Item:Ability tome



An Ability Tome is a rare and powerful book that permanently grants an inherent bonus to one or all of a character's ability scores.
 * [[Image:Inherent Strength.png]] [[Image:Inherent Constitution.png]] [[Image:Inherent Dexterity.png]] [[Image:Inherent Intelligence.png]] [[Image:Inherent Wisdom.png]] [[Image:Inherent Charisma.png]]

Ability tomes come in seven varieties - one for each Ability, plus one for all abilities:
 * Tome of Gainful Exercise (Strength)
 * Tome of Quickness in Action (Dexterity)
 * Tome of Bodily Health (Constitution)
 * Tome of Clear Thought (Intelligence)
 * Tome of Understanding (Wisdom)
 * Tome of Leadership and Influence (Charisma)
 * Supreme Tome (All abilities)

Ability tomes come in the range of +1 to +8.

Ability tomes are consumed when used - the book will disappear and an inherent bonus will permanently be added to the appropriate ability on the character's character sheet.

Only the highest value + for a given ability tome will affect your character - the game will not even allow you to use a second tome if you have already consumed one of an equal or greater bonus. If you consume a higher value tome after you have consumed a lower value tome (such as +2 after a +1), the higher value will replace the lower value. Supreme tomes may be consumed if at least one existing value is lower than the supreme tome's value.

Ability tomes can come in unbound (mostly from normal treasure), Bound to Character (mostly from raids), and Bound to Account (mostly from the DDO store) variants. Upgrade tomes only comes as Bound to Account.

Supreme Tomes are available from the DDO Store only. Supreme Tomes are Bound to Account.

Since Update 16, Upgrade Tomes are available in game and from the DDO Store. Upgrade tomes were always bound to account (even if they're replacing an unbound or BtC tome when generated), but since Update 19 they now follow the same bind rules as other tomes (unbound in random gen chests, BtC in Raid chests). Currently +1, +2, and +3 tomes of all types and +1→+2 and +2→+3 upgrade tomes of all types are permanently available in the store, with +4 and +3→+4 upgrade tomes available during special promotions. +1 and +2 supreme tomes come as a single book, while supreme upgrade "tomes" actually come as a set of six appropriate tomes which are all Bound to Account. You can't buy the supreme upgrade tome with a toon which has already used one of the tomes. In that case you have to switch to another toon, buy the supreme update tomes and trade them via the shared account bank (confirmation needed for +3 tomes; +4 supreme upgrade tomes tested at 03.10.2013 and confirmed!).

Ability tome inherent bonuses persist through reincarnation.

Unwanted tomes can be traded in for Purified Eberron Dragonshard Fragments, a rare item which is highly prized for advanced Cannith Crafting recipes, and so can be sold for a considerable amount on the Auction House and/or Shard Exchange. Speak to any vendor in one of the Crafting Halls, select "Trade Essences", and when the UI pops up drop the tome (one at a time) in the window.

Minimum level
Since Update 28 Patch 1, all newly acquired tomes have a minimum level of 1, meaning any character can read and apply (often also termed "eat") any tome of any value. Although the Tome itself can be consumed at any character level, the progressive bonuses (from +1 up to the max represented by that Tome) are applied as the character gains levels.

Since Update 37 Patch 1, the inherent bonuses are applied according to the following table:


 * +1 and +2 bonuses will be applied at character level 1 and higher
 * +3 bonuses will be applied at character level 3 and higher
 * +4 bonuses will be applied at character level 7 and higher
 * +5 bonuses will be applied at character level 11 and higher
 * +6 bonuses will be applied at character level 15 and higher
 * +7 bonuses will be applied at character level 19 and higher
 * +8 bonuses will be applied at character level 22 and higher


 * Example:
 * A Level 6 character applies a +4 stat tome. That stat will immediately enjoy a +3 bonus, and when the character reaches Level 7, they will enjoy a +4 bonus. If they then immediately apply a "+4-+5" Tome, the +5 bonus will not appear until character level 11, etc.

Note that the effects of a tome (especially Intelligence tomes, re Skill Points) don't apply until after you use the tome - if, for example, you use a +4 INT tome at level 7, you will have two additional skill points at level-up 8 and beyond, but will not receive retro-active skill points "owed" from earlier levels. (This does not hold true during Lesser Reincarnation - see next.)

All Tomes (now) persist through any Reincarnation (including Lesser), and inherent bonuses from tomes will be applied at the appropriate levels above. (In the above example, the consumed +4 tome will have two points applied at L1, a third point at L3, and a 4th at Level 8, every life). Since the effect does not apply until they are "in the game" (i.e. Level 1), in the case of Intelligence tomes you get that additional skill point when you take Level 2, but not during Character (re-)Creation. So, if the above example reincarnated, they would not have to wait until level 8 (as they did when they initially applied that tome); the re-created Level 1 character would enjoy the bonuses of all previously existing Tomes, as appropriate to their level (according to the above table), starting at Level 1. (To be clear, they do not have to wait until the same level they previously applied the Tome.)

Obviously, a tome cannot be applied until after a new character first logs into the game world, so the stat benefit is not available during character creation*. However, once in the game, you gain the benefit and thus qualify for feats. For example, you can start a level 1 character with 11 Strength and a random (undesired) feat, eat a +2 Tome of Strength, then go to Fred and retrain a Level 1 feat to Power Attack (which requires "minimum Str 13"). Reincarnating characters enjoy appropriate benefits from all pre-existing tomes from character re-creation as if they were "Level 1" characters.


 * (* Some DDO Store or Market offers give accounts a free Tome for every character - that tome will be found in their inventory upon first entering the game world.)

Drop locations
Update 19 changed these values in unknown ways - at least the Ascension Chamber raid's tomes were reduced by one level.

See also: