Venture-Captain, Nebraska—Bellevue
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Thought I'd point out what I think is a glitch in the online guide that could short some 1st level PCs the results of a critical success on an Earn Income check.
Per the guide:
Make one check using either the Crafting, Lore, or Performance Skill for each Earn Income Downtime Unit (including units where you complete multiple activities, such as spending 7 days retraining and then 1 day Earning Income). Task Levels for Earn Income checks equal character level – 2 (minimum 0) though some boons allow checks against higher-level tasks. Compare check result to task level on Table 4-2: Income Earned (Core Rulebook 236) for the daily earning rate, then multiply that rate by the number of Downtime days used for Earn Income in the Downtime Unit.
So first and second level characters are attempting Task Level 0 checks for earn income. A critical success will bump them to the next higher Task Level (CRB, pg 237)
The simple table in the online guide mentions this critical success result, but by combining 1st and 2nd level characters on the same line and only mentioning level (not differentiating task level from character level), some GMs might be awarding based on character level. Meaning some 1st level characters may only get 4sp - success as a 2nd level character rather than 1.6gp - success at Task level 1.
Might not seem like much after a few levels, but it might be worth clarifying in the table.
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Why would that short them?
It is level 0 task… regardless of whether they are a level 1 or 2 character.
Then, if they crit, it is bumped to a level 1 task.
You even quoted it…
Task Level for Earn Income…
Also, note that earn income is completely optional, and that GMs no longer have to adjudicate it.
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My point was that the quick look table only ever references character level, not task level. Which could lead some players who only see that table to assume a critical success as a 1st level character is the same as a success by a second level character.
...they are the same, right?
1st level - 2 = Task Level 0. Critical = rewards as Task Level 1.
2nd level - 2 = Task Level 0. Critical = rewards as Task Level 1.
Barring feats or boons, it doesn't improve until a character is 3rd level.
I'm not looking at the table right now, so I don't know if you meant something else.
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some GMs might be awarding based on character level
Downtime is left up to the players to handle. Not for GMs to award.
There is always the possibility that someone will misinterpret how something works. No matter how well written it may be.
If a new player accidentally gives their 1st level PC a handful of extra silver because of a lucky Crit, and nobody catches the error immediately, I don't think there's any harm done.
More than likely they're going to ask the table what they earned, and someone comfortable explaining it will tell them.
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The issue is that a player might receive less silver, not more. The chart lists level 1-2 as a single row, then at the bottom says a crit earns one level higher. The crit success gold is not listed on the row. So if a level 1 character looks one level higher, they are still on the level 1-2 row, and they will see 4sp, when they should be looking at the level 3 row for the result of a level 1 task, which rewards 16sp. Task level doesn’t appear in the chart at all or in the paragraph on downtime that precedes it. This is in the simplified player section, so I understand not wanting to explain task levels, but it should still accurately communicate the rewards a character should receive. An extra gp at first level does make a difference.
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Which chart are you talking about?
The chart in the CRB lists by TASK level not by character level.
The same is true on Earn Income on AON
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The Downtime section of the Pathfinder Society (Second Edition) guide. It's in the section that simplifies things for new players, then links to the full rules if they want to learn them. If someone is looking at the simplified rules, it's probably because they don't know the task level rules. They shouldn't end up with less gold as a result of using the simplified chart. I mean that for a basic earn income check, not when using a feat or boon or something that changes the task level.
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Which chart are you talking about?
The chart in the CRB lists by TASK level not by character level.
The same is true on Earn Income on AON
The discussion is with regard to the highly simplified chart in the player section of the PFS guide.
I see. The Guide should say "Crit success earns 1 row higher."
I don't like that language, as people might think "one row higher" means "higher up the page" which would (obviously) confuse things.
Other suggestions for language?