Appraise this! A reference for the Appraise skill

[daremetoidareyo]

Affiliations and Guilds and Organizations

Spoiler: Political Bodies

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The Exchequer (Cityscape p.74) The city’s financial department; it has its own court which hears accounts and judicial pleas relating to fines owed the city. The Chancellor of the Exchequer (who is one of the most powerful individuals in the city)—that the bailiff presents his findings and funds. Associated Skills: Appraise, Concentration, Profession (bookkeeper or scribe), Search. Associated Skills for political bodies seem to be entirely there for you to base the types of contacts that you can wind up with in this organization. --DareMe2

Noble Houses Characters born into a house must purchase at least 1 rank in one of its associated skills. Houses are more likely to grant patronage to someone with at least 4 ranks in an associated skill. Gaining patronage requires:

1. DC 10 Knowledge(nobility and royalty) check or a DC 15 Knowledge(local) or Knowledge(history) check to determine which house is likely to offer patronage to someone with the character's skills.
2. DC 15 Diplomacy check to arrange a meeting with someone of standing within the house. Several days might pass before even a low-ranking house noble can meet with the character.
3. Succeed on a DC 20 check using the appropriate skill (produce a sample product or performance of masterwork quality or its equivalent.) Or, If selling her services as an adventurer or the like, a DC 20 Bluff or Diplomacy check must be passed to convince the individual that her deeds are of sufficient merit. If the PC has already performed great deeds, reduce the check DC by 5 or 10.

Mercantile House (Cityscape p.78)Mercantile houses normally have substantial interest in one or two areas of trade, owning many business, warehouses, and caravans. A few have broader reach, influencing the markets of an entire city or region. Merchant houses can normally provide mundane traveling necessities, mounts, vehicles, and petty cash. A mercantile house known for a particular product might be able to provide that as well. Associated Skills: Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Profession.

Underworld House (Cityscape p.79) In some instances, the house’s illegal activities might be publicly known, but the family is clever or powerful enough that the local authorities cannot prosecute. In other instances, a city might be so corrupt that overt criminal houses are the norm; An underworld house can provide any supplies necessary, up to the maximum allotment. However, 25% of such supplies are stolen or smuggled goods.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Forgery, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (local).

Spoiler: Affiliations

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Paragnostic Assembly affiliation (Complete champion p.72): Entry Requirements: Skills: Any two Knowledge skills, 3 ranks each. Special: Intelligence 13 or Wisdom 13. Executive powers are probably: Craft, Gift, Research ---DareMe2
Rank 1: Paragnostic Scholar: You can gain a bonus equal to +1 per hour spent in research (maximum +5) on your choice of one of the following skill checks: Appraise, Decipher Script, any Knowledge skill, Psicraft, Spellcraft, or Truespeak. Each time you perform research, you can choose a different skill to which to add the bonus. Many of the church’s clerics members worship specific deities of knowledge, but some empower themselves through the worship of knowledge itself. If you are a cleric, you can choose from the Knowledge, Magic,Trickery, Mind, and Oracle domains.
Rank 3: Seeker of Unseen Words: At this rank, you can choose any one of the skills on the Paragnostic Scholar list (except Truespeak) that does not appear on your class list. As long as you remain a member in good standing, that skill is treated as a class skill for you, regardless of which class you are advancing in.
Rank 4: Master of the Unturned Page: Because you now have access to restricted works, the maximum bonus on skill checks that you can obtain on research using skills from the Paragnostic Scholar list increases to +10.

First Scroll (Dragon magic p.142): Executive Powers: Craft, Gift, Research: Affiliation rank 4: Professor Valiant: Gain a draconic feat; if you don’t qualify for any draconic feats, take Dragontouched as a bonus feat. Members take your most casual statements seriously. At the end of each month, you must succeed on a DC 20 Appraise check or the First Scroll loses 1 capital.

Dread Fang (dragon magic p.146): Executive Powers: Assassinate, Raid, Terrorize. Rank 5: You are often trusted to lead small cells of Fangs. You receive a monthly income of 1d6X100 gp. You must show good judgment in your dealings. At the end of each month, you must succeed on a DC 20 Appraise check or you lose either 1 point of affiliation score or 1,000 gp (your choice).

