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Tibbaerrohwen
2011-01-13, 08:50 PM
I had a quick question or two about the Prodigy Unique NPC trait from DMGII (p. 160). It give a +2 to one ability score and an unnamed +4 bonus to "any check modifiers that are based on that ability".

1) If you took Strength or Dexterity Prodigy would the +4 bonus apply to Trip, Disarm, Grapple, Sunder, etc?

2) If the NPC is a Factotum who is also an Intelligence Prodigy, with Brains Over Brawn, does this +4 bonus apply to Dex and Str related skills in addition to Int skills, due to Str and Dex checks already being modified by NPC's Int bonus?

Thanks for the advice, it's appreciated.

Siosilvar
2011-01-13, 09:21 PM
I had a quick question or two about the Prodigy Unique NPC trait from DMGII (p. 160). It give a +2 to one ability score and an unnamed +4 bonus to "any check modifiers that are based on that ability".

1) If you took Strength or Dexterity Prodigy would the +4 bonus apply to Trip, Disarm, Grapple, Sunder, etc?

Bull Rush, yes. Disarm, no (it's an opposed attack roll). Grapple, probably (it's not specifically a strength check). Overrun, yes. Sunder, no (again, opposed attack roll). Trip, yes.

Initiative, yes.

2) If the NPC is a Factotum who is also an Intelligence Prodigy, with Brains Over Brawn, does this +4 bonus apply to Dex and Str related skills in addition to Int skills, due to Str and Dex checks already being modified by NPC's Int bonus?No, Brains Over Brawn does not make Strength and Dexterity checks into Intelligence checks, only adds the Intelligence bonus to them.

Quietus
2011-01-13, 09:39 PM
Bull Rush, yes. Disarm, no (it's an opposed attack roll). Grapple, probably (it's not specifically a strength check). Overrun, yes. Sunder, no (again, opposed attack roll). Trip, yes.

Initiative, yes.
No, Brains Over Brawn does not make Strength and Dexterity checks into Intelligence checks, only adds the Intelligence bonus to them.

If the language used in the trait is exactly as above ("any check modifiers that are based on that ability"), could it not be argued that an Intelligence prodigy could apply the bonus to Brains over Brawn, since it applies int as a bonus - a modifier, one might say, which would count - to the roll?

Psyren
2011-01-13, 09:54 PM
Grapple would indeed work, because you're making a "grapple check."

The language says "any check roll" not "any ability check roll," therefore grapple checks qualify.

In fact, the wording says "including ability checks and skill checks" which means that the full scope of the bonus is even broader.

Tibbaerrohwen
2011-01-14, 06:00 PM
Thanks for the responses.
Siosilvar, I thought disarm and trip checks started with an attack roll but continued with a trip or disarm check. Am I wrong? If so, thanks for the clairification.
Thank you for clearing up grapple checks Psyren.
Quietus, that is the exact wording, which is why I've asked the question; it seems like it could be applicable, right? Or am I just going mad...That could be it too.

Edit: Tie-breaking opinions anyone?