Dragon Shaman: Negative CHA and Touch of Vitality

[kahlzun]

Hi all,
I'm doing a bit of research on Dragon Shamans (PHBII), and i noticed something which i am unable to work out the answer to myself.

DS have an ability called "Touch of Vitality" which heals hp.
Mechanically, it is described thusly:Each day you can heal a number of points of damage equal to twice your class level x your Charisma bonus. For example, a 7th-level dragon shaman with a Charisma score of 14 (+2 bonus) can heal 28 points of damage.
This is all well and good, but what happens if you have a character with 10-or-less CHA? Does the example given have negative healing if they have 8 CHA? No healing if 10 CHA?
If negative, does this work like Inflict Wounds? Is this cheesable?

Thanks for any input, stumped here.

[Necroticplague]

This is all well and good, but what happens if you have a character with 10-or-less CHA?
Then the feat does nothing.


Does the example given have negative healing if they have 8 CHA? No.


No healing if 10 CHA?
Correct.


A positive modifier to a die roll. In most cases, multiple bonuses from the same source or of the same type in effect on the same character or object do not stack; only the highest bonus of that type applies. Bonuses that don't have a specific type always stack with all bonuses.
A Bonus is, by definition, positive, so you can't have a negative bonus. You can have a negative modifier (which is a penalty), but not a negative bonus. if CHA<10, you have a +0 bonus, and some penalty.

[kahlzun]

Cool, thanks.

[weckar]

Wait, but you can have a negative Dex bonus to AC, and a negative Ability bonus to skills.... Or are those not strictly bonuses?

[flappeercraft]

Wait, but you can have a negative Dex bonus to AC, and a negative Ability bonus to skills.... Or are those not strictly bonuses?

As Necroticplague stated, those would technically be penalties

[Necroticplague]

Wait, but you can have a negative Dex bonus to AC, and a negative Ability bonus to skills.... Or are those not strictly bonuses?

Those aren't bonuses, those are penalties. This Dragon Shaman class feature specifies 'bonus', meanwhile, the relevant rules for those say:


Your Armor Class (AC) represents how hard it is for opponents to land a solid, damaging blow on you. It’s the attack roll result that an opponent needs to achieve to hit you. Your AC is equal to the following:
10 + armor bonus + shield bonus + Dexterity modifier + size modifier

To make a skill check, roll 1d20 and add your character’s skill modifier for that skill. The skill modifier incorporates the character’s ranks in that skill and the ability modifier for that skill’s key ability, plus any other miscellaneous modifiers that may apply, including racial bonuses and armor check penalties. The higher the result, the better. Unlike with attack rolls and saving throws, a natural roll of 20 on the d20 is not an automatic success, and a natural roll of 1 is not an automatic failure.

Modifiers can be negative, bonuses can't.

[Zombimode]

Wait, but you can have a negative Dex bonus to AC, and a negative Ability bonus to skills.... Or are those not strictly bonuses?

The rules differentiate between ability modifier, ability Bonus and (to a lesser extened) ability Penalty. You always have a modifier for an ability score, but not necessarily an Bonus or Penalty.

For example: your Dexterity modifier is part of your armor class, but you loose your Dexterity bonus to AC when Flat-Footed.
Likewise the Dragon Shama ability talks about your Charisma bonus. If you don't have a Charisma Bonus, meaning your Charisma modifier is <= 0, the ability does nothing.

[daremetoidareyo]

Cunning Insight (Ex): Before making an attack roll, damage roll, or saving throw, you can spend 1 inspiration point to gain a competence bonus on the roll equal to your Intelligence modifier. Cunning insight does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others turns provided that you have the inspiration points to spend. Because this ability provides a competence bonus, it does not stack with itself.

Wanna witness a nerdument?

The only case where a negative modifier from an ability score works RAW as a boon to a PC is the factotums cunning surge. Get yourself a 3 in intelligence and use that -4 modifier as a bonus to any roll. Bonuses are obligately positive.