I was looking over the Ultimate Equipment again last night and noticed for the first time that under the Headband of Vast Intellect, that any of these found, the DM should roll randomly between all of the knowledges for the skill(s) that would be on the headband.
For awhile now I have been planning on crafting one of these headbands (just have been saving up the funds for it). But I had planned on putting Perception in my headband.
My question is, is that not really what is intended for the headband? Is it supposed to be only knowledge based skills?
Yes, I’m aware it’s really up to my DM in the end, and it sounds like the knowledge based skill(s) are only the case when actually finding the headband as loot, but I know when my DM sees that last line under the item, he’s going to want to go by the book and give only knowledge based skills to craft into the headband.
If that what he rules on, then that’s what it is, but I really think it would make the headband pretty limiting.
To the DMs, how do you run it in your party?
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It seems pretty logical for a headband that raised your Intelligence to give bonuses on Intelligence based skills.
But it never says under the description that INT skills only are allowed, it only says that if no skills are chosen for the GM to roll randomly.
I have always let characters add whichever skills they like when creating their own or having them made.
Yes, I understand what you are saying. However, the problem I have with that is the rules of adding skill(s) to the headband, instead of allowing you to pick your own skills to raise, was to simplify it. Would make it very complicated if you put on the headband, allocated your additional skill ranks, and then have to keep track which ranks you allocated. Devs have actually said this is the case.
So with that reasoning, since it is replacing you being able to raise any skills, it would make me think that any skill should be available to add.
I do of course notice you indicated you would allow any skill, but was just making the argument why I don’t feel int-based skills should be the only ones.
You get a skill on the headband because it is far easier to track that one skill than it is to remember the exact distribution of the skill points that would have been granted from an Int mod increase.
Why is this important?
Because if the headband is removed/destroyed/dispelled/suppressed you'll have to know what to adjust. Knowing to remove your HD in ranks in Perception is easier than tracking that you put 4 points in Perception, 6 in Sense Motive, 2 in a knowledge, 2 in Acrobatics, etc. etc...
Individual tracking can be far less detrimental, though. I have yet to see someone with the headband and put their own ranks in a skill the headband boosts. Its better to a character to lose 2 ranks across multiple skills rather than a skill instantly tanking due to a dispel, a/m field etc.
You get a skill on the headband because it is far easier to track that one skill than it is to remember the exact distribution of the skill points that would have been granted from an Int mod increase.
Why is this important?
Because if the headband is removed/destroyed/dispelled/suppressed you'll have to know what to adjust. Knowing to remove your HD in ranks in Perception is easier than tracking that you put 4 points in Perception, 6 in Sense Motive, 2 in a knowledge, 2 in Acrobatics, etc. etc...
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Was this directed towards me?
I am aware of this and had pointed it out in my posts.
My question dealt with is it encouraged to take Knowledge skills when creating a headband and how DMs usually handled it in their campaigns.
A headband of vast intelligence has one skill associated with it per +2 bonus it grants. After being worn for 24 hours, the headband grants a number of skill ranks in those skills equal to the wearer’s total Hit Dice. These ranks do not stack with the ranks a creature already possesses. These skills are chosen when the headband is created. If no skill is listed, the headband is assumed to grant skill ranks in randomly determined Knowledge skills.
The first bolded sentance states that it has one skill associated with it without limiting what that skill may be.
The second bolded sentance goes on to state that if no skills are listed then choose a knowledge skill. This is not a limit on what the headband can have but is a means to state what the random generation would produce.
Here is an example of an Adventure Path NPC with a headband that is NOT in a knowledge skill.
- Gauss