APPRAISE (INT)
Use this skill to tell an antique from old junk, a sword that’s old and fancy from an elven heirloom, and high-quality jewelry from cheap stuff made to look good.
Check: You can appraise common or well-known objects with a DC 12 Appraise check. Failure means that you estimate the value at 50% to 150%. The DM secretly rolls a 2d6+3, multiplies the result by 10%, multiplies the actual value by that percentage, then tells you the resulting value for the item. (For a common or well-known item, your chance of estimating the value within 10% is fairly high even if you fail the check—in such a case, you made a lucky guess.)
Appraising a rare or exotic item requires a successful check against DC 15, 20, or higher. If the check is successful, you estimate the value correctly; failure means you cannot estimate the item’s value.
A magnifying glass gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Appraise checks involving any item that is small or highly detailed, such as a gem. A merchant’s scale (page 130) gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on Appraise checks involving any items that are valued by weight, including anything made of precious metals. These bonuses stack.
Action: Appraising an item takes 1 minute (ten consecutive full-round actions).
Try Again: No. You cannot try again on the same object, regardless of success.
Special: A dwarf gets a +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks that are related to stone or metal items because dwarves are familiar with valuable items of all kinds (especially those made of stone or metal).
The master of a raven familiar (see the Familiars sidebar, page 52) gains a +3 bonus on Appraise checks.
A character with the Diligent feat gets a +2 bonus on Appraise checks.
The feat Appraise Magic Value(CAdv p97) allows use of the Appraise skill to determine magical properties.
Synergy: If you have 5 ranks in any Craft skill, you gain a +2 bonus on Appraise checks related to items made with that Craft skill (see Craft, page 70).
+2 bonus if you have 5+ ranks in the Perform skill that is the basis for the performance being appraised.
Untrained: For common items, failure on an untrained check means no estimate. For rare items, success means an estimate of 50% to 150% (2d6+3 times 10%).
Other Uses
APPRAISE (INT)
Many dwarves develop a keen sense of value, and their love of stone and metal makes them even more skilled at evaluating such items.
In addition to using Appraise to determine the value of items they are offered in trade (or come across in their adventures), the dwarves have another use for this valuable skill. By turning a knowledgeable eye to an item, a dwarf can discern if it is dwarvencraft or of dwarven manufacture.
Likewise, no culture that prizes the arts as highly as that of the gnomes can lack a way to critically evaluate nontangible works of art such as music, drama, or writing. A specialized use of the Appraise skill allows gnomes to discern the value of a performance by viewing, listening, or reading a work, thereby rating the skill and value of the artist as well.
Appraise a Performance
Check: In addition to appraising concrete items, any character can appraise the quality of a performance. A successful Appraise check (using the same DCs described on page 67 of the Player’s Handbook) means that you estimate the approximate daily income a performer might be able to expect from a performance of this quality, as shown in the Perform skill description on page 79 of the Player’s Handbook.
A character can also appraise a work being performed to determine its value, just as a physical item can be appraised. See the Craft skill description in this chapter for approximate values for artistic works.
Appraising the quality of a performance requires the character to view and listen to the performance for 1 minute. However, appraising the actual work being performed (the entire song or poem, for example) requires the character to view and listen to the entire performance.
Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in any Perform skill, you get a +2 bonus on Appraise checks related to performances using that Perform skill.
Fast Appraise
Normally, appraising an item takes 1 minute. You can appraise an item quickly, but the DC increases by 5. Failing the check means that you cannot estimate the item’s value at all, much like Appraise checks made to determine the value of rare or exotic items. Appraising an item quickly takes 1 round.
Try Again: If you attempt a normal Appraise check, you cannot try again on the same object, regardless of success. If you fail to appraise an item quickly (or even if you succeed), you can still try to appraise the item normally. Doing so requires the normal amount of time (1 minute).
Identify Dwarven Craftwork
You can tell whether an item is dwarvencraft or of dwarven manufacture or by making a successful DC 10 Appraise check.
Running A Business
Appraise is considered a secondary skill for running a Moneylender, Shop, or Service business.
Easy to read Chart
| Type of Item being Appraised | DC | Estimated price, if Successful | Estimated price, on a Failure | Estimated price, on a Failure and Untrained |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common (trade goods, livestock, mundane items) | 12 | <correct> | 50% – 150% | <no guess> |
| Rare (gems, unworked precious metals, fine clothing) | 15 | 70% – 130% | <no guess> | 50% – 150% |
| Exotic (unusual gems, spell components, jewelry) | 20 | 70% – 130% | <no guess> | 50% – 150% |
| Unique (masterpiece artwork, royal jewels, crowns) | 25+ | 70% – 130% | <no guess> | 50% – 150% |
