multiple synergies for one skill?

[Alzrius]

I was recently looking over the skill synergy section of the PHB (page 66), and I noticed something: It doesn't mention if a skill can benefit from multiple synergies at once; in essence, it doesn't say it multiple synergies stack.

For example, suppose my character has 5 ranks in Bluff and Sense Motive. Each of those, with 5 ranks, grants a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. So, when my character makes a Diplomacy check, does he gain a +4 bonus, or only a +2?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

For example, suppose my character has 5 ranks in Bluff and Sense Motive. Each of those, with 5 ranks, grants a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. So, when my character makes a Diplomacy check, does he gain a +4 bonus, or only a +2?

+4.

 

[Shawn Kehoe]

I was recently looking over the skill synergy section of the PHB (page 66), and I noticed something: It doesn't mention if a skill can benefit from multiple synergies at once; in essence, it doesn't say it multiple synergies stack.

For example, suppose my character has 5 ranks in Bluff and Sense Motive. Each of those, with 5 ranks, grants a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. So, when my character makes a Diplomacy check, does he gain a +4 bonus, or only a +2?

The synergy issue was brought up when I asked a question on a different thread: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=77331

As the last poster said, the bonuses stack.

-Shawn

 

[Flyspeck23]

I was recently looking over the skill synergy section of the PHB (page 66), and I noticed something: It doesn't mention if a skill can benefit from multiple synergies at once; in essence, it doesn't say it multiple synergies stack.

For example, suppose my character has 5 ranks in Bluff and Sense Motive. Each of those, with 5 ranks, grants a +2 bonus to Diplomacy checks. So, when my character makes a Diplomacy check, does he gain a +4 bonus, or only a +2?

In 3.5 synergy bonuses are unnamed ("a +2 bonus on diplomacy checks"), so they stack.

 

[Alzrius]

Okay, so it seems rather unanimous that multiple synergies stack.

However, a friend of mine just pointed out the following by Skip Williams (the Sage), though I don't know where he got it from (I'm guessing the FAQ):

Rules Governing Bonuses
The basic rule to remember when combining two or more bonuses is this: two
or more bonuses of different type stack, and two or more bonuses of the same
type overlap. In general, a bonus's name indicates its type. A bonus with
no name has no type and it stacks with any other bonus, but not with itself.

The last sentence seems to imply that multiple unnamed bonuses, such as that with multiple synergies, means that they don't stack.

 

[Bagpuss]

The last sentence seems to imply that multiple unnamed bonuses, such as that with multiple synergies, means that they don't stack.

In 3.0 synergy, Dodge and Armour (when one is shield and the other armour) were mentioned as exceptions to this rule.

In 3.5 synergy bonus are now unnamed so it just says 5 ranks in skill YYYY give a +2 bonus to skill XXXX. So it probably isn't mentioned as an exception anymore, but older books might still use the phrase "+2 synergy bonus", hence the confusion.

 

[Silverglass]

The last sentence seems to imply that multiple unnamed bonuses, such as that with multiple synergies, means that they don't stack.

The rules are that unnamed bonuses from the same source do not stack. 2 different skills are different sources, just as 2 different classes are different sources (although both of the single "type" character class). Now that they have changed "synergy bonus" to "bonus" the ones from different skills will stack.

 

[Li Shenron]

In 3.5 they definitely stack, as other have explained because they are unnamed bonus from different sources.

I am sure that also in 3.0 they stacked, with Synergy bonuses being one of the exceptions to the rule about overlapping bonuses of the same type, together with dodge bonuses, (some) circumstance bonuses, and enhancement bonuses from armor/shield or ranged weapon/ammunition.