Post/Author/DateTime	Post
DungeonMaster_35 10-19-05, 06:10 PM	Does anyone know where you can find (in the books or on the web) out about different bonuses to AC stacking together. For instance, I heard someone say that BRACERS OF ARMOUR don't stack with mundane armour bonus. Well, where do you find that?
Ogmug 10-19-05, 06:18 PM	Look in the PHB, in the glossary, under "bonus"
Dinges 10-19-05, 06:31 PM	In case of magic (which is most of the time the case): Online SRD (almost at the bottom) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/magicOverview.htm#combiningMagicalEffect s) PHB page 171 (Combining Magical Effects) edit: Damn link parser doesn't work with in-document-links.
Fixxxer 10-19-05, 08:51 PM	Well, where do you find that? Page 171 of the 3.5 PHB under "stacking effects" is a good place to start. In a nutshell, it says that except for Dodge bonuses, no two bonuses of the same name stack unless the bonus specifically states so. Mundane armor provides an armor bonus to your AC. Bracers of Armor provide an armor bonus to your AC, therefore, the two do not stack and only the higher of the two numbers is used. As a second example, let's assume you're wearing padded armor, which grants an armor bonus of +1 to your AC and holding a heavey wooden shield, which grants a +2 shield bonus to your AC. Now, let's assume you cast mage armor on yourself, which grants a +4 armor bonus to your AC. This +4 bonus does not stack with the +1 bonus granted by your padded armor because both of them grant an armor bonus to your AC. The higher of the two is used, so the +4 from the spell is used to factor your AC until the spell wears off. However, the bonus granted by the spell does stack with that granted by your shield because the spell grants you an armor bonus to your AC and the shield grants you a shield bonus to your AC. That help any?
Millennium 10-19-05, 10:08 PM	If you want a magic item that stacks with armor, consider the ring of protection, which provides a deflection bonus to your AC. Bracers of armor are meant more for spellcasters, rogues and monks, and fighters who want to go around with no shirt and look all cool and menacing without actually putting themselves at risk.
Ogmug 10-19-05, 10:23 PM	Note the following: Does the magic armor bonus provided by the mage armor spell or bracers of armor stack with nonmagic armor? Would they stack with each other? Would they stack with magic armor? Would it stack with a magic or nonmagic shield? Why or why not? In the previous edition of the game, the mage armor spell description specifically said the spell didn’t stack with armor or other defensive spells. Why doesn’t the current version of the spell so state? Because it doesn’t have to. A mage armor spell provides an armor bonus, as do bracers of armor. Two armor bonuses do not stack, so a mage armor spell does not stack with bracers of armor. Nor will a mage armor spell or bracers of armor stack with a shield, which also provides an armor bonus. Note that the armor bonus from a shield stacks with the armor bonus from a suit of armor you wear, but that’s a special property of shields and an exception to the stacking rule. Neither the mage armor spell nor bracers of armor are suits of armor, so the armor bonus from a shield does not stack with either of them.
Sidartha 10-19-05, 10:39 PM	Basicaly, every spell and every magic item lists what type of bonus it grants and you can't stack the same type of bonus. For instance. The spell Barkskin grants a natural armor bonus, the Amulet of Natural Armor also grants a natural armor bonus. thus the two don't stack with each other. The same applys to weapon, skills, ability checks, saves and such. The different types of bonus' I can think of are; Armor, Shield, Enhancement, Moral, Luck, Deflection, Insight, Natural Armor, Holy, Unholy(try telling your Dm that they still stack with each other :rolleyes: ), Of course like any rule this one has exeptions. Dodge bonus' always stack and any spell or special ability that does not list the type of bonus, simply saying 'grants a +1 bonus to hit' or some such, stack with anything including themselves. This becomes espasialy important when you have a Bard and a Buff Cleric in the same party. Edit<adding bonus types as I remember them>
Androcus Divinicus 10-19-05, 10:57 PM	Yeah ... or there's this: Rules of the Game: Does it Stack? Part I (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040120a) Part II (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040127a) Part III (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040203a) Part IV (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040210a) Regards, Justin.
Fixxxer 10-20-05, 01:24 AM	Note the following: There's an interesting error in that line of text that I hadn't noticed before. "Nor will a mage armor spell or bracers of armor stack with a shield, which also provides an armor bonus." This is incorrect. Shields don't provide an armor bonus to AC, they provide a shield bonus to AC, as is stated under "Armor/Shield Bonus" on page 122 of the 3.5 PHB.
Lord Ian Stark 10-20-05, 01:59 AM	There's an interesting error in that line of text that I hadn't noticed before. Just another FAQ error. This is why I don't count the FAQ material as RAW.
Ogmug 10-20-05, 02:31 AM	There's an interesting error in that line of text that I hadn't noticed before. "Nor will a mage armor spell or bracers of armor stack with a shield, which also provides an armor bonus." This is incorrect. Shields don't provide an armor bonus to AC, they provide a shield bonus to AC, as is stated under "Armor/Shield Bonus" on page 122 of the 3.5 PHB. Yeah, it does kinda seem they are pulling something out of an orafice with this line, doesn't it (or that this might have been a previous edition that they typically forgot to fix) Note that the armor bonus from a shield stacks with the armor bonus from a suit of armor you wear, but that’s a special property of shields and an exception to the stacking rule. Neither the mage armor spell nor bracers of armor are suits of armor, so the armor bonus from a shield does not stack with either of them.
Fixxxer 10-20-05, 02:38 AM	Note that the armor bonus from a shield stacks with the armor bonus from a suit of armor you wear, but that’s a special property of shields and an exception to the stacking rule. Neither the mage armor spell nor bracers of armor are suits of armor, so the armor bonus from a shield does not stack with either of them. That's just the thing...a shield does stack with bracers of armor...it's supposed to, anyhow. The whole "a shield is a special exception" thing was from 3.0, when shields granted an armor bonus to AC. In 3.5, shields grant a shield bonus and bracers of armor grant an armor bonus. The two bonuses are not the same, thus they stack.
Ogmug 10-20-05, 02:48 AM	Yeah, it does kinda seem they are pulling something out of an orafice with this line, doesn't it (or that this might have been a previous edition that they typically forgot to fix) in case you missed that part of my post :P