Appraise

[hivedragon]

Does anyone use this skill?

[Thefurmonger]

Yes More stuff...........

[Morty]

My first DM made us use it quite extensively.

[hivedragon]

Would it matter if I just dropped the skill?

[Kalim]

Would it matter if I just dropped the skill?

Are you the DM and running a game?

If you dropped it from the game, it wouldn't really take much away - but leaving it in wouldn't hurt anything, either.

[Ravens_cry]

Would it matter if I just dropped the skill?
Do you mean you as a player or you as a DM? If you mean you as a player, does another player have it? If so, maybe, though a backup never hurts. If you mean as a DM, what fun do you think it will add that having it doesn't give? The only 'broken' use I ever heard for it is that the price of slaves in one book is based on HD and therefore one can tell the HD, and approximate power, of an opponent in-game by using Appraise. At least that is how the story went, I can not verify it. I thought it rather brilliant myself.

[CTrees]

DMs I've played with haven't let any of us use it to gain any mechanical advantage. For roleplaying, I've used it, but otherwise nope, never been able to pull off a use for it.

[Seonor]

One use I found was to estimate gear on npcs. But highly situational.

[Ravens_cry]

Well, it's use is for after the battle generally,finding how much the items you have acquired are worth. If your group likes to role play shopping ,it is good way to avoid been bilked by greedy shopkeeeprs who know adventurers love the shiny.
Still, here is a thing. You don't want to be caught with with a bunch of diamonds worth only a total of 4999 9 silver 9 copper, now now do you (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm)?

[CTrees]

Well, it's use is for after the battle generally,finding how much the items you have acquired are worth. If your group likes to role play shopping ,it is good way to avoid been bilked by greedy shopkeeeprs who know adventurers love the shiny.
Still, here is a thing. You don't want to be caught with with a bunch of diamonds worth only a total of 4999 9 silver 9 copper, now now do you (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm)?

This is what I mean-I've never been in a group where it was allowed to generate a mechanical advantage. I think because my DMs have realized that if we were allowed to haggle using Appraise... at least one person would optimize and break WBL in half. Instead, we could see if they're trying to rip us off, but otherwise, it's the land of shockingly honest shopkeeps.

[HappyBlanket]

Well, it's use is for after the battle generally,finding how much the items you have acquired are worth. If your group likes to role play shopping ,it is good way to avoid been bilked by greedy shopkeeeprs who know adventurers love the shiny.
Still, here is a thing. You don't want to be caught with with a bunch of diamonds worth only a total of 4999 9 silver 9 copper, now now do you (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm)?

It's working! It's working! He's coming back to- Woops, nevermind. Someone get a mop.

[ericgrau]

I think it might be worth it to see which art objects to carry and which to leave behind and so on, but alas most people don't worry much about carrying capacity and such anymore. It was big thing in 2e. For example what happened after defeating the copper dragon and collecting his horde of copper coins was as much of an adventure as defeating him. Or I remember seeing modules with specific information on collecting iron doors and other such objects for scrap, noting that most PCs might not realize it. It's worth quite a bit.

[sonofzeal]

Do you mean you as a player or you as a DM? If you mean you as a player, does another player have it? If so, maybe, though a backup never hurts. If you mean as a DM, what fun do you think it will add that having it doesn't give? The only 'broken' use I ever heard for it is that the price of slaves in one book is based on HD and therefore one can tell the HD, and approximate power, of an opponent in-game by using Appraise. At least that is how the story went, I can not verify it. I thought it rather brilliant myself.
That could have been either my brother or myself. I'm sure I posted about it here a few times. I'm equally sure other people have had the same idea over the years, but it's definitely something I allow and even encourage in my games.

[myancey]

The skill is useful in that players can appropriately figure item costs. They'll know if merchants are cheating them, or selling at sale price.

It's a flavor thing. Adds depth to the monetary transactions that occur in D&D.

Newer DMs tend not to add certain elements of flavor in their games so everything is easier to manage. As you progress as a DM, you may decide to have certain merchants cheat players out of money--the appraise skill being useful in guarding against that element of the game.

Note: Dwarves (and maybe other races) get racial bonuses to this skill with certain items--I would suggest that if you get rid of this skill, you give players who have dwarves as characters something of equal value.

[Steward]

Note: Dwarves (and maybe other races) get racial bonuses to this skill with certain items--I would suggest that if you get rid of this skill, you give players who have dwarves as characters something of equal value.

Something of equal value? Well, if appraise isn't really used in game already, then the only fair thing to do would be to give them a +2 to Knowledge (Psionics)... and then ban psionics.

[myancey]

Something of equal value? Well, if appraise isn't really used in game already, then the only fair thing to do would be to give them a +2 to Knowledge (Psionics)... and then ban psionics.

Nice. I was, of course, meaning that he should give them a +2 to craft (stone/metal) or +2 to spot (stone/metal concealed doors). Something to that effect. Why nerf the dwarf, even a tiny bit?

[ericgrau]

I think they already have both those things. And the ability to find stone traps as a rogue on top of that.

With 3000 minor special abilities I don't think they'll miss 1. Dwarves were always slightly on the high side of power anyway.

[ClothedInVelvet]

I had a rogue in my group who would routinely lie about the value of gems and items that we picked up. My warblade just never knew. He probably wouldn't have cared, and really, the rogue needed the gold more. It was a good RP tool too, because occasionally someone would catch on.

[Steward]

Nice. I was, of course, meaning that he should give them a +2 to craft (stone/metal) or +2 to spot (stone/metal concealed doors). Something to that effect. Why nerf the dwarf, even a tiny bit?

That's reasonable. As long as the DM made Appraise useful in the first place, removing and replacing it shouldn't be problematic. I was kidding about the psionic thing, but in some cases it might raise problems if one player got an "extra" benefit to compensate for a meaningless loss. It wouldn't bother me at all but some people might complain.