Ability Score Bonuses

Nonlethal Force · May 22, 2006

Okay, am I correct in this?

The following bonuses are the only ones that typically affect ability scores granted through equipment:
Inherent: (via manual, tome, or wish spell or other large magical means)
Enhancement: (via Ioun Stones or equipment like Headband of INT, Belt of Giant STR, etc.)
Racial: (via choosing a certain race at 1st level or aquiring a template)

Am I missing any or are there only three ways to improve one's ability scores except through level advancement and spells? [Even the ones with spells typically fall under Enhancement if I recall correctly...]

Rystil Arden · May 22, 2006

Barbarian Rage grants an unnamed bonus, the spell Rage grants a morale bonus, and the Bardic Music Inspire Excellence from the Epic SRD grants a competence bonus

Nonlethal Force · May 22, 2006

Ah, thanks, RA. I had forgotten about class abilities in addition to racial/template abilities.

But as far as equipments goes, would the only option be enhancement? [Unless you could a tome/manual as equipment and the you could get inherent ... but that seems kind of silly.]

Hypersmurf · May 22, 2006

If 3E sources are allowed, the Command armor special ability from Defenders of the Faith grants a +4 Competence bonus to Charisma.

-Hyp.

Azrael · May 22, 2006

I think some items in Book of Exalted Deeds grant a sacred bonus

Moonstone Spider · May 22, 2006

ISTR a few magical items that grant morale bonuses but I'm not sure if they were bonuses to an attribute.

Nonlethal Force · May 23, 2006

Thanks for the thoughts!

Ditch · May 23, 2006

AFAIK there are rules for adding other bonuses to items, such as the one Hype talked about from a 3.0 source. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to make/have made for you an item that added a competence bonus to a stat. Just keep in mind the location and its affinity stat or else you pay extra.

glass · May 23, 2006

Ditch said:
There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to make/have made for you an item that added a competence bonus to a stat.

There's one very good reason: non-linear stat bonus costs. If it was allowed, three +2 items of different bonus types would be a lot cheaper than one +6 item.

glass.

Bront · May 23, 2006

Generaly, anything beyond the ones you listed should be rare. If you're doing them as a magic item, I'd double the cost (at least), because part of the enhancement bonus part of magic items is that they don't stack with spells like Bull's Strength, so anything that bypasses that could be potentialy powerful.