How does consumables batch crafting work in Pathfinder Society?

Question

How does Pathfinder 2e consumables batch crafting work in Pathfinder Society play? For example: After an adventure, an alchemist wants to use 8 downtime days to craft a batch of four lesser alchemist's fire flasks.

How does this process work in game, and how much does it cost the character? I understand that consumables are produced in batches, and that these consumables are separate from the alchemist's daily infusions.

I want to make sure I'm running it by PFS rules. PFS1 didn't allow crafting, so this is new territory for me. My main question is regarding cost per batch - I'm unsure if the 'batch of 4 consumables' means that the crafter pays per unit, or per batch. Does the alchemist pay the consumable cost per consumable unit (i.e. 1.5gp materials cost per flask + crafting time), or per batch (1.5gp materials per batch + crafting time)? And if the former, can the alchemist make a smaller batch, or individual consumable?

Answer 1

You always 'pay' per item

With 4 days of Downtime using the Craft activity, you can create 1 or 4 consumables*. In PFS, this requires a minimum of 2 XP earned in the session. As outlined in the Craft activity,

1. Spend money (/materials) equal to half the cost of each item

You must supply raw materials worth at least half the item's Price.

2. Spend 4 days of Downtime and roll a Crafting check.
3. Elect to continue working** or spend the other half of each item's cost

*The (limited) rules about batches don't allow for crafting less than 4 in a batch; the text lacks the simple words "up to". As a home GM, I would allow it but you will have to communicate with your Society GM(s) to determine how tightly they are following that RAW.

When a character creates consumable items, they can make them in batches of four, as described in the Craft activity.

**If you continue working, you reduce the cost based on your level (+1 on a Critical Success) and Proficiency based on the Income Table.

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In your example, you spend 6g and 4 days Crafting 4x lesser alchemist fires. You then spend 4 more days to reduce the cost based on the table linked. A few examples:

• With a Success (DC 15), if you are at least Trained level 6, you've completed the work with no additional expenditure
• With a Critical Success (DC 25), if you are at least Trained level 5, you've completed the work with no additional expenditure
• With a Success (DC 15), with Expert level 5, you've 'worked off' 1g per day (4g) of the remaining cost and must spend 2g more to complete the work
• With a Success (DC 15, with Expert level 3, you've 'worked off' 5s per day (2g) of the remaining cost and must spend 4g more to complete the work

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See this Related question about the 'value' of Crafting compared to other Downtime activity.