Research Specialist and Tome of Clear Thought

[Hobbun]

I did a search for this and didn't see anything on it. But my question is using the boon Research Specialist and magic item Tome of Clear Thought together.

With Research Specialist, if you complete it, you will gain a +1 Inherent Bonus to Intelligence. The Tome of Clear Thought also gives an inherent bonus to INT.

My question is, if you complete the boon and then buy a Tome of Clear Thought+1, will you be able to stack them even though they are the same bonus?

If you did it the the other way, I can't see the powers that be tell you no on the bonus of the boon just because you already purchased a +1 Tome, so I wasn't sure if you would be able to do so the other way (boon then Tome). Has there been a ruling on it at one point?

[Brian Lefebvre]

inherent bonuses don't stack, so you take the better of the two values.

[UndeadMitch]

Bonuses of the same type don't stack (usually), so the answer to your question is no.

[Hobbun]

Why was this moved to Rules Questions? My question wasn't dealing whether same bonuses stack, I know they normally do not, but I was asking if there was a ruling made in PFS that allowed a player to use the boon Research Specialist and Tome of Clear Thought together.

I can't see the powers that be (in PFS) would not allow a player to apply the +1 inherent bonus from the boon to a character if they decided to purchase a Tome of Clear Thought earlier in their character's career.

If they wouldn't allow it, then they should have changed the boon's bonus to an untyped one. Not sure why they didn't do so, already.

So as you can see, this is really a PFS question, not a rules question.

[Brian Lefebvre]

There aren't any special rules for this in PFS. If you have a inherent bonus from the tome, it won't stack with the boon. You only get to use the better of the two values. Just like a +1 stat tome won't stack with a +2 stat tome.

I'm pretty sure Research Specialist is just a basic Con boon, and not from a scenario chronicle. If one of your characters already bought a tome. Just apply the boon to a different character.

[1bent1]

So your question is not dose same bonuses stack because that is a basic rules question.
As to your question on allowing both books,of course PFS would not allow same bonus stacking, nor would they give out untyped ability score bonuses to a boon because then players would then buy cheap +1 books to avoid the GP cost of +2 books.
PFS does not usually expand rules for play but rather restrict things rules or options further. This is to normalize game play and to avoid players taking advantage of the system.

[Hobbun]

Can't say I agree with the restriction in this case, it's not like you are going to be incredibly powerful by stacking the boon with a book, considering the time taken to achieve the bonus (30 scenarios).

1bent1 wrote:

As to your question on allowing both books,of course PFS would not allow same bonus stacking, nor would they give out untyped ability score bonuses to a boon because then players would then buy cheap +1 books to avoid the GP cost of +2 books.

Please tell me where you play where 25,000 GP is 'cheap' for society play. :) Considering you will only probably gain in the area of 100,000 GP in the life of your character for PFS (unless you are able to take the retirement arc), to spend a total of 50,000 GP so you can raise your inherent bonus by +1 would be throwing money away. I don't know of anyone who would do as such.

But, apparently there were no rulings on the matter, which is unfortunate.

Thanks to those who responded.

[_Ozy_]

Unlike every other magic item bonus, inherent bonuses from books have a linear cost instead of a quadratic cost.

+2 weapon costs 4x more than a +1 weapon

a +2 tome is only twice a +1 tome

That doesn't mean they stack, of course, but this linear relationship has caused more than a few people to houserule that you can incrementally boost your stats by buying +1 books rather than have to save up the same amount to buy a +4 or +5 book.