]

Gary Bush wrote:

If you spend found credits than the amount spent needs to be recorded as spent on the chronicle. This needs to be done because the found credits are calculated into the rewards of the adventure.

But don't you have to hand over anything you bought with those credits to the society at the end?

In that case, aren't you paying for something twice that way?

[TriOmegaZero]

If you return a found item at the end of the session, you would not have to spend the credits on it, as that only happens if you want to keep the item for future adventures.

If you purchase an item, but do not want to keep it after the adventure, you can sell it back for 10 percent of its price. It is recommended you be aware of how many credits you have when making purchases so that you don't end up spending more than you will receive on the chronicle.

You should never be paying twice for something. Consider it being claimed on the mission report and processed as purchased.

[EC Gamer Guy]

Grenades.

Always use found grenades.

All of them, all of the time.

Because dropping 4-6 grenades per round on a guy, at effective AC 5, is hysterical.

[Typhon!]

In 'Into the Unknown' last quest 'Salvage' after the Skreebara is defeated (page 22 treasure notation), what is the incentive to harvest it's crystals or sell the tactical X-gen gun for scrap if, in society play, the same amount is awarded on the CS anyway?

[Gary Bush]

The scenario can be ran outside of society play so the treasure there is intended for that purpose.

[BigNorseWolf]

Zalyx wrote:

In 'Into the Unknown' last quest 'Salvage' after the Skreebara is defeated (page 22 treasure notation), what is the incentive to harvest it's crystals or sell the tactical X-gen gun for scrap if, in society play, the same amount is awarded on the CS anyway?

Thats more of an explanation for why you're getting any money for that encounter than anything else. Its not like it costs you anything to swipe it.

[lbxzero]

There is something I find that doesn't make sense. The credit reward for the scenario is based on items being sold for 10%, but you have to buy them afterward at full value if you want to keep them, creating a negative flow of credits to keep any gear relevant to your character.

It would have made sense if the looted items on the chronicle sheet were set to have buy value of 10%, basically making you the buyer of the 10% sell value. Then there is a point to the item level 1 equipment on chronicle sheets.

But as the math works out, a piece of loot that drops in a scenario has a 1.66% price deduction over buying it from the store.

[Nefreet]

That's... Not how credit rewards are calculated.

[BigNorseWolf]

There is a trade off between realism and playability. PFS tilts heavily towards ease of use and playability.

Its not that way on accident. Other organized play where people fight over loot can suck up time even when it doesn't cause bad feelings at the table.