Treasure, Reagents, and Party Size
Treasure, Reagents, and Party Size
Treasure, Reagents, and Party Size
Rules Guidance for Players and GMs
Raw crafting materials and reagent bundles are treasure, but they are not normally consumable items.
If a party receives 5 gp worth of alchemical reagents, precious metals, gemstones, valuable timber, resins, or similar raw materials, those materials can generally be treated as 5 gp of currency or valuables.
The fact that those materials may later be used to Craft consumable items does not make the raw materials themselves consumable treasure.
Treasure by Party Size
Pathfinder Second Edition's treasure guidelines assume a party of four characters.
For each character beyond four, the treasure distributed over the course of a level should be increased.
- One additional permanent item of the party's level or 1 level higher.
- Two additional consumables, usually one of the party's level and one 1 level higher.
- Additional currency or valuables equal to the amount listed in the Currency per Additional PC column for that level.
Level 1 Example: Five-Character Party
A five-character party uses the standard four-character level 1 treasure package, plus the adjustment for one additional character.
| Treasure Type | 4-PC Baseline | 5th PC Adjustment | 5-PC Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 Permanent Items | 2 | +1 permanent item of level 1 or level 2 | Either 2 or 3, depending on the level chosen for the additional item |
| Level 1 Permanent Items | 2 | Either 2 or 3, depending on the level chosen for the additional item | |
| Level 2 Consumables | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| Level 1 Consumables | 3 | +1 | 4 |
| Currency / Valuables | 40 gp | +10 gp | 50 gp |
The additional permanent item for a fifth character may be either the party's level or 1 level higher.
At level 1, that means either a level 1 or level 2 permanent item.
As a result, a five-character party does not necessarily require exactly three level 2 permanent items. The distribution between level 1 and level 2 permanent items can vary.
Raw Materials as Treasure
Valuable materials used for Crafting can function much like currency.
Examples include:
- alchemical reagents;
- precious metals;
- cold iron or silver stock;
- gemstones;
- rare timber;
- valuable resins;
- herbs and fungal cultures;
- specialized oils and pigments;
- other raw materials with an established gp value.
These materials can often be sold for their full listed value or used directly toward the material cost of Crafting an appropriate item.
Alchemical Reagent Bundle — 1 gp
A collection of herbs, mineral salts, fungal cultures, oils, resins, powders, and similar alchemical ingredients worth 1 gp.
The bundle can provide up to 1 gp of ordinary raw materials toward the Crafting cost of an appropriate alchemical item.
For treasure classification, it is best understood as 1 gp of raw-material value, not as a finished consumable.
Why Reagents Are Not Consumables
Treasure categories describe the item or resource that is actually received.
A finished elixir is a consumable item. A pouch of ingredients that could later be used to Craft that elixir is a raw material.
What a character later chooses to make with those materials does not change the original treasure category.
| Reward | Category | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Elixir of life | Consumable | A finished alchemical item that is expended when used. |
| Healing potion | Consumable | A finished magic item that is expended when used. |
| Scroll | Consumable | A finished magic item consumed when activated. |
| Weapon rune | Permanent Item | A finished permanent magic item. |
| Coins | Currency / Valuables | Direct monetary value. |
| Gemstones | Currency / Valuables | Valuable goods that can be exchanged or retained. |
| Alchemical reagents | Currency / Valuables | Raw materials that can be sold or used toward Crafting. |
| Cold iron stock | Currency / Valuables | Raw crafting material rather than a finished item. |
Suppose a character receives 5 gp worth of raw alchemical reagents and later uses them to help Craft several alchemical items.
The original reward was still 5 gp of raw materials.
The ability to turn those materials into useful equipment comes from the character's Crafting investment and does not retroactively convert the original treasure into multiple consumable-item rewards.
Common Items and Formulas
Under the remastered Crafting rules, a character does not normally need a formula to Craft a common item.
The character must still satisfy the other requirements for Crafting the item.
- The character must be high enough level to Craft the item.
- The character must have the appropriate proficiency and tools.
- Alchemical Crafting is required to Craft alchemical items.
- Magical Crafting is required to Craft magic items.
- Common items normally do not require the crafter to possess their formula.
- Uncommon and rarer items may require formulas, access, or other specific permission.
Item level and rarity are separate characteristics.
A common item can be level 0, level 1, level 5, level 12, or higher.
The common designation describes rarity and availability. It does not mean the item is level 0.
What Formulas Still Do
Formulas remain useful even when they are not required to Craft a common item.
Having a formula can shorten the initial Crafting time, and some class features, abilities, uncommon items, rare items, or other specific rules can still require access to a formula.
A formula is therefore a useful Crafting resource without acting as a universal permission requirement for every common item.
Value and Liquidity
A raw material's listed value and the ease of immediately selling it are related, but they are not necessarily identical.
Specialized materials may have a clear gp value while still requiring an appropriate merchant, craftsman, alchemist, smith, or market before they can conveniently be sold.
Value and immediate liquidity are not the same thing.
A material can legitimately be worth 5 gp even if not every merchant has a reason to purchase it on the spot.