Appraise check

[avin]

So, which skill should I use to make a jewel appraise check on 4E?

 

[Gruns]

None.
It was decided that ripping off players is "unfun" and therefore isn't part of 4E. The players know what stuff is worth.
If you decide you must houserule this and do it anyway, Streetwise makes the most sense I guess.
Later!
Gruns

 

[avin]

Ripping off...? 0o

Geez... I just don't want run a game where a lv 1 fighter opens a bag and know exactly how much is worth a gem he never saw before.

Houserule here we go, tx.

 

[timbannock]

Couldn't agree more. Streetwise very accurately reflects getting the low-down on an item's worth in the local market.

If you play a more simple game of economics and value is the same everywhere, perhaps a Perception check would be used. But frankly, Streetwise makes a bit more sense.

Potential skill challenge for selling off items that may have a stigma about them, or may be being sought to be reclaimed by the original owners: Perception (appraisal), Streetwise (find a buyer), Diplomacy (to haggle), Insight (to notice that you're being watched, or that there's something odd about the buyer in regards to the items). Maybe an appropriate other knowledge-y skill to realize that the gem your selling off is the Cursed Bloodstone of the Elder Elemental Evil (or, as I prefer to call it, the Elder Greater God, or Elder Gory God; E.G.G.) and that it might bring a terrible power to the hands of his infernal followers...

 

[Alas]

History would be a good choice for recognizing the significance (value) of art objects, too. Come to think of it, certain jewels in real life have been valuable enough to have their own history... Hope Diamond, anyone? By the time you get to the epic treasure parcels, the characters are probably looking at historically significant gewgaws like the Arkenstone, the Crown Jewels, and so forth...

 

[Mengu]

I like the "you know it for free" skill check for most treasures. If there is an item I need to use as a plot device, then I may ask for some checks depending on the item, anything from history, to dungeoneering, to streetwise, to diplomacy may be appropriate, depending on the item.

I really don't feel like wasting my and my players' time on trying to figure out how much a 100gp diamond is worth, on the off chance they might misappraise it by 10-20 gp. When they find it, I tell them what it is. Gems to me are just another form of currency.

 

[Obryn]

I really don't feel like wasting my and my players' time on trying to figure out how much a 100gp diamond is worth, on the off chance they might misappraise it by 10-20 gp. When they find it, I tell them what it is. Gems to me are just another form of currency.

Yep. It's how I ran it before there was an appraise skill, after all! And, honestly, most of the time where there was one.

IMHO, the appraise skill is a solution in search of a problem. I don't think it added anything to the game when it made its appearance. It was just "let's screw the players in such-and-such a way, but provide a way for them to un-screw themselves!"

-O

 

[Revinor]

If you want middle ground, you can cut their profits at sell time. Tell them rough value of the gems as written in module (so they can note it down), but when they actually sell it, roll for streetwise/whatever and modify the amount of gold they get for it.

This skill rolls would combine both their skill at selling/haggling and retroactively real worth of the hoard - in any proportions you want. As nice side effect, you could apply modifiers to the roll depending on the size of city, gem supply etc.

One important thing - after they roll, they sell it. No 'tries'. If they just want to appraise, give them original value, of you really want to complicate things, compute the value in given settlement assuming they have rolled 10 on streetwise.

Now, actual rules for interpreting skill result into percentage of value...

 

[Obryn]

If you want middle ground, you can cut their profits at sell time. Tell them rough value of the gems as written in module (so they can note it down), but when they actually sell it, roll for streetwise/whatever and modify the amount of gold they get for it.

This skill rolls would combine both their skill at selling/haggling and retroactively real worth of the hoard - in any proportions you want. As nice side effect, you could apply modifiers to the roll depending on the size of city, gem supply etc.

One important thing - after they roll, they sell it. No 'tries'. If they just want to appraise, give them original value, of you really want to complicate things, compute the value in given settlement assuming they have rolled 10 on streetwise.

Now, actual rules for interpreting skill result into percentage of value...

That's all well and good, but I have to ask - what have you gained after all that?

In my mind, it looks to me like you've gained a couple extra die rolls, some calculations, and (optionally) a new table and set of modifiers to look up. And maybe a few extra GP here and a few less GP there.

Put simply, I don't think it makes for a richer game. Or, more to the point, I think any added richness is more than offset by the added complexity. YMMV, of course, but I think this sort of thing is just extra work in as money-rich an environment as your typical D&D.

(If you have a game more like WFRP where the characters are scrabbling for every last copper ... well, that's a different story. But not your typical D&D game.)

-O

 

[Revinor]

That's all well and good, but I have to ask - what have you gained after all that?

I'm not going to put this rule in my game, I was just trying to find something for OP. Some way to put appraise-like skill into play, without making it unwieldy at the moment gems are found.

Gems aside, I wonder what OP plans to do about magic weapons. It might be so fun to not tell the exact numeric bonus and just go forever with ("I've hit 22 AC plus whatever bonus this sword has", "I have dealt 14 + bonus damage"). I personally see exact gem value as variation of this.