Tomes & Manuals... Do they stack?

[Eric Scott]

So... I've been told that the manuals and tomes don't stack with themselves but, I've found no rulings for this... For instance, I want to stack a Manual of Bodily Health +5 with another Manual of Bodily Health +5, for a cumulative +10 to Constitution... Is that possible? It's quite the conundrum... Please help me fellow playgrounders...

[Aegis013]

Each reading provides an inherent bonus to the ability score equal to the level of the book. Inherent bonuses do not stack, so if you read two, it would only net you +5. If you read a +2 at one point, then a +3 later, by RAW, as I understand it, you would simply advance to the +3 inherent bonus.

[Madcrafter]

While this is true by RAW, most DM should be reasonable enough to not make you wait until you can get a +5 book to boost your stats.

EDIT: Also, you can't get more than +5 bonus from books/wishes to any one ability score, so no, you can't get +10 to con by reading two.

[Rubik]

The cheapest way to do this is to Planar Bind two efreet and have them boost the entire group at the rate of 1 ability score per day.

[Madcrafter]

In case you want the specific rules text for this issue, it comes from the wish spell.

Which is right here. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wish.htm)

[Eric Scott]

In case you want the specific rules text for this issue, it comes from the wish spell.

Which is right here. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wish.htm)

... Well... I can honestly say, I wasn't expecting a response that quickly... I also didn't expect the ruling to be found in a Spell... thank you, that makes me feel like I might be able to sleep at night, if it weren't for the damn Phase Spiders...

[Malimar]

One of 3.5's cardinal rules is that nothing stacks with itself unless it specifically says it does. Bonuses of the same type don't stack unless they specifically say they do. Dodge, circumstance, and untyped bonuses are the usually only kinds of bonus that will stack. Two bonuses from the same source never do, no matter what their type.

Obligatory SRD link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#stacking).

[Curmudgeon]

While Wish has a back-to-back casting requirement for inherent ability boosts, Miracle does not. If the deity agrees, you can get +1 more inherent boost any time with Miracle, up to the limit of +5 total. (Either Wish or Miracle can be used to craft a Tome or Manual.)

[prufock]

The Miracle spell itself actually doesn't have ANY text relating to inherent bonuses to spells. You could categorize it under "very powerful request" I suppose. All the same, it doesn't provide any exception to the "bonuses of the same name don't stack" law, while Wish does.