Altering Ability Scores

From D20advanced

Over the course of play, your character's ability scores may change for the following reasons:

Some FX temporarily raise or lower ability scores.
You can improve your ability scores permanently by spending earned character points on them, but you cannot increase an ability score above the limits set by the campaign's power level.

Whenever an ability score changes, all traits associated with the ability change as well. So if you increase your character's Dexterity and gain a higher bonus, his Dexterity-based skills. Likewise, if the character's Dexterity bonus decreases, his Dexterity-based skills suffer. An easier way to track these changes is just to apply the bonus from the increased ability score directly to applicable checks. A +2 to Dexterity, for instance, is best noted as a +2 bonus to all Dexterity-related checks.

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Debilitated Ability Scores

If one of your character's ability scores drops below -5 for any reason, that score is said to be debilitated and the character suffers more serious effects. Debilitated Strength means the character collapses, helpless and unable to move. Debilitated Dexterity means the character is paralyzed and helpless. Debilitated Constitution means the hero is dying and cannot stabilize (and suffers a –5 modifier on Recovery checks to avoid death due to the low score). Debilitated Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma means the hero is unconscious and incapable of waking until the score is restored to at least -5.

Debilitated ability scores usually result from an FX affecting your character. An ability score lowered below -5 during character creation is actually nonexistent; characters only suffer the effects of debilitated abilities if an ability score is lowered to 0 during play.

Abilities scores cannot be lowered below -5. Traits based on ability modifiers, such as resistances and skill bonuses, can be lowered to –5, but no lower.

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Nonexistent Ability Scores

Rather than having a score of -5 in a given ability, some things or creatures in d20 Advanced actually lack an ability score. The effect of lacking an ability score is as follows:

Strength: Any creature capable of physically manipulating other objects has at least a -5 Strength score. A creature with no Strength score is incapable of exerting any physical force, possibly because it has no physical form (like an incorporeal ghost). The creature automatically fails Strength checks.
Dexterity: Any creature capable of movement has at least a -5 of Dexterity. A creature with no Dexterity cannot move (like most plants) and hence cannot make physical attacks. It automatically fails Dexterity checks.
Constitution: Any living creature has at least a -5 Constitution score. A creature with no Constitution has no physical body (like a ghost) or is not alive (like a robot, zombie or other construct). The creature always fails Constitution checks. This includes checks to avoid dying and to recover from injury, so creatures with no Constitution do not recover from damage naturally. They must be repaired in some fashion. The same is true of objects. Creatures with no Constitution are immune to fatigue but cannot exert extra effort. Creatures with no Constitution are often—but not necessarily—immune to many of the things affecting living beings (see Immunity).
Intelligence: Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at least a -5 Intelligence score. A creature with no Intelligence is an automaton, lacking free will and operating on simple instinct or programmed instructions. Anything with no Intelligence is immune to mental effects, interaction skills, and automatically fails Intelligence checks.
Wisdom: Any creature aware of its environment has at least a -5 Wisdom score. Anything with no Wisdom also has no Charisma. It is an inanimate object, not a creature. Objects are immune to mental effects, interaction skills, and automatically fail Wisdom checks.
Charisma: Any creature capable of interacting with other creatures has at least a -5 Charisma score. Creatures without Charisma are immune to interaction checks and automatically fail Charisma checks.

Inanimate objects have no scores other than their Toughness. Animate, but nonliving, Constructs such as robots or zombies have Strength and Dexterity, and may have Wisdom and Charisma (if aware of their environment and capable of interaction). They may have Intelligence (if capable of thought), but have no Constitution (since they are not living things).

d20 Advanced: Part I

Chapter I: The Basics

Chapter II: Abilities

Generating Ability Scores | The Abilities | Altering Ability Scores | Movement | Size

Chapter III: Skills

Chapter IV: Feats

Acquiring Feats | Feat Descriptions | Fighting Styles | Creating Feats

Chapter V: FX