Attribute-enhancing items and bonus spells?

[Reflex]

First of all, I must confess to near-total ignorance of the 3.5 rules. For the most part, I'm uninterested in their contents based on Mr. Cook's summary. However, I'm currently playing ToEE, which ostensibly utilizes the ruleset, and I am attempting to determine whether one aspect is a bug or a feature.

Attribute-enhancing items such as the Headband of Thought and Phylactery of Wisdom do not grant characters wearing them any bonus spell slots for the higher attribute. For some time now, I've been operating on the assumption that under 3.0 rules, such items did indeed confer bonus spells (if applicable), but only if said item had been worn for at least 24 consecutive hours prior to spell preparation. I can't really recall where I got this impression, nor do I currently have access to all my books to try and track it down. The only confirmation I've discovered for this long-held assumption on my part is a throwaway line in Tome & Blood wherein it is recommended spellcasters get their hands on attribute-enhancing items as soon as possible for 'more spells and higher DCs'.

So I suppose my question has two parts-

1. Did attribute-enhancing items ever confer bonus spells if applicable

and

2. Did 3.5 change this rule?

I'm well aware that the attribute-enhancing spells specifically preclude the granting of bonus spells, not that such an exclusion should be necessarily explicit in a ruleset where the duration is a scant 1 minute/level (grr... Why not at least only shorten it to 10 minutes/level?). I'm specifically interested in items, not spells.

 

[AGGEMAM]

1. Did attribute-enhancing items ever confer bonus spells if applicable

Yes

2. Did 3.5 change this rule?

No

EDIT: To preclude a 'can I get a qoute for that' look in the last line of the SRD part involving ability scores.

When an ability score changes, all attributes associated with that score change accordingly. A character does not retroactively get additional skill points for previous levels if she increases her intelligence.

 

[CRGreathouse]

To back AGGEMAM up, they give bonus spells and have since 3.0.

 

[Staffan]

One thing that did change, however, was that the spell equivalents (Fox's cunning etc.) did provide bonus spells if they had been in operation long enough. In 3.5e, they don't. Then again, their duration is now so short that it doesn't really matter.

 

[Storm Raven]

One thing that did change, however, was that the spell equivalents (Fox's cunning etc.) did provide bonus spells if they had been in operation long enough. In 3.5e, they don't. Then again, their duration is now so short that it doesn't really matter.

Umm, no they didn't. In point of fact, the descriptions of the spells Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, and Owl's Wisdom explicitly stated that they did not grant bonus spells (and they still don't).

 

[AGGEMAM]

Umm, no they didn't. In point of fact, the descriptions of the spells Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, and Owl's Wisdom explicitly stated that they did not grant bonus spells (and they still don't).

Off course, many people house ruled that it did but that's beside the point.

 

[Storm Raven]

Off course, many people house ruled that it did but that's beside the point.

Well, yes, it is beside the point, since it wasn't the actual rule.

But I can't think of a more obviously unbalancing house rule. Most wizard's could use this rule to cast Fox's Cunning on themselves using a second level spell slot, and grant themselves a higher level bonus spell slot in addition to higher save DCs and skill bonuses.

 

[Vraister]

What happens with your bonus spells, when you take off the enhancing items or when they are melded into your form?
Vraister

 

[Staffan]

Umm, no they didn't. In point of fact, the descriptions of the spells Eagle's Splendor, Fox's Cunning, and Owl's Wisdom explicitly stated that they did not grant bonus spells (and they still don't).

Oops. My bad. I might have been thinking of animal affinity or something.

What happens with your bonus spells, when you take off the enhancing items or when they are melded into your form?

Same thing that happens when your score is reduced for any other reason. IIRC, you lose the bonus slots immediately.

 

[DM2]

Same thing that happens when your score is reduced for any other reason. IIRC, you lose the bonus slots immediately.

Is that true? Can you quote for me?

I know the number of spells you can prepare each day is modified by your primary spellcasting attribute, but is there anything in the rules that addresses what happens to previously memorized spells when your intelligence drops, for instance?

Would the effect be different if you've already cast several spells at that level for the day? Its not like you specify ahead of time that youre assigning certain spells to certain slots....

DM2