I'm looking for some advice on treasure, which has been the biggest stumbling block for me as a GM. This is the first PF2E campaign we've ever played (first PF campaign ever, but we've all played multiple versions of D&D). I'm running a homebrew campaign and am trying to stick to the treasure-by-level table. The group hit level 4 at the very end of the last session and the treasure-by-level table says they should have (2) 4th level and (2) 5th level permanent items. The Permanent Magic Item Price table says they should get +1 striking weapons at level 4 and +1 armor at 5th level; I've been trying to stick to this table and was planning on giving them +1 striking weapons as a gift before they head out on the next adventure. But I'm at a loss for the +1 armor. I'd kinda planned on waiting until 5th level to give them that, but would it be game-breaking if I counted that as one of their 5th-level permanent items? For what it's worth I only have 2 PCs so I'm not terribly worried about them being a bit overpowered.
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The official AP often have 150-200% of the loot, it depends on your group selling stuff at half price or keeping it.
You could also look at the automatic bonus progression rules, it covers the basic math and leaves room for more fun items, but it depends on your group a lot. If you have a bunch of loot goblins its not the right approach.
Also remember that the values for the table cover the whole level, you don't have to get a striking rune the moment you level up to 4, but probably before you reach lvl 5.
(a new character starting at lvl 4 could buy it with the plain cash option, but not with the allocated items)
Its nothing to obsess about, pf2e just likes to make concrete suggestions instead of the whatever-approach of d&d5 regarding character wealth.
Yes the official adventures are for more generous than the treasure table (is about 150-200% as Dr. Frank Funkelstein pointed. Some time even more!). So don't be afraid into be generous with the players. While you don't give to them items with level higher than their levels (you can give one or 2 for lore reason but I don't recommend more than this) the game balance won´t break.
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Pathfinder 2e is not D&D 5e, the items won't break the game balance. The game expects that they will be well equipped instead.
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Exactly what YuriP says: You won't break the game by being too generous. But you can break it by not being generous enough. So don't hesitate to give items, even a lot, and let your players have fun with them. It's better to be too generous and adjust downward if you feel the PCs are too strong than the other way around.
There is also a Treasure Per Encounter table on pg 81 of the GMC. This can give you an idea about how much treasure any given encounter should have.
The only thing to remember is some encounters don't have treasure drops. A pack of wolves aren't carrying striking runes. But it can help you to balance it out between encounters.
I think the biggest thing is to no hand out too much above level treasure. You are going to tilt the gave toward the players if everyone has +1 resilient armor at level 4.
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Exactly what YuriP says: You won't break the game by being too generous. But you can break it by not being generous enough. So don't hesitate to give items, even a lot, and let your players have fun with them. It's better to be too generous and adjust downward if you feel the PCs are too strong than the other way around.
That is kinda my experience that it is way easier to break things by being too stingy vs too generous. PF2e really wants you to have a certain amount of stuff and things get squirrely if you don't have it.
One of my theories that many people find PF2e too difficult also comes from this. Some GMs, especially those who come from 5e, end up being very stingy with equipment and this becomes yet another thing that ends up making the players' gameplay too difficult.
Ideally, they should already be properly equipped with at least the fundamental runes of their level before having severe encounters or higher.
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There is also a Treasure Per Encounter table on pg 81 of the GMC. This can give you an idea about how much treasure any given encounter should have.
I have somehow never noticed that table! Thank you for posting it.
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There is also a Treasure Per Encounter table on pg 81 of the GMC. This can give you an idea about how much treasure any given encounter should have.I have somehow never noticed that table! Thank you for posting it.
I find it particularly useful when converting P1 adventures to P2. Instead of trying to figure out how a +2 flaming sword translates (level wise) to P2, I can just look at the table and eyeball the loot.
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It's such important advice that I'm going to repeat it despite everyone else saying it.
the underlying maths of pf2e has a pretty firm expectation that players have at least some loot. (Runes and Staves if nothing else). 5e is the total opposite, where the game is built on the assumption players have zero loot.
As long as you:
A) Don't hand out excessive amounts of loot at levels far above the players, and
B) Make sure you either provide players with the chance to buy/find +X and striking runes
You will probbaly be fine.
I would also stress this to your players. From experience I can tell you that players from 5e in particular are prone to hoarding consumables and not using them. Since the game expects you to use them (and static DCs punish holding on to them for too long), you should be using them.