My very long playing group is switching over from 3.5 to Pathfinder and I want to get some rule basics regarding ability score bonuses and damage right from the beginning. I am comfortable creating house rules but this is a very fundamental rule question that effects all kind of ways ability scores can be effected like spells, magic items, poison, disease, etc. If we go to a convention tournament I would like to be following the ‘official’ rules.
This post is long but only because in my search for an answer on the message board all I found were confusing and conflicting answers that seem to express opinion with little bases from the rulebook.
My fundamental example question is does Bull’s Strength spell add +2 damage or +3 damage when using a Two-Handed Weapon.
My following of the rules says +2 damage but that does not appear to be the popular answer.
My following of the rules is >
What does Bull’s Strength do?
Bull’s Strength
The subject becomes stronger. The spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, adding the usual benefits to melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and other uses of the Strength modifier.
The pertinent part of that quote is “spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength” all the rest of it is condensed information that over simplifies which can create confusion. If the extraneous information provided in the Bull's Strength spell confuses the issue with people the Barbarian Rage ability could be exchanged in this example. There are many ways to get a bonus to Strength. They should all work the same.
So what does a “+4 enhancement bonus to Strength” do?
Some spells and abilities increase your ability scores. Ability score increases with a duration of 1 day or less give only temporary bonuses. For every two points of increase to a single ability, apply a +1 bonus to the skills and statistics listed with the relevant ability.
Strength: Temporary increases to your Strength score give you a bonus on Strength-based skill checks, melee attack rolls, and weapon damage rolls (if they rely on Strength). The bonus also applies to your Combat Maneuver Bonus (if you are Small or larger) and to your Combat Maneuver Defense.
The relevant ability is “Strength”.
So for every two points of bonus to Strength, apply +1 bonus to the skills and statistics listed under Strength which are:
- Strength-based skill checks
- Melee attack rolls
- Weapon damage rolls (if they rely on Strength)
- Combat Maneuver Bonus (if you are Small or larger)
- Combat Maneuver Defense
So how does this bonus to skills and the listed statistics interact with the Two-Handed Weapon rules?
Wielding a Weapon Two-Handed: When you deal damage with a weapon that you are wielding two-handed, you add 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus (Strength penalties are not multiplied). You don’t get this higher Strength bonus, however, when using a light weapon with two hands.
The Two-Handed Weapon damage rules have no effect since the Strength bonus is not one of the listed statistics under the rules for temporary increases to ability scores.
So Bull’s Strength does not interact specially with Two-Handed weapons. It adds +2 to Two-Handed Weapon damage. In fact Bull’s Strength adds +2 damage to all Weapon damage rolls, including Off-Hand Weapon, Secondary attacks, whatever, ALL being the key word.
Now some would use real world logic and say that the spell makes you stronger and that does not seem ‘right’ or ‘accurate’ which I would agree with using real world logic. But I assume this is a decision made for game design reasons and tempo during gaming combat. So if a player has four different sources that could increase their strength during combat they do not have to be constantly recalculating even or odd ability scores and how they might round when multiplied by 50% or 150%. They can just cast Bull’s Strength then add +2 to the attack number and +2 to the damage number on their character sheet, then cast Rage and add another +1/+1 to attack/damage for +3/+3 total, Bull’s Strength wears off then +1/+1 total with very little figuring while in the thick of combat. For the same reason encumbrance is not effected. And for the exact same reason the concept of Negative Levels that give a -1 penalty to lots of stuff was created instead of having to recalculate your entire character from true level loss in D&D 3.5 then later it becoming permanent after 24 hours and you can do all the calculating and updating your character sheet hopefully when other players are not waiting on your character to swing. It is the same idea with temporary and permanent ability adjustments; temporary for streamline combat; permanent for updated and reprinted character sheet.
Am I missing something in the rules? Is there errata I don't know about? I don’t want to teach all my players this new Pathfinder concept of temporary ability bonuses and then it not being the official way they might encounter at a Pathfinder Society Organized Play event.
Thanks for any insight that can be provided.