Broker

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

v50.12 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Broker

Room requirements
Office	None
Quarters	None
Dining room	None
Tomb	None
Furniture requirements
Chests	None
Cabinets	None
Weapon racks	None
Armor stands	None
Other
Mandates	None
Demands	None
Arrival conditions
Appointed on the nobles screen.
Function
Valuation of items at Depot Visibility of item values Display of fortress wealth on z-status screen Reports wealth to attract migrants

The Broker is a useful noble with no demands or requirements. A broker has several duties in the running of an organised fortress.

After you appoint a broker with the appraiser skill through the noble screen, you can see fortress wealth and trade information in the status screen (z). (The exactness with which this can be seen is determined by the duties of the bookkeeper.) Your broker's appraiser skill is also used to determine whether to display item values, in general and in the trade depot.

At the trade depot, you can specify that only the broker may trade with visiting caravans. The advantage of this is that the broker gains appraiser skill by opening the trade window for the first time, which allows the display of item values at the depot, and gains social skills by trading, which improves returns on your trading efforts. The disadvantage, however, is that convincing your broker to go to the trade depot in a timely manner can at times be frustratingly difficult. Once your broker has gained the appraiser skill and your fortress has plentiful trade goods, allowing other dwarves to trade will spread out the experience gains and ensure a prompt response. Your traders also use the judge of intent skill to see how merchants react to trade offers.

Relevant skills

Of the social skills, those in bold are known to change the effectiveness of a Broker:

Judge of intent	Liar	Conversationalist	Intimidator
Appraiser	Comedian	Persuader	Pacifier
Negotiator	Flatterer	Consoler

When selecting a broker, all of the above skills will appear as relevant, but since the broker's actions are entirely controlled by the player, they are not known to affect the broker's job. It is possible that some skills change the way that the merchants respond to your actions, such as Negotiator extending the patience of the merchants when making counteroffers.^[Verify]

The broker gains some experience in each of the skills (except Appraiser, after one trade) for each successful trade. The Appraiser skill will rocket from Dabbling to Legendary after just one trade of very high-value items on your end—say, a dozen barrels of masterfully prepared roasts—even if the trade is for a single plump helmet. The other skills, however, increase very slowly, and in normal play will raise perhaps one or two skill levels through the years; to reach Legendary requires over a thousand successful trades. If you find yourself wanting such a broker, setting up a macro to trade individual worn-out clothes for individual food items (as well as coins, bolts, and anything in a stack) is the fastest method to train these skills. Note that, once Legendary, having such high social skills means your broker is very likely to be elected mayor as well.

Raws
[POSITION:BROKER] [NAME:broker:brokers] [SITE] [NUMBER:1] [RESPONSIBILITY:TRADE] [APPOINTED_BY:EXPEDITION_LEADER] [APPOINTED_BY:MAYOR] [PRECEDENCE:170] [DO_NOT_CULL] [COLOR:5:0:0] [DUTY_BOUND]

V · T · E Nobles and Administrators
Appointed	Bookkeeper • Broker • Champion • Chief medical dwarf • Dungeon master • Hammerer • Manager • Messenger
Military Ranks	Militia captain • Militia commander • Sheriff • Captain of the guard
Elected	Expedition leader • Mayor
Aristocrats	Baron • Count • Duke • Monarch
Other	Consort • General • Outpost liaison
Unused	Captain • Diplomat • Lieutenant
Elven	Druid • Acolyte • Ranger captain