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Appraise items
- Thread starter sammy
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nittanytbone
First Post
I wouldn't really require a skill roll except in extraordinary circumstances. The 4E economy is very precisely balanced. If the PCs end up being shorted significant amounts of cash because they suck at appraising/fencing loot, then that is basically the same as only getting 7 or 8 treasure parcels per level. That will eventually impact the expected power level, making standard encounters too difficult.
What I would do is use skill checks as a story hook. Perhaps a certain art object is "hot," and the PCs need to decide what to do with it -- return it to the rightful owner or fence it to the local guild or smuggle it out of the city to sell somewhere else? All three options open up story hooks for the campaign. You could also use gems that have some sort of possible side benefit to them ("Arcane lore suggests that lodestones have strange properties over magnetism and such forces"), possibly only discovered in limited situations (perhaps vs. certain foes or in certain terrain). There are plenty of possibilities. What I would not do is say, "Har har, you botched the thievery check and will only get paid 1/2 as much as is due!"
What I would do is use skill checks as a story hook. Perhaps a certain art object is "hot," and the PCs need to decide what to do with it -- return it to the rightful owner or fence it to the local guild or smuggle it out of the city to sell somewhere else? All three options open up story hooks for the campaign. You could also use gems that have some sort of possible side benefit to them ("Arcane lore suggests that lodestones have strange properties over magnetism and such forces"), possibly only discovered in limited situations (perhaps vs. certain foes or in certain terrain). There are plenty of possibilities. What I would not do is say, "Har har, you botched the thievery check and will only get paid 1/2 as much as is due!"
Obryn
Hero
Personally, I always hated the added bookkeeping and complexity that appraisal entailed. I used to just give out values in 1e and 2e, and I've gone back to that for 4e. It makes my job easier, and takes out a step that I just kinda feel is needless realism.
Appraise is a self-justifying skill, in my mind. If you don't have it, you don't need it.
-O
Appraise is a self-justifying skill, in my mind. If you don't have it, you don't need it.
-O
Mr. Teapot
First Post
These days, I'd say that you Appraise just like you identify items: spend a few minutes during a short rest, and you get an accurate idea what the item is worth.
After all, the PCs are professional tomb robbers (more or less). Of course they know what's valuable and what ain't. (Plus a lot of good system arguments against skill taxes and against unnecessary bookkeeping and unbalancing the reward cycle and the Appraise skill not actually generating any fun and such.)
After all, the PCs are professional tomb robbers (more or less). Of course they know what's valuable and what ain't. (Plus a lot of good system arguments against skill taxes and against unnecessary bookkeeping and unbalancing the reward cycle and the Appraise skill not actually generating any fun and such.)
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