[D&D] Skills, gained retroactivly?

[generaljimX]

I know different people do it different ways, but I wanted to get everyone's take on the subject.

We all know that when you increase your Intelligence, you then gain more skill points, as appropriate for your class. But, does that higher intelligence modifier just apply from then on, or does it give you skill points for the levels you have already taken?

I, personally, don't have a view, as I can see it either way.

[BigRedRod]

Nope, Constitution is the only score with retroactive effects.

[LynMars]

Retroactive Int would be nice, and would help make it more useful in games without magic, like d20 Modern, where skill points are really really important, cuz you don't have Magic helping out all the time. That'd make the benefits for the Int skills a bit more heady, maybe. Personally, I think anything that gives more skill points = Good, cuz I don't think enough are given in the first place in many cases. Like, only if you're a Smart Hero/Mage/etc...

[nightinverse]

Nope, Constitution is the only score with retroactive effects.

I personally stripped even Constitution of that for some games.

[Doomsmile]

That's harsh, NI. Especially when you consider that childeren have lower constitutions than adults, thus making some of your character's constitution's retroactive in a way.
That, and some characters really need the hit points. Oh, and it would make constitution-enhancing items nearly useless.

[Linklegacy77]

It makes sense that somebody who just got smarter wouldn't have the practice necessary to immediately get better at a skill. Intelligence determines skill points because it shows how much you can focus on learning at a time. A less intelligent person can't work on as much at once.

[LynMars]

I understand that reasoning for it. But it can also be argued that gaining more intelligence gives you more insight to some skills and lets you improve them, in the same way that adding an att point modifier whenever those bump up does. It still represents an increase in one's natural talents and abilities.

I've never run or played a game where Int was used retroactively like Con, btw. But I find the idea interesting and what arguments for and against that can be used.

[nightinverse]

I ran one game where I let INT be retroactive. It had a serious detrimental effect on gameplay because it was a skill-heavy game - but the normal campaign of D&D shouldn't have that issue. I still wouldn't recommend making INT retroactive.

[Doomsmile]

Nor would I. I just wanted to make sure CON would be.

[akiko]

I think it would be an interesting variant to allow retroactive int. Maybe upon becoming more intelligent the next time you try the skills with ranks you realize something you never thought of before. I used to be upset with the no retro INT when I first started playing because I play skills heavy characters a lot, not fighters. So I always felt cheated that they got the retro con. Darn fighters. I don't think about it anymore.

[LuneMoonshadow]

You could always just find a happy medium with something like:

For every new modifier of Int gained, you gain 1 skill point for every even level.
Or every 3 levels if 2 is too few.

Would make Int have a nice skill effect when raised, but wouldn't break the system. However, you'd need the reverse to occur when your Int gets sucked out.

[BigRedRod]

Yep, stat drain is why Intelligence would be a nightmare to make retroactive. Nobody wants to have to keep a record of exactly what order at which level skill points were spent.

[LuneMoonshadow]

You could just make it a % chance of having a -X upon skill use to make it simpler than remembering when all that occured.

[BigRedRod]

That is still a bit clunky for my tastes, I'm happier just to accept that D&D doesn't have any skill atrophy.

[Takkaryx]

Take it like level drain, loose a modifier point, -1 to all ranked skill checks. If you think about it, a fighter isn't going to have more than a couple skills maxed ranked, and a rogue will have lots, but lots of skill points per level, so it evels out. On the flip side, if you gain a modifier point to INT (Say like a headband if Int +X) you get a +1 to all ranked skills.