Dexterity Damage and Weapon Finesse

[CountofUndolpho]

If I suffer Dexterity damage does it affect Weapon Finesse?

Dexterity: Damage to your Dexterity score causes you to take penalties on Dexterity-based skill checks, ranged attack rolls, initiative checks, and Reflex saving throws. The penalty also applies to your Armor Class, your Combat Maneuver Bonus (if you are Tiny or smaller), and to your Combat Maneuver Defense.

As RAW no as RAI I would have said yes.

I had a search but couldn't find anything.

[Lifat]

By RAW, barring it being hidden away in some FAQ you are right that dexterity damage doesn't apply to weapon finesse attack rolls.
By RAI it seems very clear to me that it is supposed to apply to that aswell.
I guess that this could use a FAQ (if it doesn't already exist) but for my games I would rule it that it is going to apply to it.

[dragonhunterq]

*breathe* remember forum rules...

*breathe deeper*

[CountofUndolpho]

@dragonhunterq Or just make your point politely?

I was on the "of course it does" side - I was shown the rule and asked to research it for the TOS+ sheet. I'm not on a cheese hunt.

[Lifat]

dragonhunterq wrote:

*breathe* remember forum rules...

*breathe deeper*

Not really sure what you are angry about here. The OP asked a question politely and indicated that he had doubts about how to handle it.

[Walter Lindie]

I believe that the reduction in your modifier would result in a lower modifier as the feat says

you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls.

[cheechako]

Ability Score Damage, Penalty, and Drain wrote:

For every 2 points of damage you take to a single ability, apply a –1 penalty to skills and statistics listed with the relevant ability.

Weapon Finesse makes it so that some attacks can be "listed with the relevant ability (DEX)".

I think all the DEX Damage stuff should read as "... and other dexterity-based modifiers" or something along those line.

And remember, Finesse is a choice once you have it. You can avoid the DEX penalty by using going back to using STR for the attack.

[Jeraa]

Walter Lindie wrote:

I believe that the reduction in your modifier would result in a lower modifier as the feat says

you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls.

Ability modifiers don't change at all from ability damage, as the score remains unchanged. Ability damage just applies a penalty to certain things. A character with an 18 Dex (+4 modifier) who has take 10 points of dexterity damage still has a Dex of 18 and a modifier of +4. He just now also has a -5 penalty on a lot of dex-based things.

[PokeyCA]

Walter Lindie wrote:

I believe that the reduction in your modifier would result in a lower modifier as the feat says

you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls.

It does say may, so if the damage drops it below your Strength modifier, start using Strength.

[dragonhunterq]

CountofUndolpho wrote:

@dragonhunterq Or just make your point politely?

I was on the "of course it does" side - I was shown the rule and asked to research it for the TOS+ sheet. I'm not on a cheese hunt.

You are quite right, that was out of order. I apologise.

For what it's worth, I realised pretty much straight away and was going to edit, but something came up and now has been my earliest opportunity to get back.

[Lifat]

dragonhunterq wrote:

CountofUndolpho wrote:

@dragonhunterq Or just make your point politely?

I was on the "of course it does" side - I was shown the rule and asked to research it for the TOS+ sheet. I'm not on a cheese hunt.

You are quite right, that was out of order. I apologise.

For what it's worth, I realised pretty much straight away and was going to edit, but something came up and now has been my earliest opportunity to get back.

Fair enough. We can all get a little tired of the powergamers trying to pass something off by sneaking past this forum.

[Chemlak]

Also, whilst it's referring to bonuses, this FAQ is pretty relevant to the question.

[CountofUndolpho]

dragonhunterq wrote:

CountofUndolpho wrote:

@dragonhunterq Or just make your point politely?

I was on the "of course it does" side - I was shown the rule and asked to research it for the TOS+ sheet. I'm not on a cheese hunt.

You are quite right, that was out of order. I apologise.

For what it's worth, I realised pretty much straight away and was going to edit, but something came up and now has been my earliest opportunity to get back.

Accepted and respected.

[CountofUndolpho]

@Jeraa That's where the confusion creeps in.

@Chemlak Agreed

I think taking the the point made about bonuses - that it's not an exhaustive list - and the fact that the Ability Damage description references all the other ways Dex affects attacks would drop it firmly on the "yes it does" side.

Thanks chaps(please substitute relevant gender colloquialism as appropriate) I'll pass it on.

TOS+ (The Only Sheet) by the way is an excellent character creator/tracker(laptop sheet) on Excel with a developer who updates and fixes on a regular basis.

There is a FREE version that deals with the Core Rules set only - I've been a (paying) user of TOS+ for years.

[The Only Sheet]

CountofUndolpho, Sir, thank you for your kind words about TOS+!
I do try hard to make it one of the best tool for Players :)

I have examined this thread and indeed I think it makes sense to apply the DEX damage to the weapon finesse, even if the RAW does not clearly say so.
I will update the Sheet to reflect the consensus that has been reached here.

THANK you all!!
http://TheOnlySheet.com