skills: so when your INT goes up...?

[Musrum]

Another possible reason for retroactive INT bonus to skill points is when you create a higher level character. Most people would find tracking pre-game INT movements and applying the appropriate bonus too complicated to bother with.

If this is true for you, then you should apply the same yardstick to those characters you have run since 1st level.

 

[nytflyr]

so when your CON goes up you get the retroactive hitpoints?

 

[magnas_veritas]

Another possible reason for retroactive INT bonus to skill points is when you create a higher level character. Most people would find tracking pre-game INT movements and applying the appropriate bonus too complicated to bother with.

One could spreadsheet out one's character so you know how many skill points they had at each level. Heck, I learned most of what I know about Excel doing that.

However, my group does apply skill points retroactively. Sure, it's not in the rules, but it's an easy and simple house rule, and it won't break the game. Plus, it's fun to get smarter and have more skill points to play with, especially if you have ranger, bard, or rogue levels and lots of class skills.

Brad

 

[Staffan]

so when your CON goes up you get the retroactive hitpoints?

Yes, because Con measures your actual toughness. If you become tougher, you become harder to kill.

Intelligence, on the other hand, measures your ability to acquire skill points. That means that past skill points won't be affected by higher Int, because they're already acquired.

As a comparison with Strength, let's say you are at Medium encumbrance due to carrying stuff, and you're walking at a speed of 16 miles per day (on account of being encumbered) from point A to point B. After 3 days, you have walked 48 miles, and then find a Belt of Giant Strength +4. Now you become stronger, and your encumbrance level becomes Light instead - which means you walk 24 miles instead of 16 in a day. That doesn't mean that you travelled at that speed in the three prior days and are suddenly 72 miles away from point A - it just means you'll be able to travel faster from this point on.

 

[nytflyr]

Yes, because Con measures your actual toughness. If you become tougher, you become harder to kill.

where does it say that?

I can agree that, from that point on, you get the bonus. I cannot agree that you get all the hit points you didnt get bacause your CON was too low to get the bonus.

ie at 8th level your con goes from 17-18 you shouldnt get an additional 8 hit points

 

[kreynolds]

where does it say that?

Check out the Endurance spell in the Player's Handbook, but not in the SRD.

EDIT: Bah! Nevermind. That doesn't clear this up. Anyway, it's a basic concept of the system. When your Con mod drops by 1, you lose 1 hit point per level. Conversely, when your Con mod goes up by 1, you gain 1 hit point per level. Why should it work one way and not the other?

 

[nytflyr]

Check out the Endurance spell in the Player's Handbook, but not in the SRD.

EDIT: Bah! Nevermind. That doesn't clear this up. Anyway, it's a basic concept of the system. When your Con mod drops by 1, you lose 1 hit point per level. Conversely, when your Con mod goes up by 1, you gain 1 hit point per level. Why should it work one way and not the other?

ok, found the example, under "Temporary Hit Points" (and the sub category "Increases in Constitution Score & Current Hit Points"). I dont agree with it, but its there...

 

[paulewaug]

hehe
I find these words are spoken often between myself and the other Dm in my group

I dont agree with it, but its there...

Well if I were to use the retroactive skiil points increase I would rule that it Only applied to a Permanent INT increase.

I agree it wouldn't be too hard to calculate the retro bouns for INT points increase allowed by a Headband of Int, you could always have the character make up two different character cheets. One with, one without.

I guess it all depends on how much work you want to do and how you feel about the Int bump vs. skill pts

glad to see this has generated so much discussion!

 

[paulewaug]

3.5e

I just got the 3.5 PHB today and it specificaly states that you do Not get retroactive skill points.
So "by the book" that answers the question-