Do bonuses from skill synergy stack?

[Azlan]

Do bonuses from skill synergy stack? For example, if you 5 ranks each in Bluff, Knowledge: Nobility & Royalty, and Sense Motive, do you get a +6 bonus, total, to Diplomacy?

Myself, I'm inclined to say no, because the rules under Skill Synergy (page 66 of the PH) state: "It's possible for a character to have two skills that work well together, such as someone with both Jump and Tumble." (Italics added by myself to indicate what I think is the key word, here.)

Are the bonuses from skill synergy named bonuses? If so, what are they? The only named bonus from the list given on page 21 of the DMG that I'd apply to a bonus from a skill synergy is competence. Or maybe a bonus from a skill synergy is simply a synergy bonus? (But there's no such named bonus on that list.) Or maybe a bonus from a skill synergy is an unnamed bonus, therefore it stacks with other such bonuses. Or maybe it's an unnamed bonus, but it does not stack because only two skills can be used together to give such a bonus.

 

[Creamsteak]

I'd say they stack. Your quote does say "two," but synergy from multiple sources of "two skills that work together" still satisfies that quote. It's not 3 skills working together, it's 3 sets of 2 skills working together.

 

[Azlan]

I'd say they stack. Your quote does say "two," but synergy from multiple sources of "two skills that work together" still satisfies that quote. It's not 3 skills working together, it's 3 sets of 2 skills working together.

I've re-read your sentences, again and again, and I still cannot follow their exact meaning. Your logic escapes me.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Okay. Synergy from "three skills that work together" would be a +2 bonus to Diplomacy if you have 5 ranks in both Bluff and Sense Motive.

This would be a synergy between three skills.

But that's not what happens. You have synergy between two skills - Diplomacy and Bluff - that provides a +2 unnamed bonus to your Diplomacy check.

As a separate instance of synergy, you have synergy between two skills - Diplomacy and Sense Motive - that provides a +2 unnamed bonus to your Diplomacy check.

Since unnamed bonuses stack, you have a total of +4 to your Diplomacy checks... but the only synergies you are making use of are those between two skills.

-Hyp.

 

[Ottergame]

Synergy gives unnamed bonuses, so they always stack as long as they come from different sources.

 

[Creamsteak]

Hyp said what I said,

Only clearer.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hyp said what I said,

Only clearer.

That was the plan

-Hyp.

 

[Tatsukun]

Hyp, you ruined it. I had a great analogy about half cooked up involving three couples at a party, and all the husbands love one of the wives.

As is often said at the Billiards hall, “ That would’ve been great”…

-Tatsu

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hyp, you ruined it. I had a great analogy about half cooked up involving three couples at a party, and all the husbands love one of the wives.

As is often said at the Billiards hall, “ That would’ve been great”…

Billiards players swing, then?

-Hyp.

 

[Azlan]

Hyp said what I said,

Only clearer.

Ah, yes. Well, sometimes a writer's economy of words leaves the reader with a superfluity of ambiguity.