Q: Human with Photographic Memory [Archive] - Wizards Community

Q: Human with Photographic Memory [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
DorienAenor
04-08-07, 06:42 PM Hey guys,

I was wondering what DnD rules says about the human (on real life) Photografic Memory ability. As far as I know, none book (Core or not) has mentioned it and there is not any feat for such a thing. So, how can my character have Photographic Memory? Any advice?

Thanks good folk,

Felipe.:D
Elec
04-08-07, 07:24 PM There is a feat somewhat like photographic memory in Traps and Treachery from Legends and Lairs, it reads:

Perfect Memory:
You can instantly commit anything you see to memory.
Prerequisite: Int 14+.
Benefit: If you can view a letter or a map for a few seconds you can reproduce it perfectly from memory. You can memorize a number of pages equal to your intelligence modifier x3. Memorizing additional pages will cause those you memorized earlier to be lost. You cannot memorize spells from tomes or scrolls with this feat.

If you were looking for something to help your character remember events or mundane details about places his been, I don't know of any feats like that. But if you wanted to emulate that sort of ability, I would suggest just keeping a very detailed journal of your character's exploits and using that as his/her memory.
Karish
04-08-07, 07:28 PM I grant a photographic memory to any character with an INT or WIS of 16+ in my games.
calronmoonflower
04-08-07, 08:13 PM There's always auto hypnosis from the Expanded psionics handbook, but it take time, but can provide a good guideline for a photographic memory.
DorienAenor
04-08-07, 08:43 PM But the problem is: I have no feats slot avaible. My character is a Druid 16 and has Wisdom 22, maybe he could have something like photografic memory for free? you know, to remember maps weeks after seen it, book´s pages, people´s cloth and so on.

Felipe.
KurenaiYami
04-08-07, 08:47 PM But the problem is: I have no feats slot avaible. My character is a Druid 16 and has Wisdom 22, maybe he could have something like photografic memory for free? you know, to remember maps weeks after seen it, book´s pages, people´s cloth and so on.

Felipe.

Your character should carry around a notebook.
AZNsupermarket
04-08-07, 09:30 PM Well there's a skill trick in the complete scoundrel that let's you repeat any piece of audio perfectly. It costs 2 skill points and requires 5 ranks in listen. In my opinion, a skill trick to give you a photographic memory should also require 2 skill points and 5 points in spot.
runestar
04-08-07, 11:44 PM I had always wondered what would happen if mages could forget what spells they had actually memorized...:P
Wharin
04-09-07, 01:15 AM Yeah, a note keeper wouldnt be a bad idea.

Although my DM's have, in the past, allowed INT or WIS checks to see if they remember something that the DM remembers but the player doesn't

So, yeah, I would be against a free feat just because your character has a high INT, but a high INT would help with your "remembrance" rolls, if your DM decides to go that way.

Otherwise there is that feat that someone mentioned, as well as Autohypnosis.
hiryuu
04-09-07, 06:20 AM I had always wondered what would happen if mages could forget what spells they had actually memorized...:P

Thankfully, wizards don't memorize spells anymore, they prepare them.
Thiez
04-09-07, 07:40 AM There's always auto hypnosis from the Expanded psionics handbook, but it take time, but can provide a good guideline for a photographic memory.

Autohypnosis rocks. Clerics and druids can buy a single rank cross-class and enjoy perfect memory ever after (take 10 and a +4 wisdom modifier).

Edit:
Since 5 ranks in concentration give a +2 bonus on autohypnosis checks, it's not that difficult to get for wizards (who should have plenty of skillpoints). I thought maybe some of you would like a link: This is it. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/autohypnosis.htm)
DorienAenor
04-09-07, 10:30 AM This Autohypnosis skill is perfect!!! So, you just close your eyes and reach your mind in its deepest harmony and (if sucessful) you can remember anything? That could be very cool (but none magical text can be remembered)!!!!

Am I right?

Thanks,

Felipe.
demi d20
04-09-07, 10:47 AM There is also a feat called Eidetic Memory (forgot source, but it's WOtC) which grants photographic memory, as well as several other benefits.

