An example of stacking situations, applied to a stat of nearly universal interest: Armor Class
Stacking Armor Bonuses
Dudley, our heroic protagonist previously featured is preparing himself mentally, physically, and mentally for a duel against an evil duke who has been tyrranizing his ducal subjects for far too long. Dudley normally would not stoop so low as to stack the deck in his favor, preferring a forthright matching of wits and skill, but the evil duke has a reputation for treachery and even the use of poisoned blades, so it is imperative that Dudley not be easily hit.
Armor
Dudley has his squire, Huxtable, help him don his +2 Full Plate armor that morning. This equipment grants a +8 Armor Bonus, and his particular suit has a +2 Enhancement Bonus due to it being a magic item.
After strapping on his swordbelt and making sure his hair is properly groomed, Dudley hefts his +1 Large Steel Sheild. A Large Steel Shield has a +2 bonus to AC that stacks with armor. It also has a +1 enhancement bonus for being a magic item.
Miscellaneous Items
He also wears a Ring of Protection +2 under his right gauntlet, a gift from the Marquis’ daughter, whom he has been courting for some time now. This grants a +2 Deflection bonus to both Armor Class and all of his Saving Throws. It will come in handy if the evil duke has poisoned his blades today.
Dudley also always carries a +1 Luckstone in his pocket. This will give him CHECK THIS
Beneficial Magic
Just before combat, he has his Wizard companion cast “cat’s grace” on him to bring his 10 Dexerity up to at least 12 (by means of the 1d4+1 Enhancement bonus the spell grants), allowing him a +1 Attribute bonus to AC (Full Plate does not allow a higher Dexterity Bonus while it is being worn)
He also gains the Barkskin spell from local Druid who has been trying to oppose the evil duke for years. The Druid is 7th level, so Barkskin will grant Dudley a +4 Natural Armor bonus for 70 minutes. This should be plenty of time to confront and defeat the duke.
All Ready for Combat
At this point, Dudley has the following bonuses in place for his AC:
- Base AC: 10
- Attribute Bonus: +1
- Armor Bonus: +8, +2
- Shield Bonus: +2, +1
- Natural Armor Bonus: +4
- Deflection Bonus: +2
- Total AC: 31
With a 31 Armor Class, striking Dudley is a non-trivial matter, even for a 10th level fighter. Without the assistance of his Druid and Wizard friends, his AC would be 26, five levels of fighter ability easier to hit than before. A Protection from Evil spell would normally be used, but it provides a Deflection bonus and wouldn’t stack with Dudley’s Ring of Protection.
It might also be worth mentioning that though the book calls the bonus granted by a shield an armor bonus, but it helps to think of it as a shield bonus because the affects that do/don’t stack with it usually consider it its own bonus type.
By the way, where did you find your G On Riders picture?
Paul
The pic of Sera-chan comes from the official G-on Riders website gallery, used without permission.
The G-on Riders official site is located at http://www.g-on.jp/index2.html
I’ve been watching the first few episodes care of the fansub efforts of mugen-anime, and look forward to it being licensed so I can add it to my legitimate anime collection 🙂
As for shields, it occurs to me that I use the term “shield bonus” here yet do not have it listed in the general bonus types listing from the first stacking entry.
This is yet another example of why I’ll need to rewrite most of what I’ve posted on this site for the purpose of clarity and completeness. Thanks for the feedback.