Ya know technically this book does not specify the 30 hard cap like most items like it. Just sayin......

Quote from Walpurgisplay >>

Ya know technically this book does not specify the 30 hard cap like most items like it. Just sayin......

 And if you're a level 18 elven druid, you could be over 7000 years old and have read it 70 times (plus the other stat books), and now you have all 6 stats of like 150 or so each, haha.

"Let's see, I rolled a 4 on my attack roll, uuuh, does an 86 hit?"

Kidding aside, I should add that the hard limit is indeed 30, but a 30 in every stat is still frightening.

Quote from lexgamer >>

Quote from Walpurgisplay >>

Ya know technically this book does not specify the 30 hard cap like most items like it. Just sayin......

 And if you're a level 18 elven druid, you could be over 7000 years old and have read it 70 times (plus the other stat books), and now you have all 6 stats of like 150 or so each, haha.

"Let's see, I rolled a 4 on my attack roll, uuuh, does an 86 hit?"

Kidding aside, I should add that the hard limit is indeed 30, but a 30 in every stat is still frightening.

Looks just like the one I read when I was younger! My, how time does fly.

A tome can only be used one time per character. All the tomes say blank and blank "exercises" that when studied over 6days imbue with etc. It's the exercises that give the stat jump the magic just makes it happen quick. When you learn something learning it again 100 years later doesn't give you MORE knowledge. The 100 year magic recharge is so that a party doesn't pass the book around in one adventure for everyone to bump their stat. 

Quote from Monkxxx >>

A tome can only be used one time per character. All the tomes say blank and blank "exercises" that when studied over 6days imbue with etc. It's the exercises that give the stat jump the magic just makes it happen quick. When you learn something learning it again 100 years later doesn't give you MORE knowledge. The 100 year magic recharge is so that a party doesn't pass the book around in one adventure for everyone to bump their stat. 

 

 Naw, it doesn't specify once per lifetime, and there's totally such a thing as revisiting an exercise later to better understand it or see something you didn't the first time, now that you have fresh eyes. 

Similar to learning chess. 

Read a book get slightly better. 

Read the same book applying the principles you learned the first time, the second time you'll notice things you missed and thus you'll get better again.

You've gotta be very special to learn everything the first time through. 

When I looked for the answer to the question "Can I use more than one of these and gain the benefit twice"  below is a compilation of what I found:

The DMG says: 

"But when two or more game features have the same name, only the effects of one of them—the most potent one—apply while the durations of the effects overlap."

The PHB says:

"The effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect — such as the highest bonus — from those castings applies while their durations overlap, or the most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap."

Neither of these -specifically- says two identical tomes can't stack, but it appears the D&D Adventurer's League FAQ has chosen to interpret specifically the DMG advice as meaning you can only ever apply one of each of the specific named tomes:

"Permanent Effects. Some items are destroyed when used, but grant permanent effects (e.g. tome of understanding). (...)the Adventurers League staff has interpreted the guidance prescribed in the DMG to mean that you can’t ever benefit from more than one such item—no matter how you come by additional copies."

So at my table, no.  One per each.  At yours... ?

Obviously you can do whatever you want at your table, but don't go around saying your personal rulings like they are law. Personally, I find it scummy to look so deeply into the rules for a specific reason to now allow something that takes centuries to accomplish. That interpretation is fine for the purposes of game balance but it's still so ludicrous considering how far someone would have to go to actually accomplish this. The Tome of Understanding is not even destroyed when used, the magic is simply dormant for the next 100 years, and it also says you can't benefit from more than one such ITEM, meaning that under the Adventurers League ruling you can't use multiple different types of Tomes to Increase multiple ability scores, not that you can't use the same item multiple times. The DMG says that when you are affected by two or more game features of the same name only the effects of the most potent one apply, but you and the Adventurers League are 100% taking this out of context, as this is clearly something directed at a game feature such as Unarmored Defense, and not magic items. The PHB reference is also completely irrelevant here as it is talking about spells and once again not magic items.

I'm not sure how you arrived at me trying to "declare law" by my statement: "So at my table, no.  One per each.  At yours... ?".  But in any case I 100% agree with you that a person should not say their personal ruling for their table is the law. 

Second, nothing about what I posted discussed the 100 year refreshment cycle of a tome. The question I was trying to find information about, was what if a person came across "more than one" of a given tome...   (I personally don't expect to ever face a situation where a character arc is lasting 100 years in a given game I'm in, so I wasn't looking to answer that question for games I may run.)

I see that your decision regarding my original question differs from mine. That's great. Thank you for sharing. Differing perspectives enrich the discussion.  Cheers!

Sorry I accidentally thought you had made an earlier comment based on the tone and didn't realize it was two separate people. For some reason I only saw the x at the end of the name for you and Monkxxx. I apologize for being rude about this, but I would still argue that the Tomes don't have a "Duration" because they are permanent increases comparable to an ASI and not like items such as Belts of Giant Strength, and as such shouldn't fall under the ruling in the DMG regardless, and I still am certain that line is talking about things like Unarmored Defense. I was more under the impression that a character wouldn't be getting multiple tomes, but rather try to use one multiple times, as they are a Very Rare magic item with an extremely powerful effect. Seeing as you declared that at your table its one per each, I thought you meant one use of the book per each character, not one book per character, because as the DM it is entirely up to you what magic items they get and it seemed strange to me to worry about something completely under your control.

would a monks water whip destroy this

Powergaming strat for all those Warforged out there

 [...] your Wisdom score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score

Let's say that my PC has 18 WIS and I can get ability score improvement at the next level. If I read this book now, will I still be able to do the ability score improvement on WIS or do I need to keep it until I level up before I read the book?

Let's say that my PC has 18 WIS and I can get ability score improvement at the next level. If I read this book now, will I still be able to do the ability score improvement on WIS or do I need to keep it until I level up before I read the book?

I, personally, would wait until I hit 20 before cracking this book.

Read it now, and you'll be at 20, and regular level ups won't increase your base stat. Read it at 20, and you'll have a permanent increase to 22 WIS.

That was the thing I wanted clarification. Thank you

Quote from Kiikok >>

 [...] your Wisdom score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score

Let's say that my PC has 18 WIS and I can get ability score improvement at the next level. If I read this book now, will I still be able to do the ability score improvement on WIS or do I need to keep it until I level up before I read the book?

 "your Wisdom score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score"

You know what? This tome gets me you know. As if something for once understands me.

I was messing around with this item just to see how it works on one of my copy characters.  It was increasing INT based skills like arcana and religion when it should not.  Someone should look into the item and correct it.

Note that as of 2024 Tomes and Manuals operate under different limits:

2014 : 'your Charisma score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score'

2024 : your Charisma increases by 2, up to a maximum of 30'.

Thus the following:

2014 : Charisma 18/20 -> Tome  20/22 -> ASI 22/22

2024 : Charisma 18/20 -> Tome 20/20 -> ASI no impact