In the FR sourcebook Shining South is a PRC call Jordain Vizier. One of their abilities is a photographic memory ability. And if you search on Wizards site for web enhancements and previews, the Vizier is up for free, as well as the original concept by the author. The concept included a template for humans which granted photographic memory and several other beni's, and then the Jordain class built off from that.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DorienAenor 04-08-07, 06:42 PM	Hey guys, I was wondering what DnD rules says about the human (on real life) Photografic Memory ability. As far as I know, none book (Core or not) has mentioned it and there is not any feat for such a thing. So, how can my character have Photographic Memory? Any advice? Thanks good folk, Felipe.:D
Elec 04-08-07, 07:24 PM	There is a feat somewhat like photographic memory in Traps and Treachery from Legends and Lairs, it reads: Perfect Memory: You can instantly commit anything you see to memory. Prerequisite: Int 14+. Benefit: If you can view a letter or a map for a few seconds you can reproduce it perfectly from memory. You can memorize a number of pages equal to your intelligence modifier x3. Memorizing additional pages will cause those you memorized earlier to be lost. You cannot memorize spells from tomes or scrolls with this feat. If you were looking for something to help your character remember events or mundane details about places his been, I don't know of any feats like that. But if you wanted to emulate that sort of ability, I would suggest just keeping a very detailed journal of your character's exploits and using that as his/her memory.
Karish 04-08-07, 07:28 PM	I grant a photographic memory to any character with an INT or WIS of 16+ in my games.
calronmoonflower 04-08-07, 08:13 PM	There's always auto hypnosis from the Expanded psionics handbook, but it take time, but can provide a good guideline for a photographic memory.
DorienAenor 04-08-07, 08:43 PM	But the problem is: I have no feats slot avaible. My character is a Druid 16 and has Wisdom 22, maybe he could have something like photografic memory for free? you know, to remember maps weeks after seen it, book´s pages, people´s cloth and so on. Felipe.
KurenaiYami 04-08-07, 08:47 PM	But the problem is: I have no feats slot avaible. My character is a Druid 16 and has Wisdom 22, maybe he could have something like photografic memory for free? you know, to remember maps weeks after seen it, book´s pages, people´s cloth and so on. Felipe. Your character should carry around a notebook.
AZNsupermarket 04-08-07, 09:30 PM	Well there's a skill trick in the complete scoundrel that let's you repeat any piece of audio perfectly. It costs 2 skill points and requires 5 ranks in listen. In my opinion, a skill trick to give you a photographic memory should also require 2 skill points and 5 points in spot.
runestar 04-08-07, 11:44 PM	I had always wondered what would happen if mages could forget what spells they had actually memorized...:P
Wharin 04-09-07, 01:15 AM	Yeah, a note keeper wouldnt be a bad idea. Although my DM's have, in the past, allowed INT or WIS checks to see if they remember something that the DM remembers but the player doesn't So, yeah, I would be against a free feat just because your character has a high INT, but a high INT would help with your "remembrance" rolls, if your DM decides to go that way. Otherwise there is that feat that someone mentioned, as well as Autohypnosis.
hiryuu 04-09-07, 06:20 AM	I had always wondered what would happen if mages could forget what spells they had actually memorized...:P Thankfully, wizards don't memorize spells anymore, they prepare them.
Thiez 04-09-07, 07:40 AM	There's always auto hypnosis from the Expanded psionics handbook, but it take time, but can provide a good guideline for a photographic memory. Autohypnosis rocks. Clerics and druids can buy a single rank cross-class and enjoy perfect memory ever after (take 10 and a +4 wisdom modifier). Edit: Since 5 ranks in concentration give a +2 bonus on autohypnosis checks, it's not that difficult to get for wizards (who should have plenty of skillpoints). I thought maybe some of you would like a link: This is it. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/autohypnosis.htm)
DorienAenor 04-09-07, 10:30 AM	This Autohypnosis skill is perfect!!! So, you just close your eyes and reach your mind in its deepest harmony and (if sucessful) you can remember anything? That could be very cool (but none magical text can be remembered)!!!! Am I right? Thanks, Felipe.
demi d20 04-09-07, 10:47 AM	There is also a feat called Eidetic Memory (forgot source, but it's WOtC) which grants photographic memory, as well as several other benefits. In the FR sourcebook Shining South is a PRC call Jordain Vizier. One of their abilities is a photographic memory ability. And if you search on Wizards site for web enhancements and previews, the Vizier is up for free, as well as the original concept by the author. The concept included a template for humans which granted photographic memory and several other beni's, and then the Jordain class built off from that.