Intelligence Lost and Skill Points

[Gwaedh]

What is the effect of a permant loss of intelligence on previously learned skills? My character recently lost 2 points of intelligence. Which for me means one less skill point per level.

I'm wondering how folks would deal with skill points for previously gained levels. Would you consider that the skill was already learned and keep those points despite the int loss? Or would you go back and remove a skill point taken at each level? How would you decided which point to remove?

[Shalmdi]

I am not sure if their is a RAW way to decide what is lost, but the entry for ability drain specifically says you can lose skill points to it.

Ability Drain wrote:

Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause you to lose skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. Ability drain can be healed through the use of spells such as restoration.

Presuming that magic can later restore your Intelligence, I would mark one skill point per level as gone, and if you regain the lost Intelligence, you regain those exact skill points. I would rule that you can remove the skill points as you please, but that is just my two copper.

[Gwaedh]

I think that entry relates to skills that are ability related. So, if I lose a point of strenght I lose one climb skill point. The number of skill ranks I have placed in that skill would not change.

The Int drain isn't going away. Its related to an interesting twist the DM through my way.

[Riuken]

Gwaedh wrote:

I think that entry relates to skills that are ability related. So, if I lose a point of strenght I lose one climb skill point. The number of skill ranks I have placed in that skill would not change.

The Int drain isn't going away. Its related to an interesting twist the DM through my way.

Modifying the skill and losing skill points are different things. If your int is drained by 2, all of your int-based skills have their bonus reduced by one, and you ADDITIONALLY lose a skill rank per hit die. I would agree that it is probably best to let the player decide which skill points are lost. Yes, stat drain is a b*#%^, that's the point. If this is too much, never look at the previous version of negative levels, they were called negative levels for a reason.

EDIT: I hope the perma-drain truly enhances your game experience. You are obviously not playing a wizard with his int drained below the minimum to cast appropriate level spells.

[Wolfsnap]

Gwaedh wrote:

The Int drain isn't going away. Its related to an interesting twist the DM through my way.

Obviously the first skill ranks to go are the ones in linguistics - specifically homophones. ^_^

As a GM, I'd probably leave the skill ranks in place, because determining which skills to dock would be a pain and because I tend to include RP-centered ways to gain the occasional additional skill rank other than by leveling.

[Patrick Harris @ SD]

Well, since a permanent Int loss is probably related to brain damage in some way, memory loss makes sense. I'd start with Int skills and move on from there. Work it out between the player and the GM.

[Shalmdi]

I hate to repeat, but the section on ability drain mentions both your skills going down based on the ability loss...

Ability Drain wrote:

Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability.

And it mentions skill points specifically in the same vein as hit points.

Ability Drain wrote:

This might cause you to lose skill points, hit points, and other bonuses.

Skill points are very different from ability bonuses to a skill. Your Intelligence modifier is never referred to as "Skill Points". I fear you lose both. The points should be able to come from wherever you want, but they are definitely lost. When you gain another +2 permanent Intelligence, you gain one skill point per level. Unless your GM decides to be merciful, those points are gone. I hope the trade off for permanent Ability loss was worth it. That is a harsh penalty.