Damage bonus for incorporeal creatures

[Salmonellius]

Hello,

I don't understand why, with HL, incorporeal creatures with high Dex have damage bonus with a weapon.
It's ok about attack bonus, but why damage bonus ...
It is written in the rules ? It's a bug ?

 

[Farling]

Is this on any particular monster?

 

[Salmonellius]

With the ghost.

Create a human fighter 1, give him the ghost template, Dex 10 and a +1 dagger with the "ghost touch" special ability.
HL displays +2 melee attack bonus (BAB + magic weapon), and a +1 damage bonus (magic weapon). It's right.

Now, give him Dex 12.
+1 is added to the attack bonus (ok, it is incorporeal), but to the damage bonus too !!!
Why ?

 

[Minous]

If you look at the universal monster rules for incorporeal:

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Perception checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to its melee attacks, ranged attacks, and CMB. Nonvisual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

 

[Farling]

If you look at the universal monster rules for incorporeal:

It's just a shame that this isn't in the glossary for the "incorporeal" condition, for when PCs become incorporeal.

 

[Minous]

It's just a shame that this isn't in the glossary for the "incorporeal" condition, for when PCs become incorporeal.

That is because the incorporeal subtype (which I quoted above) is different than the incorporeal condition. The condition has similar but different affects.

 

[Salmonellius]

If you look at the universal monster rules for incorporeal:

Ok, but it is written "attacks", not "damage".
I think there is a bug in HL

 

[Minous]

However, the way its worded its treated as a modifier substitution

 

[Salmonellius]

However, the way its worded its treated as a modifier substitution

May be you are right, finally.
Because it is written that Dex bonuses apply to .... ranged attacks ...
Dex bonuses always apply on ranged attack dice, so, if it is specifically written, it must apply to damage dice too (when throwing a dagger, for example).

Thanks for your help