is this "Tome of ..." stats bonuses stack?

[irdeggman]

That's right, no stacking. I'm not sure where I've read it, but somewhere it says that there is a limit to inherent bonuses of +5 per stat.

DMG pg 21 under inherent bonuses.

 

[Pielorinho]

The Tomes don't follow the same formula as other magic items, and so I don't think they should be subject to the same stacking rules. (I even think the +5 cap is stupid, but that's a different story.)

Tomes are, in my opinion, the dumbest magic item idea out there. I mean, once they're used, they're gone, right? So why are they sitting around in treasure hoards? What, the wizard is saving his Tome of Insight +3 for a rainy day? A little light reading on the can?

Nobody should make those books except maybe to sell to specific customers, and those customers should read the books right away.

I've been trying to figure out some variant on the tome, some variant that would actually make sense and remain balanced. I haven't had much luck.

Hmm...what if it were something like a Tome of Golem-making, that teaches the reader to make an elixir that will contain the bonus? Each draught of elixir will require serious XP and GP expenditure on the part of its crafter, but will require no special feats or skills.

Daniel

 

[EvilGM]

In one campaign I play in, the DM let Wish and Tome bonuses stack (up to +5 from each). It made a noticeable difference between the characters generated with this in mind vs. the existing characters.

 

[The Souljourner]

Named bonuses don't stack with each other, except dodge and circumstance bonuses (assuming each circumstance bonus comes from a different circumstance).

Is "inherent bonus" a named bonus? Yes. Then it doesn't stack.

I agree that it's annoying to have a book of anything other than +4, since you know you're just wasting it... but given how rare those books really should be, it's not so bad. Of course, if you play in a world where you can just buy these things, then it's a different story.

-The Souljourner

 

[apesamongus]

The point of the rule is simple: limit the numbers of PCs with inherent bonuses.

As you have all amply demonstrated, the system works perfectly.

I don't agree. What it actually does is ensure that PCs either have a +5 bonus or no bonus at all. If that's what they wanted, then they should have just made an inherent bonus be a +5 to a stat and not bothered with the other values.

 

[apesamongus]

Of course, if you play in a world where you can just buy these things, then it's a different story.

Forget the books. At 17th level, a wizard can just make scrolls. Making scrolls costs ~ 700gold and 50XP more per +1 than making the book AND you can do it 5000XP at a time instead of all at once. And he can read them for the "buyer" all at once instead of the process taking 6 days. And, given a decent Int, he can save even more money by just casting a couple of the spells himself. I have to side with the notion that these items just wouldn't exist. And, while buying the wishes would be a rarity (who sells 5k XP?), for PCs they are going to be common.

 

[TheYeti1775]

To play Devil's Advocate:
Once the score is increased then losing the tome doesn't effect his score thereby making that a permnanent adjustment to the ability score, much like the every 4th level adjustment.

Thereby no longer being a "bonus".

 

[Infiniti2000]

I agree that it's annoying to have a book of anything other than +4, since you know you're just wasting it... but given how rare those books really should be, it's not so bad.

I think you mean +5, right? The limit on inherent bonuses? Keep in mind you could have an odd ability score.

 

[The Souljourner]

To play Devil's Advocate:
Once the score is increased then losing the tome doesn't effect his score thereby making that a permnanent adjustment to the ability score, much like the every 4th level adjustment.

Thereby no longer being a "bonus".

Umm... no. It's an instantaneous spell which puts a "permanent" +1 inherent bonus on your stat. It's still a bonus, it's just one that can't be dispelled. The level up adjustments are unnamed, and thus stack with everything. There's a difference.

-The Souljourner

 

[Goblyns Hoard]

Nobody should make those books except maybe to sell to specific customers, and those customers should read the books right away.

Possible explanation is that people don't make them - the Gods do. OK this still means you shouldn't find them in a treasure hoard but it can still account for their existence