BRIGHTMANTLE WEAPON FORGE AND TRADING CONSORTIUM (PHB2 p.168): Executive Powers: Craft, Gift, Trade. Rank 3 Subguild Head: Placed in charge of one of the many subguilds and commanding the services of five 4th-level experts (allot skill points as you like, for you can choose from the many clerks in the Consortium). Once per month, your experts must each make a DC 20 Appraise check and a DC 15 Gather Information check. If three or more fail the Appraise check, business is bad, and you lose 1 point from your affiliation score. If all five fail the Gather Information check, you fail to anticipate and deter a kidnap and ransom attempt targeting you or your family, and an EL 10 band of rogues arrives to carry out the deed.

Golden Helm Guild (PHB2 p.174): Guild membership is open only to gnomes, but anyone who can swing a hammer is welcome to sign up for an apprenticeship. Unless you have some talent for crafting either mundane or magic items, you won’t derive any benefit from your affiliation. Executive Powers: Craft, Gift, Trade
Rank 1: 4–10 Golden Helm Apprentice: +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks relating to stone or metal objects. +4 racial bonus on any one Craft skill.
Rank 2: (gnomes only?) 11–15 Golden Helm Journeyman: +6 racial bonus on Appraise checks relating to stone or metal objects. +6 racial bonus on the Craft skill you chose when you were a journeyman, and a +4 racial bonus on another Craft skill.

Build Your own Affiliation (PHB2 p.185): Affiliation Score 30 or Higher (Rank 4+): Ancient advisors—the spirits of the former affiliation heads are trapped within will-o’-wisplike glowing balls on the Wisp Crown, a symbol of your office; three times per day you can use the Wisp Crown’s ancient advisors to grant you a +6 insight bonus on any Appraise, Decipher Script, Knowledge, Sense Motive, or Use Magic Device check

Executive Powers of an Affiliation

(PHB2 p.186) Affiliation leaders wield executive powers to accomplish many tasks on a grand scale. Generally, a leader must have an affiliation score of 30 or higher in order to gain the authority necessary to exercise these powers. Choose three executive powers for your affiliation from among those described below. The executive power descriptions limit certain powers to certain affiliation types. This was done to balance out the value of the various types. You are free to ignore those restrictions if your campaign or storyline dictates otherwise. Some of the abilities encompassed by executive powers are only used if you are playing with dynamic affiliations (using the rules for capital, violence checks, espionage checks, and negotiation checks).

Harvest (PHB2 p.187): The wisdom or savvy of your affiliation’s leader allows your members to work the land to your advantage, coaxing crops from grudging soil or teasing out precious metals from jealous rock. When your affiliation uses the Harvest power, make a DC 20 Appraise check. If your result is between 21 and 30, each member of the affiliation receives gold (your share is 50 gp X the affiliation’s scale), and the affiliation itself enjoys a +1 circumstance bonus on all violence, espionage, and negotiation checks for the next 2 months. If your result was over 30, you can choose the above benefits, or your affiliation can gain 1 capital. Businesses and tribes can harvest.

Trade (PHB2 p.189): Commerce is the life blood of business, and it can provide a much-needed infusion of capital for other affiliations as well. When your group trades, choose one friendly affiliation. Each organization gains 1 capital. Make opposed negotiation checks; whoever wins has a 1 in 6 chance of gaining 1 additional capital. Alternatively, your affiliation’s trade connections can help an individual entrepreneur. If your affiliation’s trading facilities are put at the disposal of an individual, he gains a +4 competence bonus on Appraise checks and a +2 competence bonus on any Diplomacy checks that involve trade for 1 month. Only businesses and colleges can instigate trades, but any other type of affiliation can be the other partner in a transaction.

Spoiler: Guilds

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Guilds

Enclave of Red Magic (City of waterdeep p.27): (Standard Arcane): AL LE, NE, LN; Associated Classes: Fighter, rogue, wizard. Associated Skills: Appraise, Craft (alchemy), Intimidate, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (the planes), Spellcraft. Requirements: You are required to serve in the embassy or its Skullport annex for an average of 30 hours per tenday. Each month, you must also donate at least 100 gp of magic items to the enclave for resale. (Donations are measured by market value, not their cost to create.) Favored in Guild Fringe Benefit: The guild subsidizes your monetary expenses when creating magic items, reducing raw materials cost by 10%.

