# How to calculate skill points



## ShadowMaster (Dec 29, 2002)

Hi there,

I have to create a 10th lvl mage. Normally he has an intelligence score of 16 but with the gears he now has 20. So, how many skill points does he have?

if I use int 20:
(4+5) *4 = 36 for the first lvl
(4+5)*9 = 81 for all the 9 following levels.
Total = 127

If I use 16:
(4+3)*3 = 21
(4+3)*9 = 63
Total = 84

Thanks


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## AGGEMAM (Dec 29, 2002)

ShadowMaster said:
			
		

> *Hi there,
> 
> I have to create a 10th lvl mage. Normally he has an intelligence score of 16 but with the gears he now has 20. So, how many skill points does he have?
> 
> ...




First, you only recive 2 skill points per level as a wizard not 4.

Second, did you remember ability increases at 4th and 8th level

Third, you have to figure out at which level it was probable he gained the intelligence enhancing item. (EDIT: A good guideline is that the items price may not be more than half your total wealth at any given level)

Fourth, recalculate each level seperately and add them together taking into account the above stated.


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## AGGEMAM (Dec 29, 2002)

Assuming that you have a +4 Int enhancing item, and that you increase Int at 4th and 8th level, and that you are human - the thing goes:

1st - (2+1+3)*4 = 24
2nd to 4th - (2+1+3)*3 = 18
5th to 7th - (2+1+4)*3 = 21
8th - (2+1+5) = 8
9th to 10th - (2+1+6)*2 = 18

Total 24+18+21+8+18 = 89 (if human, 76 if not)


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## AGGEMAM (Dec 29, 2002)

Doh!


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## magnas_veritas (Dec 29, 2002)

AGGEMAM said:
			
		

> *Assuming that you have a +4 Int enhancing item, and that you increase Int at 4th and 8th level, and that you are human - the thing goes:
> 
> 1st - (2+1+3)*4 = 24
> 2nd to 4th - (2+1+3)*3 = 18
> ...




I've always been under the impression that Int enhancing items/spells would not translate into extra skill points.  That may be a house rule of ours, or it might have been written somewhere.  We've been allowing retroactive increases in skills based on raising Int, but I'm not sure that's technically possible.

The problem is, of course, what happens when the Int-enhancing effect is no longer there.  If you take off that Headband of Intellect, it makes no sense for you to keep the skill points that you gained from it.  So, you would have to keep track of where those skill points went, and when the effect came off, take away those skill points and put them back when the effect comes on again.  That's entirely too much bookkeeping and rife for error/cheesiness.  For example:

"What?  I need (Skill that I don't have)?  I'll take off my Headband of Intellect, thus losing Knowledge (Nobility), since I won't need it right now, and put it back again, and, look, now I have (Skill that I didn't have before)!"

or 

"Oops, I'd really like to be able to Use Magic Device, but I didn't put any skill points into it.  Bob, hit me with that Fox's Cunning, would ya?  Ah, that's better.  Oh, and can you hit me with an Eagle's Splendor and a Wieldskill, would you?  Great, now I rock!"

Were I DMing, I'd rule that nonpermanent Int-enhancing effects do not give you skill points to use.  Semipermanent effects (i.e. from items) could potentially have skills attached to them; a Headband of Intellect+4 that gives max ranks for the user's character level in two Knowledge skills would be perfectly fine, and would involve only minimal handwaving ("They're connected to the Akashic Records/God of Knowledge's database/whatever, and as I go up in level, I can better make use of the information!").


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## hammymchamham (Dec 29, 2002)

Technically increasing intellegence modifiers as you are leveling doesn't have a "backfire" of skill points (like hit points due to an increase in CON. But I've found it simplifies things if I house rule it to. Makes Headbands of intellect more valuable to the none Wizards.


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## Destil (Dec 30, 2002)

By the rules (well clarifications of the rules, at least), as soon as you take off a headband of intelect you forever after loose thoes skill points from the bonus. Really you should ask your DM, but I'd simply figure how many skill points you have without it and make some quick changes once you get to the game if they let you use skill points from one.


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## Jondor_Battlehammer (Dec 30, 2002)

By the rules, you would not even see the skill points from an ability increase until the next level. So if your INT goes from 15 to 16 at 4th level, you get the bonus skill points starting at 5th level. We house rule that skill points back fire like CON does for HP. 

On one hand it's hard to explain gainning skill in bursts as oposed to a linear progression, but you can say the same thing about the ability to take damage as well. How does ones body get retroactivly tougher?

To the best of my knowledge, Items do not grant skill points, but it would grant the new bonus to the skill for a high ability modifier.


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## The It's Man (Dec 30, 2002)

Jondor_Battlehammer said:
			
		

> *By the rules, you would not even see the skill points from an ability increase until the next level. So if your INT goes from 15 to 16 at 4th level, you get the bonus skill points starting at 5th level. (...) *



Are you sure about that. Check p. 10 , 2nd column, last paragraph of the PHB:
_As a new 4th level character, she can get the skill points after raising her Intelligence, so she'll get 5 points for achieving 4th level in the wizard class._
This is about a Wiz who increases her INT to 16.


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## Hypersmurf (Dec 31, 2002)

> *Are you sure about that. Check p. 10 , 2nd column, last paragraph of the PHB:*




p145, though, puts "Skill Points" _before_ "Ability Score".

-Hyp.


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## The It's Man (Dec 31, 2002)

Hmm, that is correct. It even states that wearing a _headband of intellect_ for a short time doesn't grant him or her extra skill points. Only a change in Intelligence that was constant (or very nearly constant) over the previous level affects how many skill points were acquired during that level.

This rules out the changing headgear to change skills though.


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