SF2E - Question about the Serum Crafting feat (and follow up about formulas)

[Pyrius_42]

Hello everybody,

I have some questions about the Serum Crafting feat.

SF2 Player Core pg. 227 wrote:

Serum Crafting

You can craft serums and other medical items with the consumable trait. … you gain formulas for four common serums of 2nd level or lower.

My question:

Does the feat “only” grant formulas for common serums or also formulas for other common medical consumables (that are not serums)?

Because according to

SF2 Player Core pg. 241 wrote:

Medical Items

… Rules for creating medical items are found in the Craft activity on page 197, and you must have the Serum Crafting skill feat (page 227) to Craft medical items.

you need the feat to craft any kind of medical items.

So it seems a little odd, that the feat does not grant formuals for other medical items.

And a follow up question about crafting in connection with formulas:

SF2 Player Core pg. 197 wrote:

Crafting

To craft an item, you must meet the following requirements:

• - The Item is your level or lower….
  
• - The item must be common, or you must otherwise have access to it.

and

SF2 Player Core pg. 197 side bar wrote:

Formulas

… Second, you can Craft uncommon and rarer items if you´re able to acquire their formulas. …

My question:

Will a level 1 character, who is in possession of the formula for a level 2 serum, be allowed to craft this?

For example a Shimmerstone Serum (Item 2)?

By the rules I would say no.
But on the one hand again it seems a little odd not beeing able to craft an item you have the exact formula on how to do it.
Also on the oher hand, one could argue that said formula is to complex for a level 1 character to understand.

[Baarogue]

Pyrius_42 wrote:

Hello everybody,

I have some questions about the Serum Crafting feat.

SF2 Player Core pg. 227 wrote:

Serum Crafting

You can craft serums and other medical items with the consumable trait. … you gain formulas for four common serums of 2nd level or lower.

My question:

Does the feat “only” grant formulas for common serums or also formulas for other common medical consumables (that are not serums)?

Because according to

SF2 Player Core pg. 241 wrote:

Medical Items

… Rules for creating medical items are found in the Craft activity on page 197, and you must have the Serum Crafting skill feat (page 227) to Craft medical items.

you need the feat to craft any kind of medical items.

So it seems a little odd, that the feat does not grant formuals for other medical items.

It grants only formulas for four serums, which are a specific, traited medical item

But that doesn't mean you can't Craft other medical items. As it says in the Craft skill entry, PC1 p.197, all you need to Craft an item is for it to be your level or lower, the item must be common or you must otherwise have access to it, tools/workshop access, and materials. Formulas aren't on that list. As it says in the sidebar on the same page, formulas lower your setup time and grant access to Craft uncommon or rarer items. Getting four formulas of level 2 or lower saves you the cost of buying them, but that's really just for convenience at the moment. The full details for formulas are on PC1 p.237

Pyrius_42 wrote:

And a follow up question about crafting in connection with formulas:

SF2 Player Core pg. 197 wrote:

Crafting

To craft an item, you must meet the following requirements:

• - The Item is your level or lower….
  
• - The item must be common, or you must otherwise have access to it.

and

SF2 Player Core pg. 197 side bar wrote:

Formulas

… Second, you can Craft uncommon and rarer items if you´re able to acquire their formulas. …

My question:

Will a level 1 character, who is in possession of the formula for a level 2 serum, be allowed to craft this?

For example a Shimmerstone Serum (Item 2)?

By the rules I would say no.
But on the one hand again it seems a little odd not beeing able to craft an item you have the exact formula on how to do it.
Also on the oher hand, one could argue that said formula is to complex for a level 1 character to understand.

As you guessed, according to the rules a level 1 character cannot Craft a level 2 item. You may find some non-SFS GMs who relax that rule but it would still be a prohibitively expensive thing to Craft at that low a level

Perhaps in the future there will be a Starfinder alchemist-adjacent class like bioengineer or something who can Craft serums and other medical items on the fly. Those will likely require you to own the formula, even for common items, so saving the price of four 2nd level ones will be a nice benefit

[Pyrius_42]

Hi there,

thank´s for your answer.

Baarogue wrote:

It grants only formulas for four serums, which are a specific, traited medical item

But that doesn't mean you can't Craft other medical items. As it says in the Craft skill entry, PC1 p.197, all you need to Craft an item is for it to be your level or lower, the item must be common or you must otherwise have access to it, tools/workshop access, and materials. Formulas aren't on that list. As it says in the sidebar on the same page, formulas lower your setup time and grant access to Craft uncommon or rarer items. Getting four formulas of level 2 or lower saves you the cost of buying them, but that's really just for convenience at the moment. The full details for formulas are on PC1 p.237

I know that the formula is not needed to craft an item, and "only" saves some time while crafting.

It just seemed a little odd to me that there is a tiny limitation of what formulas you get for free with the feat.
It is no big deal and I can totally live with that. I just wanted to make sure this limitation is intended.

In addition if I really want to have a level 1 formula of a medical item that is not a serum, there is nothing in the rules that would prevent me from buying it. ;-)

[Baarogue]

Pyrius_42 wrote:

Hi there,

thank´s for your answer.

Baarogue wrote:

It grants only formulas for four serums, which are a specific, traited medical item

But that doesn't mean you can't Craft other medical items. As it says in the Craft skill entry, PC1 p.197, all you need to Craft an item is for it to be your level or lower, the item must be common or you must otherwise have access to it, tools/workshop access, and materials. Formulas aren't on that list. As it says in the sidebar on the same page, formulas lower your setup time and grant access to Craft uncommon or rarer items. Getting four formulas of level 2 or lower saves you the cost of buying them, but that's really just for convenience at the moment. The full details for formulas are on PC1 p.237

I know that the formula is not needed to craft an item, and "only" saves some time while crafting.

It just seemed a little odd to me that there is a tiny limitation of what formulas you get for free with the feat.
It is no big deal and I can totally live with that. I just wanted to make sure this limitation is intended.

In addition if I really want to have a level 1 formula of a medical item that is not a serum, there is nothing in the rules that would prevent me from buying it. ;-)

Right. They're pretty cheap