I know it raises you 1 point but in the case of the fighting classes will it take you to 19 if you have 18/whatever like in original BG or will it just take you to the next 18/whatever like if you cheated one into original BGII?

Strength tomes raise you one full point. The exceptional strength bonuses are just that, bonuses to 18 STR. So yes, you go from 18/xx to 19.

I just remember back in the day a str tome (if imported) in BGII for a fighter class only raised you to the next 18/whatever and since BGEE is partially from BGII I thought they might have made that change.

You cannot import a tome into BG2. At the start, every single item is stripped from your inventory. Not to mention that tomes are not designed for BG2, that's what the Machine of Lum is for.

At least in BG2 classic:

You actually can import the tome; it's just stripped from your inventory before the game really starts. You can, however, access the inventory before the starting cut-scene happens if you're fast enough, and then drop the tome (or anything else you want to keep).

One thing I am wondering: If you happen to have one of the items that would normally transfer (in the sense of it appearing instead of some early-game item in the starter dungeon), and you drop it before the game takes it away, can you get a second copy of the item? Or will the game think you hadn't imported the item and give you the default item at that point? It's worth noting that what you said is *not* true in Icewind Dale classic. There, using a stat tome will only give you the next 18/whatever. This same difference applies to the Draw Upon Holy Might; a level 9 cleric with 18 Strength will only get up to 18/76 Strength when casting the spell (in BG2, it would be 21).

Translation: you cannot import a tome INTO BG2. No, it is not. OP Question: Strength Tome in BGEE.

Oh yeah, Maybe it was IWD I was thinking of! Thank you dtgreene.