Cheap tricks to get more INT?

[missmvicious]

Aside from waiting for every 4 levels, what other things can increase my ability scores (and therefore ability modifiers) permanently, particularly pertaining to INT?

[elpollo]

Polymorph any Object into something with a high intelligence. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorphAnyObject.htm)

It costs 1200GP per casting to get someone else to cast it on you (unless you want to avoid dispelling). You might need two castings to make it permanent.

[Bakkan]

The Tomes and Manuals from the DMG increase your abilities permanently, but are rather expensive (27,500 gp per point of increase). Other than that, choosing or acquiring races or templates increasing your scores are decent options, depending on the LA.

[Flickerdart]

You could just sit around for a few decades until you increase age categories.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Candle of Invocation.

It's cheap in both senses of the word.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

There's a mushroom drug from I want to say BoVD that gives +2 INT, but forces fort saves versus side effects.

[Aegis013]

Every casting of Wish can give you a +1 bonus (max 5), that's a bit pricey to have it bought though and up to DM adjudication on whether or not you can find anybody to do that.

[Ernir]

If you're a horse, Horseshoes of Flame from Savage Species give you +10 for 7 hours/day. If you're not a horse, UMD them.

At 30240GP, it's only really cheap in one sense of the word.

[vitkiraven]

Polymorph any Object into something with a high intelligence. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorphAnyObject.htm)

It costs 1200GP per casting to get someone else to cast it on you (unless you want to avoid dispelling). You might need two castings to make it permanent.

I thought Poly any object doesn't grant INT, as per SRD, did they change it?

[Aethir]

I thought Poly any object doesn't grant INT, as per SRD, did they change it?

Check under the tables, it gives Int of the new form and if the old one lacked Wis/Cha it gives those too.

[Soren Hero]

I thought Poly any object doesn't grant INT, as per SRD, did they change it?

you are correct sir

from the SRD:
Unlike polymorph, polymorph any object does grant the creature the Intelligence score of its new form. If the original form didn’t have a Wisdom or Charisma score, it gains those scores as appropriate for the new form.

[Rubik]

Planar Binding on efreet will get you Wishes. Wish for more efreet for more Wishes. (Just offer to freely cast the final Wish on behalf of the efreeti, and it should be willing to NOT mess your Wishes up on purpose.)

Also, you can grab efreeti simulacrums for the same thing, with no chance of them trying to screw you over.

A kobold with the Dragonwrought Kobold feat can get +3 to all of its mental stats without penalties to its physical scores via old age.

Various races (such as gray elves and fire elves) can get Int boosts.

[hex0]

Elf, Half-elf, and Human Paragon classes. You can even play a Half-Elf and take 2 of the three! (And have a horrible caster level!).

You could even take Dragon Disciple after that!

[herrhauptmann]

Elf, Half-elf, and Human Paragon classes. You can even play a Half-Elf and take 2 of the three! (And have a horrible caster level!).

You could even take Dragon Disciple after that!

And after dragon disciple, take the half dragon paragon class, since you now have the half dragon template.:smallsmile:
Mind you, it doesn't help with the wizard I think the OP wants, but who cares? You're now a paragon of halfdragonhood. And humanity, and halfelfdom.
Edit:
So it's only 19 levels of a very substandard build, but who cares for that too? :smallwink:

[hex0]

And after dragon disciple, take the half dragon paragon class, since you now have the half dragon template.:smallsmile:
Mind you, it doesn't help with the wizard I think the OP wants, but who cares? You're now a paragon of halfdragonhood. And humanity, and halfelfdom.
Edit:
So it's only 19 levels of a very substandard build, but who cares for that too? :smallwink:

:smallcool:

But in all seriousness, Humar or Elf Paragon 1/Wizard 1/Humar or Paragon 2 isn't so horrible to start with for a Wizard. Especially if you are trying to hold back a bit on outpacing the party. :smallwink:

[Curmudgeon]

Polymorph any Object into something with a high intelligence. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorphAnyObject.htm)

It costs 1200GP per casting to get someone else to cast it on you (unless you want to avoid dispelling). You might need two castings to make it permanent.
Two castings do nothing more than one casting does, because of the spell stacking rules. There's no special exception for Polymorph Any Object; it's subject to the usual limits.

[Rubik]

Two castings do nothing more than one casting does, because of the spell stacking rules. There's no special exception for Polymorph Any Object; it's subject to the usual limits.
Except it checks your type (size, etc) on the second casting, and makes itself permanent, even though the castings don't otherwise stack.

[Curmudgeon]

Except it checks your type (size, etc) on the second casting, and makes itself permanent, even though the castings don't otherwise stack.
Nope. The second casting doesn't get that far, because it gets to the Same Effect with Differing Results stacking limit, and the more recent casting immediately trumps the first casting as if it didn't exist.
In this case, the last spell in the series trumps the others. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.
The duration of the spell depends on how radical a change is made from the original state to its enchanted state.
Since the last casting trumps the previous casting, the "original state" refers to the state before any other casting of Polymorph Any Object, because all effects from those previous casting(s) are irrelevant.

As I said, you don't get any exceptions to the stacking rules with this spell, not even for the duration.

[Rubik]

Nope. The second casting doesn't get that far, because it gets to the Same Effect with Differing Results stacking limit, and the more recent casting immediately trumps the first casting as if it didn't exist.
Since the last casting trumps the previous casting, the "original state" refers to the state before any other casting of Polymorph Any Object, because all effects from those previous casting(s) are irrelevant.

As I said, you don't get any exceptions to the stacking rules with this spell, not even for the duration.Then just Polymorph. It's not that big of a deal.

[Hirax]

Playing as a neraphim (Planar Handbook) gets you the outsider type, and from there PAOing into an ice devil or planetar is pretty optimal. In addition to 22 int, they also come with great physical ability scores and the devil/angel subtypes, which confer useful things. You just need to ask your DM if it has a weeklong duration or permanent duration, in case you need to recast every week. And whether your DM approves PAO in the first place.

[Dr.Epic]

Magical items, spell boosts, races that grant int bonuses, certain PrCs I'm sure.