Do racial bonuses stack?

[bubba99]

I have a player that wants to play a grey elf. Does the grey get both +2 Dex and +2 Int for taking -2 Con and -2 Str.?

 

[DragonTurtle]

Yes

 

[Sejs]

To clarify, because the language seems a bit murky:

Grey Elves have a -2 str, +2 dex, -2 con, +2 int.

They do not have a -2 str, +4 dex, -4 con, +2 int.

You don't stack; Grey Elf isn't a template, it's a race - you apply what's listed, exactly.

 

[moritheil]

Racial bonuses in general stack.

The above poster is right about reading racial modifications carefully.

 

[irdeggman]

Racial bonuses in general stack.

The above poster is right about reading racial modifications carefully.

Actually they don't stack.

A character can only have one race.

Looking at it as "stacking" will lead to all kinds of problems.

Sejs got it exactly correct.

For example the description of grey elves in the MM states that "These traits are in addition to the high elf traits."

Sometimes they will state that they get these instead of - like a Wild elf (under ability adjustments - "These adjustments replace the high elf's ability score adjustments."

 

[Diirk]

Actually they don't stack.

Actually racial bonuses explicitly do stack. For example, a dwarf has both a +2 racial bonus to spells/spell like abilities, and a +2 racial bonus to poisons. If he has to make a saving throw against magical poisons, he gets +4.

That isn't what bubba99 is really asking tho, he's asking "do I get these gray elf stat modifiers in addition to the high elf ones, which the gray elf is based off?", to which the answer is also yes, as you indicated in your post.

Sejs is mostly right, but I have the feeling he didn't check the elf and gray elf entries as the confusion of the original poster lies in the fact that the dex and con modifiers aren't in the gray elf entry at all, but in the elf entry that the gray elf references back to. I say mostly because in that particular case they do stack, as noted in the gray elf entry.

 

[Corsair]

Stacking is the wrong word. Stacking would be if it said "in addition to the normal elf traits, Grey Elves have +2 Dex."

THAT would get confusing.

 

[pawsplay]

Stacking is the wrong word. Stacking would be if it said "in addition to the normal elf traits, Grey Elves have +2 Dex."

THAT would get confusing.

Not as confusing as if it said, "in addition to the normal Gray Elf traits, Gray Elves have +2 Dex."

 

[javcs]

Not as confusing as if it said, "in addition to the normal Gray Elf traits, Gray Elves have +2 Dex."

Infinite Dex!

 

[irdeggman]

Actually racial bonuses explicitly do stack. For example, a dwarf has both a +2 racial bonus to spells/spell like abilities, and a +2 racial bonus to poisons. If he has to make a saving throw against magical poisons, he gets +4.

Really?

Where does it specifically state that?

I might have missed it somewhere but from the text on pg 21 of the DMG it appears that in general racial bonuses do not stack.

"Different named bonus types all stack, but usually a named bonus does not stack with another bonus of the same name, except for dodge and some circumstance bonuses."

"Dodge:. . .Dodge bonuses do stack with other dodge bonuses. . ."


"Racial: Creatures gain racial bonuses - usually to skill checks - based on the kind of creature they are. eagles receive a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks, for example."

No mention of racial bonuses stacking.

And I don't believe it says they stack under the dwarf entry itself - so IMO the default would be that the dwarf poison and magic saving throw bonuses do not stack.