Natural Armor

thepaan · Apr 23, 2007

I rolled a half-dragon shifter for a new campaign and too the beasthide shifter trait. (DM said it was cool although my character seems rediculously overpowered to me)

According to the Hypertext D20 SRD, natural armor bonuses do not stack with themselves but some magical effects that grant a natural armor bonus do.

Because the shifting ability is a supernatural (almost magical) ability I'm wondering does the armor bonus granted from it stack with the half-dragon natural armor bonus? It doesn't say yes anywhere that I can find but I'm not going to assume that means no either.

hong · Apr 23, 2007

The magic effects that stack will generally say something like "grants a +N enhancement bonus to your natural armor bonus". Example is the amulet of natural armor.

If the effect just says "grants a +N natural armor bonus", then it won't stack.

Hypersmurf · Apr 23, 2007

thepaan said:
According to the Hypertext D20 SRD, natural armor bonuses do not stack with themselves but some magical effects that grant a natural armor bonus do.

Not quite.

Natural armor bonuses don't stack. Certain effects grant an enhancement bonus to natural armor - see Barkskin or the Amulet of Natural Armor for examples.

On the other hand, the Beasthide trait is interestingly worded - it grants "natural armor that provides a +2 bonus to AC". Reading it strictly, it's natural armor that doesn't provide a natural armor bonus; it provides an unnamed bonus. This has two interesting effects - it will stack with natural armor bonuses (and all other bonuses); and it will apply to your touch AC, since while natural armor and armor bonuses are lost, this isn't a natural armor bonus.

Of course, your DM may say "They screwed up, and in my game, it's a natural armor bonus". I suspect I would.

-Hyp.

boolean · Apr 23, 2007

Hypersmurf said:
Of course, your DM may say "They screwed up, and in my game, it's a natural armor bonus". I suspect I would.

There's evidence that they simply meant "You gain a natural armor bonus of +2", and just worded it poorly.

The Beasthide Elite feat includes the following:
"Normal: Without this feat, a beasthide shifter has a natural armor bonus of +2 while shifting."

Natural Armor

thepaan

First Post

hong

WotC's bitch

Hypersmurf

Moderatarrrrh...

boolean

Explorer

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