I have a question regarding the Second Edition (Remastered) gem and art object tables on pages 298-299 of the GM Core rulebook.
Under price it lists a variable number (always 1d4) and then a sp or gp value. Is 1d4 the number of gems and art objects found or do you multiply the sp or gp amount by 1d4?
For example, is an agate entry of lesser semiprecious stones worth 1d4 x 5 silver for a total of 5-20 sp. Or is it 1d4 agate gems are found each valued at 5 silver pieces?
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To answer the question directly, I'm reading the table as listing that rolled value as the price for each gem. So, the first math option you listed - an agate would be 1d4x5 silver that comes out between 5sp and 20sp.
More generally, gems and art objects are an equivalent of money. The GM can just set an appropriate price and quantity of the gems found to match the loot and treasure needed.
To answer the question directly, I'm reading the table as listing that rolled value as the price for each gem. So, the first math option you listed - an agate would be 1d4x5 silver that comes out between 5sp and 20sp.
More generally, gems and art objects are an equivalent of money. The GM can just set an appropriate price and quantity of the gems found to match the loot and treasure needed.
Thank you Finoan.
Does anyone else have an opinion they want to share? How do you interpret this?
Maybe it would help if we had a specific example where the difference would be important. I'm suspecting that is the source of the question in the first place. Because just using gems as cash equivalent, the math comes out the same either way. 1d4 agates worth 5sp each is still between 5sp and 20sp.
Shattering Gem spell conjures its own gem, so it doesn't need a gem as a focus or cost of casting the spell.
Fear Gem would just have the abstract materials cost of crafting. You could use a gem to pay that cost. That would be cool narrative description. Not required by mechanics though.
Crystal Healing feat does require two 'semiprecious stones' - which I think gems would qualify as. But that could also just be considered a toolkit that is purchased in town like Healer's Tools.
I was putting together a random table for currency generation. I did not understand the intent behind the way the price listings were. It felt odd having to convert the silver into gold, if the value was high enough, for example, 1d4x5 = 5-20 sp, (20 sp = 2 gold).
Why not just write it so that it remains just silver or only gold for the entry? For example, 1d8 sp remains only silver, an entry of 1d4x5 gp is only gold. Seems odd that we need to convert it to silver to gold when you reach the upper limits of the gem range on the first two gem tables while the lower limits remain in silver.
As written in the GM Core, it seemed like they could have meant you find 1d4 gems worth 5 sp each. So this was the reason for my inquiry.
Yeah, trying to randomize the treasure rewards of PF2 is a little bit messy and not something the game leans into by default. Luckily the wealth system of PF2 is robust enough that it shouldn't matter much one way or another if you randomize the value of the occasional item that you give PCs, but it can be a problem if luck pushes too many rolls to one extreme or the other.
It is probably more important to be staying closer to the charts on treasure which start on page 58 of the GM core than it is that you get the numbers right for how much exactly different gemstones are worth, since the prices of those are not really reflective of stable values, but what a buyer might pay for it. As a GM, it is really up to you to decide if having PCs haggle and find the best possible customer is something that will be fun for your table, or if it is something likely to waste precious play time for very small potential benefit, which is why so many GMs I have seen tend to waive away a lot of downtime activities and purchasing limitations entirely.