Question about magic item stat boosters

[Dustin Brants]

I was reading the glossary and came across the part about ability score bonuses specifically this part:
“Ability bonuses with a duration greater than 1 day actually increase the relevant ability score after 24 hours. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause you to gain skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. These bonuses should be noted separately in case they are removed.” p.388

Am I correct in thinking that this is just a clearification on 3.5 and that this does not mean that a character can buy a +2 belt of strength and after a day take it off and forget about it? Or does this exactly mean that, and that the character does not need to fear that someone stealing his belt or walking into an anti-magic field will drop his ability score?

[Tholas]

greatamericanfolkhero wrote:

Am I correct in thinking that this is just a clearification on 3.5 and that this does not mean that a character can buy a +2 belt of strength and after a day take it off and forget about it? Or does this exactly mean that, and that the character does not need to fear that someone stealing his belt or walking into an anti-magic field will drop his ability score?

When you put on a stat booster item it is just a temporary ability modifier at first, just like someone casts the appropriate buff spell on you.. After wearing a stat booster item for 24 hours it actually increases your relevant ability score as long as you keep wearing it. That means you can fulfill prerequisites for feats and whatever else that needs a minimum ammount of a certain stat.

Edit: Actually you gain hitpoints and statistics(saves, skill bonuses, ...) with a temporary modifier. Otherwise the spell bull's strength would become meaningless.

[kwguyron]

I think the idea here is so that you don't have players passing stat items around just to meet the criteria. Similar wording is used with the regeneration items that heal only damage taken while wearing the item, this limits the idea of the "group" ring of regen that gets passed around until the group is fully healed.

[david ferris]

kwguyron wrote:

I think the idea here is so that you don't have players passing stat items around just to meet the criteria. Similar wording is used with the regeneration items that heal only damage taken while wearing the item, this limits the idea of the "group" ring of regen that gets passed around until the group is fully healed.

I think you are right about this intention.

The rules should be clarified or better yet fix the items by nerfing them back a bit.

[modus0]

From the way I read it, I've interpreted it thus:

Any ability bonus that lasts less than 24 hours (bull's strength, a belt of strength when first put on) grants you the benefit of an increased ability score, but doesn't actually increase the score.

So a belt of strength +4 would grant you a +2 to attack rolls, damage rolls, Str checks, and Str-based skill check, but wouldn't actually make your Str 4 points higher.

Only bonuses that last longer than 24 hours, such as a belt of strength worn for over a day, or the bonus from a manual of gainful exercise, actually increase the relevant score. If it is a magic item like a belt or headband, if you take the item off, you lose the benefit (though this causes problems for bathing characters and those who don't want to sleep in their gear...).

The only real reason I can see for making such a distinction is to prevent temporary bonuses from being used to bypass minimum ability score requirements, such as on some feats and in some PrCs. Despite the fact that once the bonus went away the gained feat/PrC would become unavailable, I can imagine a certain level of abuse possible there.