Do Familiar bonuses stack with other stuff?

DizzyKungFu

First Post
For example, if you have a sorcerer with a toad familiar, this give the master +2 Constitution score. What kind of bonus is this? This is important, cuz I need to know if it stacks with other bonuses (like enhancement bonuses from an amulets of health).
 

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An unnamed bonus is just a bonus without a special name.

Bonus names are used to determine which bonuses can stack; in most cases, you can have only one bonus of ech type. If you have two armor bonuses (from full plate and Mage Armor), they do not stack. If you have two deflection bonuses (from two different rings of protection), they do not stack.

A bonus without a name is not subject to those stacking rules. It officially stacks with everything.
 

DizzyKungFu said:
Umm... can someone explain this to me? What the heck is an "unnamed bonus"?

That would be a bonus wihtout a name.

Compare this to:

Table: Bonuses from Magic Items

Bonus Type.............Improves
-------------...............-----------
Armor.......................AC
Circumstance...........Attacks, checks
Competence............ Attacks, saves, checks
Deflection................ AC
Dodge......................AC
Enhancement...........Armor’s bonus
Enhancement...........Attacks, damage
Enhancement...........Ability scores
Enlargement............Str, Con
Haste.......................AC
Inherent..................Ability scores
Insight.....................Attacks, AC, saves, checks
Luck.........................Attacks, weapon damage, AC, saves, checks
Morale.....................Attacks, weapon damage, checks, saves
Natural armor..........AC
Profane...................AC, saves, checks
Resistance..............Saves
Sacred.....................AC, saves, checks
Synergy................... Checks

Many magic items offer a bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, Armor Class, ability scores, or skill checks. Most items that add to saving throws, attack rolls, damage rolls, or AC are restricted to a maximum bonus of +5. (Bracers of armor are an exception.) Most items that add to ability scores are restricted to a maximum bonus of +6, and the bonus usually comes in multiples of 2 (+2, +4, or +6). Skill check bonuses do not have a maximum.

Bonuses of different types always stack. Identical types of 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 enhancement bonuses to armor and shields, enhancement bonuses to ranged weapons and their ammunition, dodge bonuses, synergy bonuses, and some circumstance bonuses).
 

DizzyKungFu said:
For example, if you have a sorcerer with a toad familiar, this give the master +2 Constitution score. What kind of bonus is this? This is important, cuz I need to know if it stacks with other bonuses (like enhancement bonuses from an amulets of health).

So, get your amulet of health as it will help you.
 

Is this an oversight in the rules? Surely the game designers didn't mean for a bonus that could stack with everything (except Dodge bonuses, but they go out of their way to talk about those). Is the familiar bonus supposed to be a particular kind, but was accidently left out? Is this "unnamed bonus" convention just a way to get around these problems? Surely that's not an actual rule! Anytime the type of bonus isn't listed, we are supposed assume that it stacks with everything?

It seems that a lot of people seem to know and accept all this, but somehow I find that very wrong...
 


Re: Re: Re: Do Familiar bonuses stack with other stuff?

drowdude said:


Arent those bracers now? :p

With the nifty rules for creating wondrous items you can make them belts, necklace, rock, socks, or even a jock strap!! :D
 

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