Church of Tymora (City of waterdeep p.46): (Standard Religious): AL CG, CN, N; Associated Classes: Bard, cleric, rogue. Associated Skills: Appraise, Concentration, Heal, Knowledge (religion), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device. Requirements: You must adhere to the teachings of Tymora, and give a special offering of at least 50 gp value every time a stroke of great luck favors you (you roll a 20 on an attack roll or saving throw). Favored in Guild Fringe Benefit: Once per character level you can call upon the powers of chance to intercede on your behalf immediately prior to a single d20 roll. You gain a bonus equal to 1d10–4 on the roll; if the result is negative, you take the appropriate penalty instead (fate is fickle, after all). Special: The church of Tymora requires members to be true adherents of Lady Luck, with a demonstrable understanding of the church’s teachings (2 ranks in Knowledge [religion]).

Gnawbones (City of waterdeep p.56): (Minor Criminal): AL NE, LE, N; Associated Classes: Aristocrat, expert, fighter, ranger, rogue. Associated Skills: Appraise, Bluff, Disguise, Gather Information, Knowledge (local), Use Magic Device. Requirements: You may not divulge secrets of the society to outsiders, and must obey the orders of your superiors. Favored in Guild Fringe Benefit: You know where to get things. Once every character level, you can purchase any good or service for just 75% of its actual price as long as you are in Waterdeep or Neverwinter. Special: All members of the society must be able to speak Draconic.

Plague Rats (City of waterdeep p.57): (Expansive Criminal): AL LE, NE; Associated Classes: Barbarian, cleric, fighter, ranger, rogue. Associated Skills: Appraise, Hide, Knowledge (local), Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, Use Rope. Requirements: Do not divulge secrets of the guild to outsiders. Give Talona her due. Favored in Guild Fringe Benefit: Talona is inclined to be merciful toward you, and rarely afflicts you with her blessings. You gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves against disease. In addition, if you are an afflicted lycanthrope, you gain a +2 bonus on Control Shape checks.

House Adarbrent (City of waterdeep p.60): (Minor Noble): AL LG, NG; Associated Classes: Aristocrat, expert, fighter, rogue. Associated Skills: Appraise, Diplomacy, Forgery, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Profession (sailor). Requirements: If you are an agent of the House, you must serve an average of 20 hours per tenday attending Adarbrent business. If you are a member of House Adarbrent, you must devote an average of 30 hours per tenday to dealing with House business. Favored in Guild Fringe Benefit: Your connections with Waterdeep’s merchant nobility give you a jump on finding the best market for a valuable item. Once per character level, you can sell a magic item for 100% of its market value (or an art object or gem for 120% of its normal value). Special: You can only be a clan member if the DM approves.

Spoiler: Houses

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Houses

In eberron, you can belong to a dragonmarked house. Within those houses are Guilds. Although you can most likely be part of one of these guilds, the benefit of the Guild comes down to what favors you can lean on your house to provide. For example, if you are favored in the House of Cannith, if you make a DC 25 favor check, you gain access to free use of a 5th level member of the Fabricators Guild or Tinkers Guild (Lesser Dragonmark) for 1 week (Dragonmarked p.21). To Access these NPCs you need the appropriate Favored in House feat.

Cannith TINKERS GUILD (Dragonmarked p.22): Associated Classes: Expert, fighter, rogue, warrior.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Diplomacy, Craft, Knowledge (local), Profession (tinker).

Cannith FABRICATORS GUILD (Dragonmarked p.22): Associated Classes: Artificer, expert, magewright, Wizard.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (local).

Kundarak THE BANKING GUILD (Dragonmarked p.42): Associated Classes: Aristocrat, expert, warrior.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Craft, Diplomacy, Profession, Sense Motive, Speak Language.

Sivis NOTARIES GUILD (Dragonmarked p.73): Associated Classes: Bard, expert, magewright, rogue, wizard.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Craft, Decipher Script, Forgery, Profession, Speak Language.

Vadalis HANDLERS GUILD (Dragonmarked p.89): Associated Classes: Druid, expert, fighter, ranger.
Associated Skills: Appraise, Concentration, Handle Animal, Heal, Profession, Ride, Survival.