Belt of Dwarvenkind + Deep Halfling

[Puskara]

Greetings:

I have a Deep Hafling Barbarian/Devoted Defender that is about to become an ally of a huge dwarven clan. One of the benefits of this is that I can purchase some special items from thier merchants including a Belt of Dwarvenkind.

The description in the book states that if you are not a dwarf you gain 60' Darkvision, +2 resistance against magical effects and poisen, and +2 stonecunning.

I happen to have +2 stonecunning, and 60' Darkvision as a deep halfling. Will I gain all the benefits of the belt?

The description does not explicitly state what happens if you happen to have one or more of the abilities naturally.

Thanks
Puskara

 

[hong]

The benefits don't stack. The only thing extra you gain is the +2 racial bonus to saves against magic and poison.

 

[Puskara]

Okay

I cannot dispute your answer as the book is not expicit. Would you mind explaining why that is your opinion?

Thanks

Puskara

 

[kreynolds]

You won't gain the darkvision, but you'll gain the save bonus and stonecunning bonus (I assume your current stonecunning bonus is from ranks and/or ability modifiers, and not from a magic item?).

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I cannot dispute your answer as the book is not expicit. Would you mind explaining why that is your opinion?

Unless noted otherwise, abilities don't stack, and neither do bonuses with the same bonus type.

So if you get 60' darkvision from two sources, it doesn't add up to 120', but is 60'. If it were otherwise, the item would say so.

 

[hong]

I can't remember where deep halflings are from, but I'm pretty sure they get stonecunning as a racial ability.

 

[kreynolds]

I can't remember where deep halflings are from, but I'm pretty sure they get stonecunning as a racial ability.

Even so, I don't see why a racial bonus wouldn't stack with a magical bonus.

 

[hong]

The belt of dwarvenkind grants "dwarven stonecunning", which I assume would mean stonecunning as if from a dwarf. So that's a racial bonus.

Does anyone else always type "drwarven" when they mean "dwarven"?

 

[dvvega]

As stated, the bonuses won't stack, just overlap.

The reason the Deep Halfling gets those bonuses is that they are supposedly halflings mixed with dwarven blood.

Much like the Tallfellows have elven blood, and Stouts have Dwarf blood.

Something like that.

 

[Tessarael]

DMG 3.5E states the following abilities for Belt of Dwarvenkind, which apply to Dwarves as well:

+4 competence bonus on CHA checks and CHA-based skill checks related to dealing with Dwarves

+2 competence bonus on CHA checks and CHA-based skill checks related to dealing with Gnomes and Halflings

-2 competence bonus on CHA checks and CHA-based skill checks related to dealing with anyone else

read/speak/understand Dwarven

If not a Dwarf, you get the following:

60' Darkvision (doesn't stack, overlaps - e.g. if you had 30' Darkvision, it would now be 60')

Dwarven Stonecunning (no extra bonus if you already have it)

+2 enhancement bonus to Constitution (your Halfling will get this; it overlaps with any other enhancement bonuses to Constitution)

+2 resistance bonus to saves against poison, spells and spell-like effects (this will stack with your racial bonus, as the bonuses are of different types; it overlaps with any other resistance bonuses)