Advice on Rule Implementation

[pathfinder_raw]

I am currently in the process of creating a computer role playing game based on the Pathfinder RPG version of the Open Game License. It is my goal to implement RAW as complete as possible.

I only make mention of it to put into context my question and to avoid being accused of being too inane.

I have read nearly every post about Appraise, Identify, Detect Magic, Spellcraft, and Analyze Dweomer. I believe I am in good shape when it comes to magical items and can implement RAW fully. My issue is how to handle non-magical items as I would like to find a balance between discovery and drudgery.

Take for example a Mithral Shirt or Flight Arrows. I may want the initial examination of these items to describe them as a “chain shirt made of fine links” or “a quarrel of arrows with unusual fletchings”. This would represent what one would visually know with a cursory glance.

My non-scientific review of the literature seems to indicate a good many people simply find Appraise to be annoying or broken. Many have house rules to compensate or they simply ignore.

That said, I was wondering what people thought of the following:
1. Mundane items and gear would be fully identified and valued when found
2. Rare, exotic, or special, non-magical items would require an Appraise check to identify. Upon a successful check the following would be revealed:
..... a. Full name and description
..... b. Quality (e.g. normal, masterwork)
..... c. Special Materials (e.g. mithral, blood crystal)
..... d. Hit Points/Hardness
..... e. Value

Questions I have:
A. Thoughts about approach in general?
B. What to do if Appraise fails? Follow RAW? Allow another check every 24 hours (time will matter in the game so there is impact)?
C. Should I reveal/hide other info
D. Per RAW, if an Appraise check succeeds by 5 or more and an item is identified as magical, is the value revealed as well? It would seem that the item should be identified for its magical properties and then Appraised again to determine value. But I don’t see this in the rules specifically.
E. A few people wrote that Appraise will reveal if an item is Masterwork. If true, can someone point me to the proper documentation.

Thanks.

[pathfinder_raw]

Based on feedback from a few other sources I am leaning towards limiting Appraise to rare or exotic items and having value based on NON-MAGICAL properties. Something like:

Appraise: You can evaluate the monetary value of the non-magical properties of an object.

Check: An Appraise check determines the value and reveals non-magical properties of a rare or exotic item. If you succeed by 5 or more, you also determine if the item has magic properties, although this success does not grant knowledge of the item's magical abilities. If you fail this check by less than 5, you reveal the item's non-magical properties and determine the price of that item to within 20% of its actual value. If you fail this check by 5 or more, the price is wildly inaccurate, subject to GM discretion and no additional information is gleaned. Mundane or common items require no skill check to determine value or properties.
Action: Appraising an item takes 1 standard action. Determining the most valuable object in a treasure hoard takes 1 full-round action.
Try Again: Additional attempts to Appraise an item reveal the same result.
Special: A spellcaster with a raven familiar gains a +3 bonus on Appraise checks.

Note: A successful Spellcraft check is required to determine the full value of a magical object.

Open Game Content / House Rule

Any feedback welcome.

[Sissyl]

First thing you need to do is figure if the OGL actually allows for computer game implementation. I am not sure, but I think it doesn't.