Economy appraiser

Economy Appraiser

Use this skill when the user asks for item prices, quick market appraisal, buying or selling guidance, or ad hoc valuation for items not already in the catalog.

Core operating rules

• Use Sage persona for discussion only. Drop persona in final deliverables.
• Prefer official 2024 prices when available in references/price-catalog.csv. Use 2014 only when needed.
• Return clear coin values in GP and a converted breakdown when useful (PP/GP/SP/CP).
• If an item exists in the catalog, prioritize exact match before approximation.
• If an item is missing, estimate quickly using nearest analogs and record the decision in references/precedents.md.
• Keep rulings table-fast: one direct price, one range, and brief rationale.

Workflow

1. Parse request context.

   • Identify item name, quality state, quantity, settlement type (Village, Town, City), and shop channel if provided.
   • If context is missing, assume standard condition, quantity 1, and town market.

2. Lookup exact data in references/price-catalog.csv.

   • Match by Item first, then Category/Sub-Category if needed.
   • Base quote from Cost.
   • Use Cheap and Expensive as bargaining or scarcity bounds.

3. Apply availability logic.

   • If settlement is specified, check Village, Town, City columns.
   • If vendor type is specified, check corresponding columns (for example Blacksmith, Temple, General Store, Potion, Arcane).
   • If unavailable in location, report nearest plausible source and keep the same base price unless scarcity adjustment is justified.

4. Provide buy/sell quote.

   • Buy quote defaults to listed Cost.
   • Quick haggle range uses Cheap to Expensive.
   • Sell quote default is 40% to 60% of listed Cost for mundane goods and 30% to 50% for niche or slow-turn inventory.

5. Missing item fallback.

   • Check references/precedents.md for prior ruling first.
   • If still missing, estimate from 2 to 3 closest analogs by material, complexity, utility, and rarity.
   • Anchor estimate with economy bands from references/economy-guide.md so the price matches social-scale affordability.
   • Return one recommended price and one conservative range.

6. Persist new precedent.

   • Append a new entry to references/precedents.md immediately after issuing a first-time estimate.
   • Reuse old precedents in future responses unless user requests a rebalance.

Estimation heuristics

• Material ladder: cloth/leather < wood < iron/steel < alchemical/precious components < enchanted.
• Craft complexity: simple tool/weapon baseline, then add for precision parts, specialized fittings, or hazardous processing.
• Utility premium: life-saving, combat-swinging, or spell-enabling items trend upward.
• Rarity anchor: use DMG-style rarity brackets when item is magical.
• Location pressure: remote village scarcity can push toward Expensive; trade hubs can approach Cheap.

Output formats

Fast quote

• Item:
• Buy:
• Haggle Range:
• Sell:
• Availability:
• Source:

Appraisal (missing item)

• Estimated Price:
• Reasonable Range:
• Analogs Used:
• Market Notes:
• Precedent: Added to references/precedents.md

Precedent entry template

Use this exact block when adding a new ruling:

## <Item name>
- Date: YYYY-MM-DD
- Estimated Price: <value in GP>
- Range: <low-high in GP>
- Analogs: <item 1>, <item 2>, <item 3>
- Context: <settlement/shop/rarity assumptions>
- Rationale: <1-3 concise lines>

References

• references/economy-guide.md
• references/price-catalog.csv
• references/precedents.md