Same unnamed bonuses stack?

[Westwind]

If a character gets an unnamed bonus (say, Int bonus to AC) from 2 different sources, do they stack or is it counted once? In Rokugan, Ninja get Speed of Darkness (Int bonus to initiative) and there's a feat that grants the same thing (Way of the Scorpion)--would these stack?

 

[AGGEMAM]

Yes.

 

[AuraSeer]

Yes, unnamed bonuses stack with each other, as long as they're from different sources. If one bonus comes from a class feature and another from a feat, they both apply.

They overlap if they come from the same source. If I cast AuraSeer's Augmentation for a +1 (unnamed) bonus to Dexterity, and then cast the same spell again, the effect overlaps itself.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Would that also apply for identical class features from separate classes? I am thinking of the Int bonus to AC that Duelists and Bladesingers both receive. Thankfully, most classes that grant Wis bonuses to AC specify that it is a continuation of the Monk ability, so that it is not repeated.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I am thinking of the Int bonus to AC that Duelists and Bladesingers both receive.

If it says "add your Int bonus to AC", then it's not an unnamed bonus, it's an Int bonus that doesn't stack with other Int bonuses.

If it says something like "Your AC is increased by an amount equal to your Int bonus", it's an unnamed bonus, and should, in theory, stack.

-Hyp.

 

[AuraSeer]

If it says "add your Int bonus to AC", then it's not an unnamed bonus, it's an Int bonus that doesn't stack with other Int bonuses.

I thought about that, but it's not clear that the rules consider "Int bonus" a bonus type for stacking purposes. It isn't listed in the DMG with the other bonus types, for instance.

Is creating new bonus types allowed? Can I research a spell that adds a +9 weevil bonus to AC?

 

[Hypersmurf]

You'd have to ask Monte Cook about the alchemical bonuses in the BoVD, I guess.

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I thought about that, but it's not clear that the rules consider "Int bonus" a bonus type for stacking purposes. It isn't listed in the DMG with the other bonus types, for instance.

Is creating new bonus types allowed? Can I research a spell that adds a +9 weevil bonus to AC?

I am so going to create some shell armor that grants an additional +2 weevil bonus to AC now...

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I am thinking of the Int bonus to AC that Duelists and Bladesingers both receive.

I don't think it was ever intended that these bonuses stack. It wouldn't make sense anyway: you aren't suddenly twice as intelligent as before, just because you learned to be a duelist in addidtion to a bladesinger.

 

[Darklone]

I don't think it was ever intended that these bonuses stack. It wouldn't make sense anyway: you aren't suddenly twice as intelligent as before, just because you learned to be a duelist in addidtion to a bladesinger.

In this case, a synergy bonus of +1 to AC would sound nice... but not much more.