[3.5] Stacking Bonuses Question

[Keegan__D]

Is there a type of bonus that boosts damage rolls that stacks with itself?

[Hirax]

No, this is the purpose of untyped bonuses.

[Keegan__D]

No, this is the purpose of untyped bonuses.

I thought untyped bonuses didn't stack with other untyped bonuses.

[Hirax]

Unnamed bonuses always stack, unless they're from the same source. So if a spell gave you an untyped bonus to damage, you couldn't cast it again and have it stack. Whereas named bonuses never stack, regardless of their source. The only exceptions to this are dodge bonuses and circumstance bonuses, which do stack.

[Daftendirekt]

I thought untyped bonuses didn't stack with other untyped bonuses.

That defeats the whole point of them being untyped. A sacred bonus doesn't stack with another sacred bonus, but it does stack with a competence bonus, for example. If something just says "This gives a +1 bonus to attack" or something, that's untyped. Untyped bonuses are made such for the sole purpose of stacking with everything else. The most common types are such:

-enhancement
-sacred/profane
-competence
-insight

[Keegan__D]

Unnamed bonuses always stack, unless they're from the same source. So if a spell gave you an untyped bonus to damage, you couldn't cast it again and have it stack. Whereas named bonuses never stack, regardless of their source. The only exception to this is dodge bonuses, which do stack.

So, if a race had two abilities that gave it an untyped bonus to damage (one when a certain requirement is met), they would stack?

[Heatwizard]

So, if a race had two abilities that gave it an untyped bonus to damage (one when a certain requirement is met), they would stack?

Depends on how it's worded. What are you looking at?

[Keegan__D]

Depends on how it's worded. What are you looking at?

Homebrew. "+1 to damage with natural attacks" is featured on two multiple-choice, pick multiple features, and I want them to stack.



That defeats the whole point of them being untyped. A sacred bonus doesn't stack with another sacred bonus, but it does stack with a competence bonus, for example. If something just says "This gives a +1 bonus to attack" or something, that's untyped. Untyped bonuses are made such for the sole purpose of stacking with everything else. The most common types are such:

I knew they stacked with typed bonuses (and of course different-typed bonuses stack), but I had heard somewhere that untyped didn't stack with themselves. It was probably a misunderstanding on my part, missing the part about them being from the same source.

[00dlez]

If it's Homebrew, then its the Homebrewer's call...

Two ways to interpret:

They are both untyped bonuses, but both from a racial ability (not a different source) so they wouldn't stack.

- OR -

They can both be taken and add together, making a single racial ability of +2 damage (versus a +0 or +1 variants, should that option not be taken).


Which of these is correct is between you and the DM.

[Swooper]

To make it explicit, just add "this bonus stacks with the one granted by <name of the other ability>" after it.

[Psyren]

That defeats the whole point of them being untyped. A sacred bonus doesn't stack with another sacred bonus, but it does stack with a competence bonus, for example. If something just says "This gives a +1 bonus to attack" or something, that's untyped. Untyped bonuses are made such for the sole purpose of stacking with everything else. The most common types are such:

-enhancement
-sacred/profane
-competence
-insight

Morale is pretty common too, coming from sources like bards and the Heroism spell. I'd argue that it's easier to get a morale bonus than an insight one.

Luck bonuses are pretty tough to get. Circumstance bonuses stack unless they arise from the same circumstance.

[gkathellar]

The best solution is to PM the homebrewer in question.

[Daftendirekt]

Morale is pretty common too, coming from sources like bards and the Heroism spell. I'd argue that it's easier to get a morale bonus than an insight one.

Luck bonuses are pretty tough to get. Circumstance bonuses stack unless they arise from the same circumstance.

Yeah, I knew I'd forgotten a couple, but whatever.