Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Korlall 11-23-06, 09:02 AM	Hi I had some problems using ability changes and how does it affect the characters... Lets say that you increase an ability score via the level increase (at 4th, 8th, and so on) - If you aa Int you you gain better modifier, you character can now get more skills, get mroe bonus spells and use higher level spells (considering you're a wizard). But the the skills points bonus are retroactive as Con modifier is for HP ?? If yes, is it the same thing for Languages bonus ??? And for magic items, those the increase affects the same thing as level ability improvement ? If I get a +2 magic item on any stat, can I select feat I couldn't before ? If a wizard with 15 int wear a +4 Int item, will it be able to cast 9th spells? speak new languages ? Can more skills spoint/retroactive skill points ? If a character with a stat of 11 can a +2 magic item on that stat, can he now enter a prestige class requiring 13 ? And what about the ability score increases via spells... Let's say a wizard cast a +2 Cha spell on a 10th sorcerer with only 13 Cha (I don't want to discuss why the hell should a 10th sorcerer has only 13 Cha), he raises now his Cha to 15... so can he cast 5th spells while he has 15 Cha ???
Nom 11-23-06, 09:34 AM	Most of this is in the rulebooks if you look closely. PH pg 10 should cover all your questions about skills and Int - the short answer is that you use the permanent Int value at the time you create the PC or level up. Most items and spells that apply an enhancement bonus explicitly note that they don't affect skill points; this is considered a precedent for the few that don't. Con bonuses to (fully healed) hit points aren't actually any more retroactive than Str bonuses to attack rolls; both are evaluated instantaneously. Con bonuses just seem retroactive because of the way hp are usually written. Permanent bonuses allow you to qualify for feats, etc. The ability boosting spells typically don't, because they don't last long enough. Similarly for spellcasting. Note that a temporary ability loss will often reduce your spells/day and may prevent you from casting some memorised spells.
dalamb 11-23-06, 06:32 PM	Adding to what Nom said: Retroactive skill point increases after a permanent Int increase appears to be an occasional house rule. It makes it a bit easier to create characters of levels 4+, after abilities start to increase. I've certainly seen house rules where people take feats they don't yet qualify for, on the basis that it's merely unusable until the qualification is met. Additionally, there is sometimes an accompanying house rule that items that temporarily increase stats count for meeting prerequisites, and similarly for spells. But I'm moderately sure the RAW don't allow either of these.
Korlall 11-25-06, 02:03 PM	So what's the deal about temporary raisng the constituion score... ? LET's say you benefit from Bear's Endurance spell... Does the new modifier affets only the Fort saves or what ? I thought that a level 6 that receive like a +2 Con from a spell you gain 12 (6 X 2) hp while on that spell effect...
Sim_antix 11-25-06, 02:05 PM	Adding to what Nom said: Retroactive skill point increases after a permanent Int increase appears to be an occasional house rule. It makes it a bit easier to create characters of levels 4+, after abilities start to increase. I use this house rule and it works just fine.
Nom 11-25-06, 02:31 PM	Your fully healed hit points are equal to (sum of die rolls) + level * Con bonus.* When your Con bonus changes, both fully healed and current hit points change to match. This is easier to see if you track damage vs hit points rather than hit points vs zero, but it works the same. * exception: your fully healed hit points never drop below 1 per level (HD), regardless of Con. Thus, hit points have a "fixed" component (the die rolls) and an instantaneous component (the Con bonus). If the die rolls changed, then they'd be retrospective, but they don't. Similarly, the "fixed" component of skills (the skill ranks) doesn't change with ability score (Int), but the instantaneous component (ability bonuses to skills, for example) does.