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While you can't use a Hireling as a pack mule, because it has no listed Strength score or Carrying Capacity, I think letting your Hireling carry the Tool Kit that goes with their chosen skill makes sense.
If you're a low Strength character, letting them carry that 1 Bulk Healer's Kit (as an example) might be all you need them to carry anyways.
Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha
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I would certainly allow a hireling to use tools. One of my PCs has a hireling with crafting which she uses for repairing her shield. I have a set of tools which I assume I carry and hand of to her to fix the shield when we rest.
Right. What Nefreet is suggesting is that the hireling carries the tools, thus freeing the character from having to account for bulk.
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Are you going to suggest pushing the grey areas from here on out to highlight where the current wording is can be intercepted different ways?Ask your GM, then.
If I end up being your GM, you're fine.
I do not think it's unreasonable for a Hireling, who you spent Fame on for one purpose, to use the tools needed to fulfill that purpose.
Without the Hireling, you wouldn't have purchased the tools anyways, so your net Bulk increase is zero in either case.
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Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha
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I don't disagree but the boon doesn't say anything about tools.
I think it is more reasonable that the hireling will have the basic tools to do the task they are hired to do. Functionally it is the same but less messy about who is carrying what tools. And I guess cheaper for the character.
And I will point out as much as I see that you are playing devil's advocate so new players understand better.
Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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Considering that -you- need to spend the time&actions to accomplish what your hireling is going to do, -you- need to be holding those tools to benefit from them, so, in effect, -you- would need to be carrying them anyway to benefit them:
The wording on whether the hireling:
The hireling’s result cannot be modified by class abilities or spells, but it can be improved by a successful Aid check. The hireling does not participate directly in combat, cannot be harmed unless willfully endangered, and has no effect other than performing the selected skill checks.
The first part says you can't modify it with class abilities or spells, and specifies it can be modified by aid check. Can it be modified by tools at all? Maybe, maybe not.
However, "And has no effect other than performing the selected checks" would imply that indeed, you need to carry the tools yourself. The first part of this post (-you- spend the actions and suffer the consequences) would mean that you'll be holding the tools anyway, further suggesting that nope, hireling isn't carrying anything for you.
I wouldn't mind you Roleplaying as your hireling carrying all your stuff, obviously, but it's still counted into your bulk.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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Do remember that a backpack will give you 2 extra bulk capacity if you carry your stuff in it.
Also, Retraining is super cheap, 7 days, basically after any scenario you can swap a feat to another if you want, and you lose a couple coins worth of change for not rolling earn income instead. You could take Hefty Hauler now, and retrain it into something else when you reach level 5 and gain it from your school.
Also, you can carry 5+str mod worth of stuff. Fullplate requires str 18 (or str 16 with armored skirt) - It has bulk 4 (5 with armored skirt), so you should still have 5 or 3 bulk worth of capacity. Unless you plan to also carry a tower shield, you should really be able to make do with 3 bulk + two in the backpack.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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Well, let's see. He can carry 9 bulk.
Shield is 1. Main weapon is 2. Backup weapon is 1. Dagger is .1. Backpack with Repair kit, Healer's tools, and grappling hook is 1.1. That's 5.2. With full plate he would be encumbered. I'm content with splint until level 5.
Also, Repair Kit and Healer's tools are both 1 bulk, so a backpack with both of those and a grappling hook is just one L.
Still, if you have a feat to spare, I'd recommend picking up the hefty hauler, and just retraining it once you get to level 5 and get it from your school instead.
You also have 4 weapons. A main, a backup, another backup weapon in dagger, and you can always just punch stuff with your fist. As per the new errata/FAQ, all classes are proficient with unarmed strikes and increase their proficiency in them as with other weapons.
Not trying to say you shouldn't equip your character as you see fit, just trying to give ideas on how to get the most out of your kit and/or make room for the better armour.
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Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Omaha
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Bulk only cares about whole numbers. L does not count as bulk until you reach 10L = 1. You're not 9.8. You're 9 and 8L. The 9 is all that you compare for encumbrance purposes.Where does it say that?
Items can have a number to indicate their Bulk value, or they can be light (indicated by an L) or negligible (indicated by a —) for the purpose of determining Bulk. For instance, full plate armor is 4 Bulk, a longsword is 1 Bulk, a dagger or scroll is light, and a piece of chalk is negligible. Ten light items count as 1 Bulk, and you round down fractions (so 9 light items count as 0 Bulk, and 11 light items count as 1 Bulk). Items of negligible Bulk don’t count toward Bulk unless you try to carry vast numbers of them, as determined by the GM.
emphasis mine.
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This was a minor thread necro, but I’ve been wondering the same thing. There are very few skill feats tied to Athletics that make sense for a Hireling. If I gave my Hireling Hefty Hauler, could he carry 2 bulk worth of stuff for me? Presumably I wouldn’t be able to use that stuff in combat, which I would be ok with.
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Venture-Lieutenant, Finland—Turku
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No.
Reason:
In addition, select one skill feat whose prerequisite is being trained in one of the hireling’s selected skills. The hireling gains the benefits of that skill feat when attempting skill checks.
So, hireling only gains the benefits of that skill feat when attempting skill checks, so the effects of Hefty Hauler isn't constant on a hireling.
Presumably, this could help in certain situations where you are lifting heavy objects and the DC or bonus of your athletics check is dependant on how much bulk you can lift, in which case the extra +2 bulk might help.
Similarly, if you were normally encumbered but that +2 bulk would get you out of encumberance, it could affect how quickly you climb up a cliff or something - but that's pretty unlikely scenario, you probably don't want to build a character around being always encumbered with equipment.
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Makes sense.
Can a Hireling take Assurance? If not, then I don't think there are any options for an Athletics Hireling, as pretty much everything else is only really relevant in combat. Armor Assist, I guess, but in this case, it's a Hireling for a caster.
There aren't even any good options using a Lore skill, either, since the same clause would seem to rule out Additional Lore. Experienced Professional I guess works, if for some reason you're using your Hireling's Lore to Earn Income, but that seems unlikely.