D&D 3E/3.5 Wealth by level, int increases and appropriate skill points

[Particle_Man]

Weird that my copy and paste is a quote but oh well.​

If one had a 3.5 gray elf warblade (going for warblade 10/eternal blade 10) that at level 1 has int 20, and plans by level 20 to have, in addition to “the usual” (weapon, armour, shield, etc.), items to stat boost int (headband of intellect, tone of clear thought), and who will increase int every 4 levels, what would be a reasonable way to judge how many skill points this pc character would have at levels 5, 10, 15 and 20?

And yes, I understand it could be suboptimal to prioritize int over str, con and dex. But I am doing it anyhow.

 

[Voadam]

Fairly straight forward calculation.

Class skill amount + int bonus skill points (+3 at first character level).

Int bonus for 20-21 int is going to be +5 at levels 1-7, +6 for 22-23 int from levels 8-15, +7 for 24-25 int at levels 16-20.

Headband of intellect providing enhancement bonus to int in 3.5 does not affect skill points.

Headband of Intellect
This device is a light cord with a small gem set so that it rests upon the forehead of the wearer. The headband adds to the wearer’s Intelligence score in the form of an enhancement bonus of +2, +4, or +6. This enhancement bonus does not earn the wearer extra skill points when a new level is attained; use the unenhanced Intelligence bonus to determine skill points.
Moderate transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Wondrous Item, fox’s cunning; Price 4,000 gp (+2), 16,000 gp (+4), 36,000 gp (+6).

The wild card would be inherent bonuses to int from a Tome of Clear Thought or wishes.

Tome of Clear Thought
This heavy book contains instruction on improving memory and logic, but entwined within the words is a powerful magical effect. If anyone reads this book, which takes a total of 48 hours over a minimum of six days, she gains an inherent bonus of from +1 to +5 (depending on the type of tome) to her Intelligence score. Once the book is read, the magic disappears from the pages and it becomes a normal book. Because the tome of clear thought provides an inherent bonus, the reader will earn extra skill points when she attains a new level.
Strong evocation (if miracle is used); CL 17th; Craft Wondrous Item, miracle or wish; Price 27,500 gp (+1), 55,000 gp (+2), 82,500 gp (+3), 110,000 gp (+4), 137,500 gp (+5); Cost 1,250 gp + 5,100 XP (+1), 2,500 gp + 10,200 XP (+2), 3,750 gp + 15,300 XP (+3), 5,000 gp + 20,400 XP (+4), 6,250 gp + 25,500 XP (+5); Weight 5 lb.

 

[billd91]

Bonus skill points and increasing Intelligence were always a point of annoyance in D&D 3e version because the non-retroactive nature of the bonus points meant you couldn't look at a character and quickly recalculate your skill points. You had to account for WHEN the Intelligence bonus increased.
I know from one point of view it made sense - but it sure was a PITA.

 

[rgard]

Bonus skill points and increasing Intelligence were always a point of annoyance in D&D 3e version because the non-retroactive nature of the bonus points meant you couldn't look at a character and quickly recalculate your skill points. You had to account for WHEN the Intelligence bonus increased.
I know from one point of view it made sense - but it sure was a PITA.

That was an early house rule for me. I made Int skill bonuses and constitution HP bonuses retroactive.

 

[cbwjm]

That was an early house rule for me. I made Int skill bonuses and constitution HP bonuses retroactive.

I think Con bonuses always were retroactive. For Int, it becomes much easier to make them retroactive, especially if you're creating a high level PC that's a wizard or other Int based class.

 

[James Gasik]

I wonder if that notation on the Headband of Intellect is intended to be a general rule about Enhancement bonuses to Intelligence or a specific limitation of that item, as the Scarlet-and-Blue Sphere Ioun Stone (+2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence) doesn't have this limitation stated.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

Everything you gained because of a temporary/non-permanent increase in an ability score is lost when the increase goes away. If you build a house of cards on a temporary intelligence boost, that house will collapse when the intelligence boost vanishes for whatever reason - dispelled, item removed, etc. This is why headband of intellect specifically doesn't permit skill point boosts when leveling up - it'd be a mess to gain a mass of skill points and skills that will vanish when the item is removed, destroyed, or dispelled. Rather than sort out after the fact the mess that would have been created, it is better design to forbid creating that mess in the first place.

DM's may house-rule that at their own discretion and peril. Players can just eat it.

 

[Voadam]

I wonder if that notation on the Headband of Intellect is intended to be a general rule about Enhancement bonuses to Intelligence or a specific limitation of that item, as the Scarlet-and-Blue Sphere Ioun Stone (+2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence) doesn't have this limitation stated.

It makes sense to me for the intention to be a general limitation, the items can come and go, be suppressed by dispel magic, etc. There are also stat enhancing spells that are there for less than a day.

It would be simpler to not change and manipulate skill stats every time they were put on or off.

 

[rgard]

I think Con bonuses always were retroactive. For Int, it becomes much easier to make them retroactive, especially if you're creating a high level PC that's a wizard or other Int based class.

Yes, I think you are right about cons though I remember trying to find the exact wording in the rules.

 

[Voadam]

Yes, I think you are right about cons though I remember trying to find the exact wording in the rules.

It is in the ability descriptions, hp are explicitly changed when the modifier goes up or down.

Int is applied only at level up for skills and does not have the con statement about shifting skills known with int damage or enhancement bonuses or such.

Constitution (Con)

Constitution represents your character’s health and stamina. A Constitution bonus increases a character’s hit points, so the ability is important for all classes.

You apply your character’s Constitution modifier to:

Each roll of a Hit Die (though a penalty can never drop a result below 1—that is, a character always gains at least 1 hit point each time he or she advances in level).
Fortitude saving throws, for resisting poison and similar threats.
Concentration checks. Concentration is a skill, important to spellcasters, that has Constitution as its key ability.

If a character’s Constitution score changes enough to alter his or her Constitution modifier, the character’s hit points also increase or decrease accordingly.

Intelligence (Int)

Intelligence determines how well your character learns and reasons. This ability is important for wizards because it affects how many spells they can cast, how hard their spells are to resist, and how powerful their spells can be. It’s also important for any character who wants to have a wide assortment of skills.

You apply your character’s Intelligence modifier to:

The number of languages your character knows at the start of the game.
The number of skill points gained each level. (But your character always gets at least 1 skill point per level.)