Appraise - Realism at What Cost?

[Wormwood]

I removed it from the game as well.

 

[lukelightning]

Remember that many other skills or abilities can replace appraise. An appropriate knowledge skill, bardic knowledge, or, my favorite, intimidate.

"This river pebble is really a gem stone worth 100gp. What? You don't believe me? Well there is one simple test to determine its value...the axe test."

 

[Denaes]

I hope nobody in our party has that skill.

Our GM just tells us the value when we get it. He sees it like this: "We're not playing Merchant the Trading, so lets just get on with the game" - in other words, it doesn't really add anything for us to try and roll dice to get good prices with merchents.

In fact doing that only hurts players. A merchant knows the value. The only thing Appraise does is try to keep dishonest merchants from taking advantage of players. It doesn't give us an upper hand or anything.

 

[eliandi]

Remember that many other skills or abilities can replace appraise. An appropriate knowledge skill, bardic knowledge, or, my favorite, intimidate.

"This river pebble is really a gem stone worth 100gp. What? You don't believe me? Well there is one simple test to determine its value...the axe test."

As long as you won't be needing to deal with that merchant ever again, then you got a great tactic.

 

[Shadowdweller]

In fact doing that only hurts players. A merchant knows the value. The only thing Appraise does is try to keep dishonest merchants from taking advantage of players. It doesn't give us an upper hand or anything.

Of course, screw over skills and you screw over skill-based characters (bards and rogues).

 

[melkorspawn]

Of course, screw over skills and you screw over skill-based characters (bards and rogues).

I'd like to see someone try to find a DC 40 trap in an abandoned building with an Intimidate roll.

 

[Crothian]

In fact doing that only hurts players. A merchant knows the value. The only thing Appraise does is try to keep dishonest merchants from taking advantage of players. It doesn't give us an upper hand or anything.

It can hurt merchants. Why do you assume that a merchant automatically know exactly what it is worth, they can mess up thier roll too.

 

[Crothian]

Remember that many other skills or abilities can replace appraise. An appropriate knowledge skill, bardic knowledge, or, my favorite, intimidate.

"This river pebble is really a gem stone worth 100gp. What? You don't believe me? Well there is one simple test to determine its value...the axe test."

That's not replacing anything. Intimidation does not always yield the results tyou want like people giving you the right informaiton or being useful. Threatening someone is a valid tactic but it doesn't tell you how much something is worth like appraise does.

 

[J-Buzz]

I'd like to see someone try to find a DC 40 trap in an abandoned building with an Intimidate roll.

Find a rogue, roll an intimidate check to see if you can intimidate them into finding the trap for you......

 

[Sigma]

For those who find that the skill does not slow down play, could you please describe how you are using it. Are your players writing down the wrong values for their items? Are merchants making their own appraise checks to determine how much to offer? Just saying 'we use it and it works' doesn't really help a lot.

Shadowdweller - Thanks for pointing out the alternate uses of the skill. I did have a player complain that he wanted to use appraise to determine what was lootable in a room, but he did it mostly to be petulant after I announced that I was getting rid of the skill. I suppose I could keep the skill in the game and just strike the estimating aspect, but I'm not sure if it's worth the skill points then.