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<blockquote data-quote="Grayswandir" data-source="post: 3181" data-attributes="member: 585">::delurks::Okay, here's a thorny issue for someone to solve.&nbsp; We'll start with a quote from the Monster Manual:&nbsp;So, as far as I can tell, dragons (unlike PCs!) gain retroactive skill points when their intelligence increases.&nbsp; Furthermore, when a dragon gains the ability to cast spells it suddenly acquires a great many ranks in the Spellcraft skill that it did not previously possess.&nbsp; Let's look at the Black Dragon for an example (Monster Manual pp. 63-4).&nbsp; A Juvenile Black Dragon has 6 HD, an Int of 10, and no spellcasting ability.&nbsp; So 36 skill points.&nbsp; Advancing to 7 HD, the dragon gains an additional 6 skill points.&nbsp; Upon advancing by one more Hit Die, however, that Juvenile Black Dragon becomes a Young Adult Black Dragon (total 8 HD).&nbsp; It gains +2 Int (Intelligence is now 12, meaning a +1 bonus) and the ability to cast spells as a 1st-level sorcerer.&nbsp; The dragon gains 7 skill points for this Hit Die (6 base + 1 for Int bonus), but also gains 7 retroactive skill points (as if its Int had been 12 all along).&nbsp; It also gains 8 free ranks in the Spellcraft skill.As far as I can tell by-the-book, the above example is correct.&nbsp; However, it still strikes me as wrong.&nbsp; I realize that this interpretation (the only interpretation that I currently see possible) makes things much easier for the DM when statting up a dragon (and easy is nice), but it violates other 3E principles (e.g. no retroactive skill points for Int increases).&nbsp; Am I missing something (I hope), or should I just shrug and say &quot;Dragons are special&quot;?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Grayswandir, post: 3181, member: 585"] ::delurks:: Okay, here's a thorny issue for someone to solve. We'll start with a quote from the Monster Manual: So, as far as I can tell, dragons (unlike PCs!) gain retroactive skill points when their intelligence increases. Furthermore, when a dragon gains the ability to cast spells it suddenly acquires a great many ranks in the Spellcraft skill that it did not previously possess. Let's look at the Black Dragon for an example (Monster Manual pp. 63-4). A Juvenile Black Dragon has 6 HD, an Int of 10, and no spellcasting ability. So 36 skill points. Advancing to 7 HD, the dragon gains an additional 6 skill points. Upon advancing by one more Hit Die, however, that Juvenile Black Dragon becomes a Young Adult Black Dragon (total 8 HD). It gains +2 Int (Intelligence is now 12, meaning a +1 bonus) and the ability to cast spells as a 1st-level sorcerer. The dragon gains 7 skill points for this Hit Die (6 base + 1 for Int bonus), but also gains 7 retroactive skill points (as if its Int had been 12 all along). It also gains 8 free ranks in the Spellcraft skill. As far as I can tell by-the-book, the above example is correct. However, it still strikes me as wrong. I realize that this interpretation (the only interpretation that I currently see possible) makes things much easier for the DM when statting up a dragon (and easy is nice), but it violates other 3E principles (e.g. no retroactive skill points for Int increases). Am I missing something (I hope), or should I just shrug and say "Dragons are special"? [/QUOTE]

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