Buying Stuff

General

In general, if something is banned in PFS I'm highly unlikely to allow it. See this link for details. This also applies to classes, spells, etc.

As with other things, if it's not available in hero lab I'm unlikely to allow anyone to buy it.

Services:

Mercenaries

In general:

  • Mercenaries usually come with standard NPC gear for their level (or, rather, they come with whatever gear the npc I make available has.)
  • Mercenaries will retreat when taken below 25% of hp, or when facing seemingly impossible odds (opponent CR > their CR+2). (Social skill use needed to stop them, counts as 'give dangerous aid' (dc=attitude+10+their cha bonus, +5 for each retry in a day.)

Mercenaries to be brought along on adventures expect the following.

  • One of the following payment rates (decided when hiring.) Not offering shares is a good way to offend competent npcs.
    • Both of the following.
      • An up front surety of 25% of their expected treasure value using their CR (possibly modified) instead of the APL on the Treasure Values per Encounter table, read the value on the appropriate column (most likely Medium.) Half this is repaid on ending the relation with the npc still alive. (On a metagaming note, this assumes the party does not loot their dead bodies. If you want their loot, the surety becomes 100% of their expected treasure value...)
      • An appropriate share of the profits, generally working out to CR/APL shares (assuming all player characters get one share each.) Attitude: Friendly.
    • 20*CR*CR gold/day, one week paid up front. Attitude: Indifferent.
  • Payment for any nonrenewable resources used for the partys' benefit.

Non-Magic Items:

Poison In general, only characters with the Poison Use ability know how to get hold of poisons. As they're generally illegal to buy, some underworld connections and/or skills rolls are probably required to buy them. Expect the DC to be in the area of the DC of the best poison you are looking for.

Magic Items:

Specific Items

  • Potion of Heroic Fortune - The crafter must be a hero (i.e. have hero points) to be able to create it. I.e. it's rarely available.

Buying

If a settlement has a specific item available (as per the settlement rules) it can be bought at once. If an item is worth less than the settlement base limit it might be available for purchase, find out by spending a day looking and making a DC 10 + (item value/1000) Knowledge (Local) or Profession (Merchant) roll (apply the settlement economy modifier to the roll, other modifiers might apply.) If an item cannot be found, it must be special ordered, see below. If an item can be found, see the Chance of availability rules below:

Chance of availability, general (i.e. not scrolls)

Ask me before you buy magic items, some things aren't available everywhere. Some things aren't available anywhere.

An item won't be available if it's worth more than the settlement's base value.

For other items, if I have no particular opinion, use these percentages: 75% for Minor Items (less than 8000 gp value), 50% for Medium items (less than 28000gp value), 25% for Major items (28000gp value or more).

If an item isn't available you can try again once per month (or special order it.)

Special ordering magic items

If the settlement you are in has a crafter of sufficiently high level, you need to do the following to be able to order it:

1) Have the money. (Normal rate is: item purchase price, cash up front, plus a 10% surcharge)

2) One of:

2a) Use a Favor

2b) Roll for crafter availability (see above, reroll weekly, or offer to increase the surcharge to first 25% and then 50%/75%/100%/etc for an instant reroll.)

3) Pay the agreed price. Delivery to be arranged by buyer.

If it's not printed in CRB, the APG or Ultimate Equipment it's probably not available for special order.

Potions, Wands, and Scrolls use (in this order) Cleric, Wizard, Druid, Witch, Magus, Bard, Ranger, Paladin, Summoner caster levels. (I.e. If a spell is on both the Cleric and Wizard spell lists, use the caster level for Cleric to calculate cost.)

Chance of availability, scrolls

Scrolls are generally only available if noted specifically for a settlement, unless the purchasing character is a member of an organization that is present in the settlement and specifically allows members to learn spells/buy scrolls.

No scroll with a caster level equal to or greater than the settlements maximum caster level is available.

If it's not printed in CRB, the APG or Ultimate Equipment it's probably not available for special order.

If the scroll is for a 'book-using' class, a Diplomacy check of 20+caster level is required to convince the seller to part with it.

Favor

If during an adventure a Favor is accrued (and used for this purpose) with a spellcaster or organisation of spellcasters, the above rules can be pretty much ignored.

Using

Don't go hunting for untyped bonuses, if you use more than one or so, I'll probably nerf the item by making the bonus typed.