Do multiple synergy bonuses stack?

[Pielorinho]

I've got five ranks in knowledge (nobility).
I've got five ranks in bluff.
I've got five ranks in diplomacy.
I've got a Cha of 10.

What's my total diplomacy bonus?

Interpretation 1: +9--I get +5 for my diplomacy ranks, +2 for my bonus from knowledge (nobility), and +2 for my bonus from bluff.
Interpretation 2: +7--I get +5 for my diplomacy ranks, +2 for my bonus from knowledge (nobility) OR from my bonus from bluff, but not both.

As near as I can tell, synergy bonuses are actually unnamed bonuses:

In general, having 5 or more ranks in one skill gives the character a +2 bonus on skill checks with each of its synergistic skills, as noted in the skill description. In some cases, this bonus applies only to specific uses of the skill in question, and not to all checks. Some skills provide benefits on other checks made by a character, such as those checks required to use certain class features.

This would seem to support the first interpretation.

However, the synergy bonus line from Diplomacy says:

Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), or Sense Motive, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.

This would seem to support the second interpretation.

Any ideas?
Daniel

 

[Wolf72]

I would think they stack in this case ...

 

[Arnwyn]

No, they don't stack. They are not "unnamed" bonuses.

 

[Pielorinho]

No, they don't stack. They are not "unnamed" bonuses.

I believe they are. Reread the two quoted sections; although we refer to them colloquially as "synergy bonuses," in both cases the synergizing skill confers a "+2 bonus," not a "+2 synergy bonus."

Daniel

 

[Darkness]

3.5 FAQ:

The text for synergy under the Diplomacy skill on page
72 of the Player’s Handbook states: “If you have 5 or more
ranks in Bluff, Knowledge (nobility and royalty), or Sense
Motive, you get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.” I’m
assuming that means if a character has 5 ranks in Bluff,
Knowledge (nobility and royalty), and Sense Motive that
the character would receive only a +2 synergy bonus on
Diplomacy checks. Or would the character receive a +6
synergy bonus (+2 for each)?
The bonuses listed in the synergy section of a skill
description are unnamed and so they stack. (There’s no such
thing as a synergy bonus in the current edition of the D&D
game.) The character in your example would receive a +6
bonus on Diplomacy checks.

 

[glass]

No, they don't stack. They are not "unnamed" bonuses.

Yes they do. Yes they are.

Just to add my voice to the stacking side of the argument (and catch up on Crothian a little).


glass.

 

[Pielorinho]

Awesome, Darkness--thanks for a definitive answer! And thanks to everyone for your thoughts on it!
Daniel

 

[dcollins]

Recall that in 3.0, there was a "synergy bonus" type that was explicitly allowed to stack. In 3.5 they removed the category, switching them to unnamed bonuses, but the effect is still the same.

From the 3.0 SRD:

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).

 

[Arnwyn]

Ah. Cool.